Notre Dame is coming off a big 81-70 Sweet 16 victory against Wichita State and is on its way to its first Elite 8 appearance since 1979. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Irish will face the top overall seed and still undefeated Kentucky Wildcats. The question is, how much “luck” will the Irish need to dethrone the Wildcats?
Good shooting: A night like the game they had against the Shockers would definitely help. The Irish shot 55 percent from the field and 9-of-19 from 3-point land.
Get to the free throw line: The Irish also went to the line quite a bunch in their last outing and went 12-of-15.
Stay calm in the storm (because one will come against Kentucky): In a timeout on Thursday night, coach Mike Brey didn’t go with the conventional screaming and yelling. “I said, ‘Fellas, been here before,'” Brey told reporters after the game. And it worked. The game went from a one-point lead to a big win to get them to the Elite 8.
Oh, and a little luck might be helpful as well. After Kentucky’s absolutely dominant performance over West Virginia, it’s hard to see how Notre Dame can win without a significant injury to the Kentucky roster. Maybe if a leprechaun magically appears …
Dorm Room Hoops 