Wake Forest’s season has had a variety of twists and turns. So did Notre Dame’s first-round game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
That’s part of the backdrop for when the teams meet in the second round Wednesday in Washington.
Fifth-seeded Wake Forest (19-12), which received a first-round bye, will try to avenge a loss from two weeks ago at Notre Dame (13-19), which holds the No. 12 tournament seed.
The winner takes on fourth-seeded Pitt in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Wake Forest’s quest to reach the NCAA Tournament is tied to how it performs in the conference tournament. The Demon Deacons are generally considered on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble entering the week.
“The best way to get into the (NCAA) Tournament is to win the (ACC) tournament,” coach Steve Forbes said. “We do have a team that is capable of going on a run like that.”
The Demon Deacons are looking for a defining stretch, and they want to gain momentum in Washington. Forbes talked last weekend about the team’s big wins along with the hard losses.
Wake Forest had a late-season three-game losing streak that began with the Feb. 27 defeat at Notre Dame. The skid ended Saturday night with an 81-76 home victory against Clemson.
“I think there’s a lot left to talk about,” Forbes said.
Freshman Markus Burton poured in 31 points in the Irish’s 70-65 triumph last month against Wake Forest.
Notre Dame survived Tuesday’s first-round game against No. 13 seed Georgia Tech. The Irish built a 17-point second-half lead before falling behind in the final minutes, but they recovered enough to win 84-80.
“Playing a good team, I guess, is what frightens you, a talented team,” Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry said of the matchup with Wake Forest. “But what excites me is we get a chance to play again (Wednesday). That’s really exciting. I would hate to be on the bus right now going home.”
There’s star power on both teams. Burton is the ACC’s Rookie of the Year, and Wake Forest guard Hunter Sallis was named to the All-ACC first team.
“When you have three guards that can all score it, but you have two good big guys, they kind of put you in a bind a little bit,” Shrewsberry said of the Demon Deacons. “We’ve got to get back and start preparing and figure out what we need to do to have success against them.”
–Field Level Media