ALABAMA A&M (3-7) VS. NOTRE DAME (8-4)
Where: Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, Ind.
Time/TV/Internet: Today (Noon, EST); Available on ACC Network Extra, UND.com, Sirius/XM Radio Channel 989
Prediction: Notre Dame 90, Alabama A&M 65
Series Facts: After a week off for winter break, Notre Dame returns to action against Alabama A&M for the first-ever meeting between these two schools.
Alabama A&M — Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University in Normal, Ala. — comes in only 3-7 but off a 92-80 win over North Alabama.
The Bulldogs have struggled on both sides of the court this season, getting outscored by an average of 82-66 per game. The -16 scoring margin ranks 342nd out of 350 Division I men’s basketball teams.
NOTRE DAME OVERVIEW
Any residual effects from Notre Dame’s cruel 62-60 loss to Indiana Dec. 21 in the Crossroads Classic likely won’t show today against an outmanned opponent, but looking forward it’s something the team will have to guard against.
The Irish gamely erased a 17-point deficit against the Hoosiers and led by five points late before being outscored 8-1 down the stretch to drop its fourth game against a Power 5 conference opponent in five tries this season.
Following this tune-up against Alabama A&M, Notre Dame opens its full-time ACC slate with road games against Syracuse and NC State before coming home to face No. 3 Louisville.
Adding to the challenge of this three-game ACC stretch over eight days, the Irish are already 0-2 in the league after losing at North Carolina then being upset at home by Boston College.
ALABAMA A&M OVERVIEW
Alabama A&M, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference is only the fourth SWAC opponent to face the Irish at Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame already has wins over Mississippi Valley State (2011), Grambling (2014) and Prairie View A&M (1987).
GAME OUTLOOK
*A familiar cast of characters allowed Notre Dame to get back into the game against Indiana.
Playing the best basketball of his career, Irish sophomore guard Dane Goodwin sparked the comeback offensively, scoring all 15 of his points in the second half on 6-of-12 shooting.
Notre Dame also enjoyed good interior work from senior forward Juwan Durham, who finished with 11 points and four rebounds.
Senior forward John Mooney recorded his ninth double-double this season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
*The youthful Bulldogs feature only two players scoring double-figures so far this season.
Freshman Cameron Alford leads the team with 14.9 points per game and another freshman, Garrett Hicks, adds 10.1 points per game.
QUICK HITS:
*With his 12.0 scoring average off the Irish bench, Goodwin is making his case for the best sixth-man in the country. Goodwin ranks second nationally among power conference players in scoring off the bench, trailing only Vanderbilt’s Saban Lee with his 16.9 average.
*Notre Dame currently ranks fifth in the country and first in the ACC in assists per game with 17.8. Three times this season the Irish have recorded at least 20 assists in a game.
*Alabama A&M is the fourth and final first-time opponent the Irish play this regular season. Wins over Robert Morris (92-57), Howard (79-50) and Presbyterian (63-53) marked the other three.
QUOTEABLE:
“I wish we could’ve dug in defensively in man-to-man better to start the game. I don’t think we did that at all in the first half so now you’re digging out of a hole. Sometimes you almost don’t deserve to win when you play defense for 15 minutes,” — Irish head coach Mike Brey on the frustrating 62-60 loss to Indiana last time out.
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