CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Don’t look now but the Fighting Irish (10-10, 4-5) are back to .500 on the season after winning three of its last four games, and with a win against Miami on Saturday, they can climb back to .500 in league play. Notre Dame’s current 4-5 league record puts them in ninth place heading into the weekend.
A victory on Saturday would also give the Irish their first back-to-back ACC road wins since the 2021-22 season. It would also mark Micah Shrewsberry’s first win against the Hurricanes as head coach.
It was around this time last year in which the Irish started to play their best basketball, rattling off five wins in six games in February of 2024. Coach Shrews says this season has been disjointed – learning to play without Burton, then inserting him back in 39 days later. The team is now settling in and looking to play their best basketball with three wins in a row.
The task at hand is a Florida road swing starting with Miami on Saturday, Feb. 1. That match will tip off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Irish trail the overall series against the Hurricanes, 13-17, with a 6-8 mark inside the Watsco Center. ND and Miami played twice last season: a 49-62 loss in Coral Gables and a 61-73 loss in South Bend. The Irish player who averaged the most points in those two contests is J.R. Konieczny at 13.5 ppg.
BURTON EMPHATICALLY BACK
After 39 days away rehabbing his knee injury, Burton has returned bigger and better than ever. The sophomore has fired off five consecutive games with 20 or more points, which hasn’t been done by an Irish player since Ben Hansbrough in February of 2011. Now before you ask, the last ND player with a longer streak was Luke Harangody with 14 straight in 2008-09.
Burton averaged a red-hot 22.3 ppg in January, which ranked second in the ACC only to Duke’s Cooper Flagg (25.4). That average ranked fourth amongst all power conference players.
The sophomore has recorded incredible stretches during this five-game stint and we’ll start with the most recent.
He poured in 18 of his 26 points in the second half against Georgia Tech, including back-to-back triples with less than 2:30 on the clock.
He scored the first nine points at Virginia before finishing with a team best 21. Prior, Burton dropped a first-half career high 22 points at Syracuse, finishing with 28.
CHASING ACHIEVEMENTS
Burton is currently averaging 20.4 ppg despite the two-point early-injury exit tarnishing that average. He’s also averaging a team best 3.3 apg.
If Burton can keep this up, he’ll join David Rivers as the only Irish players to average 20+ points and 3+ assists in a season. He would be just the 15th ACC player since 1996.
However, Burton isn’t the only one who can cement his name in the Irish record books this season. Grad transfer Matt Allocco owns a 3.69 assist-to-turnover ratio – the highest in program history for a season was 3.16 by Martin Inglesby back in 2000-01.
Allocco is also converting a career high 48.6 percent from deep. That number currently ranks second all-time for a season. The top spot belongs to Joe Fredrick who shot 52.1 percent in 1988-89.
THREE BALL HEATING UP
The Irish have great guard play and it’s showing with how well the three ball is goind down. In ACC play, Notre Dame is converting 41.3 percent from beyond the arc, which leads all league schools.
Overall on the year, the Irish have drained 37.9 percent from deep which ranks 25th in the country.
The Irish have connected on double-digit treys three times now over the past five games. They sunk 14 at Duke (which tied their season high), 12 in the win at Virginia and 10 in the win over Georgia Tech.
Allocco, Shrewsberry and Burton have been leading the three barrage, but Burton specifically has stepped up his game. He went from 30.0 percent from three-point range last year to 43.3 percent this season. He’s tied his career high of four made triples three times over the last five games. He’s 8-for-11 over the last two games.
THE TAE-KOVER
Tae Davis has emerged as one of the top talents in the ACC and should be a candidate for Most Improved. He’s averaging a career best 15.8 ppg, up from last year’s 9.2 ppg. His scoring average ranks 10th amongst ACC players. The Indy native is also shooting a career best 48.9 percent, which ranks 7th in the league.
Where is he getting it done? Well, the junior has been highly proficient around the rim where he’s 71-of-107 (.664).
He’s also improved from the free-throw line over the course of the season. He’s 24 for his last 29, raising his FT% to a career best 77.0 percent. Tae ranks fourth in the league in FT attempts and eighth in makes.
EVOLVING
When Burton was recovering, other Irish had to step up and evolve. We’ve already mentioned Tae Davis’ emergence but we’ve also seen Braeden Shrewsberry’s evolution.
The sophomore guard is averaging 14.8 ppg, up from last year’s 10.2. He’s shooting 43.6 percent, which is up from last year’s 39.8.
He’s connecting on 2.8 threes per game this season, with a .367 clip from beyond the arc. Shrewsberry’s sweet spot has been the corner three where he’s 14-31 (.452), which is 9.7 percent above the D1 average.
Shrewsberry boasts higher three ball numbers in ACC play where he ranks third in threes/game at 3.0 and third in three-point percentage at 41.5.
However, it’s important to point out that he’s added to his overall arsenal with a dangerous floater that keeps defenders guessing. He’s shooting 50.0 percent from midrange twos.
He’s 54.8 percent overall from two-point range and converting 60.0 percent over the last five games.
VET LEADER
When Coach Shrews added grad transfer Matt Allocco to the roster he got two things – a talented guard with NCAA Tournament experience and a leader by every definition of the word. Coach Shrews hoped that his young core of players would pick up those characteristics and then be leaders to the next group coming in.
This season, Allocco is averaging 9.8 ppg on 47.1 percent shooting. He’s draining a career best 48.6 percent from three. As previously mentioned, Allocco is also on pace for the highest A/TO ratio in program history at 3.69.
Allocco also leads the team in defensive rebounds per game at 4.2 and leads in +/- at +91 on the year.
NOTRE NOTABLES
- With 13 points in the win over BC on Jan. 13, Matt Allocco officially crossed over the 1,000 career point milestone. He currently sits at 1,027.
- Allocco boasts a true shooting percentage of 68.8 over the last five games. According to CBB Analytics that ranks in the 99th percentile.
- Kebba entered the year with just four double-digit scoring performances to his name. He’s posted two in the month of January, including his first career double-double at NC State.
- Speaking of Kebba, the junior is averaging 2.8 offensive rebounds/game in ACC play, which ranks fourth in the league.
- Burton is averaging 2.4 made threes per game in ACC play which ranks sixth.
- Yes Sir! – The freshman guard impressed at #4 Duke, recording his first double-digit scoring performance with 11 points on 4-7 shooting, plus 2-4 from three.
- Notre Dame continues to raise its KenPom Offense Adj. Efficiency. Over the last several games, it has risen from 56th to 38th with a rating of 116.5. Notre Dame’s overall KenPom rating sits at No. 80.
— ND —
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