Irish Back in NCAA Picture

by Ryan Liedtky

Can it really be that Notre Dame might be a better team without Luke Harangody? The senior is averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, and the Irish lost their first two games without the injured star. Notre Dame's national tournament hopes seemed to be fading fast.

Yet in it all, a criticism of the team I have held all year vanished. From the first game it was obvious that all of the players relied on Harangody to do all the work, and the rest just stood around and watched. His great ability actually hurt the mentality of his teammates, causing them to get out of their game in an effort to just watch him.

After losing those first two games without him, this team finally figured it out. They either had to step up and lean on each other, rather than leaning on one player, or they might as well just fold up and cash out. Afterall, their final four games of the regular season were at home against 12th ranked Pittsburgh, at 11th ranked Georgetown, at home against a very talented UCONN team, and then on the road against an 18-9 Marquette squad. No easy task for a team that has more negative marks than upside on the season.

When they pulled together, slowed down, and played shut-down defense that is more typical of the Big Ten than the Big East, they disrupted Pittsburgh's game, four Irish players scored in double figures, young guys that coach Mike Brey has not used because he doesn't have confidence in them (my biggest criticism of this coach is that he does not trust the players he recruits), and the Irish managed to dominate one of the best teams in the nation. Even without one of the best rebounders in Big East history, these Irish managed to go plus 10 in that category for the game without any single player reaching double-digits.

Today, Notre Dame found a new star in senior Ben Hansbrough, who has found himself in the spotlight since Harangody's injury. The Irish again played slower, used a tough defensive mindset, and were plus 11 in rebounding to pull away with a 78-64 upset win on the road over 11th ranked Georgetown.

Big East teams have failed miserably all year when playing Big Ten teams (known most for their defense while the Big East is known more for offense). Notre Dame itself lost to a Big Ten team likely not headed to the tournament (Northwestern) earlier in the season. So it is no surprise to see Mike Brey, when his team needed direction and knowledge most, turn to a slower, defense-oriented game plan. Good call on his part.

The NCAA Tournament

Notre Dame's NCAA resume was not looking good... until today's shocker. The Irish are now 19-10, and have pulled to an even 8-8 in the Big East. They have negative marks, though, with their loss to Loyola Marrymount and Northwestern, as well as that one conference loss at Rutgers.

They came into today's game against Georgetown with a 1-6 record on the road, and not a single quality win away from their home court. This win gives them that signature victory on the road, improves them to 2-6 at opponent's home courts, and will go a long way towards improving their RPI rating, which currently stands at 72nd in the nation.

Their weak non-conference schedule also proves to be a poor decision by whoever put the schedule together. If it was Coach Brey, he needs to seriously consider adding a few tough early season matchups away from South Bend to get his team ready for Big East play, and to add some beef to his team's NCAA aspirations.

At this point, Notre Dame still has a lot of work to do if they want to make the NCAA tournament. They need to pull out a win either at home over UCONN or on the road at Marquette, plus find a way to win at least one game at Madison Square Garden (a place the Irish have been notoriously bad playing at while under Coach Brey's direction).

If the Irish win these final two games and show they can at least compete at the Big East tournament, they likely will be locks to make the field of 65. Whatever the future holds, these last two wins have given new hope and life to this battered squad.