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Notre Dame basketball: Are the Irish headed to March Madness?

By Sean Smith

Jan 5, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley (0) and guard Alex Wade (4) leave the court after Notre Dame defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 5, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley (0) and guard Alex Wade (4) leave the court after Notre Dame defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame basketball team has won more games already this season than they did last year, but are they a tournament-ready squad?

The Notre Dame basketball team is finally having a season where fans can start thinking of a March Madness appearance. The Irish are 11-6 and Third in the ACC. They also have a ranked win against Kentucky.

ESPN’s 2022 Tournament Bracketology does not have the Irish in the current prediction for the 68 team bracket. However, the Irish have a realistic chance to make it when it is all said and done.

Notre Dame still has the bulk of their ACC conference games left on their schedule, including teams like Duke, Miami, and Florida State. Each of these teams has a better record than the Irish. If they can win at least two of the three games listed and finish strong in conference play. The Irish could sneak in and have a Cinderella type of season.

Mike Brey has done a terrific job this year. They already have the same amount of wins as the 2020 season. He has also done a fantastic job recruiting this cycle as the Irish have the 17th ranked class with 3 four-star players.

Two of which are top 100 players Via/247Sports. Irish fans a year ago seemed to have felt it was time to let Mike Brey go. However, if they make the tournament this year it is safe to say that he is back.

Notre Dame basketball headed to March Madness?

The Irish this season is led by star Freshman Blake Wesley who is averaging 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists a game this season with a 43.7 FG%. To make the tournament Notre Dame is going to rely heavily on Wesley and will need the young star to have a phenomenal finish to the season if they want to be playing in March.

I expect the Irish to finish the regular season strong and to make a run in the ACC Tournament. This will give Notre Dame a pretty good resume to get in the March Madness Tournament this year. The Irish will need a lot to happen to do so. However, the ball is in their court. A strong finish and the Irish are in.