Notre Dame Basketball: Fighting Irish release their non-conference schedule for 2017-18
Notre Dame basketball will enter this upcoming season as a likely top-25 team from the ACC. What does their non-conference schedule have in store?
Notre Dame is one of the top programs in one of the best basketball states in the country and will look to prove its dominance once again this upcoming season. Returning star forward Bonzie Colson will surely help, as will a relatively solid non-conference schedule. Notre Dame might play in the ACC, but it rarely hurts a team to have a strong non-conference schedule.
Headlined by the battles with Michigan State, Indiana, and playing in the Maui Invitational, Notre Dame fans will surely be excited to get this season underway. Notre Dame is a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament and it would be a surprise if we did not see them in it during the 2017-18 postseason. Now, let’s get into what their non-conference schedule looks like.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at DePaul Blue Demons
When: November 11th
Prior history against each other: Notre Dame leads the series 53-38. Notre Dame won the last meeting 82-78 in 2013.
Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers at Note Dame Fighting Irish
When: November 13th
Prior history against each other: Notre Dame leads the series 2-0. Notre Dame won the last meeting 93-67 in 2014.
Chicago State Cougars at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
When: November 16th
Prior history against each other: Notre Dame leads the series 4-0. Notre Dame won the last meeting 91-60 in 2016.
Maui Jim Maui Invitational
When: November 20-22
Teams in the tournament include: Notre Dame, California, LSU, Marquette, Michigan, VCU, and Wichita State.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan State Spartans
When: November 30th
Prior history against each other: Michigan State leads the series 17-15. Notre Dame won the last meeting 79-78 in 2014.
St. Francis (Brooklyn) Terriers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
When: December 3rd
Prior history against each other: Notre Dame leads the series 2-0. Notre Dame won the last meeting 99-88 in 1998.
Ball State Cardinals at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
When: December 5th
Prior history against each other: Notre Dame leads the series 2-0. Notre Dame won the last meeting 119-78 in 1976.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Delaware Blue Hens
When: December 9th
Prior history against each other: Notre Dame leads the series 1-0. Notre Dame won the last meeting 80-75 in 2013.
Indiana Hoosiers vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
When: December 16th
Prior history against each other: Indiana leads the series 42-18. Indiana won the last meeting 80-73 in 2015.
Dartmouth Big Green at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
When: December 19th
Prior history against each other: Notre Dame leads the series 4-0. Notre Dame won the last meeting 65-47 in 2011.
Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
When: December 21st
Prior history against each other: This will be the first meeting between the two schools.
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Notre Dame is definitely looking for challenges during this non-conference schedule, most notably due to matching up against Michigan State on the road and attending the Maui Invitational. If they can pull out that upset and make things happen in that tournament without facing a major defeat, then the Fighting Irish have the kind of schedule that could put them into the top-10 or top-5 by the time they reach ACC play.