Villanova vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s three highest scorers per game from last season all left through the transfer portal, and Micah Shrewsberry restocked with players who already score. Logan Duncomb averaged 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds at Winthrop, and Ethan Roberts put up 16.9 a game at Penn. Kevin Willard rebuilt Villanova the same way. Jake Fiegen averaged 17.1 points at Cornell and Darryl Simmons II averaged 16.4 at St. Bonaventure, and they join Tyler Perkins, who led last season’s Wildcats at 13.7. Shrewsberry is still the coach, and his team averaged 4.5 steals last season, fifth-fewest in Division I. Its opponents turned it over just 9.5 times a game, so roughly 86% of their trips ended in a shot or a free throw. Villanova’s 33 games last season averaged 148.4 combined points and Notre Dame’s 31 averaged 149.8. Notre Dame allowed 80 or more in 11 of those 31 games, and Villanova’s new scorers get the first look at that defense in Rome today, so take the OVER.