No. 8 Notre Dame may go with small lineup again against Virginia Tech
Over the last few games, Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey has instituted a five-guard lineup to help spread the offense and create better shots. at the time it seemed the situation dictated it, but now it looks like he may go with it more often.
The eighth-ranked Irish (17-2, 5-1 ACC) went with the small lineup against Miami in the second half of its 75-70 home win, and also applied it in the loss to then No. 3 Virginia and a victory against Georgia Tech. The lack of size may hinder the Irish’s ability to rebound, but that doesn’t seem to have Brey concerned.
"“Your first reaction is that we won’t be able to guard or rebound, but heck, we can’t rebound anyways,” Brey told the school’s official website. “Why don’t we just play small and have some more firepower on the floor?"
That’s sound logic for an offense as potent as Notre Dame’s. The Irish still have the second-best shooting mark at 52.8 percent after being tops in the nation much of the year, but the ACC is a different type of monster and the drop off can be expected. But they’ll still shoot 40.1 percent from beyond the arc, and having five guys on the floor that can drive and dish for open looks could cause headaches for most ACC foes.
After struggling for a three game stretch, shooting only 28.6 percent (8-for-28), leading scorer Jerian Grant bounced back with an 8-for-10 performance and 23 points against the Hurricanes.
This will be only the third true road game for the Irish, as the other two were single-possession wins at North Carolina and Georgia Tech.
Virginia Tech (8-9, 0-4) has had their struggles as of late, dropping five-straight by an average of 14.8 points. That does include three ranked opponents, and the last four have been against the ACC. Being without leading scored Justin Bibbs (13.6 PPG) doesn’t help as he sits out after suffering a concussion in practice.
The Hokies have dropped 13 straight against Top 25 teams, and the last four against the Irish – including a 70-63 loss last season.
No matter the struggles of the Hokies, this is the type of game that can’t be overlooked in the ACC. Going on the road in the conference can always be a danger, especially when you enter as the No. 8 team in the country. But coach Brey has become a master of adapting to his teams personnel, going with whatever helps get the win. Low rebounding numbers won’t hurt his feelings if the Irish keep winning.
Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.