Well folks, it’s been 5 years in the desert, but today is officially the day when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball team returns to the NCAA Tournament, as Mike Brey and the boys are set to tip off against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 9:10 PM ET as the last of the First Four play-in games in Dayton.
The Irish just barely squeaked into the tournament despite finishing 15-5 in regular season ACC play and 2nd in the conference, as a lack of resume-building wins and a couple head-scratching performances down the stretch made ND fans sweat it out last weekend, wondering if their team would finally return to the Big Dance or once again be sent packing to the NIT.