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Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Open ACC vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech

By Chase Eyrich

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 16: Head coach Mike Brey of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts against the Indiana Hoosiers during the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 16, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana won 80-77 in overtime. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 16: Head coach Mike Brey of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts against the Indiana Hoosiers during the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 16, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana won 80-77 in overtime. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Tuesday will bring the New Year as well as a new ACC season for Notre Dame basketball.

This season has already been full of a lot of firsts for a very young Notre Dame basketball team. New Year’s Day will be no different. The Irish will take on No. 10 Virginia Tech in the first ACC game of the season.

While the Irish have been challenged through the non-conference slate with a 10-3 record, this will be their toughest challenge to date. There have also been plenty of ups and downs that are molding the way this season will pan out.

A loss to Radford, the loss of former captain Elijah Burns who will transfer and the loss of another captain Rex Pflueger – who tore — his ACL highlight the lows.

This also is a team that has continued to get better, as we saw in the win over Purdue and the offensive showcase against Jacksonville.

But if there is one thing that has been easily noticeable is that Notre Dame is still searching for their identity. Mike Brey has been forced to condense his rotation, which is actually turning into a blessing.

The Irish aren’t short of talent, just experience. Tuesday will be a test of that as they take on one of the best duo of guards in the nation. Between Justin Robinson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Irish will have to rely heavily on the defense of Temple Gibbs and D.J. Harvey, two players who have been here before.

The Hokies are a very small team — just the way head coach Buzz Williams prefers. It’s been no secret that Williams loves to have guards that are interchangeable. Their guards are responsible for their high scoring offense, with three guards averaging double-digits.

Notre Dame’s greatest advantage lies in the hands of the bigs. John Mooney and Juwan Durham have seen what it’s like to start next to each other and will be relied upon.

Mooney will be able to make his biggest impact on the boards, where the Hokies struggle. The junior averages just under ten boards per game and continues to make his impact with 12.8 points per game.

Virginia Tech is the best in the nation at not allowing teams opportunities from the free throw line, an area where the Irish are lethal. If the game is close in the closing minutes, this could be the deciding factor.

Next. Breaking Down the Notre Dame ACC Hoops Schedule. dark

While the matchups are extremely interesting, it will be even more interesting to see how the youth of the Irish handle their first ACC game.