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After a week-long hiatus, Indiana takes on Notre Dame in the swan song of the Crossroads Classic.

Notre Dame had been struggling, but recently knocked off No. 10 Kentucky 66-62 on December 11th. That win completely changes the framework and narrative for their matchup with the Hoosiers this Saturday. Did the Fighting Irish have one good game, or is this the beginning of a turnaround for them this season?

One thing is for sure, Mike Brey can coach despite struggling in recent seasons. One reason for optimism is Brey alongside freshman Blake Wesley. If Wesley's name sounds familiar, it is because Indiana was recruiting him before his commitment to Notre Dame.

Wesley has come on the scene quickly and is making a high-level impact. Wesley averages 13 points per game and just earned a starting spot two games ago. He has since shot up draft boards, with many analysts projecting him as a mid-to-late first-round pick. His athleticism and scoring ability at 6-foot-5 makes him a very tough player to guard.

He will have the ball in his hands a lot -- whether it be in ball screens to initiate the offense or create scoring opportunities for himself. He shoots it at a high rate from the perimeter, 38.2 percent from three, and connects on 58 percent of his 2's. Notre Dame's offense starts and ends with Wesley's ability to create, with his usage rate at 30.8 - the highest on the team.

Wesley is joined by leading scorer and senior leader Dane Goodwin. Goodwin is scoring 14.3 points per game and is shooting a blistering 42.1 percent from beyond the three-point line, on 4.8 3's per game. Next to Goodwin is another senior guard in Cormac Ryan. Ryan scores 8.4 points per game but has struggled with his efficiency, only shooting 40.7 percent from the field.

Inside, the Fighting Irish have two 6-foot-10 forwards in Nate Laszewski and Paul Atkinson. Both big men are good in the paint, and Laszewski can stretch out to the three-point line, shooting 35.3 percent on 4.3 attempts per game. The duo combines to average 19.4 points and 14.4 rebounds per game.

Prentiss Hubb is another valuable piece for Notre Dame despite recently losing his starting spot to Wesley. Hubb only averages 6.6 points per game but he is a career starter, with 92 starts under his belt, and a senior leader off the bench for Brey to utilize. Trey Wertz also comes off of the bench as a guy with 72 career starts. He has struggled this season, however. A career 37.5 percent shooter from deep, Wertz is connecting on just 26.9 percent this season.

G - Dane Goodwin (Sr; 6-6; 200)

Season Stats: 14.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg

G - Blake Wesley (Fr; 6-5; 185)

Season Stats: 13.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg

G- Cormac Ryan (Sr; 6-5; 195)

Season Stats: 8.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.3 apg

F - Nate Laszewski (Sr; 6-10; 227)

Season Stats: 8.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg

F - Paul Atkinson (Sr; 6-10; 220)

Season Stats: 11.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg

The frontcourt battle. It's no secret that Indiana's frontcourt is its' strength, but Paul Atkinson and Nate Laszewski for Notre Dame pose a challenge. While they have struggled defensively, both players have been good on offense and will push Race Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis defensively.

Furthermore, Indiana's ability to defend Notre Dame's size will be paramount in this game. The smallest player in the Fighting Irish starting five is 6-foot-5, giving them great size. Indiana is by no means a small team, but their ability to defend in one-on-one situations will be tested.

Who: Indiana (8-2) vs. Notre Dame (4-4)

When: Saturday, Dec 18th, 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: Indianapolis, IN

TV: Fox

Radio: IU Radio Network with Don Fischer, Errek Suhr and Joe Smith

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QUICK HITTERS

• Indiana is 44-18 all-time against Notre Dame

• Notre Dame is the worst in the NCAA in turnovers forced per game (8.6 per game).

• Notre Dame is among the best teams in the nation at not fouling (15.2 per game)

• Notre Dame is 36th in the nation in threes made per game (9.1)

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