Notre Dame (23-11)
COACH: Mike Brey, 10 years at Notre Dame, six years in NCAA Tournament.
HOW THEY GOT IN: At-large bid
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN: Old Dominion is an interesting matchup for Notre Dame. The Monarchs finished fifth in the nation in scoring defense and fifth in rebounding margin, and coupled with the new-look Fighting Irish likely means a low-scoring game where every possession matters. The flip side to those numbers is that ODU doesn't shoot the ball well from beyond the arc or from 3-point range, and much of its offense tends to come on the inside. The matchup to watch will be perennial first-team All-Big East pick Luke Harangody against two-time All-CAA big man Gerald Lee.
GO-TO GUYS: Everyone knows about Harangody, who was first-team All-Big East for the third year in a row. But Tim Abromaitis came out of nowhere to become one of the conference's top players, averaging more than 16 points per game. Tory Jackson runs a solid point, and Ben Hansbrough's 41 percent shooting from 3-point range has come in handy many times this season.
THEY'LL KEEP WINNING IF: They play with the focus and desperation they showed down the stretch. The Fighting Irish were at their best when their backs were against the wall, winning their last four regular-season games, three of which came on the road.
STRENGTHS: Notre Dame has gone from being a team entirely dependent on Luke Harangody and the 3-point shooters to a more balanced attack. Carleton Scott has given the team another weapon, taking full advantage of his increased playing time to become a revelation for the Fighting Irish. Six players shoot 35 percent or better from 3-point range, and the guy with the most attempts is also the best shooter -- Abromaitis at 45 percent.
WEAKNESSES: The Fighting Irish aren't a particularly tall team. No player on the roster is taller than 6-9, so it may be vulnerable to teams with size that pound the ball down low. Physical teams have been the ones to give Notre Dame the most problems this season in Big East play.
