NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Hoops Isn't Skylar Diggins' Only Dream

Elie Seckbach — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Video, FanHouse Exclusive, Women's Basketball

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Skylar Diggins is an incredible basketball player now in her freshman year at Notre Dame. As a high school player, Diggins was among the best in the nation, averaging 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks a game. She also won many awards, including 'Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year' (twice), All American Honors (three times) and was named the '2009 Indiana Miss Basketball.' In this FanHouse Exclusive, we catch up Diggins and her parents to get the full story on Skylar.

Check out the video after the jump.

Hoops Isn't Skylar Diggins' Only Dream originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big East Tournament Preview: Everyone Is Playing, Except Bubble Teams

Chas Rich — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Big East

The Big East Tournament gets underway Tuesday, and this year the Big East Tournament (BET) matches the construction of the conference -- oversized, a bit confusing and very clearly divided.

The Big East at this point has seven teams that are definitely going to the NCAA tournament and one team that lies way out on the fringe of the bubble. This year, the BET is all about teams trying to improve or maintain their projected seeding for the Big Dance.For the first time, the BET includes all 16 teams. The Big East, though, did not want the top teams to have to play too many games in a row before the NCAA Tournament or risk damaging their seed with the possibility of a really bad loss. To protect the top teams, the top four get a double-bye and do not play until Thursday. The next four teams seeded from No. 5 to No. 8 get a first-day bye. That leaves teams No. 9 through 16 to face each other.

Those teams in the bottom half have no chance of going to the NCAA Tournament, and to win the BET they would have to win five games in five days. The odds are prohibitively stacked against that. So much so, that the opening day is not televised anywhere. There are free webcasts at the Big East site.

Matchups

Tuesday: DePaul (16) vs. Cinci (9); St. John's (13) vs. Georgetown (12); Rutgers (15) vs. Notre Dame (10); USF (14) vs. Seton Hall (11).
Wednesday: 16/9 Winner vs. Providence (8); 13/12 Winner vs. Marquette (5); 15/10 Winner vs. West Virginia (7); 14/11 Winner vs. Syracuse (6)

You can view the bracket and times here (PDF).

What Teams Want

Playing for No. 1 Seed: Pitt, UConn and Louisville
Trying to improve seed: Villanova, Syracuse, Marquette and West Virginia
Hoping to find a golden ticket: Providence
Next stop, NIT: Notre Dame, Georgetown, Cinci
Where is the CBI: Seton Hall, St. John's
Just stopping by to say hello: USF, Rutgers, DePaul

Storylines

The Bubble is an Illusion for Providence
Every conference is supposed to have a bubble team. The Big East really does not. Nonetheless, for purposes of keeping punditry with standard storylines, Providence will be proffered as a Big East bubble team.

The Friars' RPI is hovering around 70. With the exception of knocking off Pitt and Syracuse, they were the beneficiary of an unbalanced schedule that gave them six five games against the bottom four of the Big East. That gave them the edge in finishing above .500 in the conference. They did beat Cincinnati twice, which only made the Big East bubble more barren.

Will the Big East Get Three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament?
That will be the most discussed issue in the BET. Pitt seems like a virtual lock for a No. 1 seed even if it goes out and loses its first game. They have the No. 1 RPI, they are No. 2 in both polls. They have been a top-five team all season. UConn was considered another lock, but how do you deny the regular season Big East Champion in Louisville? It just does not seem possible that the NCAA selection committee would pick three No. 1 seeds from the same conference. UConn and Louisville do not meet unless both get to the championship game. If so, that could decide the issue.

How Far Will Marquette slide?
The injury to Dominic James has been devastating. Before that, the Golden Eagles were looking like a No. 2 or 3 seed and seemed like a guard-heavy team that could go far in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles played tough against UConn, Louisville and Pitt but still lost. That was not so bad, even encouraging. But then Marquette lost at home, on senior day to Syracuse. That was damaging. If Marquette does not win a couple games, they could see themselves as a No. 6 or 7 seed by Sunday night.

The Big East is a Beast: It is the biggest and was supposed to be the toughest conference. With four teams in the top 10 and six teams ranked in the Top 25, there is plenty of quality in the conference. The issue is that the bottom is so weak. DePaul went 0-18 in the Big East. Rutgers is a wreck. South Florida is very slowly improving. The sheer size is the issue. Teams at the bottom have a hard time getting out from under the pile.

Predictions

Day one: Cincinnati over DePaul; Georgetown over St. John's; Notre Dame over Rutgers; and USF surprises Seton Hall.
Day two: Providence over Cincinnati; Marquette over Georgetown; WVU over ND; and Syracuse beats USF.
Quarterfinals: Louisville over Providence; Villanova over Marquette; Pitt over WVU; and UConn over Syracuse.
Semifinals: Villanova upsets Louisville and UConn finally beats Pitt.
Championship: UConn

Big East Tournament Preview: Everyone Is Playing, Except Bubble Teams originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notre Dame's NCAA Hopes Are Finished

Chas Rich — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:14:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut, Notre Dame, Big East

Notwithstanding the protests of Digger Phelps, the Irish's loss at UConn finishes their chances at going to the NCAA Tournament without a miracle run in the Big East Tournament. Forget the non-conference strength of schedule, which ranks at 257th. Forget an overall RPI of 72. Ignore the 3-10 record against the RPI top-50.

