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Home court advantage:

The Fighting Irish are 96-7 in their last 103 games played at home. That .932 home winning percentage over the course of the last six seasons ranks third nationally. Losing to Depaul just doesn’t make sense, at least according to these statistics.

Notre Dame seems to play well when the students show up and cheer on their team. The 12pm (eastern time) start time might be a little early for the students if they have homework and such, but I fully expect the student section to be crazy starting at game-time.

Feb. 4, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Eric Atkins (0) goes up for a shot as Marquette Golden Eagles forward Jae Crowder (32) defends in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame won 76-59. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

Players to watch for:

For Depaul, look to see how Cleveland Melvin plays. He averages the most minutes (31.8), rebounds (6.8), and points (18.2) on the team. Depaul isn’t a strong team, but look for the action to run through him.

For Notre Dame, look for Jack Cooley to play well. He had his 7th double-double of the season last Wednesday against West Virginia. Cooley was expected to fold against WVU’s powerful front-line, but he steeped up and was the factor that decided the game. I can’t see the Blue Demons stop him and I think he will have his 8th double-double of the season.

Score Prediction:

Notre Dame 68, Depaul 46

Notre Dame will roll over Depaul at home. The perimeter shooting for the Irish should be pretty decent (35-40%) and will help them pull away in the second half. The Irish will move to 8-3 and be “that much closer” to second place Marquette.

Game-time: 12pm eastern time

TV: Big East Network (Regional)
          ABC 57 (South Bend area)

Online: ESPN3.com

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The Irish 7-3 in the conference and sitting nicely in 4th place. For WVU, they are 6-5 and are in 8th place in the Big East.

This is the first of two meetings between these teams. On the 22nd of February, they will met in South Bend for what could be a “bubble game” for Notre Dame.

Feb. 4, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Pat Connaughton (24) shoots a three point basket in the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame won 76-59. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

Players to watch:

For Notre Dame, it has to be Pat Connaughton. This freshman played outstanding last Saturday against Marquette. I expect him to get a lot of minutes tomorrow and to be heavy guarded by the Mountaineer defense. It will be tough for him to match his numbers from Saturday, but even half of his production will go along way in this game.

For West Virginia, look for senior Kevin Jones. He is solid forward from Mount Vernon, New York that will play all 40 minutes, and have a 20 point-10 rebound outing. He is the go-to-man and has been great for them all year long.

Score Prediction:

Notre Dame 68,  West Virginia 59

The slow-tempo Mike Brey offense will be too much for WVU to handle. I can’t see Notre Dame losing after the great wins and effort they have shown me over the recent weeks. Notre Dame will get it done and move to 8-3 in conference play.

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