Notre Dame vs. Virginia: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
The return of Bonzie Colson has given Notre Dame new hope of possibly reaching the NCAA Tournament. Can he lead the Fighting Irish to an improbable win over Virginia?
TV schedule: Saturday, March 3, 4:00 p.m. ET. ACCNetwork
Arena: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia
It looked like for 39 minutes and 59 seconds that the No. 1 team in the land would lose on Thursday night, with Louisville leading Virginia the entire game. But after the Cardinals choked for a lack of a better word, freshman De’Andre Hunter hit the biggest shot of his career, a three-pointer to win on the road.
It wouldn’t have happened without Ty Jerome, who scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half. Leading scorer Kyle Guy had an off night, with 10 points on 4/13 shooting. It allows Virginia 27-2 (16-1), the already ACC regular season champions, to retain the team’s momentum for the upcoming conference tournament.
But no team in the country might be feeling better about themselves than Norte Dame 18-12 (8-9) right now. That’s because Mike Brey and the team gets back their All-American forward Bonzie Colson, who has missed the last couple of months with a foot injury. Before he went out, the senior was averaging around 20 ppg and 10 rpg.
The Irish struggled out the gate, going through a seven game losing streak. But the team has held water since then, going 5-2 with a solid win over Florida State. That being said, Notre Dame’s overall resume isn’t that good. Even if Colson’s absence is taken into account, there’s not much there outside of the Wichita State victory.
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That’s why Virginia winning on Thursday was actually a big win for Notre Dame as well. A road win on Saturday against the No. 1 team in the country will leave a lasting impression of the Selection Committee. And this is the team that will be judged by them. Unfortunately, I think Colson needs a little more time, and the Cavaliers take advantage of that to get the win.
Prediction: Virginia 64 – Notre Dame 57