The reason that the Irish are done is that they finished 2-7 in the Big East in road games. Simply put, they could not win a single quality road game in conference. When you can't do that, regardless of how tough the conference schedule is, you are not an NCAA Tournament team.

No. 2 UConn 72, Notre Dame 65: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Notre Dame's NCAA Hopes Are Finished originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notre Dame Gets a Rare Road Win

Chas Rich — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Big East

Nothing like having two defensively challenged teams facing each other to provide entertaining -- if one-dimensional -- basketball. Notre Dame and Providence offered just that as the Fighting Irish got only their second Big East road win, 103-84.

Both teams were looking for a big win to get them into the bubble argument. Providence may be over .500 in the Big East, but they have just three wins against teams in the top half of the conference. Notre Dame lost a lot in a brutal Big East stretch. They especially show incompetence on the road, so they need anything away from South Bend to help their case.

In this game, the big difference was on the perimeter. While both teams shot well overall, Notre Dame was 13-for-28 on threes, while Providence was only 5-for-22. The Irish got a huge game from Ryan Ayers, who was able to go off for 28 points and was wide open on three point shots most of the game. Luke Harangody was more efficient than he usually is, which helped compensate for his limited minutes. Harangody was plagued by foul issues that limited him to only 24 minutes.

Providence was hurt by Geoff McDermott and Jeff Xavier, who were only 6-for-20, which hardly complimented the great effort of Sharaud Curry and Weyinmi Efejuku, who combined for 54 points on 18-for-29 shooting. As usual with Providence, though, their inability to get stops ultimately killed them. Providence has some very nice individual players, but just do not put the effort on defense. First-year coach Keno Davis will definitely have to change that if the Friars are ever going to be more than a middling team in the Big East.

As for Notre Dame, they still have a chance at the NCAA Tournament. They get to 6-8 in the Big East with four games left. They have three of the four at home. They need to win all three of the home wins. The road game is at UConn, so the odds are more than a little stacked against the Irish in that game. At 9-9, they would be right on the bubble come Selection Sunday.

Notre Dame Gets a Rare Road Win originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Losing Streak? Irish Slam Cardinals

Chas Rich — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:36:00 EST

Filed under: Louisville, Notre Dame, Big East

Since Louisville joined the Big East, the Cardinals have never been blown out as badly as happened tonight. The Irish started their seven-game losing streak with an overtime loss in Louisville. It ended with Notre Dame seemingly taking out a month of frustration in one game.

Notre Dame hacked Louisville into little pieces for a 90-57 win.

During the Notre Dame losing streak, there simply was not enough offense after Luke Harangody. Teams were concentrating on taking away Kyle McAlarney and making a reasonable gamble that no other Irish player could score. This time, both Ryan Ayers and Tory Jackson found their shot.
As Harangody, Jackson and Ayers kept hitting shots, Louisville was forced to start covering them. That finally freed McAlarney, who had been 2-for-6 for the first 25 minutes. Once McAlarney started getting some breathing room, he hit 5-for-7 the rest of the way to finish with 21 points.

The one negative for Notre Dame, was that those four players scored 86 of Notre Dame's 90 points. The Irish just have no reliable help on their bench.

Louisville never shot well. On top of that, the Cards lacked energy and hustle. They were killed on the boards. Notre Dame outrebounded them 46-25. It was an embarrassing effort and their worst game of the season.

Terrence Williams had his second straight poor performance, but this time no one else picked up the slack. As if to compound the misery for Louisville fans, they had to watch this game on ESPN with ex-Notre Dame coach and huge homer Digger Phelps providing color analysis.

Losing Streak? Irish Slam Cardinals originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While You Were Sleeping, UCLA Crushes Notre Dame by 26

Adam Papagiorgio — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, UCLA, Big East, Pac-10

Many college hoops fans in Southern California woke up delighted today to find that UCLA destroyed Notre Dame in the wee hours of the morning (or mourning for Notre Dame fans). I'm not sure what CBS was trying to do, scheduling a West Coast game for 10 a.m. Was the network trying to get us ready for those early-morning starts of March Madness?

Not that it did any harm to the Bruins. If you were afraid UCLA was going to sleepwalk through this game, those fears were unfounded. Maybe that was CBS' motivation. They wanted to spare viewers the horror of what was the college hoops equivalent of a WWF squash match. This was like Hulk Hogan vs. Barry O. -- only not as entertaining.

Something has clicked with UCLA in recent weeks. The Bruins, as I pointed out a few weeks ago, looked very vulnerable. They were getting pounded inside, the offense look anemic and other teams such as Washington and Arizona State were planning to move into the penthouse.

Then the Bruins swept the Bay Area schools and pounded rival USC. The offense looked quicker, more fluid and that trademark Ben Howland-defense was suffocating.

But there was still a lingering doubt about this team. Maybe they were just fattening up on some overwhelmed conference opponents.

