RALEIGH, N.C. -- On the road for a second time this week and again feeling good about the direction of its season, No. 25 Notre Dame faces a team that's down.
Really down.
Heading into the home stretch of Atlantic Coast Conference play, Notre Dame (20-7, 9-5) has won three in a row and has designs on a conference tournament double bye, given to teams that finish in the top four.
North Carolina State (14-13, 3-11) has lost six straight by an average of 19.1 points and seven of its last eight. And it's rarely been close.