Notre Dame vs. Xavier: Game Time, TV Schedule, Spread Info and Predictions

Notre Dame and Xavier both enter the 2012 NCAA Tournament with high hopes, but only one will have the opportunity after Friday's Round-of-64 game in Greensboro. The Fighting Irish landed the No. 7 seed in the South Region by way of a 22-11 overall record, including a 13-5 mark in the rough-and-tumble Big East.

Speaking of "rough and tumble," the Musketeers endured a rather trying season of their own. Their promising start was disrupted in rather jarring fashion, by a violent on-court brawl with crosstown rival Cincinnati in early December. Xavier went just 13-12 from that point on, but managed to sneak into the 68-team field thanks to a 10-6 finish in the Atlantic 10 and a tough non-conference schedule that included a win over Vanderbilt.

Where: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina

When: Friday, March 16th at 9:45 p.m. EDT

Watch: CBS

Live Stream: NCAA.com March Madness Live

Listen: Westwood One, UND.com, 700 WLW-AM

Betting Line: Notre Dame -2.5 (according to sportsbook.com)

Go with Notre Dame here. The Musketeers have the talent to win, but just haven't shown much in the way of defense or general spirit since the ugly incident with Cincy in December.

Key Injuries

Notre Dame has been without leading scorer Tim Abromaitis for most of the season on account of a torn ACL, so his continued absence should come as little surprise. 

Xavier, on the other hand, enters the Big Dance with a clean bill of health.

What's at Stake?

Both teams will hope to survive and advance to the Round of 32 on Sunday, when the winner will most likely face Duke in front of a decidedly partisan crowd in Greensboro.

What They're Saying

Tu Holloway can thank Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis for helping him turn his senior season around after the hideous brawl against Cincinnati. Said Holloway of his relationship with the future NFL Hall-of-Famer to Cincinnati.com:

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“He’s one of my idols, so to hear from him kept me in good spirits. He’s a really spiritual guy. I like to go to church also. He just talked to me about keeping God first and have faith. Just regular conversation like that. It was really good at the time. A couple months ago I really needed it. Things are a little better now. But I’m happy he reached out to me. It was very helpful.”

"

On the other end of the spectrum is Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton. The freshman guard told the South Ben Tribune that he's received plenty of advice from his coaches and more experienced teammates regarding what he should expect from his first experience with March Madness:

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"They've told me not to really play any different than I've been playing, just kind of as hard as it will be, try to go into it like another game. (In) the days to come, my teammates and coach will tell me more about what to expect and what to be prepared for."

"

Most Important Player to Watch: Tu Holloway

The Musketeers may not be the team everyone expected them to be coming into the season, though they're still a threat to go deep into the tourney thanks to Tu Holloway. The senior guard leads XU in scoring (17 ppg), assists (5.1 apg) and steals (1.5 spg) and has proven himself to be a dynamic playmaker at both ends of the floor.

The Irish will be keyed into Holloway's every move so as to limit his ability to singlehandedly beat them with a hot streak. 

Key Matchup: The Backcourts.

Both Xavier and Notre Dame will rely heavily on guard play to get the job done in the Round of 64. The Musketeers will lean heavily on Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons, who combine to contribute 32.5 points and 7.8 assists, and come equipped with a heaping helping of NCAA Tournament experience.

But don't overlook the Irish's backcourt, especially on the defensive end. ND allows its opponents to shoot just 31 percent from behind the three-point line, due in large part to the stellar efforts of sophomores Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins. If those two can slow down Holloway and Lyons to some extent, then the Irish should be well on their way to a storyline-filled showdown with the Blue Devils in the Round of 32.

Prediction: Notre Dame 61, Xavier 57

There's reason to believe that Notre Dame and Xavier will both falter on Friday—the Irish for their perceived lack of experienced, the Musketeers for their loss of consistency following the brawl with the Bearcats.

Ultimately, though, look for the Irish to overcome the Musketeers by a slim margin, with their backcourt providing the defense to stifle Xavier's attack and the propensity for sharing the ball on the way to Win No. 1 of the Big Dance.

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