WVU Basketball: West Virginia-Notre Dame Preview
By Joe Severino
The WVU men’s basketball team moved on to the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament after defeating Bucknell, 86-80 on Thursday. Waiting for them is former Big East-rival Notre Dame.
No. 4 West Virginia and No. 5 Notre Dame both avoided upsets Thursday in Buffalo. Hours after the Irish squeaked out a 60-58 victory against No. 12 Princeton, the Mountaineers grabbed the lead over No. 13 Bucknell five minutes into the first half and never relinquished it..
Tarik Philip, who went for 16 points in WVU’s win, was able to sink six consecutive free throws in the final minute to ice the game for the Mountaineers.
Notre Dame was fortunate enough to see a potential game-winning three-point attempt from Princeton’s Devin Cannady bounce off the iron as time expired to escape Princeton.
Here’s what to expect from both the Mountaineers and the Irish come Saturday:
West Virginia
The key to WVU’s opening round victory wasn’t solely their press, but a combination of different half-court sets and a solid performance on the offensive end. The ‘Eers shot 45 percent from both inside and out, and had five players score in double figures. Remember just last weekend in the Big 12 Tournament when this team’s press seemed like an afterthought? It’s funny how things change when you face an opponent whose never seen anything like it.
Huggins threw the press, the 2-3 zone and closed with some 1-3-1 attempting to slow Bucknell. Unfazed, sophomore Kimbal Mackenzie led the Bison with 23 points and knocked down five of his seven three-point attempts. Bison big man Nana Foulland had his way in the post, making seven of his ten attempts for 18 points, but struggled to stay on the floor because of foul trouble.
Notre Dame only commits nine turnovers a game – tied for best in the country – and only had six against Princeton. On offense, they like to spread the floor and move the ball, which can open up the middle and cause problems if all five defenders don’t play together. The Irish are also very good from deep and the charity stripe. If West Virginia see another performace from deep like this, the Irish could be a tough out.
Perhaps the most important key to West Virginia’s game plan will be to attack the offensive glass; If they can match their 17 offensive rebound-effort from Thursday, that alone could carry them. Elijah Macon, Esa Ahmad and Lamont West all played well in the paint in the opener, and Philip was able to drive to the hoop all game.
Notre Dame
The Irish will enter this contest at 26-9. They went 4-8 against AP Top 25 teams this season, but none of those wins came on the road or a neutral site.
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Notre Dame contains a secret weapon in junior Bonzie Colson. He’s the only player in the ACC who averaged a double-double this season and scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Princeton. As a team, the Irish shoot 39% from deep and 46% from the field.
The Irish don’t play deep into their bench, though , something Huggins will surely take advantage of. They rely heavily on their starting five to score, mainly because nobody on their bench averages more than five points per game.
Needless to say, there is no love lost between these two old, Big East foes. Coach Mike Brey and Huggins know each other very well, which should provide for an entertaining match-up in its own right. WVU and Notre Dame have never faced each other in the tournament.
The Mountaineers and Irish will meet Saturday for a 12:10 tip-off on CBS, with the winner advancing to the Sweet 16. Notre Dame’s vying for their third consecutive appearance, while the Mountaineers are searching for their first since 2014.