Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Dartmouth Big Green Picks and Predictions December 11th 2024

Notre Dame Looks to Continue Winning Ways Against Dartmouth

Notre Dame men’s basketball (5-5) returns to action Wednesday night, hosting Dartmouth (4-4) in their next-to-last nonconference game. Fresh off a much-needed 69-64 win over Syracuse that snapped a five-game losing streak, the Fighting Irish aim to build confidence and consistency despite missing star point guard Markus Burton.

Fighting Irish Adjust Without Burton

Notre Dame’s season took a tough turn when sophomore point guard Markus Burton suffered a knee injury on Nov. 26 against Rutgers. Without their stat-stuffing leader, the Irish have struggled to generate offensive flow, evident in their seven assists versus 15 turnovers against Syracuse.

Despite the challenges, Notre Dame has found ways to fill the scoring void. Braeden Shrewsberry led the charge against the Orange with a career-high-tying 25 points, sinking 6 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. Forward Tae Davis has also stepped up, averaging 16.6 points and 12.2 shots per game in Burton’s absence, compared to 12.4 points and 7.2 shots previously.

Head coach Micah Shrewsberry emphasized the importance of staying focused:
“We needed to win a close game so our guys can build some belief back. We can’t take any steps back on Wednesday.”

Shrewsberry has focused on fostering toughness in critical moments, a mindset he hopes will yield progress:
“There have been times when we haven’t gotten the key stop or the bucket when we quite need it. It gets deflating sometimes.”

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Dartmouth’s Road Challenges and 3-Point Reliance

Dartmouth (4-4) is in the middle of a grueling seven-game road trip, entering Wednesday’s matchup fresh off a heartbreaking 69-68 overtime loss to UIC. The Big Green held a one-point lead with 4:03 left in overtime but failed to score on their final six possessions, extending their drought of winning seasons since 1998-99.

Dartmouth lives and dies by the 3-pointer, with nearly half of their shot attempts (48%) coming from behind the arc. Senior Cade Haskins has been their most prolific shooter, hitting 28 of 68 attempts from deep while averaging 13.6 points per game. Senior Ryan Cornish, however, is the team’s standout player, leading Dartmouth in scoring (14.3 ppg), assists (3.0 apg), and steals (2.3 spg).

The Big Green have shown they can punch above their weight, as evidenced by their 88-83 upset over Boston College on Nov. 29.

Keys to the Game

For Notre Dame, avoiding turnovers and continuing to develop scoring options beyond Burton will be critical. Davis and Shrewsberry must maintain their elevated production, while the team will need to shore up its defense to limit Dartmouth’s 3-point shooting.

Dartmouth, meanwhile, must capitalize on their perimeter-oriented offense and hope to replicate the shooting success they found against Boston College. Controlling turnovers and executing in crunch time will also be essential if they hope to pull off another upset.

Check out the latest John Wooden Award Odds & Predictions for detailed analysis and updates.

Stakes of the Matchup

For Notre Dame, this game offers an opportunity to build momentum and confidence before deeper ACC play. For Dartmouth, it’s a chance to make a statement against a power-conference opponent and prove they can contend with higher-level competition. With both teams searching for consistency, this nonconference clash promises to be a competitive affair.