The Cards will face the Notre Dame fighting Irish for the third straight season in the Big East semi-finals. The Cards are 2-0 against the Irish in the Big East tournament. Louisville leads the all-time series with Notre Dame 18 to 12 and the teams are tied in regular season games 5 to 5. This will also be the third time these teams have faced off this season. Notre Dame won the first contest on February 9th in 5 overtimes 104-101. Louisville won the second contest on March 9th 73-57.

Notre Dame is trying to win four games in four days to be the Big East champion. They have already locked themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament but are now looking to cap off their season with a Big East title. Notre Dame might be a little less talented than some Big East teams, but its experienced roster and efficient offense is enough to win big games and be very competitive. Notre Dame returns all five starters for one of the few times in Mike Brey’s 12-year tenure and one of the most talented recruiting classes. Notre Dame’s current senior class needs only one victory to become the program’s all-time winningest class. There is depth, there is talent, there is plenty of drive and plenty of determination. When it comes to taking care of the ball and sharing the ball there isn’t many teams that do it better than this Irish squad. And they can score from anywhere on the floor.

#24 Notre Dame (25-8, 11-7)
Current RPI-41 Current BPI-37
Kenpom:
ADJ Efficiency- Offense 115.3 Rank 13
ADJ Efficiency- Defense 96.2 Rank 96
Kenpom Overall Rank: 33

F Jack Cooley: He was named to the All Big East First team and has become a force down low for the Irish. He has 8 points and 15 rebounds in their two Big East tourney wins.

F Tom Knight: The left-hander can do a handful of tasks really well rebound, defend and screen. He has become a more consist player this season as well. He has 26 points and 13 rebounds in their two Big East tourney wins.

G Eric Atkins: He is one of the top guards in the league and does a good job at guiding this offense. He takes good care of the ball and finds the open man. He has 15 points and 7 assist in their two Big East tourney wins.

G Jerian Grant: He was named to the All Big East second team. He is a really confident player that will hit big shots in key moments, and knows how to get the ball to his teammates in scoring position. He has 28 points, 11 assist and 10 rebounds in their two Big East tourney wins.

G/F Pat Connaughton: Is a player with a lot of versatility. He’ll score, pass, guard, take a charge and rebound. He also understands what it’s like to be under the brightest of lights. He’s having a outstanding Big East tournament showing with 39 points and 9 rebounds in their two tourney wins.

Projected Bench Players:

C Garrick Sherman: Is a transfer from Michigan State that will provide back up to Cooley. He performs well against Louisville. He has 20 points and 10 rebounds in their two Big East tourney wins.

F Cameron Biedscheid: He hit the winning lay up to beat the Cards earlier this season but didn’t play against us a few weeks ago due to suspension. He is solid off the bench and has scored 4 points with 2 rebounds in their tourney wins.

F Zach Auguste: Is a freshman that has come in and played the part for Notre Dame like Harrell has played for Louisville. He gives them length and a Big East body. He comes off the bench and gives them solid minutes. He had 2 points and 2 rebounds in their tourney wins.

I wouldn’t want to be any team playing a third game in three days and have to face this Cards defense. Plus the Irish have been in two pretty close games as well. I do think they will make a good game of it for the first 25 or so minutes but then their legs will start to wear causing those jump shots to fall short. The key to this game for the Cards is to replicate the great defensive effort of the Villanova game. Got to extend the D and get out on these Irish shooters. Gorgui took the night off against Nova so he should be ready to have another monster game against the Irish. Similar to what he did against them on senior day. Russ and Peyton are in a zone and they should dominate the back-court battle. We will have fresher legs and more talent on the floor. This game should just be a warm-up game for the finals for the Cardinals. I don’t see this one being much of problem and am looking forward to sending the Irish home from New York. I might finally get over that 5OT deal after that.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 73 Notre Dame 65

