The Fighting Irish will be playing their second game in Denver tonight, starting in less than two hours. They moved on to the round of 32 after defeating George Mason and will now have to face the Cougars who defeated Winthrop. Both teams played very well in their first games and dominated on both sides of the ball. Washington State is an excellent team defensively and only gave up 40 points in their first round match. However, Notre Dame’s offense is one of the best in country and they shouldn’t have a big problem scoring. Look for Luke Harangody to play well as always and Kyle McAlarney to contribute from three. If the Irish can get a good game out of their bench players and Tory Jackson they should come away with a victory in this 4/5 matchup. Sorry for this short preview, short on time, but catch the game on CBS at 6:40 PM ET. It should be a good one and as always, Go Irish!
Well the NCAA Tournament is finally here and the Irish were given a reasonable number five seed. Before the loss to Marquette in the Big East Tournament, Notre Dame was expected to receive a four seed and certainly higher if they had won the whole thing. Obviously, that didn’t happen and Mike Brey’s team will have to take on the Patriots of George Mason who were chosen as a 12 seed after winning the CAA tournament.
George Mason may ring a bell considering they made it to the Final Four only two years ago (Lost to Florida). The Patriots made one of the most impressive Cinderella runs in the history of college basketball and still have two players who started for that team. Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas have the experience and leadership that could spark another impressive NCAA Tournament run. However, the Irish are going to do everything possible to make sure that that doesn’t happen.
GMU finished the regular season second in their conference with their 23-10 (12-6) record behind Virginia Commonwealth. They managed to defeat William & Mary in the CAA Tournament to get the auto bid which has put them in Denver to take on the Irish tonight. The Patriots biggest wins have come against teams such as Dayton, Kansas State, and South Carolina. They have an experienced coaching staff who knows how to win and should give Notre Dame a tough game.
The leading scorer for Geroge Mason is senior leader Folarin Campbell who averages 15.9 points per game. However their key player is Will Thomas who averages just a tenth of a point less while grabbing 10.5 rebounds per game. Will is also a leader of the team and similar to Harangody, averages a double-double every contest. The Thomas-Harangody matchup should be a fun one to watch but I believe the Big East Player of the Year will be too much to handle.
Points For:
Notre Dame - 80.6
George Mason - 69.9
Points Against:
Notre Dame - 70.5
George Mason - 62.3
The Fighting Irish have a lot more competition playing in the Big East and higher scoring games which would be the reasoning behind their point averages. They give up more points per game than George Mason but their average margin of victory is higher.
Notre Dames National Ranks
Scoring - 80.6 Points - 14th in the Nation
Rebounding - 41.6 rebounds - 5th in the Nation
Three Point Shooting - 41.0 Percent - 5th in the Nation
Scoring Margin - 10.1 Points - 26th in the Nation
Rebound Margin - 5.8 Rebounds - 20th in the Nation
Assists Per Game - 18.9 Assists - 1st in the Nation
Assist Turnover Ratio - 1.46 - 2nd in the Nation
Notre Dame obviously has one of the best offenses in the country and that should be on full display tonight. Luke Harangody has played well the entire season and when he hasn’t, Kyle McAlarney has had a big game. Luke is averaging 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds heading into this game while Kyle is averaging 15.2 points. Senior captain Rob Kurz has played well this year and doesn’t want his Irish career to end in Denver. He is scoring 12.8 points per contest this season while also grabbing 7.5 boards. His leadership is even more important and he has done an unbelievable job guiding this young team.
Mike Brey’s team should be able to get the win tonight to advance to the round of 32 where they will take on either Washington State or Winthrop. Winthrop knocked the Irish off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year but Wazzu should get their victory there. Notre Dame should at least make the Sweet 16 where they will take on North Carolina. A Hansbrough-Harangody matchup would be something everyone would want to see. But I can’t get ahead of myself, the Irish need to defeat the Patriots tonight. Catch the game on CBS tonight at 9:50 ET, it should be a fun one and as always, Go Irish!
Notre Dame will be taking on Marquette tonight at 9:00 EST in the Quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament. The Irish are the number three seed while the Golden Eagles were given a six seed. This will be Marquette’s second game in the tournament after defeating Seton Hall last night while Notre Dame had a bye. The winner of this game will face either Pittsburgh or Louisville in the Semifinals tomorrow night. You can catch this game on ESPN.
