Vote: Who do you want to win NC State vs. ND

[DefenseBB]

As the winner of the UConn-Indiana game would play this winner, I am curious who the BY thinks and wants to win.
I related to @Dillon77 that yes, ND beat NC State at home earlier this year by 3 points and while NC State has been on a roll since then, something has me thinking ND will give NC State a good game.

I was leaning towards I think ND will win but am rooting for NC State. What say you my fine BY brethren?

 

[fireford]

I'm torn. I have tickets for Monday night and think UConn vs ND for a regional final right here in Bridgeport would be epic should both teams win on Saturday. Especially if UConn were to beat ND in the final. That would be a thing of beauty. However, under the category of "be careful what you wish for" there exists the possibility of UConn being eliminated at the hands of their bitter rivals and if I were there to see it first hand, I'd have to endure countless sleepless nights.

 

[Plebe]

It's Notre Dame. Of course I'm rooting for State to stomp them into a gelatinous paste.

However I'm not foolish enough to jinx it by predicting it. So I'll predict that Notre Dame will hit 30 of 35 attempts from the 3-point line, all of NC State's starting 5 will foul out in the first quarter on offensive fouls, and the final score will be approximately 105-29.

 

[LETTERL]

I'll chime in here.

Yes, Notre Dame beat NC State; it was the last loss the Wolfpack Women suffered this season. In that game, neither team shot very well. That was during a stretch in the season where NC State was getting off to slow starts, almost like the team had hit a wall for bit.

1) Cunane got in early foul trouble, allowing Dodson to have her way in the post.

2) Notre Dame outrebounded NC State; one of the few teams to do so this season

3) Notre Dame made some what I call "circus shots" that just simply wouldn't fall 9 times out of 10. NC State had to earn every point it scored.

4) NC State was way off from long range in that game.

5) The game was on a Tuesday, just two days after both teams had faced stiff tests. NC State was coming off an emotional road win at UNC...and had to travel to South Bend in a quick turnaround fashion.

With all of that, the MOV was only 3 points, and NC State had two shots in the waning seconds to send the game to OT.

I like NC State's chances in a rematch on a neutral court, with several days of rest.

The Law of Averages also points to NC State. This will mark the 15th appearance for NC State in the Sweet 16; the Wolfpack Women are 1-13 in this Sweet 16 round...and that one victory came 24 years ago. Eventually, the ball will bounce NC State's way, one would think. We just need to end up with one more point than the Fighting Irish when it's all said and done.

This year's team has three Super Seniors...plus Cunane playing in what could be her final game wearing the Red and White. I expect 100% effort in trying to take NC State to a place it hasn't been in nearly a quarter of a century.

 

[DefenseBB]

I'll chime in here.

Yes, Notre Dame beat NC State; it was the last loss the Wolfpack Women suffered this season. In that game, neither team shot very well. That was during a stretch in the season where NC State was getting off to slow starts, almost like the team had hit a wall for bit.

1) Cunane got in early foul trouble, allowing Dodson to have her way in the post.

2) Notre Dame outrebounded NC State; one of the few teams to do so this season

3) Notre Dame made some what I call "circus shots" that just simply wouldn't fall 9 times out of 10. NC State had to earn every point it scored.

4) NC State was way off from long range in that game.

5) The game was on a Tuesday, just two days after both teams had faced stiff tests. NC State was coming off an emotional road win at UNC...and had to travel to South Bend in a quick turnaround fashion.

With all of that, the MOV was only 3 points, and NC State had two shots in the waning seconds to send the game to OT.

I like NC State's chances in a rematch on a neutral court, with several days of rest.

The Law of Averages also points to NC State. This will mark the 15th appearance for NC State in the Sweet 16; the Wolfpack Women are 1-13 in this Sweet 16 round...and that one victory came 24 years ago. Eventually, the ball will bounce NC State's way, one would think. We just need to end up with one more point than the Fighting Irish when it's all said and done.

This year's team has three Super Seniors...plus Cunane playing in what could be her final game wearing the Red and White. I expect 100% effort in trying to take NC State to a place it hasn't been in nearly a quarter of a century.

I wonder which team will have more fans in the seats-NC State or ND, I gotta believe with all the ND Alums in the area, they will have a strong contingent there led by our own @Dillon77

BTW, so far 0 voters think ND will win....bad omen for LetterL....

 

[cancontent]

Okay, seriously who is picking the last option?

 

[cancontent]

I really enjoy watching Miles and Citron play. This ND team has been fun to watch. I don't know if they can pull off 2 wins against NC State though.

 

[triaddukefan]

I root for the original ACC members first... especially those in my own state (except for one)

 

[SECbbfan24]

 

[Sifaka]

I am rooting for whatever will give dyspepsia to a certain retired bigmouth coach, the one who can't remember other teams' players' names.

 

[triaddukefan]

lemme google dyspepsia

 

[DefenseBB]

I just want to say, that while reviewing the post, boy did that guy do a lousy job wording the options! I mean, who speaks like that? Fortunately most of the astute BY readers were able to understand what the writer meant. Whew!

When my wife, who is a 5th grade teacher reads this, someone will be in a heap of grief....

 

[CL82]

lemme google dyspepsia

It’s the Latin name for a popular soft drink up north. Consider it the equivalent of an RC cola.

 

[Jim]

On one hand, State is the higher ranked team and their loss (on paper) would seem to leave UCONN with an easier path to the Final Four (should the Huskies take care of business with Indiana). On the other hand, this is Notre Dame we are talking about, and seeing them get stomped would bring about a certain satisfaction. And yet on a third hand, it would certainly be nice if UCONN was the one doing the stomping.

