Notre Dame Struggles Without Jackson

The Notre Dame men’s basketball team fell to Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Thursday in sloppy fashion, 81-66, and Demetrius Jackson’s presence was clearly missed.

Jackson, the Irish’s unrivaled leader, sat out with a pulled hamstring that he suffered against Boston College.

Without its facilitator and leading scorer on the floor, Notre Dame struggled to get anything going against Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s patented zone defense. Throughout the first half, their inability to create off dribble penetration led to turnovers and far too many shots from the perimeter. The Irish had been the best team in the country in regard to turnovers coming into tonight, averaging just 9.2 per game. Syracuse forced them into nine turnovers before halftime.

While they only turned it over once in the second half, the Irish were never able to climb out of the hole they dug for themselves.

Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney, who led the Orange with 22 points, spoke with the ESPN2 broadcasters after the game. He told them that the only thing that has changed since Boeheim returned from his suspension is their defensive intensity. That was definitely on display tonight, and the Orange have won four of their last five games.

Notre Dame had also won four of its last five and finally climbed into the top 25 this week, albeit as the 25th seed.

Jan 28, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward V.J. Beachem (3) shoots the ball past Syracuse Orange guard Franklin Howard (1) during the first half at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

V.J. Beachem was the only Irish player who didn’t shoot poorly on the night, scoring 22 points on 8-13 from the floor. Steve Vasturia was the one other double-figure scorer with 16. Syracuse’s size advantage in the paint was also made apparent, as Zach Auguste and Bonzie Colson had no impact for Notre Dame. Matt Ryan attempted nine shots, all from three-point range, and made just two of them in the final minutes when the game was as good as over.

With Jackson’s status still up in the air, Notre Dame will need to find a way to create some more offense if he misses another game or two. The Irish are 5-3 in ACC play, and they face the top four teams in the conference in their next five games.