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No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 5 Notre Dame Prediction, Game Preview
West Virginia vs. Notre Dame prediction and game preview, as the No. 4 Mountaineers and No. 5 Fighting Irish face off in the NCAA Tournament 2nd Round.
March 16, 2017
West Virginia vs. Notre Dame prediction and game preview, as the No. 4 Mountaineers and No. 5 Fighting Irish face off in the NCAA Tournament 2nd Round.
A classic matchup between a team that loves to run the ball and one that prefers to slow it down takes place in Buffalo as West Virginia and Notre Dame battle for a trip to the Sweet 16.
The Mountaineers took care of Bucknell in the first round, but Bob Huggins’ team was challenged deep into the game as the Bison held tough. A major advantage for West Virginia was on the offensive glass, as they brought down 17 offensive boards. Balanced scoring from Nathan Adrian, Esa Ahmad, and Lamont West provided the points.
Notre Dame survived a last-second upset attempt by Princeton with a 60-58 victory. Forward Bonzie Colson and guard Matt Farrell combined for 34 points while guard Steve Vasturia grabbed 10 points and eight rebounds.
West Virginia vs. Notre Dame Game Preview
Date: March 18
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Region: West
Why West Virginia Wins …
The pressure is nonstop from the Mountaineers, a staple of a Huggins-coached team. West Virginia is at its best when the tempo of the game is high, and offensive sets come in few doses. Pressure the Notre Dame guards could cause turnovers, and that is when the points pile up in a hurry.
Why Notre Dame Wins …
Colson is not going to go down with a fight. In the opening round against Princeton, Colson went for 18 points and seven rebounds while making 6-for-10 free throws. As bad as the Fighting Irish looked against the Tigers, they are still a team with great offensive balance and has guards in Matt Farrell and Steve Vasturia that will not be intimidated by the West Virginia press, and will control the tempo against a Mountaineer team that loves to run.
West Virginia vs. Notre Dame Prediction
This game features two coaches that have proven their chops in past NCAA Tournaments, but haven’t had a team win it all. The Mountaineers offense struggles when teams slow the game down, and that is exactly what the Irish will do, using good guard play and making free throws down the stretch to advance.
West Virginia vs. Notre Dame Score Prediction: Notre Dame 68, West Virginia 64
MORE: Complete NCAA Tournament Bracket, Previews, Predictions
