The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Kentucky Wildcats are playing live on the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight round on Saturday night and the game from Quicken Loans Arena starts on TV at 8:49 pm ET on TBS and the matchup in the Midwest region has the number 1-seed and number 3-seed facing off as UK tries to stay undefeated and it will be on the March Madness website for the live stream.
The Wildcats come into the game at 37-0 and they are trying to keep their streak alive against Notre Dame and this could be the toughest matchup they have faced all season. Kentucky has been the number one team and the favorites for the national title all season and that came after winning the SEC and running through the season undefeated. The team is trying to end the season as undefeated champs for the first time since Indiana State and that hasn't been done in decades.
Kentucky has high expectations and one of the most talented rosters in the nation with Andrew Harrison and Willie Cauley-Stein and now John Calipari is close to the Final Four. Notre Dame has had a great season with a 32-5 record and they took the ACC and now the team has the chance to end the undefeated run for Kentucky. The Wildcats have been very consistent this season and they demolished West Virginia in the last round and now have Notre Dame in the Elite Eight.
The Wildcats are averaging 75 points per game this season and they ranked second in the nation in points allowed per game. The team was also second in the nation in blocks per game and they were on top of WVU from the go in the last matchup. The Mountaineers were very confident coming in, but Kentucky silenced them quickly and the game was never close.
Notre Dame comes in after winning over Wichita State and they could be the toughest matchup for Kentucky this season. Pat Connaughton had 10 rebounds against the Shockers and he will be key if the Irish want to pull the upset on Kentucky. The Irish come in second in field goal percentage in the nation while averaging 78 points and that ranks in the top 15 in the country. The Irish can score with Kentucky, but the Wildcats have great length and athletic ability up front.
Notre Dame has not lost a game since falling in February against Syracuse and they have won eight in a row while taking the ACC title. The team won over Northeastern, Butler and Wichita State and now they have their toughest opponent of the tournament with Kentucky. The team has wins over Duke and North Carolina as well as Louisville this season and they also won over Michigan State, who is alive into the Elite Eight as well.
Check here for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Kentucky Wildcats live coverage.
