A look at the Kentucky-Notre Dame Elite Eight game

NO. 3 Notre Dame vs. NO. 1 Kentucky

■ SITE: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland

■ TV: 5:49 p.m., TBS (7)

■ LINE: Kentucky -11; total 136½

■ STORYLINE: If undefeated Kentucky had not made a big enough statement during the first 4½ months this season, Thursday’s rout of West Virginia put Notre Dame — and the rest of the NCAA Tournament survivors — on high alert. The top-seeded Wildcats registered one of the most impressive wins in recent Sweet 16 history and hope for another strong performance in today’s Midwest Region final. The winner heads to the Final Four — a concept that is much more familiar to the Wildcats than the Irish.

Kentucky reached the Final Four in 2011, won the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and was the national runner-up in 2014, while Notre Dame has not reached the Final Four since 1978. The Irish shot 75 percent in the second half of Thursday’s 81-70 victory over Wichita State, their eighth straight win.

The Wildcats, of course, have won every game they’ve played since losing to UConn in last year’s NCAA final, but few of those wins has been more impressive than Thursday’s 78-39 blowout of the Mountaineers.

■ ABOUT NOTRE DAME (32-5): The Irish had four players in double scorers Thursday, led by Zach Auguste (20 points), while All-American candidate Jerian Grant supplied nine points and 11 assists. Notre Dame is the nation’s No. 2 shooting team (51 percent), and five Irish players have made at least 40 3-pointers, led by Pat Connaughton’s 92. “I’m sure whenever it ends I’ll be able to look back and (say) it’s been an amazing season for us,” coach Mike Brey said. “I don’t know if we’ve had a more special season in the history of our basketball program.”

■ ABOUT KENTUCKY (37-0): The Wildcats became the first team ever to double up an opponent this late in an NCAA Tournament. Their 39-point margin of victory over West Virginia tied the Sweet 16 record, and their 39 points allowed were the fewest in the Sweet 16 since 1975. Trey Lyles (14 points) and Andrew Harrison (13) led five scorers in double figures for Kentucky, which limited the Mountaineers to 24.1 percent shooting. “They were what I thought they were,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. “That’s the best defensive team I think I’ve ever coached against. And when they’re making shots, there’s nobody going to beat them.”

■ TIP-INS

1. Wildcats freshman forward Karl-Anthony Towns, a potential No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, shot 0-of-3 against the Mountaineers and has 13 field goals in his last five games, eight of which came in the round of 64 victory against Hampton.

2. Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein has registered multiple blocks in nine of his last 10 games.

3. Connaughton grabbed 19 rebounds in the last two games and is the leading rebounder for Notre Dame with 7.4 per game despite standing 6 feet 5 inches.

■ PREDICTION: Kentucky 79, Notre Dame 68

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