What you need to know about Notre Dame's ACC basketball opener at Boston College
Tom NoieMEN’S BASKETBALL
WHO: Notre Dame (3-3 overall; 0-0 ACC) vs. Boston College (5-3; 0-0)
WHERE: Conte Forum (8,606), Chestnut Hill, Mass.
WHEN: Friday at 6 p.m.
TV: ACC Network
RADIO: WSBT (960 AM)
ONLINE: Follow every Notre Dame game with live updates from Tribune beat writer Tom Noie at twitter.com/tnoieNDI
NOTING: Lehigh transfer James Karnik scored 12 points with seven rebounds to lead four Boston College players in double figures for points in Monday’s home victory over South Florida, 64-49. DeMarr Langford and Quinten Post each scored 11 points. The Eagles shot 44.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3, 68.8 percent from the free throw line. They scored 36 points in the paint with 15 assists and six turnovers. … Boston College has won two straight. It did not participate in this week’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge. … Following seven seasons at College of Charleston, Earl Grant is in his first as head coach at Boston College. Former Irish guard Chris Markwood is in his first season as an assistant coach. … The Eagles return one starter off last year’s team that finished 4-16 overall, 2-11 and 15th place – last - in the ACC. ... Boston College was picked this preseason to finish 15th. … The Eagles have not finished over .500 in the ACC since 2011. … Notre Dame leads the all-time series 24-12, 14-2 as ACC colleagues and 9-7 in games at Boston College. Boston College won last year’s last meeting, 94-90, and has won two of the last five in the series. Prior to that, Notre Dame had won 13 straight and 17 of 18. … Irish senior power forward Nate Laszewski ranks third in the league in rebounding (9.33). Senior guard Dane Goodwin is third in 3-point field goal percentage (.500) and tied for second in free throw percentage (.938). Langford ranks seven in the league in minutes (36.2). … Boston College is one of six repeat league opponents for Notre Dame and one of two (Georgia Tech) permanent repeat opponents since the Irish joined the league in 2013. … The Irish have lost two straight and three of four. … Irish freshman guard Blake Wesley is second on the squad in scoring (13.0 ppg.) and is coming off a career high 24 points in Monday’s loss at Illinois. … This is the fifth consecutive game away from home for Notre Dame, which is 1-3. The Irish have lost three of their last four - Saint Mary's, Texas A&M, Illinois. The win is against Division II Chaminade. ... Notre Dame has lost its league opener each of the last three seasons – home to Duke (2020), at North Carolina (2019) and at Virginia Tech (2018). It last won an ACC opener in 2017 (home vs. Georgia Tech).
QUOTING: “We have fight. We need to stay the course and play the way we know how to play. To start out 1-0 in the league would be huge for us.”
-Irish senior guard Dane Goodwin on opening ACC play Friday at Boston College
►Tom Noie
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on Twitter: @tnoieNDI