NCAA Men’s Basketball: Virginia Cavaliers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish- Possible Lineups and Predictions

NCAA Men’s Basketball action will continue when the ranked Virginia Cavaliers take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a tantalizing clash. Both teams have had their fair share of struggles this season, but the Cavaliers definitely come into this game with an edge.

Despite being blown out by 23 points against the #1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, the Cavaliers will be optimistic about this ACC matchup. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country and have a very slow and methodical offense, the kind that the ‘reigning’ NCAA Champions pride themselves on.

On the other hand, the Fighting Irish have had a tough start to the season. Despite picking up a marquee win against the Kentucky Wildcats, Notre Dame has been a victim of a tricky schedule. This is their fourth ranked opponent of the season. Can they pick this win up?

NCAA Men’s Basketball: Can the Cavaliers win and start climbing up the rankings?

The Cavaliers are the most recent NCAA champions as they won the tournament in 2019. They need to start proving they still have that winning DNA. Losing to Gonzaga isn’t a big deal, but losing by 23 should be concerning. They are one of the slowest teams in the country, but that is facilitated by having a high IQ point guard like Kihei Clark, but even Clark is having a rough season so far.

The Fighting Irish aren’t elite defensively but they do have players who can contain the Cavaliers. They are a guard-oriented team that will push the Cavaliers into turnovers if the correct scheme is put into place. Otherwise, this game might condemn them to yet another loss this season.

The Cavaliers will start with Sam Hauser, Jay Huff, Thomas Woldetensae, Reece Beekman, and Kihei Clark. On the other hand, the Fighting Irish’ starters will be Nate Laszewski, Trey Wertz, Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin, and Prentiss Hub.

For our prediction, we will stick with the favorites. We personally don’t see a matchup combination that favors the Fighting Irish this game. Barring a sensational individual performance from a Notre Dame player, we expect the Cavaliers to pick up this win.