Notre Dame MBB: Courtside Conversation:Tourney Talk

A critical stretch is upon us as the Notre Dame men’s basketball team desperately clings onto the hope of an NCAA Tournament berth.

Sonny Martinez: Since the last time we talked, Notre Dame is 5-2. Incredibly, three of those games have been decided by a single point, including a brutal loss to Virginia where the Irish failed to score 50 points over the course of the whole game plus overtime. Are these games more of a reflection of the quality of opponents or an issue with the quality of Notre Dame?

Nathan Erbach: So obviously Duke is a terrific team and Virginia always has an elite defensive squad under head coach Tony Bennett, so I would lean toward the quality of opponent. North Carolina for all of their poor play this year still has a tremendous amount of talent and has been playing better of late. They blew out Miami as they should have and BC seems to have NDs number a bit – but they survived. Overall, 5-2 is probably what we should have expected during that stretch, but looking back 6-1 would be really nice right now.

SM: Definitely! A poor offensive performance against Virginia couldn’t help but leave a bad taste in your mouth. It was an ugly loss, but not the worst. You mentioned Duke, who beat the Irish by 34 points in a game, that to me didn’t even look that close. Duke couldn’t miss in the second half and it got ugly. What happened there? Poor execution? That much of a talent gap? Lack of depth? All of the above?

NE: I think you hit the nail on the head with your last question. Duke is a superior team and the talent gap is certainly there. They also got hot from the field and ND didn’t have the talent or the energy to match.

SM: After Wake Forest, another tough test awaits as number 6 Florida State is next. Florida State lost a close one to Duke on February 10th, but they’ve won four straight since including a dominant victory against Louisville. Last time Florida State and Notre Dame met, the Seminoles escaped with a one-point win in Tallahassee. This time it’s in South Bend. What should we expect to see this time around?

NE: I think you see another close game. Notre Dame has usually given us a good game this year no matter the opponent and I think a home rematch against a Florida State team ND feels they had a win stolen from will ignite a fire. It doesn’t hurt that this team is in desperate need of a big win to get into the tourney. Win and they have a decent chance.

SM: I’m glad you brought up the tournament. Teams like Ohio State, West Virginia, Illinois, Arizona State (all 19-9) are consensus teams in the field. Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi State are all 18-10. Providence is 16-12 and Oklahoma is 17-11. Even 15-13 Georgetown is getting some love. Yet for some reason, 18-10 Notre Dame isn’t really even getting bubble consideration. What’s the reasoning behind that?

NE: Strength of non-conference record wasn’t good and they lack almost any quad 1 wins. 18-10 is all good,  but when you couple that with only no good wins and a down year in the ACC it’s tough. With that said, even in a down year, I have a hard time believing the ACC doesn’t get 5-6 teams. That’s just a hunch.

SM: Let’s suppose Notre Dame beats Wake Forest and Virginia Tech but loses to Florida State. That puts the Irish at 11-9 in the ACC and 20-11 overall. What has to happen in the ACC Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament?

NE: Man. That’s the killer I think. They’d probably have to win at least 3 games in the tournament to have a chance. I think a victory over Florida State is almost a must.

SM: If they beat Florida State, they’re likely 5th in the ACC bracket. Is making it to the finals of the tournament their only hope?

NE: I might be in the minority but if they win out I think they can sneak it with 1 ACC tournament victory. If they get to 23-11 I think it’s almost a lock. That would mean beating FSU as well as Virginia Tech m and Wake Forest and two ACC tourney wins.