Preview: Notre Dame at Duke

Around 36 hours after the ACC’s announcement that its officials had made an incorrect ruling in Duke’s loss at Virginia, Jon Scheyer was ready to move forward.

Not before getting a few last thoughts out on the matter.

“I’m angry still. I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t,” Scheyer said via Zoom on the ACC’s weekly teleconference. “All of us saw the ACC’s release. I respect them for putting it out, I respect for acknowledging it.

“But obviously that doesn’t change the outcome that our guys didn’t get the opportunity to get the win.”

To rehash things one more time: With 1.2 seconds left in regulation and the game tied at 58-58, Kyle Filipowski cut to the basket and took a bounce pass from in-bounder Tyrese Proctor.

Filipowski was met at the rim and as time expired, a foul was called. After a review, it was ruled on the court that the foul had occurred after the ball had left his hands, and therefore the foul was waved off.

That ruling was incorrect, as laid out here.

“Flip had one of his worst games, and he makes a big-time play,” Scheyer said. “To not have that opportunity to go to the free-throw line, you can’t get a rule wrong like that. I hate it for our guys, obviously there’s a lot of season left to play, we have to move on.”

Moving on for Duke comes in the form of Tuesday night’s home game against Notre Dame, a scuffling team that’s lost three straight and is 13th in the ACC. The Irish has six conference games left and according to KenPom, the best chance for a win comes with a home game against Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks — and they’re given a 30% chance in that one.

The Blue Devils have lost two straight games for the first time since the end of the regular season in the COVID-riddled season of 2020-21.

Tuesday night is an opportunity to move forward—while still acknowledging the wrenching end of Saturday’s game.

“I feel for our guys with that happening,” Scheyer said. “Just, not getting clarification or not getting transparency of why that rule was called or how you could overturn that — for me, that’s not OK.

“I hurt for our guys because they played their hearts out. … Their effort was incredible to put ourselves in position to win that game.”

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Here’s what to know ahead of Tuesday night’s game:

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium.

TV: ESPN.

Series; last meeting: Duke leads 28-8; Duke won 57-43 at Notre Dame last season.

Records: Notre Dame 10-15, 2-12 ACC; Duke 17-8, 8-6.

Stat to watch, Part I: 43 | 13.7%.

The first number is Duke’s combined turnovers in its last two games; the second is Notre Dame’s turnovers forced percentage, which is 360th in the country (out of 363 Division I teams, and per KenPom entering Monday’s games).

In short: If Duke struggles with turnovers against *this* team, it’s a problem.

When the Blue Devils committed 21 turnovers in last week’s blowout loss at Miami, it was part of a story about them just not having enough energy or effort — somewhat understandable, following the win over UNC roughly 48 hours beforehand.

When the Blue Devils committed 22 turnovers against Virginia, it’s a glaring piece of the box score that’s cause for concern.

“I know it sounds simple, we just have to be more sound with the ball and make simple plays,” Scheyer said. “When we get a lead, there was a stretch in the first half when we were up seven and just, live-ball turnovers. Really just threw it right to them.”

You’ll have to forgive Scheyer if he’s annoyed when it comes to the turnovers—it’s an issue Duke thought it had solved.

The Blue Devils had 53 turnovers in the first three games of January, 21 of those coming in the blowout loss at N.C. State (15 at BC and 17 against Pitt in the other two). In the following six games, Duke averaged 10.5 turnovers per game.

Stat to watch, Part II: 36.9% | 30.2%.

The first number is Notre Dame’s 3-point percentage, which is 36th in the country; the second is Duke’s 3-point defense, which is 26th (both via KenPom entering Monday).

Going from playing Virginia — the way the Cavaliers play this season — to playing Notre Dame might be about as similar as it gets when bouncing through the ACC schedule.

Notre Dame plays 5-out offense and is going to move the ball. The Irish are deliberate and wind up taking 43.1% of their shots from behind the 3-point line.

Duke hasn’t been crushed by opponents’ 3-point shooting, and that’s a trend that needs to continue against a team that relies on it. The Blue Devils held Virginia to a 4-for-14 clip.

Irish(man) to watch: Forward Nate Laszewski (No. 14).

It took until the 149th game of Laszewski’s career to score more than 30 points in a game — and that still came in a loss.

The 6-10, 230-pounder lit up Virginia Tech on Saturday for 33 points on 12-for-17 shooting in the Hokies’ 93-87 win in South Bend, Ind. It’s the latest example of the type of season it’s been for Notre Dame and outgoing coach Mike Brey, who announced this will be his last season with the Irish last month.

Laszewski has had a hit-or-miss slate in the ACC and he’s mostly hit in the last four games, culminating in Saturday’s career high. The fifth-year forward made 6 of 9 3-pointers and added eight rebounds.

In the three games prior to Saturday, Laszewski averaged 17 points on 17-for-34 shooting.

Laszewski has mostly been the only size in ND’s starting lineup, a stretch-4 playing the 5-spot. But the Irish has started freshman Ven-Allen Lubin (6-8, 226) in the last two games, moving Laszewski back to his more natural position.

Along with Laszewski’s outburst, Lubin has played well in those two starts, scoring 13 points with seven rebounds against Georgia Tech and notching 11 points and five rebounds against the Hokies.

Blue Devil to watch: Forward Kyle Filipowski (No. 30).

For a few reasons, some of which are probably obvious.

The ACC admitted what you probably knew before overtime, that Filipowski should’ve gotten two free throws with the score tied at 58-58.

How he responds to the disappointment of that play will be worth watching — though, that’s only if he plays.

Scheyer said on that play, Filipowski suffered a sprained ankle. He played in the overtime segment, but Scheyer said Monday that Filipowski was receiving treatment for the injury and that an MRI was scheduled.

“We don’t know his status yet,” Scheyer said when asked what his status for Tuesday night’s game would be.

And then there’s Filipowski’s game overall against the Cavaliers.

The star freshman was held scoreless for the first time this season — his previous season-low was six points in a 19-point win over Florida State. Filipowski missed all six attempts from the field, two free throws and committed five turnovers across 30 minutes.

It was the second straight subpar performance from the 7-footer. He had nine points and nine rebounds against Miami — meaning two of his four games this season in which he’s failed to score in double figures came last week.

Assuming Notre Dame sticks with Lubin as the starter, Laszewski and Filipowski will be matched up against each other.

KenPom prediction: Duke wins 77-63.

Devils Illustrated prognosis: This the one you’d hope for and kind expect Duke to come out and breathe fire.

Duke lost two games last week in about as polar opposite fashion as you can get while still having the same result. The loss at Miami wasn’t competitive for most of the second half and the pessimistic side of things saw it as non-competitive after the first couple of minutes.

And then the Blue Devils went to Virginia and played one of the teams atop the conference, and the one with the best odds to capture a regular-season crown, to a tie for the first 39 minutes, 59 seconds.

What happened in that final second doesn’t need to be rehashed (again).

Having more to do with where Duke’s headspace should be than how Notre Dame has played, this is a game Duke should have the edge in most categories.