How Notre Dame women’s basketball has chance to validate early season hype

Never too early for Bracketology, right? It is 106 days until March 17, the day Notre Dame plans to either be playing in its first 2023 NCAA Tournament game or going to sleep for the final time before it does. When the Irish get there, they would love to have the same number next to their name as ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme has assigned them three weeks into the start of the season.

No. 2.

Of course, who’s to say Notre Dame (6-0) won’t keep climbing the board and earn a No. 1 seed in the tournament? For starters, Maryland and Connecticut. That’s who.

The No. 7 Fighting Irish host the No. 20 Terrapins (6-2) at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2) tonight and the No. 3 Huskies (5-0) at 3 p.m. ET (ABC) on Sunday. Two nationally televised games versus two more than capable opponents. The trip to the Caribbean for head coach Niele Ivey and her team was nice, but games against American and Arizona State in the Goombay Splash in the Bahamas broadcasted via a streaming-only paywall site over Thanksgiving weekend did not have the same sort of appeal as these heavyweight bouts.

These are the games that can earn Notre Dame one of those top-tier seeds in three and a half months. Not the ones played at a high school gym in Bimini.

“It’s a measuring stick for us,” Ivey said. “We’re playing two of the best teams in the country.”

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Notre Dame went 4-4 versus ranked opponents during the regular season and ACC Tournament last year. As the record suggests, it was a bit of a mixed bag. The highs included home wins over No. 21 North Carolina and No. 3 North Carolina State at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. The lows included 26- and 22-point losses to No. 3/4 Louisville, one on the road and one at home. The Irish also lost by 19 at No. 2 UConn.

This Notre Dame team has been on both sides of high-stakes matchups.

“Even for myself, those lessons last year, tough losses and losses versus ranked opponents, on the road, at home, I always try to utilize all those experiences and lessons as I’m coaching,” Ivey said. “And the players having that experience under their belt, I know that’s going to help them.”

As of Wednesday, Notre Dame was one of six teams in the country averaging at least 90 points per game. The Irish have six players averaging at least 9.0 points per game, and 2020-21 ACC Freshman of the Year Maddy Westbeld is not even one of them. The junior forward is at 7.2 points per game.

Westbeld is a career 12.5 points per game scorer. She should improve to her mean. If she does, and Notre Dame sees continued success from the others on the roster, the Irish might be as good as Creme thinks they are. They’re just going to have to prove it against foes like the next two on the schedule.

“When you have great preparation that breeds a lot of confidence,” Ivey said. “So I’m hoping this week we come out confident, we play the right way, we play our style of basketball and have a great time.”

No. 20 Maryland (6-2) at No. 7 Notre Dame (6-0)

When: Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Purcell Pavilion

TV: ESPN2

Broadcasters: Beth Mowens and Debbie Antonelli

Last meeting: Notre Dame won 92-72 on Dec. 3, 2014, in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Series history: Notre Dame leads 5-4

Leading scorers:

• Maryland: guard Diamond Miller (17.6 ppg.), guard Abby Meyers (15.3 ppg.).

• Notre Dame: sophomore guard Olivia Miles (16.0 ppg.), sophomore guard Sonia Citron (15.3 ppg.).