With the NCAA Tournament right around the corner, it's time to start separating the contenders from the pretenders. Much like last year, many teams have a shot at making the final four, and there's a long list of teams capable of winning a few games. Over the next 2 weeks I'm going to breakdown some of the teams in the mix, listing their strengths, weaknesses, and a general prediction of how they will do in the tournament.
Contender: Notre Dame
Notre Dame was phenomenal last night, picking apart Villanova en route to a 93-72 beatdown of the Wildcats. The Fighting Irish hit 20 3-pointers, including 9 by Tim Abromaitis and 7 from Ben Hansbrough, but they are more than just great shooters. This team has played together forever, and it is obvious in their execution. They have tremendous ball movement and seemingly always know where each other will be. They know their strengths, and they actively look to get the ball in the best positions to be successful. Effort is never a question, as Senior Ben Hansbrough is just as competitive as his brother Tyler, and he refuses to let his team slack off. They play fantastic TEAM defense, a concept that seems foreign to many teams in college basketball as well as nearly all young players around the country. The game is becoming more and more focused on the individual, and it's good to see a team play together to get the most out of their abilities.
My only question with this team is athleticism. Although they have done extremely well in the very difficult Big East Conference and are currently only a half game out of first place at 13-4, they have struggled with quick, athletic teams. While they have pulled out the majority of these games in the end, many of them have been very close and could have gone either way. This says two things. One, Notre Dame has been great at making the key plays down the stretch to win the close ones. Ben Hansbrough loves taking big shots, and his extreme competitiveness often-times wills his team to victories. On the other hand, the Irish have been extremely fortunate in winning most of these, and you have to think they are overdue for things to go against them in a late-game situation. They've been blown out on the road at Marquette, St. John's, and Syracuse, and were beaten soundly at home by Kentucky earlier in the season. Much like Duke last year, if they can get a great draw they are capable of making a deep run, but there are many teams the Irish don't want to see on a neutral court. A fast, long, athletic team that pushes the tempo and pressures the ball handlers could give Notre Dame serious problems, so we will just have to see how the draw shakes out before determining how far the Irish can go.
Contender: Notre DameNotre Dame was phenomenal last night, picking apart Villanova en route to a 93-72 beatdown of the Wildcats. The Fighting Irish hit 20 3-pointers, including 9 by Tim Abromaitis and 7 from Ben Hansbrough, but they are more than just great shooters. This team has played together forever, and it is obvious in their execution. They have tremendous ball movement and seemingly always know where each other will be. They know their strengths, and they actively look to get the ball in the best positions to be successful. Effort is never a question, as Senior Ben Hansbrough is just as competitive as his brother Tyler, and he refuses to let his team slack off. They play fantastic TEAM defense, a concept that seems foreign to many teams in college basketball as well as nearly all young players around the country. The game is becoming more and more focused on the individual, and it's good to see a team play together to get the most out of their abilities.
My only question with this team is athleticism. Although they have done extremely well in the very difficult Big East Conference and are currently only a half game out of first place at 13-4, they have struggled with quick, athletic teams. While they have pulled out the majority of these games in the end, many of them have been very close and could have gone either way. This says two things. One, Notre Dame has been great at making the key plays down the stretch to win the close ones. Ben Hansbrough loves taking big shots, and his extreme competitiveness often-times wills his team to victories. On the other hand, the Irish have been extremely fortunate in winning most of these, and you have to think they are overdue for things to go against them in a late-game situation. They've been blown out on the road at Marquette, St. John's, and Syracuse, and were beaten soundly at home by Kentucky earlier in the season. Much like Duke last year, if they can get a great draw they are capable of making a deep run, but there are many teams the Irish don't want to see on a neutral court. A fast, long, athletic team that pushes the tempo and pressures the ball handlers could give Notre Dame serious problems, so we will just have to see how the draw shakes out before determining how far the Irish can go. 
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