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Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Clicking Ahead of Wake Forest

By Chase Eyrich

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 16: John Mooney #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish shoots over Jack Salt #33 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on February 16, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 16: John Mooney #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish shoots over Jack Salt #33 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on February 16, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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Things are beginning to trend in the right direction for the Notre Dame basketball team and they look to show it Tuesday against Wake Forest.

With how this season has been, Notre Dame basketball will take any kind of win they can get, even if it’s just a moral victory. It’s hard to feel good after any kind of loss, but Notre Dame’s effort and strategy against Virginia showed that the Irish are trending in the right direction.

With wins over Boston College and Georgia Tech in the last four games, a matchup against Wake Forest couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Demon Deacons are struggling and things are looking about as dark as they have all season. A two-point win over Pittsburgh is the only glimmer of hope recently for Wake Forest.

The last two times out, Wake Forest has suffered tremendous losses, starting with a 22-point loss to Florida State, followed by 38-point defeat against North Carolina, their largest loss at Joel Coliseum.

That kind of deficit won’t be an issue Tuesday night.

Notre Dame might be trending in the right direction with a few players hitting their strides offensively, but their defense has been the difference.

Notre Dame’s defense has been playing well with their 2-3 zone mixed in with a man-to-man defense and a half court press.

Overall this season, the Irish have struggled on offense. They find the types of shots they want, but getting them to fall has been a different story. As the offense begins to not only find a bit of rhythm and consistency, but also develop other threats not named John Mooney, things will continue to trend in the right direction. Still, shooting 40-percent from the floor and 32-percent from beyond the arc, a lot of players have been left looking for their shot.

Temple Gibbs, on the other hand, might have found his.

The junior has had his fair share of struggles this year in a season where he was poised to take over the team. The killer we’ve been looking for has arrived in the last two games.

Scoring 20 and 17 points respectively, Gibbs has been Notre Dame’s leading scorer and his offense has been contagious.

D.J. Harvey has shot 45-percent over the last three games including an 18-point effort vs. Georgia Tech.

Next. Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Come Up Just Short against Virginia. dark

The Irish and Deacons are set for a 7 PM ET tip.