#3 Notre Dame vs. #7 Wichita State (Sweet 16)

irishfan · Mar 22, 2015

Thursday night at 7:15 on CBS.

Going to be some great guard play in this one. Should be fun. Pretty pumped.

dang227 · Mar 22, 2015

I will be there. Should be a great game.

irishfan · Mar 22, 2015

Thursday at 7:15. CBS.

heygipper · Mar 22, 2015

Wichita State is good, but I think this game much more so than Butler is one that we can come out and runaway with if we are on. Let's go lights out Thursday and Saturday and see what we can do boys. It's all house money from here!

Crazy Balki · Mar 22, 2015

I like our chances. Wichita State is a lot like us. They're a small team with good guards. I like our guards better though. If Auguste and Colson can make things uncomfortable for WSU inside, I like our chances to win this one. They play deeper than us, generally going 9 deep, whereas we go 7. It'll be important to establish early and make them keep pace with us.

NDgradstudent · Mar 22, 2015

I hope lots of ND fans can make the trip to Cleveland. Take advantage of the geography here. Otherwise it will be all Kentucky fans (for *both* Sweet 16 games).

IrishSteelhead · Mar 22, 2015

Crazy Balki said:
I like our chances. Wichita State is a lot like us. They're a small team with good guards. I like our guards better though. If Auguste and Colson can make things uncomfortable for WSU inside, I like our chances to win this one. They play deeper than us, generally going 9 deep, whereas we go 7. It'll be important to establish early and make them keep pace with us.

What I took away from today was WSU is ND, but with guys a tad more willing to fight their nuts off for loose balls and rebounds against bigger opponents. They are the textbook definition of scrappy.

Crazy Balki · Mar 22, 2015

IrishSteelhead said:
What I took away from today was WSU is ND, but with guys a tad more willing to fight their nuts off for loose balls and rebounds against bigger opponents. They are the textbook definition of scrappy.

Agreed, but we're a pretty scrappy unit, just not consistently enough. That being said, we are definitely more talented. VanVleet and Baker are quite the dominant tandem, but we have a better one with Grant and D-Jax. Cotton vs Vasturia should be entertaining as well, but Vasturia is just on fire right now. Let's face it, Kansas' guard play was flat out atrocious, which is a recipe for disaster against the Shockers. Should be fun, but I think we'll pull it out.

IrishLax · Mar 22, 2015

I think it's a really even matchup, I won't be upset if we lose. Wichita State is a really good team that had a great season and was laughably under-seeded at 7.

Crazy Balki · Mar 22, 2015

IrishLax said:
I think it's a really even matchup, I won't be upset if we lose. Wichita State is a really good team that had a great season and was laughably under-seeded at 7.

Indeed. I'll be disappointed if we lose, because I do think we're the better team with a lot more to play for (WSU isn't really a tournament darling, since they've had tourney success, unlike us). But hard to complain about a ACC tourney title and Sweet 16 appearance.

I find it funny that a laughably under-seeded WSU team just took it to a laughably over-seated Kansas team. Of course, the whole Big XII has been one big joke this tournament. Laughably overrated.

IrishSteelhead · Mar 22, 2015

A possible concern IMO is WSU's ability to get guys in foul trouble, and rack up FTs. They had IU and KU's bigs playing timid early.

Irish YJ · Mar 22, 2015

IrishSteelhead said:
A possible concern IMO is WSU's ability to get guys in foul trouble, and rack up FTs. They had IU and KU's bigs playing timid early.

IU has bigs?

IrishSteelhead · Mar 22, 2015

Irish YJ said:
IU has bigs?

Like ND, the "bigger than the rests."

drake29 · Mar 22, 2015

Like this match up for WSU. Experienced and battle tested backcourt. Cotton is an outstanding defender (really their defense as a team is great). ND might have a tad bit more athleticism but there isn't a better point guard in the country than Fred Van Vleet. If Baker is on the Shockers will take the game. Good seasons for both teams.

irishfan · Mar 22, 2015

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WichitaState?src=hash">#WichitaState</a> HC Gregg Marshall was 1-7 in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCAATournament?src=hash">#NCAATournament</a> as HC at Winthrop. The one W came over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> in 2007.</p>— Tim Prister (@timprister) <a href="https://twitter.com/timprister/status/579826122872999936">March 23, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Forgot he was at Winthrop before WSU.

