Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Can Dominate the West Region

Notre Dame Basketball claimed the 5th seed in the West region of the 2017 NCAA Tournament, and have a great shot at a Final Four run.

It all starts Thursday. Notre Dame basketball is primed and ready for their third NCAA Tournament run in the last three years. With two Elite Eight runs behind them, they’re looking to do much more than almost make it out of their region.

Their first game features a Princeton team that does seem scary. The Tigers dominated the Ivy League all season, going 14-0 in their conference. With the tenth best defense in the country, this team could shut down Notre Dame. But chances are, the Irish are going to take their ACC Tournament momentum and handle Princeton with ease.

Breaking down the rest of the bracket, Notre Dame would be looking at West Virginia or Bucknell in the round of 32. Both, are teams the Irish can handle. West Virginia is coming off a Big 12 Championship loss to Iowa State, and as productive as they’ve been all season, they have questionable losses.

The Mountaineers may still be the most dangerous team outside of Notre Dame in the West. This team has beaten Kansas and Baylor this season. Even if they are a team the Irish can beat, they have the best all-around squad in the region.

If/when Notre Dame gets past West Virginia, though, they could be looking at the easiest road to the Final Four. Their next opponent will likely be Gonzaga in the Sweet 16. Well, the Bulldogs are the least NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed in the bracket. Gonzaga may have gone 32-1, and they are a talented team, but they play no one to prepare them for March.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Northwestern or Vanderbilt knocked them out in the second round. If it happens, Notre Dame is looking at a No. 8 or No. 9 seed come the Sweet 16. Although Cinderella stories happen every year, most times, they don’t make it past the Sweet 16. Leaving room for comfort if the Irish have to take on one of the two underdogs.

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Then comes to Elite Eight, where the two favorites to square off with the Irish are No. 2 Arizona and No. 3 Florida State. Having won two of the three matchups with FSU already, the chances are Notre Dame will be the favorite if they meet for the fourth time. When the Seminoles were given a three seed over Notre Dame, it may have put a chip on the Irish’s shoulder, which isn’t going to go well if they play each other.

Arizona leaves concern. The Wildcats are one of the most underrated teams in the country. They aren’t a guaranteed win over Notre Dame, but they are one of the Irish’s scarier opponents.

All season, the Wildcats have beaten opponents through their defense. But as of late, they have some impressive offensive numbers. During the Pac 12 Tournament, Arizona has averaged 87 points per game, nearly 11 points less than their regular season average.

Notre Dame has one of the best offenses in the NCAA. Depending on how Arizona wins throughout the tournament, this could be a 90-plus point game for each team. Considering the bracket in the West, the likelihood of these two squaring off for an offensive showdown is pretty high.

Arizona is nerve-wracking but beatable. Notre Dame has averaged 78 points per contest all season. It isn’t 88, but it is a number Notre Dame has reached more than once this season. This one is much less certain than every other opponent the Irish could face in the West, but it’s a manageable game.

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This bracket is definitely in Notre Dame’s favor. It has some solid teams, but none of which have a team as geared for a tournament run than the Irish. Give them a few upsets, and they’re looking to top their last two Elite Eight runs.