The Basketball Blog - Joyce Center Magic

Welcome back to the Basketball Blog! Today’s column is for the 20-30 people in the world that see the letters A-C-C and don’t immediately think of the Athletic Coast Conference. It’s for people that remember watching Digger break out the gold(ish) jerseys vs. any Top 20 team with a pulse. It’s for the girls that wore “Just Say Yes” T-shirts on national television during a 1987 upset of No. 1 ranked North Carolina. It’s for the 1977 Notre Dame Student Body named the game’s Most Valuable “Player” due to their overall impact in an upset of the nation’s #1 team (San Francisco).

 

It’s for the lifelong basketball fans that cringed when teams routinely pounded the Irish at the JACC in the 90s and early portion of this decade.

 

I’ve been to 24 college basketball arenas in my 36 years. With all due respect to Cameron Indoor Stadium (because I’ve never been), the Athletic and Convocation Center – when the Irish were at their best – was the loudest of them all. Of course, that was about 27 years ago. The Athletic and Convocation Center, aka, the Joyce Center is now home to the nation’s longest home court winning streak. Tomorrow, if just for one more night, I expect it to take its rightful place next to the A-C-C of the 70s and early 80s and (I’m told) Cameron Indoor, as the loudest place on earth.

 

I still get chills when I walk into two places on this planet: Notre Dame Stadium and the Joyce Center. One of them has fantastic nachos and a team that beats rivals such as Pittsburgh and Syracuse.  The other has switched to wretched nacho cheese served lukewarm in a cup and fields a team that finds a way to lose to those same schools (Coincidence? I think not).  

 

I’ve come to the realization that Notre Dame probably won’t win a men’s basketball championship in my lifetime (God granted me and my family a Red Sox World Series Title…oops, make that two…so He probably can’t grant my No. 1 wish as it wouldn’t be fair to the rest of you).

 

In other words, this winning streak is all we have. 45 in a row. 20 consecutive in the Big East. One more and the Irish will stand alone in Big East record books under: CONSECUTIVE HOME COURT BUTT KICKINGS.

 

For an arena that hangs a “Helms Foundation” National Championship Banner for 1927 and 1936, this is a major feather in the cap. (I don’t know what the Helms Foundation is either, but the Irish went a combined 41-3-1 to earn those rings. Note: I have no idea if they received rings...)

 

The point is: this streak is incredible. It’s also an anomaly. The greatest player in Irish history lost six home games in three years. The school’s greatest NBA product lost four. The unparalleled trio of Tripucka/Jackson/Woolridge dropped five of their own in four fantastic seasons. David Rivers lost eight if you include the NCAA Tournament. The Ross twins lost about 60…yet Harangody/Jackson/Peoples have never lost a home game. They’ve beaten every member of the Big East at the Joyce Center during their time on campus. And (most importantly) I haven’t seen a home loss since returning to South Bend from Atlanta in 2007.

 

There’s something about this old building and this current team that brings out the best in each other. Jackson plays smarter (and harder). Ayers and Hillesland play more aggressively. Zeller’s three-balls actually go in. Nash and Scott sit up straight. McAlarney does this. And Harangody’s passion whips the crowd into frenzy because, well, sports fans appreciate it when their best player is also their hardest worker.

 

The Leprechaun Legion leads the way, but the Irish have won 5-6 huge Big East games during this streak without most of the students in attendance (including No. 1 on my list below). South Bend might sit on its hands at football games these days but something happens to the local crowd when it walks into the Joyce Center and sees “UConn” or “Georgetown” (sometimes “Hoyas” when they’re feeling extra cool) on the front of a jersey.

 

Someday, Harangody, Jackson, and yes, even Peoples, will lose a home game. I’ve finished my in-depth player preview of the game for the home page (it will appear tomorrow) and every ounce of logic and basketball acumen shows this Huskies group has too much defensively, on the glass, and around the hoop for the Irish to handle. They’re focused, familiar with the Irish offensive attack, and much more talented across the board.

 

But just as Coach Brey can’t put the words, “Nash” and “get in there” together on game days, I can’t pick against this group at the Joyce Center. It’s not in our nature. The proud old building has one left in her...

 

Notre Dame 77 UConn 74

 

Top Five Victories at the Joyce Center:

 

1.)    January 1974: #2 Notre Dame 71 #1 UCLA 70. The Irish snap the Bruins’ 88-game winning streak.

2.)    March 1977: Notre Dame 93 San Francisco 82. Chants of “29 AND ONE” serenaded San Francisco as the Irish upset the No. 1 ranked and previously 29-0 Dons. The Notre Dame Student Body is chosen as the game’s “MVP” by NBC.

3.)    February 1980: #10 Notre Dame upsets #1 DePaul and Mark Aguirre, 76-74 in double overtime, snapping the Blue Demons’ 26-game winning streak

4.)    February 1978:  #9 Notre Dame 65 #1 (and defending National Champion) Marquette 59

5.)    February 1987: Unranked Notre Dame 60 #1 North Carolina 58

 

Top Five Victories of The Streak:

 

1.)    January 5, 2008: Notre Dame 73 UConn 67 behind 32 points from Kyle McAlarney

2.)    February 21, 2008: Notre Dame 82 Pittsburgh 70 thanks to the hustle, leadership, and most importantly, rebounding efforts of Tory Jackson

3.)    February 9, 2008: Notre Dame 86 Marquette 83 as the Irish receive their toughest test of the 45-game streak

4.)    January 27, 2007: Notre Dame 66 Villanova 63 as the Irish hold the Wildcats without a field goal for the final 3:46

5.)    December 2006: Notre Dame 99 (#5) Alabama 85 as Russell Carter, Colin Falls, and Kyle McAlarney all top the 20-point plateau

 

For a far less biased game breakdown, check out tomorrow’s Game Scouting Report.