Even with the amazing season Notre Dame has had, nothing can be taken for granted. That’s especially true after three-time defending ACC Tournament champion NC State defeated Syracuse, 83-58, for the right to face the top-seeded Irish in the tourney’s quarterfinals. On paper, the Irish should be the favorite, but don’t let the record discrepancy fool you. Lately, the Wolfpack have been one of the few teams to figure the Irish out.
The Irish have lost three of their past four games to the Wolfpack, including a late collapse in the Sweet 16 of last year’s NCAA Tournament. Whether it’s been bad luck or simply a touch matchup, this is the rare program that has owned the Irish. As hard as it is to believe that the Irish could be one-and-done in the ACC Tournament, there’s a real possibility for it to exist, and you only need to look at how these recent games have gone.
As much as we want the Irish to stick around all weekend, it’s time to prepare for the possibility that they won’t and force us to start looking ahead to this year’s NCAA Tournament.
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