Could Notre Dame Be The Team To Upset Kentucky?
The 2014-2015 Notre Dame men’s basketball team is in the midst of the best season the program has seen in over a decade. Currently at a record of 29-5 after an impressive win over Duke in the ACC Championship game, Notre Dame looks to keep the momentum going Thursday afternoon against the 14th-seeded Northeastern Huskies.
While we know that the better team does not always win when it comes to March Madness, it does seem likely that Notre Dame does defeat the Huskies in the first round and would have to face either Butler or Texas in the second round of the tournament.
Kentucky on the other hand has looked virtually unbeatable throughout the entire season as they strive for perfection. Most people have the Wildcats as favorites to win it all, as would almost anyone who has followed Kentucky’s dominant run all year-long.
For a Notre Dame/Kentucky match-up to happen both teams would have to make it to the “Elite Eight” portion of the tournament.
While that appears to be a given for the Wildcats, Notre Dame on the other hand may have to work a little more harder to make it become a reality.
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Now let’s take a look at the statistical aspect of it.
Notre Dame ranks 12th in the NCAA in points per-game (78.8). Kentucky comes in at 29th, scoring 74.9 points per game. Notre Dame is also highly effective from the floor, as they rank 2nd in that category, making 51% of their shots whilst Kentucky makes 46.9% of their attempts which is good for 40th overall.
Notre Dame has shown that they can beat quality opponents as they have defeated the likes of teams such as Duke (twice), Louisville and Michigan State throughout the course of the season. The team is playing the best basketball it has played of recent memory and will be hungry to go deep in the tournament.
If I was a gambling man, I would pick Kentucky to win the championship this season without hesitation. But before we’re all quick to crown Kentucky as champions we must know that it may not come easily and as they say, anything is possible come tournament time. We learned that last year when 14th-seeded Mercer shocked the world and upset the Duke Blue Devils whom were favorites by many to win the championship that year led by freshman sensation Jabari Parker.
All season long Kentucky has basked in the media coverage and the constant talks of an undefeated season. The way the team has rolled over it’s competition would give a coach and his players great confidence this time of the year. But if there’s one team who could give coach Cal and the Wildcats a run for their money, I’m going with the Irish, whom would be extremely hungry for a chance at shattering Kentucky’s dreams of a perfect season.
If I’m coach John Calipari, I’m keeping a very close eye on Notre Dame.