V.J. Beachem Injury: Updates on Notre Dame Forward's Foot and Return

Notre Dame forward V.J. Beachem is expected to miss at least a month after suffering a plantar fascia injury during Tuesday's practice, the Irish announced prior to Wednesday night's game against Michigan State.

Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune noted coach Mike Brey is expected to give more information on the injury following the Irish's clash with the 19th-ranked Spartans. 

Beachem, a sophomore, has been the first person off the bench all season and has emerged as an excellent spot-up shooter. The 6'8" forward is averaging 8.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game while shooting 57.1 percent, including a remarkable 55.6 percent effort from beyond the arc. 

Fellow backups Martinas Geben, Bonzie Colson and Austin Burgett may see more extended minutes while Beachem is sidelined. The Irish are one of the nation's best scoring outfits and have four other shooters (Jerian Grant, Pat Connaughton, Demetrius Jackson and Steve Vasturia) who can stretch the floor beyond the arc. Their presence will help mitigate Beachem's absence, but it'll no doubt make the Notre Dame bench a little thinner when those guys aren't making shots.

The Irish do not have a game against a Top 25 opponent after Wednesday until their trip to North Carolina on Jan. 5. They'll keep their hopes up Beachem is back in the fold by then. 

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter