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All about the Big East: Irish test
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By Jason King
December 29, 2010
With an 11-1 record and victories over schools such as Wisconsin and Gonzaga, there’s no question that Notre Dame is a good basketball team.
Now we’re about to find out how good.
Not many programs in the country will face as daunting of a stretch this season as the one that awaits the No. 15 Fighting Irish. Beginning with Wednesday night’s home matchup against ninth-ranked Georgetown, Notre Dame will play three straight games against Top 10 teams.
The Fighting Irish face undefeated and fifth-ranked Syracuse on the road Saturday before returning to South Bend for Tuesday’s showdown against No. 4 Connecticut.
Notre Dame has never played three consecutive Top 10 teams in league play during its 16-year affiliation with the Big East.
If any Notre Dame squad is equipped to handle such a task, it’s this one. The Fighting Irish – whose lone loss came at Kentucky – feature an all-senior starting lineup led by Ben Hansbrough, who averages 15.3 points while shooting 48.5 percent from 3-point range.
As good as Hansbrough has been, it’s far from a one-man show in South Bend. Tim Abromaitis leads the team in scoring with 16.1 points per game, while Carleton Scott and Tyrone Nash bring a toughness to the frontcourt that Notre Dame hasn’t seen in years.
Purdue transfer Scott Martin is finally beginning to come around after missing last season with a knee injury. Notre Dame’s bench isn’t very deep, but guard Eric Atkins and forward Jack Cooley have provided quality minutes.
Chemistry and cohesion are Notre Dame’s biggest assets. Mike Brey’s squad is 16th in the country with an average of 81.3 points per game. And its 18.7 assists average ranks ninth.
As much as they’d like to win all three games, the chances of the Fighting Irish opening Big East play 3-0 are slim. Still, even if they lose all three matchups, this team has proven in the past that it responds well to adversity.
Last season Notre Dame had a stretch where it lost seven of 10 conference games before winning six straight to earn an NCAA tournament bid.
Considering this team has more experience and leadership than the 2009-10 squad, the Fighting Irish may not have to drag it out that long this season.
We’ll certainly know more in a week.
LEAGUE RANKINGS
(Last week’s rank in parenthesis.)
1. Pittsburgh (13-1, 1-0) – Ashton Gibbs scored 21 points in Monday’s victory over Connecticut. (1)
2. Syracuse (14-0, 1-0) – The Orange are one of six undefeated teams in Division I. (2)
3. Georgetown (11-1, 0-0) – The Hoyas exposed Memphis last week. (4)
4. Villanova (10-1, 0-0) – The Wildcats’ top victory came in a Nov. 24 win over UCLA. (5)
5. Notre Dame (11-1, 0-0) – Scott Martin is averaging 11.1 points in his last three games. (6)
6. Connecticut (10-1, 0-1) – Kemba Walker is a star. Too bad the Huskies don’t have more of them. (3)
7. West Virginia (8-2, 0-0) – Three of the Mountaineers’ first four Big East games are on the road. (7)
8. Marquette (9-3, 0-0) – Wednesday’s game at Vanderbilt should be a good one. (8)
9. Louisville (11-1, 0-0) – The Cardinals have three 100-point games. (9)
10. Providence (11-3, 0-1) – The Friars showed a lot of grit and poise in Tuesday’s loss at Syracuse. (10)
11. Cincinnati (13-0, 1-0) – Larry Davis had a team-high 20 points against DePaul on Tuesday. (11)
12. St. John’s (7-3, 0-0) – Could the Northwestern win be the spark the Red Storm needed? (12)
13. Seton Hall (7-6, 1-0) – Even though it was only South Florida, the Pirates’ win was huge for a downtrodden team. (13)
14. Rutgers (9-3, 0-0) – No matter how hard the Scarlet Knights play, they can’t compete with teams as talented as North Carolina. (14)
15. South Florida (6-8, 0-1) – The Bulls are weak on the perimeter. (16)
16. DePaul (6-7, 0-1) – The Blue Demons had trouble even competing against Cincinnati on Tuesday. (15)
WHO’S HOT?
Georgetown from the field – The Hoyas have made 52.8 percent of their field goal attempts, a mark which ranks second in the nation. And it’s not as if John Thompson III’s squad has accomplished the feat against a weak schedule, as Georgetown owns victories against Old Dominion, North Carolina State, Missouri and Memphis. The Hoyas’ lone loss came against Temple.
Cincinnati – A lot of writers – including this one – have been critical of the Bearcats for scheduling such a weak slate of non-conference opponents. But, hey, at least Mick Cronin’s squad didn’t have any slip-ups. The confidence Cincinnati gained from winning 12 straight games clearly played a factor in Tuesday’s 16-point blowout of DePaul. With Seton Hall and Xavier up next, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Bearcats take a 15-0 record into a Jan. 9 showdown at Villanova.
Providence’s recruiting – The Friars picked up one of the most high-profile commitments in program history when hometown standout Ricky Ledo pledged to Providence on Christmas Eve. Ledo is the seventh-ranked prospect in the Class of 2012 by Rivals.com.
WHO’S NOT?
Jeremy Hazell’s 2010 – As if breaking his wrist in November wasn’t bad enough, Hazell was shot during a robbery attempt outside his home in Harlem on Christmas night. The bullet penetrated his right side, just below the armpit, and exited the body. Hazell was treated at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, kept overnight for observation and then released. Hazell had wrist surgery Dec. 2 and was expected to miss four to six weeks. There is now a strong possibility that he will redshirt.
Connecticut – Going a month without playing a quality opponent caught up with the Huskies in Monday’s 78-63 loss to No. 6 Pittsburgh. Kemba Walker scored 31 points, but he missed 17 of his 27 field goal attempts. Connecticut won’t go very far playing one-on-five.
Stan Heath – Is Heath the right guy for the South Florida job? Considering this is his fourth season, the Bulls should be much better. South Florida may be the worst team in the Big East, which is inexcusable.
THREE TO WATCH
Georgetown at Notre Dame, Wednesday – Two of the league’s upper-echelon teams face off in South Bend. Is Georgetown too athletic for the Fighting Irish?
Temple at Villanova, Thursday – Finally, the Wildcats are playing a good team in the nonconference.
Kentucky at Louisville, Friday – Bragging rights aside, a victory against the Wildcats would do wonders for the Cardinals’ NCAA tournament resume.
• NCAA Basketball News Archive Index:
2010, 2009
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