Duke basketball: Predicting every win and loss this season
By Matt Giles
Game 14: Duke basketball at Notre Dame
The Duke Blue Devils will play at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, unranked to start the year, on Jan. 1 at 6 p.m. ET (ACCN) in Purcell Pavilion.
Following four straight lackluster campaigns without a single NCAA Tournament appearance, former Duke basketball assistant coach Mike Brey will be looking to right the ship during his 22nd season at the helm in South Bend, Ind.
Notre Dame sits just above NC State at No. 8 in the 2021-22 ACC Preseason Poll. But unlike many of their middle-of-the-pack counterparts in the conference, the Fighting Irish have a projected All-ACC weapon in senior guard Prentiss Hubb, who finished No. 1 among all ACC players in assists last season.
Moreover, remember that Notre Dame defeated Duke last season in Cameron Indoor Stadium and that Brey’s teams once beat Mike Krzyzewski’s guys in five out of six tries during the mid-2010s. This score should be pretty close.
Predicted final score: Duke 85, Notre Dame 80
The Blue Devils improve to 13-1 overall (3-0 ACC) on the season.