I’m not going to be able to liveblog the game. I know, I haven’t done a liveblog in a while. I’m very frustrated by this. The good news, Dennis will be able to handle the reins.

Technically this could be a double header. HS basketball follows the game on ESPN. It will have St. Anthony’s which has Pitt commit, guard Travon Woodall.

Black and Green blog seems fairly confident about this game. I’ve seen ND more than usual this year. Harangody is a solid beast with surprisingly good touch. He’s steady and reliable for around 20 points and 10 rebounds give or take almost every game. He’s also a very good free throw shooter. Oddly, he’s not the key to a win for ND.

It comes down more to the perimeter players — especially Kyle McAlarney. In games they have lost, the perimeter shooters have struggled or been shut down. Essentially, Harangody will get his regardless so it’s up to stopping the guards.

Big East Blog actually picks Pitt for the upset and stopping the Irish home winning streak.

Pitt’s biggest advantage is probably at the forwars position where the need a big game from Sam Young. The athletic but sometimes enigmatic Young will be matched up against ROb Kurz, a very solid player that can take advantage of any mental lapses Young might suffer. If Young is on his game and motivated from start to finish, he has the ability to carry the Panthers to a win against nearly anyone in this league, especially if Blair is out of foul trouble and the guards give some support from the perimeter.

That 34-game home winning streak has been impressive, but I have tended to dismiss them — especially last year — because of their major struggles away from South Bend. I do have to concede they are better than I thought once they showed they could win some road games.

Notre Dame, though, is trying to use the fact that they have lost 5 straight games to Pitt. Even if the two teams haven’t met in over 2 years. That last game was one Pitt won in double-OT 100-97. And I love how the South Bend Tribune characterized it.

Tonight, in front of a national television audience, Pittsburgh makes its first appearance at the Joyce Center since March 5, 2005. It will be the first time the teams have been on the same court in 777 days, since Chris Quinn scored 37 points to single-handedly carry the Irish in a 100-97 double-overtime loss on Jan. 4, 2006.

[Emphasis added.]

Rebounding will be a factor.

The Irish lead the league in rebounding offense (43.4). No team in the 16-team conference is better than the Panthers in rebounding defense (32.2). Notre Dame ranks first in the league in rebounding margin (plus-8.5). Pittsburgh is second at (plus-6.6).

Pitt will have to be better on the glass than they were against Marquette.

It’s likely ND will be down one bench player that gives them nearly 13 minutes and 4 points. Jonathan Peoples will likely be out with the flu. Hmmm. It seems to be going around the Irish team.

As for Pitt. Well, Blair’s banged up a bit but confident.

So, when X-rays taken Monday revealed the extent of a sprained MCL in his left knee, the freshman held no reservations about his status for Thursday’s game at No. 21 Notre Dame.

“It was nothing major,” Blair said. “It was just a little sprain. If it ain’t torn, I ain’t worried about it.”

The team actually had 12 bodies for practice this week.

“We had a good practice today and we were able to do some things [because] we had more bodies than we’ve had probably in two months,” head coach Jamie Dixon said after practice. “Cassin [Diggs] was able to practice today, which I was surprised by, and we had our three walk-ons here today. That gave us twelve guys, and we were able to do some stuff that we weren’t able to do in two months; so that was encouraging.”

In addition to playing with a dozen players, the Panthers’ Tuesday practice was also one of the longest of the season; by all accounts, it was also an intense workout, presumably aimed at bouncing back from Friday night’s 18-point defeat.

“Guys really wanted to get after it today after the loss to Marquette,” senior guard Ronald Ramon said. “We wanted to respond and we wanted to come out with intensity and get after it the way we we’re used to and get on track.”

Hopefully.