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Notre Dame Basketball: The Irish will handle Boston College with ease

By Noah Strackbein

Feb 14, 2017; Chestnut Hill, MA, USA; Boston College Eagles guard Jerome Robinson (1) is guarded by Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Austin Torres (1) during the second half at Silvio O. Conte Forum. The Fighting Irish won 84-76. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2017; Chestnut Hill, MA, USA; Boston College Eagles guard Jerome Robinson (1) is guarded by Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Austin Torres (1) during the second half at Silvio O. Conte Forum. The Fighting Irish won 84-76. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Notre Dame basketball came way to close in their last game against the ACC worst, Boston College. But this time it’ll be a different story.

The Fighting Irish have two games left to claim the highest ACC Tournament seed they can. Right now, they’re a prime candidate for the second seed. As they and Louisville are a game and a half out of first place, the Irish need to win this matchup to head to the Cardinals with a chance to jump them.

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Following Duke’s win over Florida State, Notre Dame became the favorite for the No. 2 spot in the conference. Beating Louisville the first time around, the Irish have all the confidence in the world that they can get to the two-round bye in the conference tournament.

Louisville doesn’t count if Notre Dame doesn’t beat Boston College, though. And for a team who should’ve blown the Eagles out of the water in their first meeting, winning by eight was not impressive enough to give the Irish the “easy win,” prediction in this matchup.

Okay, that’s not true. Notre Dame is in the middle of a five-game winning streak, Boston College is doing everything they can to escape a 12-game losing streak. The Irish are fighting for the second seed in the ACC Tournament while the Eagles have won two conference games all season.

To say this game will be close is beyond a bold prediction. Notre Dame’s changed lineup is something special. Right now, people can see them beating almost any team in the country, and Boston College is about as low as a team in the NCAA gets. So, the Irish shouldn’t even worry about them.

The last time these two squared off, Boston College seemed to “out Notre Dame” the Irish. They got up and down the court faster and were all over every ball they could be. But they pulled a full Notre Dame and fell off quick come the second half. It took 20 minutes, but something clicked in the Irish’s head and said, “Hey guys, you want to start playing basketball now?”

This time around, Notre Dame’s little voice will be there from the outset. This team has as much as anyone in the country to play for. They keep winning, and they carry momentum into the most important time of the year. It’s March 1st; this is the time you make or break your legacy.

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The end of this one will be much more lopsided than the first meeting. Notre Dame has more to play for than most teams in the country, while Boston College is slowly giving up on winning another game this season. Don’t expect the Eagles to keep this close.

If anything, look for this to be a blowout right from the beginning. Notre Dame should walk away from this one with an 85-62 victory.