Our #8 ranked Louisville Cardinals(25-5, 13-4 Big East) have won 6 straight since that dreadful five overtime loss on February 9th to Notre Dame(23-7, 11-6 Big East). Now here we are a month later and the #24 ranked Fighting Irish are coming to the KFC Yum Center for the return game. This will be the last game of the regular season and there will be a lot at stake. So much that Coach Pitino said today in his pre-game press conference that “it is the most important home game we’ve ever played” at the Yum Center. Of course there is the revenge factor of this game but that is really overshadowed by the post season implications. The Cards are currently in a three way tie with Georgetown and Marquette for the Big East regular season title and a win on Saturday would assure them at least a share of it. A win could also be the difference in being the 1 or 2 seed in the Big East tournament. The Cards also have a legitimate shot at getting a 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and a big win over a top 50 RPI team in front of a national audience could go a long way in reaching that top line. If that’s not enough to get you fired up add in the Senior Day ceremonies where Mike Marra, Peyton Siva and Gorgui Dieng will play their final home game in the Cardinal uniform. So yes Cardinal fans this game is as big as it gets in the regular season. Louisville leads the all-time series with Notre Dame 17 to 12 and the Irish lead 5 to 4 in the Big East regular season series. These teams have met twice in the Big East tournament and the Cards have won both of those contest.

Notre Dame might be a little less talented than some Big East teams, but its experienced roster and efficient offense is enough to win big games and be very competitive. Notre Dame returns all five starters for one of the few times in Mike Brey’s 12-year tenure and one of the most talented recruiting classes. Notre Dame’s current senior class needs only three victories to become the program’s all-time winningest class. There is depth, there is talent, there is plenty of drive and plenty of determination. When it comes to taking care of the ball and sharing the ball there isn’t many teams that do it better than this Irish squad. They are currently ranked 1st in the Big East in assist averaging 16.1 per game. And they are ranked 3rd nationally in assist averaging 17.6 per game. The Irish rank 1st in the Big East and 1st nationally in assist/turnover ratio at 1.4 and 1.58. They are also a very good defensive rebounding team ranked 5th in the Big East averaging 23.8 per game. Brey always has a group of guys that can shoot the ball really well and this team can score from anywhere on the court. They are 3rd in the Big East shooting 44.3% from the field and 3rd shooting 36.1% from the three-point line.
Notre Dame ranks nationally 87th averaging 71.2 points per game, 96th grabbing 36.5 rebounds per game and 24th shooting 47.3% from the field per game. They have a current RPI of 44 and are in 4th place in the Big East. Kenpom has their adj efficiency on offense at 114.8 ranked 13th and their adj efficiency on defense at 95.6 ranked 88th. He has them ranked 32 overall.

Coach Mike Brey: “We’ve gone from survival mode to thriving,” “Now the next step is to thrive deeper in New York City and in the NCAA tournament. We’ve been right there knocking on the door, Now it’s time to join the party.”

The Fighting Irish Players:

Jack Cooley SR (13.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 0.8 apg) 6-9 F is considered the doppelganger of former Irish All-American Luke Harangody. He has became a low-post force this season. In Big East play, he is 2nd in rebounding at 10.2 per game and offensive rebounds per game at 3.6. He is 3rd in field-goal percentage shooting 55.3%. He has scored in double-figures in 27 of the 30 games this season. He is averaging 1 blocked shot per game this season. He shoots 50% from the 3 point line and 68.5% from the free-throw line averaging 30 minutes of play.

Tom Knight SR (4.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.7 apg) 6-10 F The left-hander can do a handful of tasks really well rebound, defend and screen. He has become a more consist player this season as well. He shoots 52.7% from the field and 63.6% from the free-throw line averaging 16.7 minutes per game.

Eric Atkins JR (11.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 6.0 apg) 6-2 G He is one of the top guards in the league and is 4th in the Big East in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.1. He’s 7th in the Big East with a 5.1 assist-per-game average this season. He has four double-doubles this season and has dished out 10 or more assists in a game five times this season. He is shooting 45.5% from the field, 43.1% from the three point line and 64.1% from the free-throw line averaging 38.4 minutes per game.

Jerian Grant JR (13.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.6 apg) 6-5 G is a really confident player that will hit big shots in key moments, and knows how to get the ball to his teammates in scoring position. He has scored in double-figures in 25 Big East games this season, including a current stretch of four straight double-digit efforts. He is averaging 13.5 points per game in league play and his 5.6 assist-per-game average in Big East contests is fourth in the conference. He is shooting 42.7% from the field, 36.4% from the three point line and 72.6% from the free-throw line averaging 36.4 minutes per game.

