FACTS & STATS: Site: Pepsi Center (19,309) -- Denver, Colorado. Television: CBS. NCAA Tournament Record: Notre Dame 30-32, Washington State 5-5. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: The second round of the NCAA Tournament pits the fourth-seeded Washington State Cougars against the fifth-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the East Region. The victorious team from this matchup will move on to face either top-seeded North Carolina or Arkansas in the Sweet 16. Notre Dame was extremely impressive in a 68-50 victory over 12th-seeded George Mason in the first round. The Fighting Irish won 11 of their final 13 regular season games to finish with 24 victories, the most regular-season triumphs for the program since 1973-74. They are making their fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last eight years under Mike Brey. Last season, Notre Dame was upset in the first round of this tournament by Winthrop, so Thursday's win avoided what would have been a second consecutive postseason embarrassment. Speaking of Winthrop, Washington State crushed the 13th-seeded Eagles by a 71-40 final on Thursday in the first round. The program has made five previous trips to the "Big Dance" and now owns a 5-5 all-time record. Last season, the Cougars recorded their first NCAA Tournament win since 1983, beating Oral Roberts in the first round before falling to Vanderbilt in double-overtime two days later. They earned a 25-8 record this season after a tremendous start, shaky middle and strong finish to the regular season. This game marks the first-ever meeting between Washington State and Notre Dame on the hardwood.

Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody of Notre Dame is a big-time power forward who is scoring 20.7 ppg to go along with 10.3 rpg. He is a 51.1 percent shooter from the floor and has been a dominant force in many of the team's games. He gets plenty of help from sharp-shooter Kyle McAlarney, who is scoring 15.2 ppg on the strength of his 44.7 percent showing from behind the arc. Rob Kurz is contributing 12.6 ppg, and he is ripping down 7.2 rpg to go along with 47 blocks. The Fighting Irish are generating 80.2 ppg while limiting the opposition to 69.9 ppg. Strong defense was the key to the win over George Mason, as Notre Dame limited the Patriots to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including 3-of-17 from three-point range. Harangody posted 18 points and 14 rebounds in that clash, and McAlarney finished with 15 points.

The Cougars are scoring a modest 67.2 ppg this season despite shooting a strong 48.2 percent from the floor, including 38.0 percent from three-point range. They play a deliberate style that often sees them use the entire shot clock in their half-court set. Washington State prides itself on being one of the toughest defensive teams in the nation, and the club is currently limiting the opposition to 56.5 ppg on 41.8 percent field goal efficiency. In Thursday's romp over Winthrop, the Cougars shot a stellar 59.2 percent from the field while limiting the Eagles to a mere 30.8 percent. Four starters reached double figures in scoring for WSU, and the only one not included in that group, point guard Taylor Rochestie, finished with 10 assists and only two turnovers. Aron Baynes connected on all nine of his field goal attempts en route to 19 points, while both Kyle Weaver and Robbie Cowgill added 14 points. Derrick Low rounded out the foursome with 11 points. The Cougars broke open a close game at the half by outscoring the Eagles by a staggering 42-11 margin in the closing period. Clearly, a 40-21 rebounding advantage also played a major role in the victory.

Expect this game to go down to the wire, as Washington State and Notre Dame are evenly matched in the eyes of most fans and analysts. The best player on the floor will be Harangody, and for that reason the Irish get the nod.

Predicted Outcome

Notre Dame 68, Washington State 65