BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Notre Dame @ Louisville

February 4, 2006


Notre Dame's struggles in tight games during the Big East have been well-documented and I am sure, to the Notre Dame fan, beaten to death. On the other side, Louisville is also struggling and the two teams have combined for a 3-13 conference record and, at the half way mark in conference play, this becomes a pivital game for each team in their hopes for making the Big East Tournament in March.

Heading into the season, we felt that this could be a Notre Dame team that surprised some with how they would fare in the conference. After being victimized by a top-heavy schedule the last couple years, pushing the Irish off the NCAA bubble into the NIT, this was a season that shaped up favorably and they could be the team that used the schedule to their favor to make a run. So far, it has not happened. Even with a team that, for the most part, starts two seniors and two juniors, the Irish continue to lose close games down the stretch when you hope experience would take over. The Irish usually find themselves having to make a furious comeback after falling behind by large numbers only to fall short late in the game. It is a recurring theme of every game in conference play to this point, except for their lone conference win against Providence. The Irish had to hope that they would survive their first eight conference games, maybe getting three or four wins, and then look for a strong finish against a favorable schedule. The truth is, they still have that favorable schedule down the stretch, but the hole they have dug means they will have to win 7 of their last 8, quite a turnaround, but with a few favorable bounces, beginning Saturday, it is not out of the realm of possibility.

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Louisville has to hope they are finally rounding into shape. Injuries to David Padgett, Juan Palacios, Taquan Dean, Brian Johnson, Chad Millard, etc have ripped the Cardinals of any chance to gel together and gain consistency. I thought Louisville has actually played pretty well over their last four games, but in the new Big East, sometimes playing well can have a cruel outcome and the Cards have lost three of those four games. Their schedule the rest of the way is fair, but still challenging enough with Syracuse, Cincinnati, West Virginia and Connecticut all on the road that slipping up at home will destroy any chance they have of getting back into the NCAA picture. Holding serve at home and finding a way to win two of those road games could thrust Louisville back into a positve light, so that push MUST begin NOW.

The match-up with these two teams is interesting. The Louisville defense along the perimeter is going to have to be on their toes and limit the Irish their open looks from 3-pt range. The Cardinals will also have to go inside and work the Irish over near the rim and use their athletic advantage to rebound and transition against the Irish. Playing at home against an Irish team that must be wearing down physically and mentally with all the challenging games shoulf give the Cardinals the lift they need.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 69 Notre Dame 65