Preview of Duke men’s basketball opponent: Notre Dame
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Preview of Duke men’s basketball opponent: Notre Dame

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Duke men’s basketball welcomes Notre Dame to Cameron Indoor Stadium hoping to extend its winning streak to 10 games. The Chronicle previews the encounter with an overview and an X-factor for each team:

2023-24 record: 13-20, 7-3 in the ACC

2024-2024 record: 7-8, 1-3 in the ACC

Head Coach: Micah Shrewsberry

Story: Duke leads 31-8

Last meeting: 71-53 Duke, February 7, 2024

It’s been four years since the Fighting Irish upset Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. With the final score at 93-89, Notre Dame stunned Blue Devil fans when guard Prentiss Hubb hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 38.2 seconds left. Today, Notre Dame is led by Micah Shrewsberry, who was recently hired as head coach in 2023.

Since their last win over Duke, the Fighting Irish have battled hard against the Blue Devils. In 2023, Notre Dame returned to Cameron but narrowly missed a win in a game that ended 68-64. This year, Notre Dame’s best players are sophomore guard Markus Burton and junior forward Tae Davis. Both are from Indiana State and have averaged 18.4 and 16.5 points per game, respectively, this season.

Although there are players who can put up points for the Fighting Irish, the team has faltered several times this year due to the pressure of close games, particularly recently against teams from North Carolina State. In the final seconds of the most recent game against the Tar Heels, a hasty foul call led to Notre Dame losing 74-73. That trend became even more evident after the Fighting Irish’s second straight loss to NC State this week. Given that Notre Dame is playing another team in North Carolina, Notre Dame will have to work on making smart plays under the pressure of the clock – and the pressure of the Cameron crazies – to have a chance to compete with No. 1 Duke .4 to compete.

Herzog: Kon Knueppel

Kon Koneuppel had a phenomenal performance in Duke’s most recent game against Pittsburgh. With a 57.1% 3-point percentage, the Milwaukee native showed Blue Devil fans that he could shoot efficiently despite pressure from the Panthers. Knueppel not only shot 5 of 12 from the field, but also excelled in other areas of the field. The freshman guard shot 3 of 4 from the free throw line and finished the game with 17 points.

Knueppel’s performance against Pittsburgh was different from previous games. In a challenging game against Kansas, the Blue Devil freshman missed all eight of his shots from long range and made 4 of 14 field goals overall. Kon has shot erratically in some games throughout the season, but for the Blue Devils to remain a strong team in the ACC, Knueppel must continue to establish himself as a reliable and efficient shooter.

Notre Dame: Tae Davis

Junior Tae Davis is a sophomore playing for Notre Dame. After leading the team in shooting percentage during the 2023-24 season, Davis continues to dominate in his role for the Fighting Irish. In the last two games, the forward scored 17 points against North Carolina and 14 points against the Wolfpack. Interestingly, Davis is able to force his way into the zone to create scoring opportunities rather than primarily being a threat from 3-point range.

Overall, the junior is averaging 16.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season. Additionally, Davis is a solid free throw shooter, converting 75.5% of his attempts this year. The Indianapolis native shows no signs of slowing down, so the Blue Devils should be careful to limit his production when they take on Notre Dame on Saturday.

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