For a few hours on Saturday, attention will be paid to the Louisville basketball team on the court, rather than off of it. Notre Dame looks to take advantage of a program embroiled in a scandal that has already cost the Cardinals a chance at the postseason.
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HOW THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Coach Rick Pitino doesn’t believe his Louisville players should be punished for the mistakes of others, but he won’t mind if they take out their frustrations on opponents. That’s all the Cardinals have to play for this season following a self-imposed postseason ban by the university.
The Cardinals may have had a letdown last week following the announcement from the school’s president. They lost at Duke 72-65.
With a week to process the news and prepare for Notre Dame, look for the Cardinals to get back to doing what they do best: play defense. Louisville leads the ACC in points allowed per game at 60.3 and its harassing style of play holds opponents to 37.8 shooting. The Cards will be tested by the Irish, who score 79 a game.
After getting over the disappointment of a postseason ban, senior transfers Damion Lee and Trey Lewis will look to bury opponents in what has become their final games. Both chose Louisville because of the likelihood of playing in the NCAA tournament. Now that’s gone and the team’s scoring leaders have vowed to bring the school through this dark time.
HOW THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Irish didn’t have a letdown following a win over No. 2 North Carolina last Saturday. Notre Dame escaped with a win at Clemson Monday. The win keeps Notre Dame in line to finish in the top four seed at the ACC tournament and get a double bye. The Irish currently trail Louisville and Miami by a half-game in the standings.
Led by Demetrius Jackson, the Irish boast the most efficient offense in the nation with an adjusted efficiency index of 124.8, according kenpom.com. Old school analytics have the Irish scoring 79 points per game with the 17th-best field goal percentage in the country.
They will need to take care of business on the offensive end against Louisville’s pressure defense. Five players average double-figures in points with the key being forward Zach Auguste, who scores 14.1 per game while shooting 54 percent from the floor.
Auguste will have to dominate down low and play above the rim against a Cardinals team that defends the perimeter well. If the Irish get their big man involved and he’s able to knock down his shots, Notre Dame will have a good chance of winning.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
It just seems like the Cardinals motivation was zapped when the school self-imposed a postseason ban following some disturbing news regarding a sex scandal. Their two best players and leading scorers, Lee and Lewis, are hurt the most. The two graduate transfers used their final year of eligibility for one last chance to play in the NCAA tournament, now that’s not going to happen. Is there any motivation left for them? On the other side, the Irish have a chance to jump on a team while it’s down. And the contest comes on Notre Dame’s home floor, where it just dropped then No. 2 North Carolina last week. Notre Dame will use Auguste in the post to negate any advantage the Cardinals may have on defense. If Louisville sags to defend the post, Jackson, Bonzie Colson and Steve Vasturia can certainly light it up from outside. Notre Dame has too many weapons for Louisville to stop.
Notre Dame 78, Louisville 70
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