ND Men's Basketball 2014-15 Season

RDU Irish

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I'll be happy with a 3 if we can pull it off. Big difference starting off against a #14 seed versus a #12 or #13. Odds of getting upset in the first game go down dramatically. To me the key is avoiding a #1 until the you are playing for the Final Four and that #1 seed has two days instead of a full week to prep for you.

#1 seed if we win out is ridiculous. Not going to happen. #2 seed MAYBE, I think we would deserve it but I don't think we would get it and it would be a big conversation point. The establishment seems to already think the top 8 teams are set in stone and just cracking a #2 would be an accomplishment.

It is all academic b/c IMO we have two more losses in us, I don't see it going any other way.
 

arrowryan

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I'll be happy with a 3 if we can pull it off. Big difference starting off against a #14 seed versus a #12 or #13. Odds of getting upset in the first game go down dramatically. To me the key is avoiding a #1 until the you are playing for the Final Four and that #1 seed has two days instead of a full week to prep for you.

#1 seed if we win out is ridiculous. Not going to happen. #2 seed MAYBE, I think we would deserve it but I don't think we would get it and it would be a big conversation point. The establishment seems to already think the top 8 teams are set in stone and just cracking a #2 would be an accomplishment.

It is all academic b/c IMO we have two more losses in us, I don't see it going any other way.

So if Notre Dame went 30-4 with with wins against Louisville, North Carolina, and defeated Virginia or Duke in the ACC championship, you don't think they get a #2 seed? I just don't see how that is possible
 

Ndaccountant

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I'll be happy with a 3 if we can pull it off. Big difference starting off against a #14 seed versus a #12 or #13. Odds of getting upset in the first game go down dramatically. To me the key is avoiding a #1 until the you are playing for the Final Four and that #1 seed has two days instead of a full week to prep for you.

#1 seed if we win out is ridiculous. Not going to happen. #2 seed MAYBE, I think we would deserve it but I don't think we would get it and it would be a big conversation point. The establishment seems to already think the top 8 teams are set in stone and just cracking a #2 would be an accomplishment.

It is all academic b/c IMO we have two more losses in us, I don't see it going any other way.

I really hope it isn't three losses. I have a bad feeling about Cuse.
 

RDU Irish

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We will split the Louisville/Syracuse regular season games and we aren't winning the ACC tourney. I think a three seed is dependent on us making the finals. If we don't make quarter finals I think we need to win out the regular season to hold on to a #3.
 

IrishLax

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A #1 seed isn't going to happen. Win out or not.

Ehhhhh...

Literally run the table with ACC championship including wins over Duke and Virginia on neutral floors would almost certainly get us a 1 seed. We'd be 30(?)-4 with some impressive wins. Kentucky gets 1 seed, Gonzaga probably gets a 1 seed, but we could bump either Duke or Virginia.

Chances of that are 0.1% though in my book.
 

irishfan

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Realistically, we go 3-1 to end the year as the #3 seed in ACC Tourney, then beat some team like NC State/Pitt/Miami in the quarterfinals and lose to Duke in the semis. And then we're completely a toss up for a 3/4 seed and probably get screwed by our SOS and land a #4 unfortunately. That mock committee of journalists and analysts had us as the last #5 seed last week, and they're probably as accurate as a projection will be at this point considering they worked with real committee members.
 
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RDU Irish

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Realistically, we go 3-1 to end the year as the #3 seed in ACC Tourney, then beat some team like NC State/Pitt/Miami in the quarterfinals and lose to Duke in the semis. And then we're completely a toss up for a 3/4 seed and probably get screwed by our SOS and land a #4 unfortunately.

Agree that 0.1% is reasonable probability of running the table. Also agree with above, although easy to see us losing to NC State/Pitt/Miami type team in the first ACC tourney game and bumping us down to a #5. That threesome will be playing for an NCAA bid and a couple of wins in the ACC tourney would mean a lot more to them than us.

Brey is such a chill pill I could imagine him not caring right now since he has an NCAA bid locked up and no chance at winning the ACC regular season or tourney.
 

Ndaccountant

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Ehhhhh...

Literally run the table with ACC championship including wins over Duke and Virginia on neutral floors would almost certainly get us a 1 seed. We'd be 30(?)-4 with some impressive wins. Kentucky gets 1 seed, Gonzaga probably gets a 1 seed, but we could bump either Duke or Virginia.

Chances of that are 0.1% though in my book.

I thin there is zero chance Duke is coming off that 1 Line unless they lose at least two, maybe three more games. The victory they have at Wisky is perhaps the best non-conference road victory that anyone has. They also have a good amount of "name" teams on their non-conference schedule like UCONN and Temple while also beating MSU @ Indy.

Barring anything unusual, I think UK, Duke will get a 1 seed. The other ones are going to be between Wisky, Nova, Zaga, UVA and Zona depending on who wins what Tourney. My money is on Wisky and Zona, since Zona owns a victory of the Zags.
 

IrishLax

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I thin there is zero chance Duke is coming off that 1 Line unless they lose at least two, maybe three more games. The victory they have at Wisky is perhaps the best non-conference road victory that anyone has. They also have a good amount of "name" teams on their non-conference schedule like UCONN and Temple while also beating MSU @ Indy.

Barring anything unusual, I think UK, Duke will get a 1 seed. The other ones are going to be between Wisky, Nova, Zaga, UVA and Zona depending on who wins what Tourney. My money is on Wisky and Zona, since Zona owns a victory of the Zags.

