Notre Dame Hoops: Can the Irish Adjust vs. Virginia Tech?

The results for Notre Dame have been the same, but does that mean they haven’t found ways to improve?

It’s hard to imagine a team could be in the discussion of becoming better when their last game resulted in a loss to Wake Forest at home. But, looking deeper than the result of that Notre Dame basketball game, it was impressive how both teams played.

It was more of a surprise than anything with how well both offenses were running to start off the game. Of course, that was a trend that wouldn’t continue for Notre Dame, who failed to record a field goal in the last five minutes of regulation.

Nonetheless, there were positives that this young Notre Dame squad will be able to pull out of that game to show them trending in the right direction.

One of the major positives that has come this season is how the Irish play teams the second time around. So far Notre Dame’s repeated opponents have been Boston College, which resulted in two wins, Georgia Tech who Notre Dame loss to in their first meeting but was able to secure a ten-point win in their next matchup, and Virginia, which went from a blow out to a nail biter in the final few possessions of the second game.

Each time, it’s been shown that Notre Dame has adapted and learned from their previous matchups with these repeated teams.

The Irish will have a chance now to avenge their first ACC loss of the season in a rematch with Virginia Tech.

Notre Dame will remain at home against a Virginia Tech team that hasn’t seemed as tough as what we thought at the beginning of league play. The Hokies have lost three of their last five and have struggled as of late in areas where they have normally find success.

Virginia Tech shoots 40.4 percent from beyond the arc, which is fourth best in the nation. That mark was even better before Virginia exposed how to defend them.

Virginia was able to close out on VT’s shooters like no one else this season, forcing the Hokies to a head-scratching three-of-28 on three-pointers.

The Irish not only have been playing solid defense, but Mike Brey keeps the opponent guessing by changing his defensive looks constantly.

The biggest issue Notre Dame will have is dealing with the balanced scoring of Virginia Tech. The Hokies have four players averaging over 13 points per game, and each one is a threat beyond the arc.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Ahmed Hill and Kerry Blackshear Jr. all had their ways with Notre Dame in their first meeting. As a team, the Hokies shot 60-percent for the game and the Irish had no answer on defense.

Now it will be about what Notre Dame has learned and how they will adjust this time around.

In their previous meeting, it was Temple Gibbs who faredwell in the matchup with 19-points for the Irish. The guard has come alive here in the last three games — scoring 20, 17 and 23-points — as he’s becoming the leader he was expected to be this season.

Gibbs and the Irish will have to take advantage of each opportunity they get and be extremely efficient shooting the ball. Virginia Tech is the best in the nation at guarding shots inside the arc. Long-range shots are a completely different story.

If Notre Dame’s guards and John Mooney can space out the floor with a couple of deep shots to start off the game, they could make things interesting.

But the Irish will have to stay consistent with their identity on defense if they want to force the upset Saturday.

The matchup is slated for 4 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN.