Revenge is such sweet.....something

SCOUT.COMThe stakes will be high on Saturday afternoon. No. 21 Notre Dame hosts Villanova (14-5, 3-3) at 4 PM and ESPN will have the television coverage. The Irish are 4-3 in the Big East, tied for sixth, with league play almost half over. Another loss, coupled with three straight road contests after Saturday, would make it difficult to get back to the top. Notre Dame is well aware of the importance.

Back on January 17th, the Irish went to Philadelphia to face a Wildcats team in desperate need of a win. Villanova was 1-3 in the league going into the game while Notre Dame was 3-1. The Wildcats played with a sense of urgency in pounding the Irish 102-87. Villanova shot 56 percent in the contest and the 102 points scored were the most allowed ever under Brey in a regulation game. Since then, the Wildcats have rolled off two more wins and they’re playing with a lot of confidence heading into the Joyce Center on Saturday

Notre Dame will have the advantage of playing at home. The Irish are 14-0 at the Joyce Center this season and riding a 16-game winning streak in South Bend. The top scoring offense in the Big East, they’re even better at home. Notre Dame has scored 79 points or more in 13 of 14 contests. They’re led by Russell Carter, who is second in the conference in scoring at 18.7 PPG. Brey hopes the crowd will be pumped up and ready to make Villanova’s experience at the Joyce Center a loud one.

“It should be a great atmosphere,’ Brey said. “I think it’s close to being sold out or already sold out. I think it’s two good Big East teams. We need that Alabama atmosphere back in here on Saturday afternoon. I hope we can capture some of that.”