So you don't think a hypothetical 30-4 ACC champ with 2x wins over Duke and a win over UVA would get a 1 seed? Those are better wins than anyone in the country would have.
 

Ndaccountant

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So you don't think a hypothetical 30-4 ACC champ with 2x wins over Duke and a win over UVA would get a 1 seed? Those are better wins than anyone in the country would have.

it really would depend, but I would still say it's unlikely. I think it would depend on what happens in the other conference tourney's. But, I just don't see ND leaping the likes of Zona, Zags, Wisky, if those teams win their conf tourney. I think ND would end up being the 1st or 2nd two seed.
 

IrishLax

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it really would depend, but I would still say it's unlikely. I think it would depend on what happens in the other conference tourney's. But, I just don't see ND leaping the likes of Zona, Zags, Wisky, if those teams win their conf tourney. I think ND would end up being the 1st or 2nd two seed.

Probably correct, they'd still need help ahead of them from multiple of those teams losing. I guess it's silly because there is practically no way ND runs the table as I described.

For the life of me, I can't understand the love of Gonzaga. Yeah, their RPI and everything is great but they've only been tested against one "elite" team. And they lost.
 

DonnieNarco

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How many "untested" teams have we seen go to the Final Four in the last few years? Wichita State, VCU, Butler twice, George Mason. This Gonzaga team has a lot of talent. Little Sabonis, the big Polish center, Pangos, Wiltjer. They shoot lights out, get offensive boards, and don't turn it over. They have one of the most balanced and efficient offenses in the country. They lost in overtime to Arizona, who never loses at home. They also have an SOS of 90 while Notre Dame's is at 100. SMU, Georgia, and St. John's are all tests this year.
 

Ndaccountant

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Probably correct, they'd still need help ahead of them from multiple of those teams losing. I guess it's silly because there is practically no way ND runs the table as I described.

For the life of me, I can't understand the love of Gonzaga. Yeah, their RPI and everything is great but they've only been tested against one "elite" team. And they lost.

Yea....the whole of idea of blank slate year to year is a myth. Teams like VCU and Gonzaga make a run and it gives them the benefit of the doubt later on.
 

Irish#1

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How many "untested" teams have we seen go to the Final Four in the last few years? Wichita State, VCU, Butler twice, George Mason. This Gonzaga team has a lot of talent. Little Sabonis, the big Polish center, Pangos, Wiltjer. They shoot lights out, get offensive boards, and don't turn it over. They have one of the most balanced and efficient offenses in the country. They lost in overtime to Arizona, who never loses at home. They also have an SOS of 90 while Notre Dame's is at 100. SMU, Georgia, and St. John's are all tests this year.

I can't speak for the others, but I think the two years Butler made the CG they had played some pretty good teams before conference play.
 

ACamp1900

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Notre Dame will beat UK in the tourney..... Heard it here first....
 

heygipper

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I think we have just as good of a chance to win the ACC tourney as anybody not named Duke. If Okafor and Anderson are out I would actually say we may be the favorite. Also one thing to consider about Syracuse- as someone mentioned a fear of them earlier on this thread: they beat Louisville while UL was reeling and had a starter suspended. I strongly like our chances shooting against the zone in the Joyce Center.
 

irishfan

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I think we have just as good of a chance to win the ACC tourney as anybody not named Duke. If Okafor and Anderson are out I would actually say we may be the favorite. Also one thing to consider about Syracuse- as someone mentioned a fear of them earlier on this thread: they beat Louisville while UL was reeling and had a starter suspended. I strongly like our chances shooting against the zone in the Joyce Center.

This. I think it's going to be one of those games we have against Cuse every couple years where we look like we were built to beat a 2-3 and hit about fifteen 3s. I think we drop the game at Louisville, but those games are always OT games anyway haha so who knows.
 

heygipper

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This. I think it's going to be one of those games we have against Cuse every couple years where we look like we were built to beat a 2-3 and hit about fifteen 3s. I think we drop the game at Louisville, but those games are always OT games anyway haha so who knows.

I think we can get the Louisville game too, but obviously the odds of us winning all four when taken collectively aren't as good. Watch us win the first three and get caught by Clemson on Senior Day lol
 

BGIF

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Irish Extra: Brey and McGraw Help Make Notre Dame a Basketball Powerhouse - UND.COM - University of Notre Dame Official Athletic Site

Irish Extra: Brey and McGraw Help Make Notre Dame a Basketball Powerhouse
Fighting Irish basketball teams among national leaders with combined 48-6 (.889) record this season.

Feb 20, 2015


...

Notre Dame is the only school in the nation with both the men's and the women's basketball teams ranked this week in the Associated Press top 10. The Irish men's and women's basketball teams have a combined record of 48-6. The Gonzaga men's and women's teams are a combined 47-5, and the Kentucky men's and women's teams are 45-6.

Coach Mike Brey's #10 Irish men are 23-4 overall and 11-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, two games behind first-place Virginia.

Coach Muffet McGraw's #4 Irish women are 25-2 overall and 12-1 in the ACC, standing in first place by a one-game margin over Florida State and Louisville.

...
 

DonnieNarco

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Also on the topic of mid-majors, there is something to be said for being the biggest game for every other conference team. Like, Notre Dame fans use that excuse for Purdue and Navy and whatever small teams we play, and the same goes for teams like Gonzaga. I think it is even more amplified for conference opponents in basketball where there is more parity.
 

NDGOLDEN

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I'm surprised we are even winning when bonzie has double the points of Grant and Jackson combined
 

Circa

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find It odd UK is undefeated and in the SEC. What would their record be in our conf.?
 
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