UCLA has struggled at home against big-name opponents on national TV. The Long Horns came into Pauley Pavilion last year and won. West Virginia also got comfortable in Westwood three years ago, scoring a victory. So even though Notre Dame has been struggling in recent weeks, there still had to be some trepidation since they are from the mighty Big East.

Not any more. The Bruins not only won the game, they took the Irish apart. This game was won by 26 points, when the margin could have easily have been 50.

Are the Bruins a Final Four team again? The better question is who is playing better than UCLA right now? USC and Notre Dame have spent time in the Top 25 this season, and UCLA outclassed them in back-to-back games.

Here's some advice for the rest of the teams out there, don't sleep on the Bruins.

While You Were Sleeping, UCLA Crushes Notre Dame by 26 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notre Dame's Bandwagon Is Now Empty

Chas Rich — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Big East

It was thinning out over the last couple weeks as Notre Dame's losses piled up. It could be rationalized as the losses were all to teams in the Top 25. Things would improve after they got out of that grueling stretch. Not quite. The losing streak reached six in a row with a 93-83 loss to Cincinnati.

Once more, the Irish failed to play any defense of any significance. Cincy came into the game averaging just over 63 points per game in Big East play. The Bearcats had no problem scoring tonight. They did it from the outside, they did it driving to the basket. They just scored with ease. The backcourt of Deonta Vaughn and Larry Davis combined for 55 points.
Stop me if you have heard this before. Cincinnati's defensive plan was play Luke Harangody straight-up. Let him get his double-double. Completely blanket Kyle McAlarney to prevent open looks from outside, and dare anyone else from Notre Dame to step up and score.

Sound familiar? That's because, that has been the approach taken by every team in the Big East. It has worked. Harangody had a good game, but McAlarney was stopped cold. He shot 2-for-12, and picked up a technical foul when he shoved Vaughn in frustration over not getting free on offense.

Notre Dame has fallen to 3-7 in the Big East and it seems a long time since they beat Texas in Maui. The Irish are just about done. They would have to go 6-2 to finish at .500 in the Big East. They still have games at UCLA, UConn, West Virginia and Providence and host Louisville and Villanova . It does not look good.

Cincy, on the other hand, has survived its own four-game losing streak in the conference and is looking a lot better. They are playing tough defense, and have found enough offense. They are not in the top half of the conference, but they are better than nearly everyone in the bottom half.

Notre Dame's Bandwagon Is Now Empty originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pitt Realizes Conventional Wisdom on Defense Works vs. Notre Dame

Chas Rich — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:52:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Big East

Pitt experimented with going against the conventional wisdom in the first half and was lucky not to be down more than only six points. They tried doubling on Luke Harangody, which left a Notre Dame shooter continually open on the perimeter. Pitt paid for that, dearly as the Irish shot 11-for-22 on threes in the first half.

In the second-half, Pitt adjusted to the same defense everyone else has successfully been using with the Irish. Suddenly Notre Dame had no open looks on the perimeter and the Irish went down for their fifth straight loss, 93-80.

Notre Dame has not been hard to figure out in their losing streak. You play Luke Harangody one-on-one, letting him get his points and boards. Then you do everything you can to stay on top of Kyle McAlarney and take your chance with anyone else from Notre Dame beating you.

In the first half, Pitt did stay all over Kyle McAlarney to limit his open chances. The problem was that Pitt decided to double team Luke Harangody. To the extent that they limited him to only 8 points and 6 rebounds in the first half, it worked. The problem was that Pitt left an open shooter for Notre Dame. Luke Zeller took advantage of that. Zeller drained his first four 3s in the first 4:30 of the game and put in 6-for-8 on threes in the half.

As Tom Brennan said at halftime on ESPN, though, it was "fool's gold" for the Irish. In the second half, Pitt abandoned the double-team of Harangody, and while Harangody had 19 second half points Notre Dame no longer had open shots. The rest of the Notre Dame team only scored 16 points in the second half, and only was able to attempt five three-pointers.

Pitt completely blitzed Notre Dame in the second half. Taking advantage of the Irish's porous defense, Pitt shot 50% from the field and dominated on the boards. DeJuan Blair, unencumbered by foul trouble, was a destructive force. He had 23 points and 22 rebounds.

Notre Dame is now 3-6 in the Big East and looking very much like a team that will need a miracle run in the Big East Tournament just to make the NCAA Tournament. Quite a fall for a preseason top-ten team.

Pitt Realizes Conventional Wisdom on Defense Works vs. Notre Dame originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1

Will Brinson — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, NC State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, UCLA, UNC, USC, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, SEC, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics as soon as the polls come out.

Headlining: It's obvious, right? Duke tops both polls for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 regular season and we're all ~~depressed~~ ecstatic! I want to say that it's hard to like this Blue Devil team, but when is it easy to like Duke? (Answer: When you're a Duke fan. Or when the Blue Devils are playing Carolina.) That being said, the 2008-09 incarnation isn't nearly as hate-able as previous teams.

Gerald Henderson is a freakish athlete who tries hard, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer embody a certain Durham stereotype, but at least they're not Chris Collins and Wojo, and Greg Paulus has been relegated to a supporting role and has yet to play more than 24 minutes a game.