The Golden Eagles are going to make the NCAA tournament with their record of 23-8 (11-7) but a win over the Irish would give them a higher seed. They beat Coach Brey’s team earlier this season 92-66, but Notre Dame got their revenge later with an 86-83 victory. The Fighting Irish are 24-6 (14-4) so far this season and have a real good shot at winning the BIG EAST Championship if they can win tonight. It should be a really exciting matchup this evening so make sure you watch it. Once again, it starts at 9:00 EST on ESPN and as always, Go Irish!
The Fighting Irish are traveling to Florida tonight to take on the Bulls of South Florida. USF is second to last in the big east with their record of 12-18 (3-14) with conference wins over Rutgers (twice) and Syracuse. They aren’t the most talented team but it’s always hard to win away from home. The Bulls are led by freshman Dominique Jones who averages 17.0 points per game for South Florida. Their other star is senior Kentrell Gransberry who leads the Big East in rebounding, the only person in front of Luke Harangody. Notre Dame is hoping to improve it’s record of 23-6 (12-4) to tie Louisville for second place in the conference. The Cardinals lost to Georgetown today in a close one. The Irish would get a number three seat in the Big East tournament with a win and be in good position for the NCAA tournament seeding. I’m a little busy and will have to cut this preview short. Sorry. This game is on at 7:00 and you can catch it on ESPN360. It should be a fun one to watch and as always, Go Irish!
Rob Kurz is set to play his last game in the Joyce Center tonight at 7:30 against St. John’s. He is a captain and the only senior on this young Fighting Irish team and has played well in his four years for Mike Brey. Rob is coming off one of his biggest games in which he scored 21 points in the win over DePaul and will look to keep his team undefeated this season at home. A win tonight would be the second season in a row that the Irish won every game in the JACC, extending the winning streak to 37 games. The Red Storm come into South Bend battling for the final Big East tournament spot with their 11-17 (5-11) record. They are tied with Providence and DePaul and desperately need a win but the 22-6 (12-4) Irish are not going to let that happen. They clinched a bye in the conference tournament with their win over DePaul and are now just trying to get the best seed possible.
St. John’s is coming off a thrilling victory over Seton Hall and hope to upset the Irish at home. They only have two players who average more than 10 points per game and one of them is a freshman. Anthony Mason Jr. is the leading scorer as a 6′7″ junior and averages 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Justin Burrell is the 6′8″ freshman out of the Bronx who averages 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds. Burrell weighs approximately 20 pounds less than Harangody and will have a tough time guarding the soon-to-be Big East Player of the Year. Other contributors for the Red Storm are sophomore guard Larry Wright and senior guard Eugene Lawrence.
As a team in the Big East, St. John’s is dead last in scoring and rebounding, and second to last in field goal percentage and three-point percentage. So obviously they are not the greatest team if you base them on the numbers but they have some motivation coming into this game. They want to make the conference tournament and who wouldn’t want to upset the Irish at home. I’m sure the Red Storm will give tremendous effort the entire game but Notre Dame’s offense is just too much to handle.
Luke Harangody has been phenomenal all season and has put himself in great position to win the Big East Player of the Year. He is currently averaging a conference best 21.1 points as well as a second best 10.5 rebounds per game. Many are considering Luke in their top five for National Player of the Year but he most likely won’t win that with names like Michael Beasley and Tyler Hansbrough also on the list. He should have another big game tonight against the Red Storm because of their lack of height and strength. I expect at least 25 points and 10 rebounds from Harangody this evening and I hope he can give Kurz some open looks when getting doubled.
Kyle McAlarney hasn’t shot as well from behind the arc since he hit 9 in the game against Syracuse. He is 4 of 16 from three in his last two games, only 25%. Hopefully he can pick his game up tonight and have another big showing in the final game in the JACC this season.
Tory Jackson hasn’t played as well either since he went on a four game hot streak including two double-doubles. It would be great to see him shoot some more but he always does when it’s needed. Tory has made some key shots that have completely swung the momentum towards the Irish. I would love to see another big game out of him before tournament time.
