College Hoops Picks: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Louisville Cardinals

Overview

The Irish are one of the hottest teams in the Big East right now, while Louisville is doing everything they can to not slip out of the Top 25 after being ranked third in the preseason polls. The Cardinals have disappointed fans more than once this season and home win over Notre Dame would be a huge statement.

Notre Dame, though, sports the reigning Big East Player of the Year in Luke Harrangody, so a win will not be easy to come by for Louisville, especially given that their preseason Co-Big East Rookie of the Year big man Samardo Samuels has been getting into foul trouble recently and his points per game have been decreasing.

But let's not focus only on two players, let's take a look at how the teams compare as a whole:

	Notre Dame	Louisville
Record:	12-3	11-3
BE Record:	3-1	2-0
PF:	82.2	74.6
PA:	67.5	59.8
FG %	.463	.431
FT %	.694	.659
3P %	.413	.337
RPG	40.0	40.4
SPG	7.1	9.1
TO	9.4	13.4

On paper, these two teams look very similar: they are both three-loss teams, average about fifteen more points than they are allowing, and shoot and rebound well from the floor.

The three losses are misleading though. Notre Dame has lost to North Carolina, Ohio State, and St. John's. Louisville, though, lost to Western Kentucky, Minnesota, and UNLV, not exactly teams of the same caliber.

Louisville also played their first ranked opponent, Villanova, on Saturday and escaped by one point. Notre Dame, on the other hand, has faced four teams that have been ranked so far this season, three of which were top 10 at the time.

The Cardinals have been criticized for their easy nonconference schedule, especially because it would not prepare them for a tough Big East, while Notre Dame has done everything they can to prepare themselves.

Both teams have players who are difference makers, though, and depending upon who shows up will determine the outcome of the game.

Notre Dame Key Players

Luke Harrangody (Junior, Forward)—24.5 PPG, 12.7 RPG—Harrangody is yet to score in single digits this season and is currently averaging a double-double, not bad for a guy who had to sit out two games due to pneumonia earlier in the season.

Kyle McAlarney (Senior, Guard)—16.5 PPG, 4.13 3PG—McAlarney is currently shooting .463 from beyond the arc and set a school record earlier this season when he hit 10 threes in one game. He has unbelievable range and will force defenders to guard him five feet beyond the arc, spreading the defense and opening up the floor for the rest of the Irish.

Louisville Key Players

Samardo Samuels (Freshman, Forward)—13.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG—Samuel has been crucial in the success of the Cardinals, but when he has stumbled, so has Louisville. He has run into foul trouble recently, gaining four fouls against Kentucky and South Florida and fouling out against Villanova, something that he needs to work on if Louisville is going to be successful against the Irish.

Terrence Williams (Senior, Forward)—11.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG—Williams is one of three Cardinals averaging double-digit points, and the senior has been improving his stats in almost every category this season.

Prediction

Louisville is a solid team, but they have not yet faced a team like Notre Dame. Had Villanova hit their free throws down the stretch (they went two for eight in the final five minutes) or succeeded in one of their tip attempts as time expired, the Cardinals would not yet have been successful against a ranked opponent. Notre Dame, on the other hand, has already defeated Georgetown in conference play and upset Texas in the Maui Invitational.

McAlarney has been on fire recently, and Harrangody is continually showing that he is a force not to be reckoned with.

Louisville is currently a seven-point favorite.

Irish cover the spread and win outright.

This article is featured at CFBPlace—Notre Dame @ Louisville