Notre Dame basketball: Irish will play in the First Four of 2022 NCAA Tournament
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame basketball team will play in the First Four of the 2022 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, taking on Rutgers.
The Notre Dame basketball team has punched their ticket to the 2022 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, earning a No. 11 seed. However, they will not be headed straight to the Big Dance, as they will first have to take on Rutgers in the First Four, slated to kick off on Tuesday.
The First Four is four college teams that will play in order to reach the real Field of 64. If the Irish can take care of business against Rutgers, then they will be the No. 11 seed in the West Region, and that would be a matchup against No. 6 Alabama.
For the Irish, playing in the West Region means a trip to California if they can beat Rutgers in Dayton, Ohio this week, as the first and second-round action will take place in San Diego.
Notre Dame basketball to take on Rutgers in First Four
Rutgers is a Big Ten school and went 18-13 during the regular season. The Scarlet Knights had an incredible stretch in February, as they beat ranked team in four straight games, including No. 12 Illinois.
Both of these teams played in the Big East from1995 through 2013, and have met 33 times.
Notre Dame basketball has been led this season by a veteran roster that got great play from some key additions. Center Paul Atkinson Jr. came to the program from Yale, where he was one of the best players in the Ivy League and has played his best basketball as of late.
True freshman Blake Wesley burst onto the scene after being inserted in the starting lineup against Kentucky, and the Irish season really took off from there.
The Irish have had a special season, and while playing in the First Four is not the best-case scenario, they are still alive in making the Big Dance. They technically have made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, but one more hurdle remains before the real party gets started.