I know much has been made about State having to come up here and play in UCONN's backyard. I think they will be surprised to find how many UCONN fans will be cheering them on to squash ND.

 

[Dillon77]

Well, Fr. Hesburgh, president of Notre Dame while I was a student, always thought the university should be a beacon for differing thoughts. So, I'll light the torch for an ND win (geesh, what did you expect )

I very much want them to win, obviously, And I think they can win, although I wouldn't be surprised to see NC State end up on top (more on that later). Key points for ND:

• Dodson has to stay in the game. This is not so much for her scoring (although we''ll take her 12+ pts. per game), but her rebounding, defense against Cunane and filling the paint on both ends.
• Everyone else has to "team rebound," which that 2017-2018-2019 team core did extremely well (Marina Mabrey, Jackie Young, Kat Westbeld). Citron is already the Irish's 2nd leading rebounder, but she, Maddy Westbeld, Olivia Miles, Abby Prohaska, Anaya Peoples all have to hit the boards, particularly on defense.
• If they do that, they can run, which is when Olivia Miles and Citron are at their absolute best. Plus, it opens space for Dara Mabrey to catch, set and launch.

@LETTERL did a great job dissecting the Wolfpack's first game. Rectify those things and add in these and the Irish are in trouble:

• More production from Perez and better shooting/decisions from Diamond Johnson. The former only scored two or so points in the last game. That can't happen. And Johnson shot 6-23 which is more volume than even a volume shooter should have. Plus, she was holding the ball a tad too long and was a day late and dollar short on a lot of passes.
• Keep Cunane in the game. You can beat Kansas State with everyone else, but not an ND team that has all five starters in double-figure scoring. The Irish are not a lot of things, but they can be high-scoring.

So we'll see if my beacon is clear or if some fog/mist comes off the Sound in Bridgeport (I grew up on the other side of the sound in Setauket so I know of what I type.).

Go Irish

 

[DefenseBB]

Port Jefferson ferry away....Grew up in Milford and father worked in Bridgeport at United Illuminating exactly in the area where Webster Arena is located

 

[Zanzman]

I root for the original ACC members first... especially those in my own state (except for one)

Wake?

 

[Dillon77]

Port Jefferson ferry away....Grew up in Milford and father worked in Bridgeport at United Illuminating exactly in the area where Webster Arena is located

One of my childhood friends worked on the Ferry for a summer job during college. We picked him up after the last shift from Bridgeport to "start the night." Ah...

 

[sun]

While Notre Dame may have been a bitter UConn rival at one time, I don't consider the rivalry to be anywhere near as intense anymore.
I think that UConn's defense would match up better against ND than NCState.
Even ND's spread @ +9.5 makes them a very likeable underdog.
And I also don't want NCState to have any basis for a bias complaint about being sent to the Bridgeport region, if they lose to ND then so much the better for UConn.
I'd prefer that ND upset NCState since UConn will need more upsets of their own down the line.
All the players put their pants on one leg at a time, and to beat a team twice should not be too big of a challenge.
If ND upsets them then it could certainly help UConn make it out of their own home region.
UConn fans should root for ND as I will be.

 

[DefenseBB]

While Notre Dame may have been a bitter UConn rival at one time, I don't consider the rivalry to be anywhere near as intense anymore.
I think that UConn's defense would match up better against ND than NCState.
Even ND's spread @ +9.5 makes them a very likeable underdog.
And I also don't want NCState to have any basis for a bias complaint about being sent to the Bridgeport region, if they lose to ND then so much the better for UConn.
I'd prefer that ND upset NCState since UConn will need more upsets of their own down the line.
All the players put their pants on one leg at a time, and to beat a team twice should not be too big of a deal.

I guess you weren't at Gampel in December....trust me, the dislike for ND is Storrs is still very high. Add in the antics of little Mabry and Olivia Miles and trust me, most true Husky fans still dislike the Irish.

 

[cancontent]

I guess you weren't at Gampel in December....trust me, the dislike for ND is Storrs is still very high. Add in the antics of little Mabry and Olivia Miles and trust me, most true Husky fans still dislike the Irish.

I think this rivalry is in the blood now, regardless of the fact they don't face each other as often. I'm sure NC State will get some additional support just because of that fact when they face off tomorrow.

 

[sun]

I guess you weren't at Gampel in December....trust me, the dislike for ND is Storrs is still very high. Add in the antics of little Mabry and Olivia Miles and trust me, most true Husky fans still dislike the Irish.

No doubt that the rivalry still lives.
But their common roots going back to the old Big East also makes ND an ally in this particular instance.
An enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the #1 team is UConn's biggest enemy in the region, not the Fighting Irish just yet.
UConn should be able to deal with ND and beat them twice if ND can execute this upset.
That would be the most harmonious outcome for both ND and UConn to beat the same team twice in a season in order to advance to the next round.
Then what goes around comes around in the Elite 8 round.

 

[LETTERL]

NC State Sweet 16 Press Conference
NC State Press Conference

 

[DefenseBB]

Presser starts off at 1:11 minutes into the video. "It's hard to get here"? Really, it is right up I-95 for gosh sakes and there's 3 large airports and 2 regional (Westchester/Stratford) that take direct flights. Jeesh, some people...

He deftly answered/non-answered the Bridgeport region question at the 5:50 mark. His southern drawl just makes him a very folksy and likeable guy. You have to root for him right?