Still in the midst of a disappointing five-game losing streak, Notre Dame men’s basketball will begin the ACC schedule this Saturday by welcoming the Syracuse Orange to South Bend for the first high-profile home game of the season. With the Orange and the Irish each taking 20-plus-point losses earlier in the week in the ACC/SEC Challenge (SEC won 14-2), both sides are still searching for a marquee victory to build their resume.
Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s group will once again go into battle without its best player, as preseason All-ACC first-team honoree Markus Burton will miss his fourth straight contest with a knee injury. The sophomore guard from Mishawaka, Indiana had averaged over 22 points a night prior to going down early in last Tuesday’s overtime loss to Rutgers in Las Vegas.
As expected, the Irish’s offensive efficiency has tumbled in the absence of their lead guard. In Burton’s six starts the Irish were averaging nearly 83 points per game, but that number has dropped all the way to 59 points per game in the three games without Burton.
To break free from this multi-week team-wide slump, Notre Dame will need the trio of Braeden Shrewsberry, Tae Davis and Matt Allocco to step up. Shrewsberry, a sophomore guard from Granger, Indiana, has been the team’s leading scorer behind Burton at 15.2 points per game, but his three-point efficiency has drastically decreased from his freshman season, as he is converting on just 31.9% of shots from beyond the arc. Davis, a junior forward and former Seton Hall transfer, has enjoyed a breakout campaign with more touches, as he is totaling 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while Allocco, a Princeton transfer and graduate guard, has had to take control of the offense without Burton, while also shooting an exceptional 47.9% from three-point territory.
Across the sideline, Syracuse is also led by a second-year head coach, as former Orange player and longtime assistant Red Autry took the reins from legendary bench boss Jim Boeheim following the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. The Orange won 20 games in Autry’s inaugural season and returned star guard JJ Starling for his second season in Upstate New York, following his freshman year playing for former head coach Mike Brey at Notre Dame.
Starling is averaging nearly 20 points per game, but he is not expected to play on Saturday after suffering a hand injury last week against Cornell. Syracuse will need to dominate the interior in Starling’s absence, as the Orange boast a deep frontcourt consisting of three players scoring in double-figures. Leading the way will be stretch forward Chris Bell, who is averaging over 13 points per game this season. Bell, a junior from Concord, California, has struggled from deep this season, connecting on just 28% despite shooting roughly 42% from three a year ago.
This will be the first of two meetings between Notre Dame and Syracuse this season, as the Irish will head to the JMA Wireless Dome on Jan. 18. Syracuse holds the edge in the all-time series, with 34 victories to Notre Dame’s 23. Syracuse has claimed three straight over Notre Dame, including last February’s 88-85 instant classic, in which Burton nearly led the Irish to their biggest comeback in program history, as Notre Dame tied the game with a minute to play despite trailing by as many as 29 points earlier in the game.
Saturday’s contest inside Purcell Pavilion also marks the first of four “Irish Wear Green” games for the 2024-25 season. Tip-off is set for noon and will be broadcast on The CW.
