The Irish will have to be draining long balls after the onslaught we saw Kentucky put on West Virginia in their previous game. If Notre Dame isn't hitting consistently then they have no chance of staying in the game with the Wildcats.
To add to that stress, Kentucky has the best three-point defense in the nation, holding opponents to below 28 percent average. This just adds to what Kentucky constantly does on the defensive side and will frustrate the Irish even more.
A slight injury that worried some Kentucky fans was Aaron Harrison's finger dislocation midway through the second half against West Virginia. Harrison stated he will play against Notre Dame and that his finger did not hurt after a while; likely will be taped.
The bigs of Kentucky will keep Notre Dame from having their way in the paint which has been a problem for the Irish this season anyway. There will be plenty of jumpers in this game, and it just depends on if Notre Dame is able to hit.
Notre Dame's Jerian Grant will be the x-factor in this match up. Kentucky has no answers for his size and quickness with the ball. His talent adds to what he's able to do, and if he makes too many shots in a row, it could get dangerous for the Wildcats.
The player that Kentucky should be looking to use is Trey Lyles. Lyles has size and footwork that some small forwards and power forwards don't have. His post game is superb, including his baseline explosiveness that can leave defenders staring. With Notre Dame not being the greatest defensive team, Lyles will have to get more looks.
A great defensive team against a great offensive team always makes for a wild game. The thing is, these Wildcats are no longer just a defensive squad. Sure they feed off the energy created by a stop on one end, but their offense has caught up to their defense for the most part.
Remember everyone talking about how scary it would be if their offense started to hit a stride back in December? Well, you're looking at that scary version of Kentucky. To defeat this team, there's little room for mistakes when you're pitted against a 37-0 powerhouse.
Can Notre Dame beat Kentucky? Sure, it will take a flurry of threes and energy on the offense.
But Kentucky may just be a little too polished to be denied their berth in the Final Four.
Pat's Picks
Trey Lyles- Lyles will have to use his size constantly when attacking the rim. This Notre Dame defense isn't the most active, and he can easily get a lane to the basket when one-on-one. Lyles will show no sign of slowing down when he's only 40 minutes away from getting to play in his hometown.
Jerian Grant- If Grant isn't attacking the rim to get this offense going then Notre Dame will be struggling. His skillset will have defenders come off their man for a pass or he can get the score in the paint as long as a shot blocker stands back long enough. The luck of the Irish is in his hands.