Notre Dame basketball: Reasons Irish will beat VT in the 2022 MBB ACC Tournament
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame basketball team takes on Virginia Tech tonight in 2022 MBB ACC Tournament action, and here is why they will come out victorious.
When it comes to the 2021-22 Notre Dame basketball team, there is a lot to like about the roster heading into tournament play. In fact, the Irish played so well during the regular season that they locked down the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament, which meant a direct trip to the quarterfinals.
There, they will take on Virginia Tech, who beat the Clemson Tigers in overtime during second-round action on Wednesday night. With that said, here are three reasons why the Irish will beat the Hokies and advance to the semifinals.
Reasons Notre Dame MBB will beat VT in the 2022 ACC Tournament
No. 1: Perimeter Defense
In their win against Clemson, the Hokies were hot from the outside, and that has been a trend for them in recent weeks. However, Notre Dame is one of the better perimeter defensive teams in the country, so they should be able to stop the barrage of threes that did in Clemson on Wednesday night.
For the Irish, they also need to be strong beyond the arc themselves, as that is a big part of what they like to do offensively. If they can keep the Hokies shooters in check, and move the ball to get open shots on their end, it will go a long way in them being on the right side of the score tonight.
No. 2: Paul Atkinson Jr. vs Keve Aluma
It is no big secret that Keve Aluma is one of the best players in the ACC, and has been one of the best players in the conference for the last three seasons. He can get the job done by filling it up, or pulling down rebounds, so the play of Paul Atkinson Jr. for Notre Dame will be paramount in this one.
Luckily for the Irish, Atkinson has been playing his best basketball down the stretch, resembling the player who took down numerous awards during his time in the Ivy League at Yale. If he can shut down Aluma, or even slow him down, the Irish have a great chance to win this one going away.
No. 3: Blake Wesley
Finally, in games of this magnitude, sometimes it is the team with the best player on the floor that ends up winning. That player is Notre Dame true freshman Blake Wesley, a legitimate first-round draft pick prospect for the 2022 NBA Draft, and one who could take over this game tonight.
Wesley was named All-Rookie for the ACC this season, and second-team all-conference, all the while doing that after starting the season on the bench. He has had games this season where he flat out takes over, and the Irish could use that kind of confidence tonight against a hungry Virginia Tech team that is fighting for their March Madness lives,
Overall, the Irish have a great chance to win tonight despite being a slight underdog per WynnBet. If they can punch their ticket to the semifinal, based on how well they have played the second half of the season, you have to like their chances of cutting down the nets in Brooklyn when all is said and done.