Pat Connaughton SOPH (8.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.4 blkpg) 6-5 G/F is a player with a lot of versatility. He’ll score, pass, guard, take a charge and rebound. He also understands what it’s like to be under the brightest of lights. He has has dished out 69 assists this season and has an assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.06. He is shooting 42% from the field, 32.5% from the three point line and 74.4% from the free-throw line averaging 31.8 minutes a game.

-Bench

Garrick Sherman JR (6.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.3 apg) 6-10 C is a transfer from Michigan State that will provide back up to Cooley. He had his breakout game last time against Louisville when he had 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting. This guy is a pretty good weapon for Brey to bring off the Bench for some inside scoring. He is shooting 53.9% from the field and 65.9% from the free-throw line averaging 14.7 minutes per game.

Zach Auguste FR (4.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.2 apg) 6-10 F is a freshman that has come in and played the part for Notre Dame like Harrell has played for Louisville. He gives them length and a Big East body. He comes off the bench and gives them solid minutes. He is shooting 54.8% from the field and 64% from the free-throw line averaging 10.4 minutes per game.

Cameron Biedscheid FR (6.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.0 apg) 6-7 F scored on a layup with 1:19 left to seal the 104-101 win the last time these teams played but he won’t be available on Saturday for the Irish. He got ejected in the last game after getting into a fight and will have to serve a one game suspension.

Austin Burgett FR (0.4 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 0.0 apg) 6-9 F will probably see more minutes in the game this Saturday due to the suspension of Biedscheid. He is a first year player with a real feel for the game, handles the ball extremely well for a player with his size and plays like a point forward. He is a strong perimeter shooter and a very skilled/athletic player with a great understanding of the game. He has good rebounding skills to go along with strong shooting abilities.

The Cards thrive on turnovers and forcing the other team to play faster than they typically do. It is not easy to do that to this Irish team. The Irish aren’t a great defensive team and they aren’t great on the offensive glass. I do think we can have the advantage and expose these areas. The Cards have better players at every position on the court. We need to take care of the ball, take good shots, and take advantage of our big guys in the paint. I do think Russ and Peyton will also play a big role if we are to get this win. They must play under control and stay on the floor. Look for Wayne Blackshear to have a big game in this one and his outside shooting will be key. I also think Hancock’s basketball intelligence will be more of an asset in this game than it has all season. I do think this Notre Dame team will struggle to make up for Biedscheids absence and that will make them more vulnerable. Their bench was already short to begin with.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 80 Notre Dame 65

The word rival is thrown around very loosely in college sports today but on Monday our Louisville Cardinals(24-5, 12-4 Big East) will play a legitimate long time rival when they host the Cincinnati Bearcats(20-9, 8-8 Big East) for the very first time at the KFC Yum center on Monday night. Coach Pitino will be going for his 300th win and the Cards will be looking for their sixth win in a row. Louisville leads the all-time series with UC 54 to 43 and the series is tied in Big East play 4 to 4. The last time these teams met was in the 2012 Big East championship game where the Cards came out victorious in a 50-44 battle.

Mick Cronin has really done a solid job at Cincinnati and they had a terrific run last year in March when they went on a 9-3 run, advanced to the Big East title game and the NCAA Sweet 16. They started out of the gate fast this year winning their first 12 games but have lost six out of ten down the stretch. The Bearcats are about pressuring opponents, turning them over and creating opportunities in the open court or spreading the floor in the half-court, using penetration and 3-point shooting. The problems for this team are a result of shooting and scoring woes, especially from its big guys. And that inability to score efficiently puts a tremendous amount of pressure on their defense to get stop after stop. They are averaging 0.98 points per possession. Their season average is 1.03. In Big East play, Cincinnati is shooting 37.1% from the field ranked 14th and 28.7% from 3-point range ranked 13th. The Bearcats’ defense is outstanding, but it has to be to make up for the team’s inability to score. Their field goal defense is ranked 9th in the Big East holding opponents to 41.6% per game, and their 3 point field goal defense is ranked 3rd holding their opponents to 29.2% per game on average. This team is very athletic and they really go after it on the boards. They are in the top five of every rebounding category in the Big East and are #1 in defensive rebounding.
The Bearcats rank nationally 149th with 68.4 points per game, 6th with 40.6 rebounds per game, 185th with 12.6 assist per game and 298th shooting 40.4% per game average. They are currently in 9th place in the Big East and have an RPI of 50. Kenpom has their adj efficiency on offense at 104.6 ranked 111 and their adj efficiency on defense at 87.5 ranked 12th. He has them ranked 34th overall.

