The more Notre Dame wins, the more there’s a worry that a loss can derail the momentum. Hopefully, that won’t happen when it visits Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons already have beaten the Irish to 20 wins this season, so that alone should be a sign that now is not the time to step off the gas pedal. At the same time, the Irish have won three of their past four games against the ACC teams currently in the top six in the standings, so they at least have that going for them.
Cormac Ryan has started the past three games in part because of Nate Laszewski’s leg contusion. Ryan, one of the projected starters against the Deacons, is making the most of the opportunity. In the Irish’s two most recent games, Ryan is averaging 12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. While he doesn’t need to keep putting up those numbers for the Irish to win this game, it certainly would help a lot.
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