SOUTH BEND — Consider the bar raised for the Notre Dame men’s basketball team.
This is what happens when you win a game – an Atlantic Coast Conference game – that many thought you didn’t have to win. The Irish did just that Saturday in a wire-to-wire takedown of perennial league power Virginia. It was fun, but there is another ACC opportunity that is closing quickly.
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Do you know how much this game against Virginia is going to mean? If Notre Dame can do it again, again at home, again in the league.
Another opportunity presents itself. Can the Irish respond?
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When does the Notre Dame vs North Carolina State game start? Is it on TV? Are tickets available?
■ WHO: Notre Dame (6-7 overall; 1-1 ACC) vs. North Carolina State (9-3; 0-1)
■ WHERE: Purcell Pavilion (9,149)
■ WHEN: Wednesday at 9 p.m.
■ Television: ACC Network
■RADIO: WSBT (9:60 a.m.).
■ TICKETS: Available.
ONLINE: Follow every Notre Dame game with live updates from Tribune Beat writer Tom Noie at X (formerly Twitter) at twitter.com/tnoieNDI
In search of the wolf pack
North Carolina State has been idle since closing out non-conference play on Dec. 23 with an 83-66 home win over Detroit. Guard DJ Horne scored 26 points with six rebounds and six assists while forward Ben Middlebrooks added 11 points and seven rebounds. …The Wolfpack have won two in a row. … They are 1-1 in true road games with the win over Boston College and the loss to Mississippi in the ACC/SEC Challenge. They also have losses to Brigham Young and Tennessee. …North Carolina State posted wins against Notre Dame’s two common non-conference opponents – The Citadel (72-59) and UMES (93-61)…North Carolina State opened ACC play on Dec. 2 with an 84-78 overtime win. victory over Boston College. … The Wolfpack returns two starters from last year’s team that finished 23-11 overall, 12-8 and sixth place in the ACC. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. … North Carolina State was picked this preseason to finish seventh in the ACC. … Only five scholarship players and two of the team’s top six scorers return. … The list includes seven transfers, including forward Jayden Taylor (Butler) and Middlebrooks, who previously played at Clemson. … Horne, a transfer from Arizona State, has scored double figures in each of the last six games. He’s averaging 18.8 points and shooting 52.2 percent from 3 over that span. … North Carolina State has won five of the last seven meetings against Notre Dame, including last year’s lone game, 85-82, Jan. 24 in Raleigh.
Quote the wolf pack
“No, I don’t have too many players. I don’t think any coach in the country will tell you that. I have a lot of guys who are starting to buy into a role. We find a rotation. I like where we are. I like our mentality. I like the way we play. — North Carolina State coach Kevin Keatts talks about his depth
In search of the Irish
Freshman forward Carey Booth scored a career-high 17 points in Saturday’s 76-54 win over Virginia. In his last two games, his first two career starts, Booth is averaging 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in 25.5 minutes. … Sophomore forward Kebba Njie scored 10 points with six rebounds, both season highs, against the Cavaliers. … The Irish are 2-0 with a starting lineup of power forwards Booth and Njie, small forward Tae Davis and guards Markus Burton and JR Konieczny. …Burton and Konieczny are the only Irish ranked in the ACC in individual statistics. Konieczny is 18 years oldth on rebound (5.9) while Burton is 12 years oldth in scoring (15.9 points per game), free throw percentage (0.816) and steals (1.54), 10th in assists (3.92) and eighth in minutes (32.3)… Notre Dame leads the all-time series with North Carolina State, 10-9. The Irish are 4-5 at home against the Wolfpack and 6-6 as conference colleagues. … Notre Dame looks to win three in a row for the first time this season. … A win would also give the Irish their first two-game winning streak in the ACC since February 2022, when they beat Syracuse and Georgia Tech. … In wins over Marist and Virginia, Notre Dame led for 64:11 out of a possible 80 minutes. He led 24:36 against Marist and 39:35 against Virginia. …The Irish rank 12thth in the ACC average home attendance (5,985). … This is the fifth of six straight home games for Notre Dame, which is 5-3 at home.
Quote the Irish
“This (Virginia) game doesn’t help you in the next game. We can’t put that into practice, like, ah, we beat Virginia, let’s beat our chest. You have to play the right way against NC State. It helps us to know that buy-in and belief are starting to come and that we are doing what we are doing. — Micah Shrewsberry, Notre Dame coach
Looking forward
Notre Dame hosts No. 14 Duke (9-3; 0-1) Saturday at 6 p.m.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact: (574) 235-6153.