The antipodal proposition alone should be worth a slightly less odoriferous and palatable annoyance. (Yes, I'm pretending that I graduated from Duke and write for Slate.) Of course, there's still the matter of butting heads with the previous top team, Wake Forest, Wednesday, but for now: Everyone respects Duke.

Freefallin': Georgetown (12/14 to 25/23), Syracuse (8/8 to 15/15) and Notre Dame (19/19 to UR/22). In fairness to all three teams, the Big East is really good. And in fairness to the pollsters, this group of teams combined to lose five games (the Irish lost that Saturday prime timer as their only game of the week en route to three straight losses; coughing one up to Marquette Monday won't help their case either) last week, so it's not that shocking. The Big East teams are certainly going to beat up on each other all season long and they'll fluctuate; anything other than the same from the top tier ACC teams would be surprising as well.

You Gotta Rise Up: Kentucky (UR/UR to 24/UR), UCLA (17/16 to 13/11). It's never a total shock when two big name programs -- Louisville could apply here too, I suppose, just based on the relative inaction of the top 10 -- win a couple of games and start vaulting higher. In Kentucky's case, it's Jodie Meeks helping to propel the Wildcats back into the rankings for the first time since November ... 2007. It wouldn't seem that long if it wasn't Kentucky we're talking about, but the Wildcats are held to a higher standard. Presuming they can beat both Mississippi and South Carolina this week, it's safe to say you'll see them ranked in both polls next week.

Hyped: Clemson (12/11). Yes, the Tigers only have two losses, but they're still in the top 15. And while I don't necessarily know that the Tigers are en route toward a total and utter meltdown, I certainly won't vouch that they aren't, either. They've got games against Virginia Tech, Duke, Florida State and Boston College in their next four matchups. Two of those teams have beaten No. 1-ranked squads ... and they're the two inferior teams on the schedule. A win against Georgia Tech kind of righted the ship, but there's a distinct possibility that they could go 0-4 over that span.

Bunked: Arizona State (14/14). Call me a Herb Sendek homer if you want, and I won't care. I love the guy, and all he does is produce teams that go to the NCAA Tournament. His last five teams at N.C. State went to the Big Dance and It's not far-fetched to say that the Wolfpack would probably deal with an annual tourney bid right now. The Sun Devils are not a high-scoring bunch, and losses to USC and Cal aren't impressive, but James Harden is a baller and 22 points per game in Sendek's offense might be equal to 49 anywhere else.

WTF?: No one from the coaches' poll dropped. Like, literally no one. Florida is this -- makes pinching motion with index and thumb -- close to inching in, just one point shy of Gonzaga, and Utah State is right behind, but it's still really unusual to see a poll with no movement whatsoever.

People That Vote Are Smart: Ron Morris of The State in Columbia, S.C., takes the cake. He really thinks highly of Luke Harangody, so much so that he puts Notre Dame at No. 14 in his poll. Yes, the Irish are a talented team, but when he voted they had lost three straight, and they've dropped four straight now. It's kind of tough to bump a team from No. 14 to unranked in one week, but here it's arguably deserved. He also has UConn and North Carolina ahead of Duke.

Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notre Dame Now Has Home Losing Streak

Chas Rich — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:09:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Notre Dame, Big East

After 45 straight wins at home, it seems there is some correction taking place. The Fighting Irish dropped their second straight home game, this time 71-64 to Marquette. More problematically, it was their fourth straight loss overall.

The opponent may be different, but the same game plan applies. Play Luke Harangody straight up. He's going to score and rebound, so to some extent you concede his double-double. Then don't lose Kyle McAlarney -- ever. Stay tight on him, don't let him get a screen. Just keep him from getting clean looks on a jump shot. Either McAlarney will defer or he will be putting up a lot of contested shots. After that, you dare anyone else for Notre Dame to beat you.
Marquette executed that strategy perfectly. Harangody had an impressive performance with 29 points and 17 rebounds. Kyle McAlarney, though, was held to nine points on 3-for-12 shooting, and only 1-for-6 from behind the arc. That put the onus on the other players to provide the offense. That just did not happen -- again.

The Irish bench provided nothing, missing all 10 shot attempts. The other three starters provided just 26 points. Despite Notre Dame's reputation as a team that plays offense first and defense with little zest, the Irish have been killed on offense. The lack of a reliable, consistent third scoring threat has taken a toll on them in conference play.

Marquette, on the other hand, has no such problem with scoring options. Jerel McNeal led the way with 27 points and was absolutely devastating. Yet, Wesley Matthews, Dominic James and Lazar Hayward all finished with double-digit scoring. There was never a point where the Golden Eagles looked concerned or felt they had to force the ball to one player. Even as the game stayed tight the entire second half, and Notre Dame was at home with the crowd, it seemed that Marquette was not in any real danger and had the confidence to do what it wanted when it needed to.

Marquette has reached a 7-0 start in Big East play to sit atop the conference with Louisville. Marquette may have plenty of questions regarding their bench production, lack of size, a first-year head coach, and a rather soft start to the conference slate. So what? They are winning. It's all they can do.

