---

Notre Dame vs. Princeton prediction and game preview, as the No. 5 Fighting Irish and No. 12 Tigers face off in the NCAA Tournament.

---

Mike Brey’s Fighting Irish and Mitch Henderson’s Tigers meet in an intriguing 5-12 game, and we know how 12th-seeded teams have a knack for notching first-round victories. The Irish fared very well in the rugged ACC and nearly knocked off Duke to win the league’s tournament title. Meanwhile, the Tigers enter coming off of a splendid Ivy League regular season, and they finished as the league’s tournament champ in its first year of having a conference tourney.

Notre Dame vs. Princeton Game Preview

Date: March 16
Venue:  KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
Region: West

Notre Dame Strengths

The inside-outside offensive game. Junior Bonzie Colson has been a double-double machine all season long despite often going up against defenders who were several inches taller than him. Colson stands just 6-foot-5 but plays much bigger, giving the Irish a nice interior scoring option. With point guard Matt Farrell directing traffic and senior forward V.J. Beachem being able to stretch defenses because of his ability to hit from downtown, the Irish are fun to watch with the basketball.

Notre Dame Weaknesses

Mike Brey’s squad ranks 12th in the ACC in team rebounding, so their second-chance points are limited. That’s an area of concern if the shots aren’t falling. The Irish have made the Elite Eight in back-to-back years and have the talent and makeup to go on another run. Colson can’t be the only one to gobble up rebounds, though.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish In-Depth Analysis

[ooyala code=”c5b2RhYTE6sAQr7Ra_e_xy9qNyCTHYY_” player_id=”85d68cda3f97481cbe4e9c09cdb87ae8″ width=”500″ height=”400″ auto=”false” platform=”html5-priority”]

Princeton Strengths

The Tigers overcame a 4-6 start and the first conference tournament in Ivy League history to head into the NCAA Tournament with momentum and a 19-game winning streak. And they’re doing it with a balanced scoring attack. Devin Cannady, Myles Stephens, Stephen Cook and Spencer Weisz all are averaging in double figures for a Princeton team that is among the national leaders in fewest turnovers per game.

Princeton Weaknesses

It’s no secret Princeton traditionally plays at a slow pace and tries to make it a half-court battle. But that’s not going to be easy against the competition it will face in the NCAA Tournament. If the Tigers’ game plan doesn’t work out and they’re forced to play at a higher speed, it’s likely going to be a long day for them, resulting in a quick exit.

Princeton Tigers In-Depth Analysis

[ooyala code=”Nmd2RhYTE6VEVwFUiGOB6MOR8pfhrZKO” player_id=”85d68cda3f97481cbe4e9c09cdb87ae8″ width=”500″ height=”400″ auto=”false” platform=”html5-priority”]

Notre Dame vs. Princeton By The Numbers

Notre Dame Statistics

Scoring Margin: 9.3
Rebounding Margin: -1.5
Turnover Margin: 3.1
3-Point FG Percentage:  38.9%

Princeton Statistics

Scoring Margin: 10.6
Rebounding Margin: .1
Turnover Margin: 3.5
3-Point FG Percentage: 38.1

Notre Dame vs. Princeton Prediction

The Fighting Irish certainly face a tough test, but the play of Colson inside and the leadership of Farrell will be too much for the Tigers to overcome. It will be close for 30 minutes, but a couple of big 3-pointers late will give the Irish some breathing room.

Notre Dame vs. Princeton Score Prediction: Notre Dame 70, Princeton 60

MORE: Complete NCAA Tournament Bracket, Previews, Predictions