Three keys for Notre Dame to pull Elite Eight upset

Notre Dame guards Demetrius Jackson (11), and Matt Farrell (5) celebrate with forward Zach Auguste (30) after defeating.

Sunday's Elite Eight games have the feel of an ACC tournament semifinal.

What do the Fighting Irish need to do to have a chance at springing an upset and advancing to the Final Four?

 

THREE KEYS FOR NOTRE DAME:

 

1. Limiting second-chance points is always crucial for any North Carolina opponent. The Tar Heels are the fourth best offensive-rebounding team in the country thanks to the size, length and activity of frontcourt standouts Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks. They secured 19 offensive boards against Notre Dame in the ACC semifinals, no surprise considering the Irish are in the bottom third nationally in defensive rebounding percentage. Zach Auguste cannot rebound by himself against the Tar Heels, so he'll need help from V.J. Beachem and the Notre Dame backcourt.

 

2. Just because North Carolina went 11-for-20 from behind the arc against Indiana on Friday doesn't mean Notre Dame should alter its defensive approach. The Irish should still pack in their defense, slow the tempo, limit transition opportunities and hope the Tar Heels' jump shots aren't falling. One of the common threads in North Carolina's worst performances this season is poor outside shooting. The Tar Heels were 284th in 3-point percentage and they shot 31.3 percent from behind the arc in their six losses. Marcus Paige and Joel Berry are capable of making the Irish pay for giving them clean looks, but opponents have to live with that risk.

 

3. Notre Dame's goal on offense should be to exploit the lack of mobility of North Carolina's big men, whether by spreading the floor and attacking or by putting Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks into ball screens. The Irish have an elite point guard in Demetrius Jackson and a forward who's a perimeter sniper in V.J. Beachem. Forcing the Tar Heels to account for both in pick-and-pops will be important for Notre Dame, as will attacking the offensive glass. In Notre Dame's 80-76 victory over North Carolina in February, the Irish had 20 offensive rebounds.