And right now, it's a heckuva lot more than Notre Dame is doing.

Notre Dame Now Has Home Losing Streak originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hoyas Slumping, Irish Are in Trouble

Ray Holloman — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown, Notre Dame, Big East

For the better part of three seasons, Notre Dame's ability to handle business at home was less a statistical trend and more a law of physics.

The Irish would rack up a score higher than a Saturday golfer at Augusta, mix in a pinch of defense and march on to the next game.

Expecting otherwise would be like biting into a popsicle only to scald your tongue. It simply didn't make sense. Forty-five times in a row it worked to perfection.

In Washington, Georgetown's offense performed to such a level of precision you might think they played with a blueprint, not a playbook. The only surprise, as the Hoyas towered over the Big East, was that they didn't have to stop for oil changes between baskets. Now, they're trying to articulate exactly how they let Seton Hall get the best of them.

But Georgetown, even Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich doesn't have this much explaining to do.

And with two of its supposed best teams playing like a DePaul tribute band, the Big East's superiority seems about as shaky as your E-trade portfolio.

But a three-game losing streak is about where the similarities end between these two barely-ranked teams.

Georgetown is in a slump. Notre Dame, which hosts Marquette tonight, is in trouble.

Sure, the Irish have yet to do a hardwood tribute to their football team, but Mike Brey's club hasn't played as tough of a league schedule as the Hoyas. Of the other eight teams that have been ranked in the Big East, the Irish have only played four, with its only win over Georgetown at home. Notre Dame has six games left against the Big East's answer to Murderer's Row; three are on the road, as is a trip to Providence (5-2 in the Big East), Cincinnati (like Notre Dame 3-4) and a reeling, but still dangerous, UCLA. Georgetown, meanwhile, has played five with a road win over Connecticut, a home win over Syracuse, and a road loss to Pittsburgh already out of the way.

Notre Dame's RPI already looks like the home run total of a steroid-addled slugger, hovering in the low-to-mid 60s, and their Pomeroy rating is hardly more attractive, plopping at 46. So what at first was a race to ensure a favorable NCAA seeding has, almost overnight, become a drive to survive.

So exactly why is the luck of the Irish turning?

For starters, the Irish play defense with all the enthusiasm you bring to a 1040 form. They don't turn opposing teams over (they're in the bottom nine in the nation in defensive turnover rate), they don't create steals and they don't block shots.

But this is nothing new. Even though Notre Dame's defensive efficiency rating is at its lowest point in at least its last six seasons, defense has never been the hallmark of the Irish under Brey.

It's their grab-your-calculator-and-buy-new-batteries offense that makes Notre Dame stand out.

But recently, other than reigning Big East player of the year Luke Harangody, their offense has faltered.

Harangody has led the Irish in points and rebounds for the last 11 games and is averaging 24.8 points per game and 13.1 rebounds for the season. But, for the last few games at least, you could find a better performance from a supporting cast in a Damon Wayans movie.

Tory Jackson, the Irish's do-it-all athlete on the perimeter, has an effective field goal percentage of 39 over the past three games. (Effective field goal percentage gives 50 percent more credit for made 3-pointers.) Long-distance ace Kyle McAlarney played well against Louisville and Syracuse, but dropped a 3-for-15 effort shooting night against UConn, his worst shooting night since an 0-for-7 bomb against Loyola in the second game of the season. Unfortunately for the Irish, Ryan Ayers, who has been one of Notre Dame's most efficient players all season, finished with two points as well.

As a team, Notre Dame shot 35.5 percent against Syracuse and 32.9 percent against UConn. The Irish need fireworks to overcome their defensive liabilities. What they've gotten is something more like sparklers in winter. Notre Dame's offensive efficiency high water mark in the last three games has been 93.8, a number they dipped below just three times each of the last two seasons and not once in 2006.

All of which leaves Brey and the Irish in a must-win situation and tinkering with his lineup against Marquette. Lose tonight and Notre Dame heads on a road trip to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and UCLA with a 3-5 Big East mark and a path to the NCAA Tournament that might require a little luck and a GPS system. Even when they return home, the Irish have to face Louisville.

Marquette will likely have no answer for Harangody, but in the Big East, no wins are promised.

Ask Georgetown about that.

But unlike Notre Dame, Georgetown has a bigger margin for error. The Hoyas have a road win over UConn and a home victory over Syracuse and have faced four of the top 13 teams in the RPI, including a narrow loss to No. 1 Duke and a victory over No. 13 Memphis and No. 8 UConn. Their RPI is a selection-committee friendly six, and as Big East paths go, the Hoyas' upcoming schedule is about as good as it gets. Of their remaining 11 games, six are against teams checking the NIT bracketology report or trying to remember exactly what CBI stands for.

After Sunday's loss to Seton Hall, the Hoyas can't exactly overlook anyone, but this is the same team that beat UConn on the road and picked apart Syracuse.

Bet against the Hoyas' NCAA Tournament hopes if you like, but go ahead and parlay it on that Lions Super Bowl wager. Each have about the same chance of paying off.