Mike Brey and company should capture the 37th win in a row at the Joyce Center tonight. I’m really hoping that Rob Kurz can have a big game for all that he has done in his four years for the Irish. The game will be on at 7:30 ET on ESPN regionally. If you can’t get it, check out ESPN360.com for a live stream if your ISP provides it. I’ll have a post-game article so check back and as always, Go Irish!
Notre Dame will be facing the Blue Demons of DePaul for the second time this season at 1:00 PM ET today. The Irish will be hoping to bounce back from a five point loss to Louisville and get their record-breaking 12th Big East victory. A win over DePaul would give this team the Notre Dame record for most Big East wins in a regular season. The Blue Demons are hoping that they can snap their four game losing streak and get revenge on the Irish. DePaul is 10-17 (5-10) on the year while #17 Notre Dame is at 21-6 (11-4).
These two teams last faced one another exactly a month ago, February 2nd. Notre Dame won that game in the Joyce Center 89-80 thanks to Luke Harangody’s 29 points. Kyle McAlarney and Zach Hillesland were the only other Irish players in double-digits with 17 and 10. The Blue Demons stayed in the game with their three-point shooting, making 11 total in the game while the Irish only had 8. Dar Tucker led the way for DePaul in that game with 19 points coming off the bench, while Mac Koshwal had 18 and Draelon Burns had 17. Those three players still lead their team in scoring.
Heading into today’s game, Luke Harangody averages 21.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He is coming off of his Big East Player of the Year performance with 40 points and will try to continue this play against the Blue Demons. He dominated the last time these teams played and should be able to do that again at 1:00 to beat DePaul. He should have another big game, at least 20 points, in a relatively easy win for Mike Brey’s squad.
The game is at DePaul which may make it a closer game than I anticipate but in the end Notre Dame should come away with a victory. A loss would most certainly drop the Irish out of the rankings and possibly prevent them from getting a bye in the Big East tournament. With only three games left, Notre Dame needs to win every one to guarantee a bye as well as a decent seed in the NCAA tournament.
DePaul guard Draelon Burns is coming off of 31 point game in their loss to West Virginia. He made 7 of his 9 three-point attempts in that game and should be a major threat to the Irish today. ND has to prevent him from getting open looks from beyond the arc if they want to pull away in this game. He is a very talented leader of the team and could keep it close today.
Kyle McAlarney is coming off of one of his worst three-point shooting games. He only made 1 against Louisville and had only 7 points the entire night. If he is able to bounce back and make some shots, I guarantee a Notre Dame victory. Tory Jackson is also going to play better and score more than 3 points. He didn’t take many shots against the Cardinals and needs to get his confidence back up. Also, Ryan Ayers had a great game with 17 points and would be a big help if he can make his shots coming off of the bench.
This game will be televised on ESPN regionally this afternoon, so if you can, make sure to watch it. A strong performance would keep the Irish around #17 in the rankings because of the loss on Thursday. Let’s go beat DePaul and get another conference win. As always, Go Irish!
Mike Brey and the Fighting Irish (#17) will be heading to Kentucky tomorrow night to take on the Cardinals of Louisville (#13/18). The game will start at 7:00 and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The Cardinals have a 1/2 game lead on the Irish in the Big East with their record of 22-6 (12-3). Notre Dame has won three games in a row and is currently third in the Big East at 21-5 (11-3). Both teams have lost three times in the conference and will battle for the top spot.
Louisville is currently tied for first with Georgetown who plays tonight. The Hoyas will be facing a St. John’s team that has lost four games in a row, so it shouldn’t be a difficult task. But if they do lose, the Cardinals will be solely in first and the Irish in second. Don’t count on that happening. So if Georgetown wins and Notre Dame wins, the Irish will still be 1/2 game behind first place.
It’s going to be a tough one for Mike Brey considering the Cardinals have won seven games in a row. They have only lost two at home this season, to Dayton and Cincinnati by a combined total of six points. So obviously it’s going to be a bit difficult.
Louisville last played on Sunday and barely escaped Pittsburgh. The Panthers lost by two at home in a very close game. I was hoping that Pitt would be able to pull through and snap the Cardinals winning streak, but now the Irish have the opportunity to do so.
Notre Dame is currently on a three game winning streak after losing at Connecticut. Before that they were on a five game winning streak. So that’s 8-2 in the last ten games for Mike Brey and the Fighting Irish. With a win tomorrow night, the Irish will be in excellent position heading into the tournaments.
