Notre Dame basketball: 3 takeaways from crucial close win over Virginia

3. Paul Atkinson Jr. had his best game of the year against Virginia 

Paul Atkinson Jr. has contributed well this year, but this contest against Virginia was definitely his best all-around performance in a Notre Dame uniform. The graduate transfer in Atkinson Jr. finished the night with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Notre Dame is not a very deep team only playing seven guys in the rotation. Paul Atkinson Jr. and Nate Laszewski are the only true forwards in the rotation, so there is not a lot of help behind them on the depth chart. The former Yale standout in Atkinson Jr. is never going to be the flashiest player on the court but he really is reliable and a smart asset to this Notre Dame roster in different ways.

Whether it’s his passing ability, shooting and finishing around the rim, or his underrated defense. There is a lot to like about his game and why Mike Brey thought he would be a perfect fit to surround himself around the Notre Dame shooters on this team. It may not always go noticed in the box score but Atkinson Jr. really does a lot in getting the Irish in a position to win the game every time he takes the court.

Paul Atkinson Jr. was thrown to the wolves early on in the season going up against some of the best big men in the country like Oscar Tshiebwe, Kofi Cockburn, and Armando Bacot to name a few. As of late, the former Ivy League player of the year in Atkinson Jr. Is showing that he belongs competing at this level.