Georgetown isn't without its problems. They're struggling to score from beyond the arc - hitting just 5-of-38 in losses to West Virginia and Seton Hall - and this is compounded by their inability to rebound. The Hoyas are scraping the bottom of the nation in defensive rebounding.

Meanwhile, their defense has turned in a positively Notre Dame effort in its last seven games, allowing every team they've faced an above average offensive efficiency rating.

But the Hoyas, unlike the Irish, have proved they can hang with, and beat, the nation's best while Notre Dame has just three wins over teams ranked in the top 100 in the Pomeroy ratings.

Will both teams make the NCAA Tournament?

Maybe. It's hard to imagine either team will continue to shoot as poorly as they have in recent games, or Georgetown's defensive intensity to remain lower than the frigid D.C. temperatures.

But like Notre Dame's chances to win at home, for the first time in recent memory, it's just seems like a possibility, not a law of nature.

Hoyas Slumping, Irish Are in Trouble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earl Clark, Luke Harangody and a Little Bit of Yam-Yam

Will Brinson — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Louisville, Notre Dame, Big East, Video

Luke Harangody is a heck of a college basketball player, and someone that seems like a pretty "solid" dude. Although one would imagine that if he attended Duke, he would be imminently hateable. (For whatever reason, the Fighting Irish don't give off the same pallor on the hardwood as they do on the gridiron.) But all of that couldn't stop Earl Clark from yim-yamming all up on Luke's face last night, as Lousiville downed the Irish in overtime. Enjoy. Slow motion at 2:20.

It wouldn't really be fair to just sit here and mock the dunk, though, without actually mentioning that Louisville is shaping into form quite nicely. I feel like every year I pick them to go to the Final Four, and every year they disappoint. Maybe I should stop reading Rick Pitino motivational books in early March.

Via the Dagger

Earl Clark, Luke Harangody and a Little Bit of Yam-Yam originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Louisville Grinds Down Notre Dame

Chas Rich — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: Louisville, Notre Dame, Big East

It was a tight battle for most of the game. Louisville and Notre Dame went back and forth. The Cardinals taking it inside and getting their scores in the paint. The Irish doing it all on jumpers and kick-outs. It went to overtime, and Notre Dame did not have anything left in their legs and found themselves blasted out of Freedom Hall in that five extra minutes, 87-73.

The Cardinals got a big game from Terrance Williams and Samardo Samuels. The two interior players just overpowered the Irish inside. Their banging inside also opened things up for Earl Clark and Edgar Sosa to attack the rim. Louisville benefited from a game that was not tightly called.

For Notre Dame, they were in it in the first half with lots of threes. The Irish went 6-for-9 on the perimeter. Luke Harangody garnered 14 points in the first half, but a surprising number of his shots were jumpers rather than shots close to the basket. Louisville was able to keep from getting close to the basket with the ball.
In the second half, Harangody was able to get inside a lot more, but as the game got down to the final minutes you could see the Notre Dame players start to look gassed. Four of the five Notre Dame starters played almost the entire game. It was taking a toll, and led them to throw the ball away in the final seconds as they were trying to take the final shot.

The Irish have a big problem. They play in a deep, physical conference without much depth. They have lost two games in conference play already, when they have been banged around more. Teams seem willing to accept that Harangody is going to get 25 to 30 points per game, and focus on limiting what the guards can do.

Louisville, however, seems to be rounding into form after what has become their typical December struggles. Despite not having a reliable point guard, and poor three-point shooting the team is looking like one of the top teams in the Big East the were expected to be. They are playing with the tenacious defense, have players on the wing that can get to the basket and inside players to clean-up.

Louisville Grinds Down Notre Dame originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notre Dame Stumbles Against St. John's

Chas Rich — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Big East

Maybe it wasn't a total shock that St. John's beat Notre Dame, 71-65, today. After all, as the upset began to take shape, an ESPN graphic pointed out that two of the teams' past three meetings had been decided by three points or less.

Still, that was misleading since ND beat St. John's handily last year. The prior year, the Irish were playing their first game without the suspended Kyle McAlarney. That third game in the nifty graphic was in 2005.

The reality is that this was a huge upset.

Sure, it was technically a road game for Notre Dame, and away from the comfort of the Joyce Center the Irish have not been particularly impressive. This was at Madison Square Garden, and for at least the first half, the game had the feel of at least being a neutral site game. As the game hit the second half, and Notre Dame continued to struggle, the large contingent of Irish fans grew much more quiet and pensive.

St. John's had lost three straight to teams not supposed to be as good as Notre Dame and had their best player, Anthony Mason, Jr., lost for the season early. Malik Boothe, the team's starting point guard, was out with a broken thumb. There just wasn't much going right for St. John's.

The Irish by contrast, were 10-2 and had only lost to Ohio State and UNC. There was no reason to believe they wouldn't blow out St. John's.

Well, except for the fact that Notre Dame only has one real player inside, and if they aren't making perimeter shots -- especially the threes -- they are in trouble. That's exactly what happened in this game. Luke Harangody was his powerful self, notching 28 points and 16 rebounds. And while it is not surprising when the other big men supply little, Luke Zeller gave a double zero and Zach Hillesland produced four points and four rebounds.