Louisville averages 72.3 points per game while Notre Dame leads the Big East with 80.8. The Irish are still the top rebounding team with 43.1 per contest and the Cardinals are not far behind with an average of 38.1. Mike Brey’s team is number one is assists as well with 18.6 and Rick Pitino’s squad averages 14.9. The Irish also lead the Big East in free-throw percentage (73.9%) and three-point percentage (40.9%). The one thing that Louisville does better is on defense where they only allow 60.5 points per game while Notre Dame gives up an average of 69.3.
Rick Pitino’s Cardinals are another one of those teams that doesn’t have a single superstar. They win with balance on the offensive side of the ball. They have four players averaging over 10 points and zero over 12. Forward Terrence Williams leads the team with 11.3 and F/C David Padgett is second with 11.2. Padgett is a big kid at 6′11″, 250 pounds who will play real physical against Harangody. The other important players for Louisville are Jerry Smith, Earl Clark, and Edgar Sosa. They are a big experienced team who will be tough to beat.
Luke Harangody still leads the conference in points per game with 20.2 and is still in second in rebounds with 10.5. Kyle McAlarney will be looking to repeat his performance against Syracuse in which he scored 30 points. Both of these players have won Big East Player of the Week honors and should help the Irish win this game. Tory Jackson is coming off a slower game and if he plays well, Notre Dame will leave Kentucky victorious.
This game is a true test for Mike Brey and his team to prove to the country that they deserve a good seed. A win would be a huge confidence booster for the Irish as the tournaments approach. Make sure to check the game out tomorrow night at 7:00 ET on ESPN and as always, Go Irish!
Syracuse will be coming to town tomorrow to take on the Fighting Irish in another Big East matchup. The Orangemen look to end Notre Dame’s 35 game home winning streak and improve their resumé for the NCAA Tournament. They are 17-10 (7-7) on the season with some other important games coming up after the Irish, which include Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, and Marquette. After the big win against Pitt, Notre Dame improved its record to 20-5 (10-3) and are currently in third place in the Big East behind Georgetown and Louisville.
This is the first meeting between these two teams this year with the season dwindling down. Both teams appear to be in pretty good position to make the Big East tournament, but Syracuse cannot lose the rest of their games. Notre Dame is a lock for the conference tournament and are just trying to get the highest seed as possible.
Based on the numbers, the Fighting Irish have the edge over Syracuse coming into the game. Notre Dame averages 80.3 points per game while the Orangemen are close with 78.3. ND gives up less points, 68.6 compared to SU’s 72.7. They are close in rebounds per game, the Irish lead the Big East and are second in the nation with 43.5 and Syracuse is third in the conference with 40.1. Notre Dame leads the Big East in assists with 18.5 per game and the Orangemen are in second with 16.2.
Freshman Donte Green leads the way for Syracuse since the injury of star Eric Devendorf earlier in the season. Donte averages 17.6 points per game in his first year, often playing the entire game. The 6′11″ forward has never scored less than 8 points and should be tough to guard tomorrow. The second highest scorer is another freshman, Jonny Flynn who puts in an average of 15.2 points. He’s 6′0″ and likes to take a lot of three’s but doesn’t make too many of them. He is 2 of 12 from beyond the arc in his last two games and 33.0% on the year. Sophomores Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku are the two other major scorers for Orangemen. Syracuse has a very promising future with their young talent and will certainly be in good shape next year with Devendorf coming back.
Harangody’s going to be looking to get another double-double and score 20+ points again. He averages 20.5 points and 10.4 rebounds heading into the game and should be able to put up those numbers. Kyle McAlarney scored 15 points last game and averages 15.1 on the season. Hopefully he can shoot a little better in the first half so the Irish don’t fall behind. Tory Jackson is hoping to continue his streak of 10+ point games, currently four in a row, and get another double-double, which would be three consecutively. A triple-double is always possible for Tory and will happen at some point in his career.
Notre Dame should win this game tomorrow but Syracuse is always a tough opponent. The game will be on CBS so everyone should be able to see it and I suggest you watch it. The Irish will attempt to win their 36th game in a row in the Joyce Center, all under Mike Brey. I’ll have some post-game analysis and as always, Go Irish!
