Vasturia Ready for Homecoming Against No. 1 Ranked Villanova

Steve Vasturia called it a homecoming last year when the Irish played in Philadelphia, as he attended high school at St. Joseph’s in Philly. However, the 6-foot-5 senior lived in New Jersey, so Saturday’s game at the Prudential Center in Newark (N.J.) against No. 1 ranked Villanova will be another homecoming for Vasturia.

“I was born in Philly and went to high school there, but I live in New Jersey,” laughed Vasturia. “I take them both.”

When Vasturia inked with the Irish, Notre Dame was still in the Big East and part of the draw was the perk of playing around his hometown. However, the Irish moved into the ACC and this will be Vasturia’s first time playing in his home state.

“It’s cool,” Vasturia said of going home. “The Big East had a ton of games around my house, but it’s been really great to be in the ACC. It’s exciting to go back. We’ve had some games in New York and a lot of family has been there. I appreciate going back and having friends and family at the game.”  

While it will be the first time pesky forward will return to his home-state for a game, Vasturia feels fellow New Jersey natives Matt Farell, TJ Gibbs, Elijah Burns and himself have brought a ‘Jersey toughness’ to the program.

“I think it’s toughness and not being afraid to stick your nose in there and not backing down from anything,” stated Vasturia. “With this team, I think those qualities go to a lot of players and not just the guys from New Jersey. It’s just brining the hard-nosed mentality everyday and working hard.”

As for the game against Villanova, Vasturia believes his Irish are ready for the rise in competition, but also believe they can knock off the No. 1 team in the nation.  The Jersey native is averaging 16.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 3.1 apg.

“I think it’s because of our confidence,” said Vasturia. “We got off to a really great start and it’s built a lot of peoples confidence. We want to play in big games and accept the challenges. Villanova is a great program and a great team. We’re excited to go out there and compete. We know they’re going to compete hard, because that’s what they do.”  

The Wildcats are fresh off an incredible NCAA Tournament run where they won the National Title and Vasturia believes a continuous consistency has helped Villanova attain the top spot in the country.

“They’ve had a bunch of years in a row with a lot of success, which is important,” he stated. “I think kind of similar to us, they play the right way, which is important too. They defend and when you watch them play, it doesn’t seem like anyone cares who is getting the credit, which is something that makes a good team.”

In terms of the game, the Irish have played good defense so far in the 2016-17 season, but at noon, they will be tested by one of the best offensive teams in the country. The Wildcats are much like Notre Dame with a guard centric offense, so making them uncomfortable is priority number one.  

“They do a really good job of moving the ball,” explained Vasturia. “They have a bunch of different guys who can score, so it’s not centered around one person. I think from defensive standpoint for us is trying to force them into tough twos, but they can shoot the three. We have to try to run them off the three-point line too.”

As Notre Dame looks to move to 10-0 on Saturday, Vasturia and his teammates will be relying on the preparation, but that confidence from winning big games in the past.

Under head coach Mike Brey, the Irish are 7-4 against the defending National Champion and will look to extend Brey’s winning streak to five against the previous defending champ.

“I think we are approaching them as a great team and we are going to prepare for a tough game,” said Vasturia. “I think this group has been successful in a lot of tough games. We’ve flown under the radar, we have won some hard games against some good teams, which I think is important and it’s also given us confidence.”