That put it all on the guards. Tory Jackson was solid, but Kyle McAlarney couldn't hit his shots, going only 1-for-6 on threes and mustering 10 points. Until Jackson hit a three in the final minute to cut the score to 67-65, the Irish had missed seven straight threes and finished the game 4-for-18 on the perimeter.

St. John's got their offense inside. They were solid on threes, but only attempted 11 for the game -- making five. It was St. John's guards and wing forwards attacking the basket that did it. Forward D.J. Kennedy put in 20 points and continually got to the rim. Notre Dame had no one on the outside that could keep him in front. Kennedy also had 10 rebounds and led the Red Storm with three rebounds. Remember, St. John's really doesn't have a point guard at the moment.

Notre Dame Stumbles Against St. John's originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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College Basketball Invades Lucas Oil Stadium

Matt Snyder — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:35:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Big East, Big Ten

When the ball is tipped -- in a sure-to-be blowout of Indiana by Gonzaga -- Saturday at 1:30, it will mark the first time basketball is played in Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. While there have been some complaints from fans in the upper levels of the stadium, I personally think it's a phenomenal venue. As I stated in a FanHouse in the Stands for a Colts game, the concourses and exits are designed beautifully. You will rarely feel crowded when trying to reach your seats, and the restroom lines are nowhere near any concession stands.

I'll be very interested to see how everything works out for basketball, but space shouldn't be an issue, since half of the stadium will be unused. You can view a picture of the basketball setup by clicking here. I believe it's going to be a very solid basketball stadium for years to come, with many final fours in its future -- beginning in 2010 and coming back in 2015.

As for the games, let's just take a quick look.

1:30 PM - Indiana vs. Gonzaga
Just what you would think. This is unfortunately going to be a bloodbath, and it's not going to be in favor of the home town crowd's favorite candy-striped pants wearers. The Zags are a powerhouse, and this could be the year where they finally break through from sweetheart to actual Final Four team. The young and inexperienced Hoosiers won't pose a threat to them in the least. I just hope my Hoosiers can keep it within 30.

4:00 PM - Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
The win in Miami was nice for Ohio State, but they were on their way to a rough evening until Jack McClinton displayed some immaturity. Kudos to the Buckeyes for taking advantage of the situation and harassing what was left of the Hurricanes' backcourt, but that doesn't make them a stellar basketball team. They are a good Big Ten team, but that won't measure up against an upper-tier Big East team like Notre Dame. Right?

Slow down ...

There is a caveat. Reigning Big East player of the year, Luke Harangody, will not play. It's going to be interesting to see how Ohio State attacks the interior, as they don't exactly count on their big men for scoring. Dallas Lauderdale and David Lighty will see an increase in touches around the paint, but I'm mostly curious to see if the Buckeyes try to get a breakout game out of highly touted freshman -- Thad Matta's third straight seven-footer -- B.J. Mullens. Luke Zeller will step in to try and fill the significant shoes of Harangody for Notre Dame.

I'll take the Irish to come through with a victory, but it's going down the wire.

College Basketball Invades Lucas Oil Stadium originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harangody Out Indefinitely With Pneumonia

Shiloh Carder — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Big East, Injuries

During Notre Dame's loss to North Carolina in the championship game of the Maui Invitational, you could tell that Luke Harangody wasn't feeling well. The broadcasters passed along that he was sick as he looked sluggish on both ends of the court.

Turns out he has pneumonia. Harangody is out indefinitely.

The Irish are entering into a fairly easy stretch of games. They host Furman today and South Dakota on Tuesday. They play Ohio State in Indianapolis next Saturday before hosting Boston University, Delaware State and Savannah State. If they want to play it safe, they may sit Harangody for that entire stretch. I doubt they'd sit him for an entire month.

Also, that has to suck to get a trip to Hawaii and come back with pneumonia. What are the odds?

Harangody Out Indefinitely With Pneumonia originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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North Carolina Wins Maui Invitational

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:56:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Notre Dame, Texas, UNC, North Carolina

The 2008 Maui Invitational has come and gone with North Carolina stomping to the title.

North Carolina beat Notre Dame, 102-87, for the Maui championship. Tyler Hansbrough dropped in 34 points and tournament MVP Ty Lawson added 22 points and 11 assists. During this tournament, Lawson dished out 22 assists and turned the ball over just twice. Amazing.

The Heels flexed their muscle during the game. If not for Notre Dame's Kyle McAlarney nailing everything from everywhere in garbage time, this would have been another huge blowout.

North Carolina won all three games by an average of 29.7 points.

The '08 Maui Invitational will most likely be remembered for two things: blowouts and a missed half-court heave from Texas' D.J. Abrams against the Irish. Ten of the 12 games were decided by double digits; seven of which were decided by at least 18 points.

Here is the results in order: North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, Oregon, Alabama, St. Joseph's, Indiana and Chaminade. Indiana nearly fell to the host Silverswords (who are now 5-68 lifetime during the tournament), 81-79, in the seventh-place game. The Hoosiers were blown out in their first two games by an average of 32 points.

