Taking two steps forward before going one step back is an apt description of the Notre Dame weekend at the ACC Tournament. Wins against Virginia and Florida State were followed by a tough loss in the conference title game against Duke, results that send the 25-9 Irish into the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The stakes now require a win-or-go-home mentality for Mike Brey’s squad, which means that the margins for error are even slimmer. Notre Dame is competing as a fifth-seed in the West Region, yet NCAA geography dictates that their Thursday game against the Ivy League champion Princeton Tigers will take place in Buffalo.