With conference play approaching its consequential close, let’s take a closer look at some of the tastiest games on Thursday’s slate, asking five key questions about the teams and players in action:
1. Will Notre Dame make another No. 1 statement?
Just a few hours after they jumped to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll, Notre Dame defended their status, with the Irish relying on their defense to defeat visiting Duke, 64-49.
Notre Dame, riding an 18-game winning streak, now heads to Miami to meet the Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET, ACC Extra). At 13-12 overall and 3-11 in the ACC, the Canes shouldn’t cause much trouble for the 23-2 Irish. Yet, the pressure of bearing that No. 1 ranking can do funny things, producing unexpected outcomes.
Nevertheless, with Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron all putting together All-American-caliber campaigns for the Irish, it would be shock if their first conference loss came in Coral Gables.
2. Can Carolina confirm top-10 bona fides?
After a heroic down-to-wire win over in-state rival NC State on Sunday, North Carolina crept into the top 10 of the AP poll. That’s the high point for a Tar Heel team whose ranking has floated around the teens for much of the season. Thus, the same question about pressure that surrounds Notre Dame…