Next year should be a doozy, too. Louisville, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Arizona, Maryland, Colorado and Chaminade will all be in Maui in 2009.

North Carolina Wins Maui Invitational originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maui Invitational Day 2 Recap: Notre Dame Squeaks By Texas While UNC Rolls

Shiloh Carder — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:25:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, UNC, Alabama, North Carolina

Well, I guess all the college basketball honks get what they wanted: Luke Harangody's Notre Dame Fighting Irish facing off against Tyler Hansbrough and the North Carolina Tar Heels for the Maui Invitational championship.

Notre Dame 81, Texas 80: Harangody poured in 29 points and grabbed 11 boards in the win for the Irish. Notre Dame had to watch an A.J. Abrams half-court heave hit the front of the rim before celebrating their hard-fought win. The Irish made this game closer than it should have been as they missed 11 of their 21 free throw attempts. This is the only one of the eight games played in the Maui Invitational to have a margin of victory under 18 points.

North Carolina 98, Oregon 69: The Heels jumped all over Oregon early with aggressive defense and an offense that, when ran the way Roy Williams wants, looks unstoppable. Danny Green led the way again with 21 points.

Alabama 78, Chaminade 56: Bama used a 23-2 run to create seperation from the Silverswords. Senario Hillman set a career-high with 22 points.

St. Joseph's 80, Indiana 54: It's going to be a long year in Bloomington. How many Hoosier fans out there are scared that Indiana may lose to Chaminade tomorrow? Show of hands!

Today is the final day in Maui and there are some interesting games on the slate. Indiana will try to avoid further embarassment against Chaminade; Texas and Oregon should have a track meet for a game; Alabama and St. Joe's try to get another win; Oh and North Carolina vs Notre Dame.

Maui Invitational Day 2 Recap: Notre Dame Squeaks By Texas While UNC Rolls originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notre Dame Just Gets Past Texas

Chas Rich — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:54:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Texas, Big 12, Big East

This is why the early season tournaments exist, and this is why the Maui Invitational is one of the best out there. In a semi-final game, Texas and Notre Dame went down to the very end. Two top-ten teams meeting on a neutral court. A Big East-Big Twelve intersectional game. Notre Dame ultimately prevailed 81-80 in a very entertaining and well-played game.

The star players for both teams were the stars. Luke Harangody had 29 points and 11 rebounds while Kyle McAlarney had 19 with five 3-pointers and point guard Tory Jackson added 16 points and 7 assists for Notre Dame. Texas had A.J. Abrams go for 23, Damion James had a double-double and point guard Justin put in 16 points to go with 7 assists and 7 rebounds. In the end, Notre Dame's better offensive efficiency was slightly better than Texas' dominance on the boards and the second-chance point opportunities provided.

Well, somewhat. Notre Dame stumbled in this game in an area that they had excelled: free throw shooting. The Irish had shot 74% in free throw percentage the previous two seasons. In their first three games, they shot a pedestrian 64%. In this game, however, they were Memphis-esque with 10-21 shooting and missing their last four free throws and six of the last eight overall on free throws in the final minute when they could have salted away the game.

Texas chose the final minute to finally find their range from outside as they hit three three-pointers and A.J. Abrams hit the rim on a half-court shot as time expired.

Notre Dame Just Gets Past Texas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maui Invitational Day 1 Recap: Top Teams Move On

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, Alabama

While you are bundled up in the northeast and midwest, there are some young men hanging out in Hawaii and playing basketball. Lucky!

Day 1 went as expected as the three teams that have a legit shot at winning this all moved on pretty handily. All four games were pretty much blowouts and make for an interesting day today.

North Carolina 115, Chaminade 70: The Tar Heels didn't need a resting Tyler Hansbrough as they used their elite talent to just crush the Silverswords. Danny Green scored a career-high 26 points and became the "oop" to a lot of "alleys". It was the second worst beating Chaminade has suffered in this tournament.

Notre Dame 88, Indiana 50: Last year, Indiana head coach Tom Crean took his Marquett team to the Maui finals (they lost to Duke). This year's trip doesn't compare. The battered Hoosiers were just manhandled by the cross-state Fighting Irish. All the stars at Notre Dame did their thing, including a ho-hum 14 points from Luke Harangody.

Texas 68, St. Joseph's 50: The Longhorns woke up early (a 10 a.m. local start) and showed off their amazing defense yet again. St. Joe's shot a horrid 30% from the field and 4-of-23 from behind the arc. They also turned the ball over 18 times. Texas' offense wasn't as impressive, though it did get the job done.

Oregon 92, Alabama 69: How about the speed out there when Oregon's Tajuan Porter faces UNC's Ty Lawson? Forget that, how about the Oregon jerseys and shoes with a special Hawaiian print? The Ducks play on the court was stylish too as they shot 52.5% from the field while holding Bama to 37%.

Today will be fun. The showdown will be between No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Notre Dame (7 p.m. ET) while North Carolina will take on Oregon (9:30 p.m. ET). In the losers bracket, St. Joe's takes on Indiana while host Chaminade will face Alabama.

Maui Invitational Day 1 Recap: Top Teams Move On originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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