Notre Dame basketball: Irish have a golden opportunity on Wednesday vs Louisville
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame basketball team has a big ACC matchup against Louisville on Wednesday night, a game that could land them in first in the ACC.
On Saturday, the Notre Dame basketball team went into the PNC Arena and took down the NC State Wolfpack for their second conference road win of the week. Earlier in the week, they went to South Beach to take on the Miami Hurricanes, who held the first place spot in the ACC going into the matchup.
After downing Miami and Louisville, coupled with Duke losing on Monday night, the Irish have a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the ACC with a win at home against Louisville Wednesday. Notre Dame beat Louisville 82-70 on the road back on January 22 thanks to 22 points from star true freshman Blake Wesley.
Also, the Irish were on fire from the three-point line, and despite being down in the first half, came out firing in the second, outscoring Louisville 44-25. That was a statement win on the road, and at home, the Irish have proven to be nearly unbeatable in 2021-22.
Notre Dame basketball a tournament team in 2021-22
One thing is for sure as we head to the final eight games of the season, five of which will be played in Purcell Pavilion, and that is certainly good news for the Irish. The truth is, this team is made for the NCAA Tournament, and if they can finish out the campaign strong, they could go all the way up to a No. 5 seed in March Madness.
Notre Dame still is not getting much love in the AP Poll, but stacking wins across the final eight games would net them a 20-plus win season, and with their ACC record, there is no reason for them to be shut out of the tournament.
This has been a special year for a special group, and if they can close out strong, they should be a tournament team for sure this March. Mike Brey has put together a nice blend of veterans and young players for this year’s team, and come tournament time, they are going to be a tough out.