Stanford Looking For Revenge Against Notre Dame

After a dominant 20 point win at home against SMU on Senior Day, Stanford basketball is riding great momentum going into one final road slate. In their first game of the week, the Cardinal will take on Notre Dame in a crucial ACC battle on Wednesday.

Stanford is coming into the game at 18-11 overall and 7-9 in conference play. Their wins against North Carolina, Louisville, St. Louis, and SMU have propelled the Cardinal to another great season, but the job is not finished just yet. Stanford is going to have to win out this week as well as win a pair of games in the ACC tournament if they want to have a legitimate shot at the NCAA tournament.

Notre Dame is coming into the game at 13-16, struggling in the ACC at just 4-12. Their biggest win was their most recent game, which came against NC State. They also beat Stanford on the road back in December in a defensive showdown, as well as getting non-conference wins against Missouri and TCU.

Notre Dame hasn’t been consistent at all throughout the season, but have gotten a few important wins overall. They'll be a tough test for the Cardinal once again.

The Fighting Irish lost Markus Burton early in the season due to injury, and now they have only a few impactful players. Their star is Jalen Haralson, who is putting up 15.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Cole Certa is a 6-foot-5 guard who's averaging 12.8 points per game.

Braeden Shrewsberry is adding 11.8 points per contest as well for the Irish. However, those are the only three players averaging more than seven points per game. This trio has done everything on both sides of the ball this season.

Stanford’s roster matches up well with the Irish. Ebuka Okorie is averaging 22.7 points per game for the Cardinal, doing practically everything for Stanford. He is a projected NBA draft pick in June, if he decides to declare.

After a 30 point performance on senior night, Benny Gealer is averaging 11.3 points a game. Jeremy Dent-Smith averages 8.1 a night. Any of those three can go completely off on any given night.

The two teams played back in December, where Notre Dame beat Stanford 47-40 at Maples Pavilion. It was one of the ugliest games of the college basketball season, where defense shined, and offense looked completely lost. It was also the first time Okorie looked human this season, scoring just seven points.

Haralson was the Irish’s top scorer at 13 points, while Stanford’s top scorer was Chisom Okpara, also at 13 points. Unfortunately, Okpara is unavailable on Wednesday due to an injury suffered a few weeks ago that ended his season.

Notre Dame has a 61.8% chance to win in South Bend per ESPN analytics.

We are going to pick Stanford to come away with a close win on the road. After their worst performance of the season against the Irish earlier this season, it’s expected that the Cardinal are ready to play, and will give the Irish a tough game. Stanford is the better overall defensive team, and will adapt to the game. Any chance at a tourney berth is also on the line for added motivation.

Pair that with momentum after a home win, and you have a team ready to play on the road. Give us Stanford by two, 61-59.

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