Crazy Balki · Mar 22, 2015

drake29 said:
Like this match up for WSU. Experienced and battle tested backcourt. Cotton is an outstanding defender (really their defense as a team is great). ND might have a tad bit more athleticism but there isn't a better point guard in the country than Fred Van Vleet. If Baker is on the Shockers will take the game. Good seasons for both teams.

Yeah, but I think a lot of what rides on this game's outcome is more the success or failures of ND's guards. If Grant and Jackson are on, ND is probably gonna win. If they're not, ND is probably gonna lose. Cotton is an outstanding defender, but then again, so is Vasturia.

NDdomer2 · Mar 23, 2015

ND is going to have to withstand the D pressure. WSU gets away with a lot of fouling based on their D style.

It's bothered two O-oriented teams already.

ND will have to match that intensity on D as well.

irishfan · Mar 23, 2015

Seeing us listed as a 1-point underdog.

Irish#1 · Mar 23, 2015

Definitely two teams with similar styles. If we can keep VanVleet from having a good game, I think we win. Kansas youth was very apparent yesterday, especially after the Shockers pushed the lead to 9-10. We have an experienced team that doesn't get rattled like KU did.

drake29 · Mar 23, 2015

If ND can out hustle WSU they will win - if they aren't willing to mix it up, dive for loose balls and basically scratch and claw til the end of the game they wont. Simple as that. Grant is the most talented player on the court but Van Vleet is a floor general and a true leader that's been in this game before. Van Vleet, Baker and Cotton have been major players for WSU ever since their final four run.

irishfan · Mar 23, 2015

Looked at some computer rankings

Sagarin: #10 ND #13 Wichita
KenPom: #10 ND #9 Wichita
BPI: #10 ND #11 Wichita

Pretty much as close as it gets. For the record, Butler is #20, #19, and #21 in those rankings, so definitely a big time win there. Also, Kansas is #12, #12, and #8.

BobbyMac · Mar 23, 2015

Can WSU beat ND? Yes. Should they? No. WSU is not the same team as last year with the loss of Cleanthony Early. If both teams play at the same efficiency, ND wins.

The one thing that bothers me is ND hasn't well yet, they've just played well when it matters. Hopefully Wichita brings out the best in the Irish.

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RDU Irish · Mar 23, 2015

I am hoping the mentality changes to that of playing with house money. Northeastern and Butler we never really clicked on all cylinders. We are good enough to beat good teams with less than our A game, now is the time to pick it up a notch.

Monkey is off the back, now just play ball and have fun.

For the record, I give Steve Vasturia the MVP of the last two weeks. He has been more CONSISTENTLY good than anyone (although DJ has been pretty straight up balls too.)

dang227 · Mar 23, 2015

Anyone else going to the game Thursday or know of the pregame gathering spot for ND?

BobbyMac · Mar 23, 2015

Great story on VanVleet from last year. Illinois and the rest of the B1G dropped the ball on this kid.

How Fred VanVleet's Stepdad Made Him the Perfect Point Guard for Wichita State | Bleacher Report

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BobbyMac · Mar 23, 2015

dang227 said:
Anyone else going to the game Thursday or know of the pregame gathering spot for ND?

Check the Notre Dame Club of Cleveland's site and Bob Golic has/had a sports bar down by the football stadium. I'd guess there would be some Irish fans there.

Here's their Facebook page with info on a game watch, might have pep rally tailgate info upcoming.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Notre-Dame-Club-of-Cleveland/105625719460254

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BobbyMac · Mar 23, 2015

Cleveland ends with ND... (going to the Final Four!)

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dang227 · Mar 23, 2015

NDCrusader said:
Check the Notre Dame Club of Cleveland's site and Bob Golic has/had a sports bar down by the football stadium. I'd guess there would be some Irish fans there.

Here's their Facebook page with info on a game watch, might have pep rally tailgate info upcoming.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Notre-Dame-Club-of-Cleveland/105625719460254

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Thanks!

RDU Irish · Mar 23, 2015

NDCrusader said:
Great story on VanVleet from last year. Illinois and the rest of the B1G dropped the ball on this kid.

How Fred VanVleet's Stepdad Made Him the Perfect Point Guard for Wichita State | Bleacher Report

.

Hey DJ - suit up.

Maybe he finds some Captain America socks or something.

irishfan · Mar 23, 2015

2015 March Madness Predictions | FiveThirtyEight

fivethirtyeight gives us a 53% chance of winning against Wichita State. They are usually very accurate.

#3 Notre Dame vs. #7 Wichita State (Sweet 16)

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