Preview: Notre Dame vs. Louisville

27th Feb 2008

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!

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