As Notre Dame prepares for conference play, read here about the three games that will prove to be the biggest test for Micah Shrewsberry and the Fighting Irish.
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
As Notre Dame concludes non-conference play on Sunday against Le Moyne, the Irish will resume ACC play for the remainder of the season on the road against Georgia Tech on Dec. 31. After a win over Syracuse back on Dec. 7 in Purcell Pavilion, the Irish have started out conference play undefeated. However, with 19 more conference games looming over the next three months, here are the three biggest games of the Irish’s ACC schedule.
Saturday, January 11th @ No. 5 Duke
The No. 5 Duke Blue Devils are by far the toughest opponent on Notre Dame's ACC schedule, and arguably their toughest all season. With the lowest ticket price coming in at $510 just under a month away from the matchup in Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Irish certainly have their work cut out for them.
Despite the lopsided final score last year when the Irish visited Durham on Feb. 7, Notre Dame was within nine points of the Blue Devils with 13 minutes remaining in the game. Then freshman guard Markus Burton led the Irish with 19 points as well as four assists, however it isn’t looking like the Mishawaka, Indiana, native will be available for this year's matchup.
Fast forward to 2025, the Blue Devils are even more loaded behind freshman phenom and consensus future number one overall pick in the NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg. The 6’9” forward from Newport, Maine, leads Duke in four of five major categories, averaging 16.6 points per game, nine rebounds and 3.6 assists, while also swatting 1.4 shots per game. His length coupled with his size have powered him through his first 11 games, scoring 20 or more points in five separate occasions, including their matchup with Kentucky back on Nov. 12 where he scored 26.
Duke has two more players averaging double figures in former Wisconsin High School Player of the Year, freshman Kon Knueppel, as well as junior Tyrese Proctor. Both will certainly be a threat from deep, with Knueppel averaging 5.6 three-point attempts per game, but only knocking down 1.8 per game. Proctor will be the bigger issue for the Irish, as he is sinking 42.6% of his 6.2 threes per game.
With the Blue Devils balance of experience and youth, it will be a tough task for the Irish to walk into a tough environment and come out with a win. Fortunately, it will be the lone time the two teams matchup this season. With Duke classes beginning on Wednesday, January 8th, students will also be back on campus.
Wednesday, February 19th vs. SMU
The ACC welcomed four new schools beginning this season, with one of them being the SMU Mustangs. In their first season, they are off to a hot start at 9-2, including a win over Virginia back on Dec. 7 that has them at 1-0 in conference play.
They are led by Wake Forest transfer Kevin “Boopie” Miller, who is on his third team in four years. After spending one season with the Demon Deacons, Miller took to Dallas, Texas, to join the Mustangs. Through 11 games, the Chicago native is averaging 14.4 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 3.4 RPG, while also collecting 1.6 steals per game, a career high. While Miller started out the season scoring double figures in each of the first eight games, he has struggled in his last three shooting 7-32 and scoring just 22 points.
Miller remains one of the best distributors in the ACC, with one of his favorite connections being Chuck Harris who is averaging 12.1 PPG. The fifth-year senior, who spent his first three seasons with the Butler Bulldogs, shoots 4.2 threes per game while shooting an impressive 45.7%. Should Burton return to the lineup prior to this game, the Irish will matchup much better defensively with the Mustangs as sophomore guard Braden Shrewsberry will be able to guard Harris.
The biggest issue for Notre Dame in this one will be the 7’2” freshman from Istanbul, Turkey, Samet Yigitoglu. In nine games this season, Yigitoglu is averaging 11.7 PPG and an underwhelming 6.2 RPG. His 1.1 blocks per game leads the team, and his efficient 61.9% shooting from the field further proves his presence down low.
The Mustangs are one of the deepest teams in the ACC, with seven players averaging eight or more PPG, all of which average at least 21 minutes per game. This game, which will take place in Purcell Pavilion, will ultimately be dependent on the health of Markus Burton, and if he will be available to play.
Wednesday, February 26th @ No. 25 Clemson
Just one week later, the Irish will travel to Clemson, South Carolina, to take on the Tigers, who are currently ranked No. 25. However, after losing their last two games against Memphis and South Carolina, the Tigers will likely fall out of the top 25, but it is possible they are back in the rankings in two months.
Last season, the Irish picked up a big win over the Tigers on Mar. 2 in Purcell Pavilion and were once again led by Markus Burton. After losing their best player P.J. Hall, head coach Brad Brownell and the Tigers have adjusted nicely.
Guard-play has been an important part for Clemson this season, with fifth-year senior guard Chase Hunter leading the charge. Hunter, who stands at 6’4”, is averaging 16.9 PPG this season on 47.6% shooting, as this is shaping up to be the best season of his career. In 33.4 minutes per game, Hunter is shooting 40.6% from deep and has been a factor on the defensive side of the ball with 1.3 steals per game.
Ian Schieffelin, a 6’8” forward in his fourth year with the Tigers, is averaging 13.8 PPG, and a team leading 12 RPG, which ranks second in the nation. He will be the biggest threat that the Irish will see all season when it comes to crashing the glass, meaning Notre Dame is going to have to utilize its athleticism and keep the second chance efforts to a minimum. The issue is that Schieffelin is not even the tallest player in the Clemson starting lineup.
Viktor Lakhin, a 6’11” senior from Anapa, Russia, weighs in at 245 lbs and averages 11.4 PPG. He is in his first season with the Tigers after spending the last three years at Cincinnati, but has started all 12 games thus far. His 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks are the biggest threats that the Irish are going to have to keep at bay, although Lakhin is also a 48.6% shooter.
This game will be played from beyond the arc for Notre Dame, proving yet another chance for guards like Shrewsberry, as well as junior guard J.R. Konieczny, and sophomore guard Logan Imes to have big games.
With the ACC being in one of its lesser years as far as standout teams go, the Irish have plenty of opportunities to expand on their seven-win conference record a season ago. While a lot of that will be determined by Markus Burton’s availability, Notre Dame will have to handle every opponent one game at a time. This starts on New Year’s Eve against the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, Georgia.
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