Coach Mick Cronin: “Defense is engrained in our DNA,” “For us, we’re trying to create turnovers and extend our defense more consistently.”
“We’re such a defensive-minded team. For us, playing fast means taking the ball off of opponents with more steals, turnovers, deflections and bad passes. When we went through the process of building a program up and learning how to win, defense was the constant.”

The Bearcat Players:

Titus Rubles JR (6.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.0 apg) 6-7 F Cincy is his fourth stop in as many seasons. He is tough, athletic and can defend a variety of positions. He hasn’t been good at all from the field, which hurts his overall numbers. The big key for Rubles has been getting to the line. He shoots 33.1% from the field, 10.3% from the 3 point line and 65.6% from the free-throw line.

Cheikh Mbodj SR (5.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.2 apg) 6-10 C has proven this season that he can clear the boards and block a bunch of shots. He ranks 3rd in the Big East in blocked shots averaging 2.4 per game. He’s not really an offensive threat and gets most of his points off of offensive rebound put backs. He shoots 46.8% from the field and 65.7% from the free-throw line.

Cashmere Wright SR (12.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.3 apg) 6-0 G He hasn’t been the same player since he sprained his right knee at DePaul on Jan. 15 and his shooting percentages have gone south. He has played through the pain and is one of two primary scoring threats for this team. And he is also a very good defensive player. He is the all-time steals leader for UC. He is shooting 38.5% from the field, 34.3% from the 3 point line and 81.9% from the free-throw line which ranks 4th in the Big East.

Sean Kilpatrick JR (17.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 apg) 6-4 G has emerged as one of the Big East’s top scoring guards and is the leader of this Bearcat squad. He has become very consistent player and can score from long range or drive to the basket. He along with Wright is the second primary scoring threat for this team. He ranks 6th in the Big East in scoring, and 3rd in 3 point shots made at 2.6 per game. He shoots 40.9% from the field, 32.5% from the 3 point line and 73.1% from the free-throw line.

JaQuon Parker SR (11.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.6 apg) 6-3 G is a driven wing who can do just about anything necessary in a winning cause. Parker rebounds extremely well for his size, can shoot from the outside and according to Cronin doesn’t care what is asked of him; he’ll do it. He ranks 15th in the Big East in offensive rebounds with 1.9 per game. He shoots 41.4% from the field, 40.5% from the 3 point line and 52.3% from the free-throw line.

-Bench

Ge’Lawn Guyn SOPH (2.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.5 apg) 6-2 G is not really a big threat scoring wise and is usually called on to hound the opposing teams point guard. He is a very solid on the ball defender. He shoots 34.3% from the field, 25.7% from the 3 point line and 83.3% from the free-throw line.

Jermaine Sanders SOPH (3.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.8 apg) 6-5 F has been described as a player with a lot of potential. He can play inside or outside, mainly outside. He is a lefty and has a pretty good jump shot. He does struggle a bit from the charity stripe and is not a very good rebounder. He shoots 40.2% from the field, 30% from the 3 point line and 53.3% from the free-throw line.

Shaquille Thomas FR (2.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.5 apg) 6-7 F can beat his man off the dribble and score at the basket. He’s not all that fundamentally sound, but he’s a high flier who plays above the rim and can be an effective passer. He has good versatility. He is also a good defensive player. He shoots 39.2% from the field, 37.5% from the 3 point line and 57.1% from the free-throw line.

David Nyarsuk JR (2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.2 apg) 7-1 C is the tallest player to ever play for the Bearcats. He gives them size and scoring inside. He does struggle to stay on the floor do to his foul trouble. He shoots 59.4% from the field and 53.3% from the free-throw line.

The Bearcats are a very similar team to the Cards the way they play on the defensive end of the floor. This is to be expected as Cronin is a Rick Pitino disciple. But they do struggle on the offensive end of the floor. I look for the Cards to focus their defense keying on Wright and Kilpatrick because the Bearcats have no other serious scoring threats. Their passing is also not very good and their bigs can’t finish around the rim so there’s no need to help off the guards. They are also very poor shooters as a team from the free-throw line.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 70 Cincinnati 59