BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ NOTRE DAME

February 12, 2009



It has now been more than a month since the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team has tasted victory. Their last win game at home on January 10th, 88-79 over Seton Hall. The losing streak started off normal enough, losing back-to-back road games at Louisville, which went into overtime, and at Syracuse. Then came back-to-back home losses, ending the 45-game Irish home win streak. Again, however, losing to arguably the nation's best team, Connecticut, and a surging Marquette squad in itself would not be something to sound an alarm on. The came out swinging against Pittsburgh on the road, but were run out of the building in the second half and the losing streak was suddenly at five games.

In the Big East, it is funny (well, not if your a coach, player or fan of a team in the conference) how a little snowflake can turn into a snowball and then start an avalanche. Losing at Louisville, in overtime, a game they had chances to win, probably did not knock the Irish down too much...but, it got the snowball headed down the hill.

Those five losses dropped the Irish to 3-6 in the Big East. Still, one could reason that more than 90% of Division 1-A college basketball teams would have gone 0-5 in that gauntlet, so Notre Dame headed to Cincinnati looking to re-start their season. Instead, they allowed 93 points and looked like a defeated team when they were run out of the building against UCLA on Saturday.

So, now ND has a seven-game losing streak. Overall record has dropped to 12-10 and the NCAA Tournament, which just a month ago seemed like a lock with a possible protected seed is now a long-shot. ND needs wins, they need big wins, but really, they need ANY win right now. It will not come easy hosting a Louisville team that is 9-1 in the Big East and 18-4 overall, but seeing that UL has really struggled offenisvely in their last 100 minutes of basketball, maybe there can be some life yet for the Irish.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game:

Banged Up Louisville Visits Fighting Irish (Chicago Tribune)
Many Reasons for Notre Dame's Collapse (Chicago Tribune)
Formula Found to Fluster Fighting Irish (Journal-Gazette)
Cardinals' Samuels Banged Up, Fired Up (Courier-Journal)
Scary Talent Await Irish (South Bend Tribune)
Irish Attempt to Stop Bleeding Against Fifth-Ranked cards (Kentucky.com)

If your offense is struggling, there might not be a better site for a major conference college team on the horizon than a date with Notre Dame. After scoring 45 points in the opening 20 minutes in a 69-63 win over West Virginia almost two weeks ago, somebody turned the switch off on the UL 'O' and has forgot to turn it back on. Since that first half, UL scored 24 points in the second half against WVU, 51 in the entire game against UConn and then struggled, before hitting a plethora of late minute free throws, in a 60-47 win on Sunday over St. John's.

In their last three losses, ND has allowed nearly 92 points a game against teams that are not known for high offensive outputs (UCLA, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati). The free-flowing game that the Irish prefer is certainly to allow the Cards to find their comfort zone more easily and with buckets, Louisville will unleash their full court pressure, and area that the Cards should have excellent success with against the Irish.

I keep waiting for the Irish to come out on fire and knocking down three's at a high rate. Well, they did do that against Pitt, making 11 in the first half alone, but this team seems so allergic to playing defense that any success almost seems like foos gold as once the game gets into a grind, they do not have the willpower or confidence to overcome any adversity. Louisville is a team that thrives in putting the opposition through adversity, can Notre Dame respond?

Louisville is a 3 1/2-point favorite on the road. The proof in this one is all on the Irish to compete, you know Rick Pitino will have his team defending and rebounding. Look for their offense to return and earn the road win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 77
Notre Dame 70