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Notre Dame Basketball: Virginia isn’t trouble for the Irish

By Noah Strackbein

Jan 24, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard London Perrantes (32) goes up for a shot as Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Matt Farrell (5) defends in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard London Perrantes (32) goes up for a shot as Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Matt Farrell (5) defends in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Notre Dame basketball has three options for their opponent in the third round of the ACC Tournament. Virginia and Pitt both have the hope of taking on the Irish.

With Virginia being the favorite to square off with the Fighting Irish, some seem to believe that they will give Notre Dame trouble. But the Cavaliers have gone 5-6 since beating Notre Dame 71-54 in their first meeting. Notre Dame, on the other hand, finished 6-1 in their final seven games and despite their loss to Louisville, are carrying as much momentum as any team in the conference into the tournament.

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Yes, Virginia has the first ranked defense in the NCAA, but their offense is one of the worst in the country. Since their win against Notre Dame, it’s only gotten worse, averaging just 61.3 points per contest in their final 11 games. Which has proved that if their defense is shutting teams down, their offense isn’t powerful to pull off a win.

Many people are beginning to feel worried that because of Notre Dame’s first game against Virginia, they are the underdogs if they play again. Well, that’s not true. Since switching to their small ball lineup, the Fighting Irish have averaged 88.3 points per game. Even if the Cavaliers were too slow down the Irish, they’d need to stall them by 27 points to have the advantage.

Virginia’s leading scorer, London Perrantes is in full stride right now. Meaning that while their top offensive threat is hitting his peak, the rest of the team is falling quick.

This puts Notre Dame in the driver’s seat if they’re able to hit shots. With four days rest, their arms will be loose and their energy will be high. The perfect combination for a team who uses hustle to win games.

So, for those who say Notre Dame should be worried, look at the stats. The Irish may not have finished with a win, but they are playing their offense first style of game better than almost any in the conference. While Virginia may have a scary victory over North Carolina, the Irish have one over Florida State. And although they may have taken the L from the Cavaliers the first time around, they were nowhere near as good as they are at this very minute.

Give the Irish four days to rest and see how good they are. They’ve played six players deep all season and still finished third in the ACC. When they’re fully loaded and energized, this team will be nearly unstoppable.

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Virginia is tough. But right now, anyone you play is a threat. The good thing about Notre Dame is that they’re hitting their full potential now. Give them a few days to fine tune it before their next game, and they aren’t the “underdog” to anyone.

Yes, Virginia isn’t the first choice for Notre Dame. But the Irish are nowhere near in trouble.