Notre Dame vs. Rutgers in NCAA Tournament First Four: What to know, how to watch
Notre Dame knows the old version of Rutgers well.
The Irish and Scarlet Knights were Big East members from 1995-2013, playing 25 times in that span. Mike Brey can still vividly recall close calls and tough losses in the Rutgers Athletic Center. Wednesday’s NCAA Tournament First Four meeting between the two programs evoked some old Big East nostalgia.
“I know the game is not in the RAC,” Brey said Tuesday. “I’ve got some bad nightmares coming out of there.”
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In all their years as conference mates, though, Rutgers never reached March Madness. The Scarlet Knights bolted for the Big Ten, and after a few years absorbing haymakers, have found their footing. This is their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance — a streak that would be three years long if not for COVID-19 wiping out the 2020 tournament.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, is back in the field of 68 for the first time since 2017.
What to know about Notre Dame vs. Rutgers
• Rutgers defeated four teams that earned top-five seeds in the NCAA Tournament this year: Wisconsin (No. 3 seed), Purdue (No. 3), Illinois (No. 4) and Iowa (No. 5). They had six Quadrant 1 wins, an unusually high number for a team that spent the last few months on the NCAA Tournament bubble. It’s more than 21 teams that earned an at-large bid. For comparison, Notre Dame has two.
Why the low seed, then? The Scarlet Knights lost three games in Quadrant 3 and 4 and dropped six to teams ranked 88th or worse in the NET. Their own NET ranking is 77th.
• Sixth-year head coach Steve Pikiell is 98-89 at Rutgers and 290-246 in 17 total seasons in charge of programs. He was previously at Stony Brook for 11 seasons.
• Rutgers’ leading scorer is senior forward Ron Harper Jr., who averages 15.9 points per game. He’s one of three players who averages double figures, along with fifth-year senior guard Geo Baker (12.4) and sophomore center Cliff Omoruyi (11.8).
• Scarlet Knights forward Caleb McConnell was named the Big Ten Defensive player of the Year and ranks 15th nationally in steals per game (2.2)
• Notre Dame is led by freshman guard Blake Wesley, who averages 14.6 points per game. Senior guard Dane Goodwin is behind him at 13.9 and shoots a team-best 44.8 percent on three-pointers.
• Rutgers was a No. 10 seed in last year’s tournament and defeated No. 7 Clemson 60-56 in the first round. The Scarlet Knights lost to No. 2 Houston in the second round.
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• Notre Dame was a No. 5 seed in its last tournament appearance and reached the round of 32, where it lost to No. 4 West Virginia 83-71.
• Brey is 13-12 in the NCAA Tournament in 22 seasons at Notre Dame. The program has a 39-40 overall record in it.
• The Irish are tied for 15th nationally in three-point percentage (38.0). Rutgers, meanwhile, is tied for 194th (33.6 percent). Harper is its best shooter from beyond the arc (39.0 percent) who has taken at least 30 attempts.
Game info and how to watch
When: Wednesday, March 16 at approximately 9:10 p.m. ET. (It will not start earlier)
Where: University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio
TV: TruTV
Radio: Notre Dame radio network
Line: Notre Dame -1.5
KenPom prediction: Notre Dame 67, Rutgers 65
Series history: Notre Dame leads 33-20
Last meeting: Notre Dame won 69-61 on March 13, 2013
More Notre Dame NCAA Tournament coverage
• How Notre Dame remained productive amid a stress-filled weekend awaiting NCAA Tournament fate
• Four things to know about Notre Dame NCAA Tournament First Four opponent, Rutgers
