MEN'S HOOPS - Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame Game Preview
GEORGIA TECH (10-11; 4-6 ACC) vs. NOTRE DAME (12-8; 3-6)
Where: Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, Ind.
Time/TV/Internet: Today (Noon, EST); Available on ACC Regional Sports Network, UND.com, Sirius/XM Radio Channel 989
Line: Notre Dame -6 (141 over/under)
Prediction: Notre Dame 73, Georgia Tech 63
Game Note Links: Georgia Tech … Notre Dame
Series Facts: After beating Wake Forest Wednesday in its return to Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame plays its second of three consecutive home games today against Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets are one of Notre Dame’s two permanent home-and-home ACC opponents, meaning these two teams play twice each league season.
The Irish are 8-5 since that annual home-and-home conference arrangement began in 2013-14.
Saturday will mark the second meeting between these two teams already this season.
Irish sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb scored a career high 25 points, Jan. 15, in the first game to help the Irish secure a 78-74 win in Atlanta.
Interestingly, Notre Dame has won only seven of its last 29 ACC games, and three of those have come against Georgia Tech.
These two teams played three times last season, splitting the two regular-season matchups before the Irish claimed victory in an opening-round ACC Tournament tilt.
The all-time series is tied 11-11.
NOTRE DAME OVERVIEW
As bad as things have felt at times during this first half of the ACC season, Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey — and even some outside sources — suggest things could be worse.
If the Irish can win today, then complete its three-game homestand with a victory Wednesday over Pittsburgh, Notre Dame would be 5-6 in the ACC, and feeling much better about prospects for the second half of the conference season.
Given the tough start to league play, the BPI Bracket Predictor gives Notre Dame only a 10-percent chance to make the NCAA Tournament. But according to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, the Irish are as much a bubble team as conference-mates Virginia and Virginia Tech, two teams the Irish still play this season.
GEORGIA TECH OVERVIEW
The Yellow Jackets enter this game winners of two straight, which includes an 82-54 win over Morehouse State last time out.
If Georgia Tech hopes today to split this home-and-home series with Notre Dame, it must find a way to beat the Irish at Purcell Pavilion for the first time since becoming ACC foes in 2013-14.
Tech has lost all six conference games in Notre Dame’s house, but only by an average of 6.8 points per outing.
Similarly to Notre Dame’s conference profile of close games and tough losses so far this season, the last four ACC games for the Yellow Jackets have been decided by a total of 19 points.
GAME OUTLOOK
*Notre Dame’s points scored in a 90-80 win last Wednesday over Wake Forest — which included 54 points in the second half — marked the most the Irish have scored in a league game this season.
The Irish had four players tally at least 14 points against the Deacons and hope to build on that, most notably the season-high 18 points scored by sophomore forward Nate Lazsewski, who has struggled shooting and scoring much of of this season.
*The win over Wake Forest was Notre Dame’s first victory at home in four tries this season, and its first in seven games dating back to last year.
The Irish look today to win consecutive ACC games at home for the first time since February of 2018.
QUICK HITS:
*Legendary Irish guard/forward Kelly Tripucka will become today the ninth Irish player inducted into the Notre Dame Ring of Honor. Tripucka was an integral part of Notre Dame’s only Final Four team in 1977-78.
*Of some solace, the win over Wake Forest already matched Notre Dame’s ACC win total for all of last season.
*Interestingly, of Georgia Tech’s four conference wins so far this season, three have come on the road.
QUOTEABLE:
“It’s big. I talk about a homestead, and let’s get another one. When you’re in this league, when you’re in this now, where we are now — January, February — and you’re us, living day-to-day, man, you’re just living day-to-day.” — Brey on his team’s urgency to hold serve during this three-game stretch of home games.
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