A look at the Wichita State-Notre Dame Sweet 16 game

NO. 7 WICHITA STATE VS. NO. 3 NOTRE DAME

■ SITE: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland

■ TV: 4:15 p.m., CBS (8)

■ LINE: Wichita State -2; total 138

■ STORYLINE: Notre Dame and Wichita State each won rare matchups against in-state rivals in the round of 32, but today’s stakes are higher. The Fighting Irish narrowly avoided upsets in their first two games and won’t have much margin for error against the Shockers. Wichita State already has pulled off one upset, knocking off No. 2 Kansas to reach the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years.

Notre Dame has won seven in a row dating to a loss to Syracuse on Feb. 24, but barely edged Northeastern (69-65) and Butler (67-64 in overtime) in its first two games of the tournament. “We made big plays down the stretch,” senior guard Jerian Grant said. “We’ve been doing that all year. We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now. We want to keep it rolling.” The winner faces Kentucky or West Virginia in the regional final Saturday.

■ ABOUT WICHITA STATE (30-4): The Shockers clinched their third straight 30-win season by beating Kansas and have a good shot at earning a rematch with Kentucky, which ended their season with a 78-76 defeat in the round of 32 last year. Wichita State is best noted for its defensive prowess, but all five starters scored in double figures against the Jayhawks. The Shockers’ guard-heavy lineup led by Ron Baker (14.9 points) and Fred VanVleet (13.2) will present an interesting matchup against Notre Dame’s excellent backcourt, but the Shockers are a bit undersized in the post.

■ ABOUT NOTRE DAME (31-5): The Irish’s five postseason wins — three in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and two in the NCAA Tournament — have not come easily, as they’ve won by an average of 6.4 points. All five starters have averaged double-digit scoring over that span with Grant (16.6) leading the way. That’s nothing new for Notre Dame, which is one of the most efficient offensive teams in the nation thanks to strong guard play by Grant (16.8 points, 6.6 assists) and Demetrius Jackson (12.4 points) and a solid frontcourt in Zach Auguste (12.6 points, 6.4 rebounds) and Pat Connaughton (12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds).

■ TIP-INS:

1. Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall earned his first NCAA Tournament victory over Notre Dame when he was the head coach at Winthrop in 2007.

2. Notre Dame is 28-0 when it shoots a higher percentage than its opponent.

3. The Shockers are 49-1 under Marshall when scoring at least 80 points while the Irish are 18-0 this season when topping 80.

■ PREDICTION: Notre Dame 69, Wichita State 67