It’s time for the Sweet 16. A particular matchup over at the Midwest promises plenty of fireworks when the Wichita State Shockers meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Can the savvy veterans of Wichita State slow down Notre Dame’s highly-potent offense? Read on as we give you a complete preview of what should be an intense matchup.
There’s plenty more Madness to come. Check out our complete previews for Duke vs. Utah and Arizona vs. Xavier to get your fix of Sweet 16 action.
[sc:MarchMadness ]March Madness No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 7 Wichita State Shockers Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
When: Thursday, March 26, 7:15 PM ET
Line: No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+1) vs. No. 7 Wichita State Shockers (-1) – view all March Madness lines
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Jerian Grant scored 16 points as Notre Dame outlasted Butler 67-64 in overtime on Saturday. Grant has been a vital cog in the Irish’s offense, averaging 19 points and 6.7 assists over his last three games, two in the NCAA Tournament. Grant should be Notre Dame’s centerpiece on offense again, especially in their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2003.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]But as good as Grant may be, the Irish won’t have much of a chance without similarly great games from his teammates. Steve Vasturia added 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting against Butler. Demetrius Jackson had 13 points, while Zach Auguste had seven points and 13 rebounds.
Vasturia, Jackson and Auguste are all averaging at least 10 points per game this season. But they may find it tough to score against Wichita State’s tough defense in the Sweet 16. The Shockers are limiting opponents to just 56.7 points per game this season.
To find a way past Wichita State’s defense, the Irish need more production from another of their stars in Pat Connaughton (12.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game). He’s been unspectacular in the tournament thus far scoring just 16 points across the first two games. Connaughton has made his presence felt on the other side of the floor, though, with a total of six blocks across the two games.
The Irish have won 14 of their 15 games against non-ACC opposition.
Betting on the Wichita State Shockers
The Wichita State Shockers are back in the Sweet 16, and they cannot be any hotter. The Shockers defeated highly-touted Kansas 78-65 on Saturday through solid performances from their starters.
Fred VanVleet was close to unstoppable, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals to lift Wichita State to the upset victory. He had plenty of support as fellow starters Darius Carter, Tekele Cotton, Evan Wessel and Ron Baker all shot 50 percent or better from the field. Wessel, in particular, was lights out from three-point range. He nailed 4-of-6 threes against Kansas and has hit 8-of-15 over his last five outings.
It’s going to be hard to stop the hot-shooting Shockers, especially when they face a somewhat leaky Notre Dame defense. The Irish have allowed their last three opponents to shoot 45 percent from the field.
For the Shockers to pull away, they’ll need to limit Notre Dame’s free-flowing offense. The Irish are one of the best passing teams in the tournament with 15.1 assists per game (32nd in the nation). But the Shockers have been excellent in clogging the passing lanes. Wichita State has limited opponents to just 8.7 assists per game this season, fourth in the nation.
The Shockers are 20-2 straight up playing after two to three days of rest.
Writer’s Prediction
Wichita State shocks another top seed. Create a betting account now and let the Madness continue.
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