Kentucky’s quest for a perfect season is still very much alive after it thrashed West Virginia in a lopsided Sweet 16 matchup Thursday night. The Wildcats will continue their pursuit of perfection on Saturday when they take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a mouth-watering Elite 8 clash.
Who will emerge victorious in this showdown between two reigning conference champions? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this Midwest Regional final and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Elite 8 matchup between Wisconsin and Arizona here.
[sc:MarchMadness ]March Madness No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
When: Saturday, March 28, 8:49 PM ET
Line: Kentucky Wildcats (-11.5) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+11.5) – view all March Madness lines
Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats
What else can we say about these Kentucky Wildcats?
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The Wildcats showed why they are the overwhelming favorite to win this year’s national tournament by dismantling the West Virginia Mountaineers, 78-39, in the Midwest Regional semifinals on Thursday night. A total of five players scored in double-figures for the Wildcats who sealed their fifth Elite Eight appearance in the last six years.
The Wildcats once again entered the record books as their 39-point win matches the largest by any team in Sweet 16 history. It was over right from the get-go for the Mountaineers as the Wildcats stormed out of the gates with a blistering 18-2 run. The Wildcats entered the halftime break with a commanding 44-18 advantage as they made mincemeat of West Virginia’s vaunted pressure defense.
The Wildcats dominated in every facet of the game, winning in rebounds (44-32), assists (13-7), steals (7-4) and blocks (7-3). What really spelled the difference for the Wildcats in this game, however, was their tremendous performance on the defensive end.
West Virginia’s 18 points in the first half was a season-low for either half for the Mountaineers. The Wildcats were so ruthless during that period that they allowed just 0.56 points per trip in the first half against West Virginia. It never got better for the Mountaineers who finished the game with just 0.58 points per possession.
Kentucky’s defensive masterclass wasn’t a complete surprise, though, considering the Wildcats are second in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 53.5 points per game. They are also second in the entire NCAA in the blocks department, swatting away 6.9 shots per game in the regular season.
They will need every bit of that defensive intensity when they square off with Notre Dame in the Elite 8 this coming Saturday. The Fighting Irish are one of the best-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 78.2 PPG, 13th in the entire NCAA.
The Irish flexed their offensive muscle on Thursday, scoring 81 points against Wichita State on an incredible 55.6% shooting. Notre Dame is second in the nation in field goal percentage with a 51.0% shooting clip this season.
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Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Bring on Kentucky!
Notre Dame barged into its first regional final in 36 years after knocking off Wichita State, 81-70, in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. The Fighting Irish picked the perfect time to deliver their best game of the tournament, blowing the contest wide open with a blistering second-half performance that steered them to the all-important win and helped set up a mouth-watering clash with the unbeaten Wildcats.
Leading by just three points at the halftime break, the Fighting Irish went berserk from the field at the onset of the second half, draining 15 of their first 17 shots. In total, the Irish shot an incredible 75 percent (18 of 24) from the floor in that final half.
To no one’s surprise, it was Notre Dame’s starting unit that did the most damage for the Irish. Four of Notre Dame’s starters scored in double-figures namely: Demetrius Jackson (20), Pat Connaughton (16), Steve Vasturia (15) and Zach Auguste (15). Their main playmaker Jerian Grant wasn’t far behind with nine points to his name. Grant was Notre Dame’s main facilitator, dishing out a game-high 11 dimes. That’s the most for any player in the 2015 NCAA Tournament and one shy of his career-high.
One of the key factors behind Notre Dame’s huge win was their phenomenal outside shooting. Notre Dame outscored Wichita State 31-15 outside the paint on Thursday with the Fighting Irish burying 9 of 19 three-pointers (47.4%). The Irish are 19th in the nation in three-pointers made, nailing a total of 289 attempts from beyond the arc through 36 games this season.
The Irish will need that deadly outside shooting more than ever when they take on Kentucky next. The Wildcats are first in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing just 84.7 points per 100 possessions. With Karl Anthony-Towns (2.4 BPG) and Willie Cauley-Stein (1.7 BPG) patrolling the shaded lane, forays underneath the basket will be few and far between for the Irish.
The onus is on Connaughton to get his perimeter game going quickly to stretch the Kentucky defense. Connaughton had his best performance of the tournament against Wichita State, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He shot 7 of 12 from the field including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc. He is the team’s leading three-point shooter this season with a remarkable 42.7 percent shooting clip.
Writer’s Prediction
Kentucky (-11.5) extends its winning streak to 38 games with a 74-67 victory.
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