Mike Brey spent the second half looking ahead, and for good reason.

Notre Dame travels to take on No. 23 Maryland this Sunday then returns home on Dec. 7 to host No. 6 Alabama. That's a big step up from almost winless Winston-Salem State (1-9), which shuffled through the Joyce Center on Wednesday. But it's not like the 90-45 blowout didn't give Brey and Notre Dame plenty to work on with two undefeated teams on the horizon.

"You want to come out of here feeling good," Brey said. "You hope for that."

That was the sentiment shared in Notre Dame's locker room after fending off the Rams' trapping defense. Brey expects Notre Dame to see plenty of high-pressure defense against the Terrapins (8-0) and Crimson Tide (5-0), part of the reason he worked point guards Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson together for stretches on Wednesday. The blowout also let Notre Dame tune its zone defense, with Brey anticipating the need for variety next week.

...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial