WSU VERSUS NOTRE DAME PREDICTIONS AND PREGAME DISCUSSIONS

[ShockerPhi]

I don't know ND very well, but I think they're rather small. Might be kinda like Indiana. They have a great offense, but smaller in size. Maybe FVV can take it down the late again and go for 20 or more. Just keep hitting those 3s!

Shockers - 78
Irish - 68

[Anthroshock]

ND won the ACC tourney, but I they played the #319(!) non-con SOS based on RPIForecast. Their single non-con loss was to Providence on a neutral by 1. ND was overrated all year.

[The Mad Hatter]

Notre Dame is some ways a better version of Indiana. Very good on offense (#3 in Kenpom) but not so good on defense (#103). I know I'll look at the breakdowns more as the week progresses, but on paper this isn't a bad match up.

[wsushox1]

my main concern is that their guards are really tall

[wsushox1]

Not sure either Vasturia or Connaghton can really guard Baker or Cotton though. If Grant matches up on FVV Fred might struggle (tends to against taller guards)

[im4wsu]

Comparison from StatSheet

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[Dan]

Shox vs Irish

How about some chatter on the upcoming game? I've only seen the Irish play Butler and it wasn't terribly impressive. They shoot a lot of threes. Should be a a lot like the Indiana game. Hopefully we can keep everyone on track and have another great team performance.

[ShockerEngineer]

They looked very beatable in their first round game.

[1972Shocker]

Bump

[Kochaddict]

http://shockernet.net/forum/showthread.php?19899-WSU-VERSUS-NOTRE-DAME-PREDICTIONS-AND-PREGAME-DISCUSSIONS

[Mr. Pickle]

ND only goes about 7 deep. They are extremely efficient on offense (#3 kenpom) and just average on defense(100 something). If they get hot behind the arc, that could spell trouble. From what I've seen this season, Jerian Grant is really good, and Zach Auguste is pretty soft for being 6-10.

Some of their fans seem to think that their guards' height advantage will cause problems for us, and I would disagree. Our veteran backcourt will match any height disadvantage, and prove to be just a little much. I expect a good game, and a shocker victory.

[Dan]

Looking at their roster, they have 5 main guys that play most of the game and only 2-3 reserves getting action during the tourney thus far. We match up decent, size-wise. They have a 6-10 center, Zach August, that's really long and athletic. Darius will have his hands full. I can see Wamukota being needed this game. They start a 6-1 soph point guard, Demetrius Jackson. Fred should have the advantage here, both skill-wise and experience. The other 3 guys are all 6-5, which plays well into our roster. The 3 guys all average 10-16 pts each. I imagine Cotton will guard Grant, their leading scorer, Wessel on Connaughton and Baker on Vasturia. The 2 main guys off their bench are 6-8 Beachem and 6-7 Torres. They also have 6-5 Colson but I didn't see his name in the box score from the first 2 games of the tourney.

[oneill2010]

As a Notre Dame fan, this should be a great game and I'd be surprised to see a blowout on either side; the Vegas line seems to agree.

For ND, strengths are balance, ball movement, and shooting on offense. Almost all Mike Brey ND teams have had good shooting and ball movement, however, this year's iteration is different because they are not reliant on the three mostly because Grant, Jackson, and Vasturia can all drive to the rim. They still shoot plenty of threes, but very rarely will it be a three not in the flow of the offense. Defensively, ND has made some strides over the last month. Vasturia, Grant, and Jackson are very good defenders. Connaughton is good and Auguste is serviceable. Based on that description, you would think ND would be a good defensive team, but they are just very inconsistent on that end; I would assume that's due to Brey's deficiencies as a defensive coach. Notre Dame plays almost exclusively man with a few possessions of zone here and there.

Biggest weaknesses are size, rebounding, and depth. Auguste is the only big guy. Second tallest guy is VJ Beachem (skinny 6'7 wing) followed by Colson, Connaughton, and Vasturia (all 6'5ish). To compound matters, much like with defense, I don't believe Brey does a good job coaching rebounding. Too many times, ND won't find their man and box out; lots of trying to outjump the opposition which is tough when you don't have the height although Connaughton is a very good rebounder for his size who has very good athleticism. Depth won't be an issue for ND from a fatigue standpoint, but if you get Auguste into foul trouble early, NDs offense and defense changes substantially since there is no one on the team who can fill his role at center.

The only givens in terms of matchups are Auguste on your big guy and Demetrius Jackson on Van Fleet. The second matchup should be a great one. Jackson is probably one of, if not the most athletic point guard in the country (he was ND's first 5 star recruit in a long time since he's from right outside South Bend). He's a great defender who is explosive, fast, and strong; however, he's not nearly as polished and as savvy as Van Fleet, especially on the offensive end.

I'll assume that Connaughton guards Wessel, Grant guards Cotton, and Vasturia guards Baker although Grant and Vasturia might get flipped. Vasturia is easily the most under appreciated player on ND's squad and despite all of the pub that Connaughton gets, Vasturia is the glue guy; not flashy, but makes plays on both ends of the floor. Baker will be a good test for him (or Grant) though. In terms of Grant and Cotton, I don't have much to add although I was shocked from reading online that Cotton is only 6'3; he seems to play a lot bigger than that. Grant is ND's name player, and he's good although he can try to do too much at times which leads to quick shots and some boneheaded turnovers. He has the ability to take over a game late though and make big shots.

A hot shooting night from either team could happen, but I'll be shocked (no pun intended) if this game isn't very close in the last 4 or 5 minutes; both teams are mentally tough and do not fear close games so it should be a fun one Thursday.

[kcshocker11]

WSU 67
ND 61

[SHOCKvalue]

Every P5 or 'major' team (and their fanbase) that we've played the past few years thinks going in that something about their makeup will cause great fits for the Shocks, and an easy win will ensue. Out of all such comers, we have only lost four of the match ups in the tourney by a combined 10 points, in a 5/12 upset in '12, to the national champion in '13, to the national runner up in '14, and to a fellow S16 participant this year. The 'WTF Just Happened There?' pile (tourney and regular season) includes such brands as Virginia, LSU, VCU, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Washington State, Alabama, Colorado, UNLV, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Gonzaga, Ohio State, BYU, SLU, Tennessee, Memphis, Indiana, and Kansas. Several of those have multiple L's courtesy of WSU.

So... good luck with that trump card ND. Better work on that poker face; might need it this week.