The Basketball Blog

 

Welcome to the basketball blog! Your home for somewhere between two and fifty relevant (at least to me) thoughts after each Irish basketball game.

 

I’ll be brief with the particulars, as, well, the Irish played South Carolina Upstate. For a complete game recap, check out Lou Somogyi’s piece, here.

 

The Trojans hung tough in the first half behind a few timely 3-pointers and the inside presence and scoring punch of 7’2” center Uwe Blab, I mean, Nick Schneiders. Leading 34-31 with just over three minutes to play in the first half, the Irish finished on a 10-2 run, capped by a buzzer-beating three from the corner by senior Luke Zeller (drive and dish courtesy of Tory Jackson). The Irish began the second stanza energized and took immediate control with a 15-2 run for a 59-35 advantage, effectively putting the game on ice with more than 17 minutes remaining.

 

Home Opener Breakdown:

 

Pre-Game: For the second consecutive season, Mike Brey was presented with the Big East Coach of the Year award. For the second consecutive season, the award was given to Coach Brey about seven minutes prior to game time. For the second consecutive season (last year the award was presented prior to the Big East home opener), there were about 5,000 fans with another 3,000 still filing in to honor Coach Brey.

 

Mike Brey’s Coaching Performance Last Season: A minus

Whoever Planned the Award Presentation in back-to-back season: F minus

 

Congrats (again) to Coach Brey.

 

Pre-game Montage: The cheese factor has been removed (no more team/player poses trying to look tough and staring at the camera on picture day). Instead, it’s a well-edited, highlight-intensive piece of the current players; as it probably should be. However…they eliminated the still-shots of former Irish greats Austin Carr, Adrian Dantley, Kelly Tripucka, John Paxson, David Rivers, Laphonso Ellis, Pat Garrity, Troy Murphy, et al. Why? 

 

Removal of cheese in favor of current highlights: Thumbs Up

Removal of former Irish Greats: TWO THUMBS DOWN

 

Good Sign Award: To Luke Zeller, who hit ND’s first 3-pointer of the season (deep); drained a foul-line J; fired a tremendous one-handed outlet to Harangody for a break-away dunk (after a loose ball forced by Peoples); hit the aforementioned buzzer-beater; grabbed at least one tough defensive board (that I noticed); was active in (missing) a couple of tip attempts; drained a (deep) wing 3 in the flow of the offense; and buried a running top of the key 3 on the break. Zeller is the key to the season and must play half as well during conference play if the Irish are to capture their first outright Big East crown.

So It’s Come to This Award: To Luke Harangody, who (it appeared to me) was pressing early vs. 7’2” center Dwayne Schintzius, excuse me, Luke Schneiders. Well, Harangody apparently adjusted, finishing with 30 points and 14 boards. (So the question is: Do I now expect more out of Harangody than a simple 30-14?) And per usual, he scored on a variety of post moves, dunks, breakaways, mid-range shots, free throws, and is 1-1 from the new 3-point line (and more importantly, considered an earlier, open 3, but passed it up to keep the ball moving). I’m not sure who this next sentence will upset (other than my friends and family) but Harangody is the most effective scoring forward/big man I’ve ever seen at the (Joyce) Athletic and Convocation Center (I never saw Adrian Dantley play). I will now go apologize to my Kelly Tripucka poster…

 

The Heart and Soul: Tory Jackson appeared to have much more energy for this cupcake than he did in any November/December game from 2007. He distributed, attacked when necessary, and most importantly, didn’t seem bored as he did in non-conference play last season. Jackson’s quickness vs. these lesser opponents is almost embarrassing to watch. His spin move in the middle of the 2^nd half for a bucket was a thing of beauty.

 

K-MAC: Wasn’t able to squeeze off a three-ball until about the 8-minute mark of the first half when he drained a 24-footer from the right wing. He hit another bomb (about 23-feet apiece) in the 2^nd half in the flow of the offense and then missed (on a heat-check 3) from about 25 feet out on the break. McAlarney helped run the show and moved the ball well in the first half as his final numbers (6 assists) indicate.

 

15 and In: Does anyone else get the feeling Irish senior F Zach Hillesland wishes the 3-point line didn’t exist and everyone else had to earn their points like real men, too? Hillesland’s talents were on display (albeit against lesser athletes) in the home opener, burying a mid-range J (first score of the Irish season); hitting the glass on both ends; filling the lane for two-handed stuff; missing his requisite twirling shot in the lane; leading the Irish on the break; tipping passes and missed shots, and finally, throwing down a vicious alley-oop toss from Jackson midway through the 2^nd half (and drawing the foul).  And a new feature for this blog: Total Charge/Block Calls Against Hillesland…ZERO.

 

X-Factor: The good news for Ryan Ayers’ fans is that he opened his season by draining a 3-ball (well, from 1987-2007 it would have been good for 3); calmly shot-faked, took two dribbles and buried a baseline J; and was active in the passing lanes including a steal and slam early in the 2^nd half. The only bad news was that he rushed a few too many 3-point attempts and didn’t show much more of a mid-range game after his early baseline J. Of course, it’s just one game…vs. SC Upstate.

 

Peoples: Hustle, including a mid-court steal that led to Zellers zip-pass for a dunk; valuable minutes off the bench; never tried to do too much…exactly what the Irish need most games from Peoples, who has always been more of a random, big-game shooter than a guy that hits open J’s all season anyway. You’ll only notice Peoples when the Irish face quality opposition…for better or for worse.

 

Tyrone Nash: Received a fairly large ovation when he entered the contest around the 10-minute mark of the first half. He bangs; he appears to have decent ball skills. But he’s still seems to be pressing/over-conscious every time he steps on the court. It would probably help Nash if he can simply play 14-15 quality minutes every game in non-league play, as he appears to be a guy that could contribute as a quality sub this season.

 

Carleton Scott: Well, he can jump. I mean, really jump. Scott debuted (late 2^nd half) with a tip-dunk; followed that with a coast-to-coast drive and dunk; countered with a steal, drive, and dish; and finished off the night with a flying alley-oop slam that had more Hakeem Warrick to it than, well, any recent Irish player. It’s important to remember this was all in garbage time, and Scott doesn’t seem capable of handling a DeJuan Blair elbow yet, but he certainly has promise on the wing.

 

Tim Ambromaitis: Didn’t play, I assume there’s a reason but didn’t look into it because, well, it’s SC Upstate.

 

Tim Andree, Jr.: The junior walk-on hit an open J near the end. Hearing his name put me in a time warp circa 1981 as an eight-year-old fan, and quite frankly, I still get a little freaked out every time I hear his dad’s name announced at the (J)ACC.  

 

Nachos: Good news, Irish fans: The Joyce Center still uses the real (processed) hot cheese stuff out of the big vat, not the miserable, experimental, chemically-treated Ortega Brand junk now ruining the youth of South Bend at football games.

 

Student Body: A+ including keeping everyone entertained with two absolutely merciless chants directed at two USC Upstaters.

 

Non-Student Fans: They’ll start cheering (and stop masquerading as empty gold seats) when the Big East season kicks off. More on empty gold seats in a later blog when the sufficient level of bitterness has kicked in.

 

Next up: A road battle with Bo Kimble, Jeff Fryer and Loyola Marymount Friday Night.