Saturday’s East Regional Game

No. 5 Notre Dame (25-7) vs. No. 4 Washington State (25-8)

5:40 p.m., Denver

The 411: The Irish rely on their inside-outside offensive combination. The Cougars are a defensive-oriented half-court team. Both rely on 3-pointers so the team with the hot hand has the best chance to win.

The strategy: Washington State must pick its poison _ try to lock up Luke Harangody down low or shadow 3-point gunner Kyle McAlarney. The Cougars got a solid first-round performance from center Aron Baynes (19 points, eight rebounds). They’ll need similar production against Harangody and the Irish. Washington State doesn’t have much back court depth so fatigue and foul trouble could be a factor.

The key players: Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody vs. Washington State’s Aron Baynes. Harangody is clever at using his big body around the basket. Baynes is prone to foul trouble. If he spends more time on the bench than on the court, the Cougars will be in trouble.