Yes, its been awhile since Ive posted. Im going to be better about it going forward.
The Irish basketball team has not often been a topic on this blog. However, they managed a fantastic regular season, by any set of standards. After being picked to finish 9th in the Big East, the Irish finished tied for 2nd, earning a bye in the Big East Tournament. Lumbering sopohomore Luke Harangody earned Big East Player of the Year honors, after leading the Big East in points per game and rebounds, becoming the first Irish player since Troy Murphy to accomplish the feat. Mike Brey won his second consecutive Big East Coach of the Year, becoming only the second coach to win back to back COY honors. Definitely successful for any program, much less a football school like Notre Dame.
However, last night the Irish performed as I sadly expected they would, falling in line with each of the last 8 years under Mike Brey. The Irish lost in the 1st round of the Big East tournament, now having lost in the first round 5 of his 8 years at the helm of the Irish. I cannot deny the success in the regular season that Mike Brey has had. But I just do not like our style of play, his style of coaching, or the team's style of losing in the postseason when faced with a relatively decent team.
Maybe I was spoiled by the fire and passion of a young Matt Doherty at Notre Dame my freshman year. I expected our coach and players to have the intensity and grittiness to win close games, or at least die trying. Ive never gotten that feel about our program with Mike Brey at the helm, never. To sum up how I feel - I just feel nothing. I should feel a love and sense of pride in ND basketball, but I really dont. With a diffent coach, I know I would.
Notre Dame will never be a basketball school. Certainly we should contend in the Big East every year, but I realize we are not where the North Carolina's, UCLA's, and Duke's are in college basketball. But how about some more toughness throughout the program, starting with its leader?
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