Notre Dame basketball: 2017-18 season preview

BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 18: Head coach Mike Brey of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish watches on against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 18, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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BUFFALO, NY – MARCH 16: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish bench celebrates a three point basket during the first half against the Princeton Tigers during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 16, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Key Non-Conference games

Nov 20-22 – Maui Invitational (Chaminade, Michigan, LSU and Wichita State)

Nov 30 – at Michigan State (ACC-Big Ten Challenge)

Dec 12 – Indiana

The past couple of non-conference schedules haven’t been overly impressive for the Irish, with a couple of marquee matchups sprinkled in with way too many cupcakes. Their biggest game is on the road at Michigan State, an expected top-five team, as part of the annual conference challenge.

Indiana’s big game in the state, in which the Hoosiers play the Irish, seems more one-sided this year in Notre Dame’s favor. Both teams currently have a top ten recruiting class, so, hopefully, this series will be more interesting in the future.

The Thanksgiving week Maui Invitational could either be a stud or a dud for the Irish in terms of resume building. They drew up Chaminade in the first round, which means nothing if they win and a disaster if they lose.

The next round will be either Michigan or LSU, with both teams pushing for a bid. The championship round is key, as a potential matchup with top ten Wichita State could boost any resume up. The others, including VCU and Marquette, are okay but nothing to cheer about.

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