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March 10, 2007
Christmas In March
by
LOU SOMOGYI
Senior Editor
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New York, N.Y. - Mike Brey’s internal clock isn’t much different from the average human, but his calendar year has a slight alternation. This Sunday, March 11, will be his favorite day of the year.
“I’m going to be excited,” said the Irish head coach after the 84-82 loss to No. 1 seed Georgetown in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament. “In the Brey house, Selection Sunday is Christmas. It’s not been a good Christmas the last three years.”
Year 7 of the Brey regime at Notre Dame was like a Game 7 in the pro playoffs. In his first three seasons with the Irish, Brey’s Irish made the NCAA Tournament each year from 2001-03, ending a school-record 10-year drought from 1991 through 2000.
But in the ensuing three seasons from 2004-06, Notre Dame’s dance ticket wasn’t punched despite two 9-7 Big East records while playing the roughest version of the imbalanced conference schedule (two games apiece versus Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Syracuse).
 Missing out on the NCAA Tournament can happen to anyone – just ask UConn’s Jim Calhoun. Missing it two years in a row elicits frustration. Three consecutive years begin “hot seat” talk. Last year was Brey’s lone losing season in the Big East (6-10), and with the graduation of All-Big East point guard Chris Quinn and low-post players Torin Francis and Rick Cornett, similar results were projected this year. In the preseason, the Big East coaches tabbed Notre Dame 11th in the 16-team league.
That’s why Brey acknowledged after the Georgetown loss that this year’s 24-7 ledger – highlighted by an 11-5 mark in the conference and a first-round bye for the league tournament – made this his most gratifying season.
“I’ve not had more fun with a team in my 12 years as a head coach,” said Brey, including his five seasons at Delaware from 1995-2000.
Beyond significantly exceeding expectations from the outside, Brey said his elation is manifold. For starters, the development of seniors Colin Falls and Russell Carter from unheralded recruits to first-team All-Big East picks. Or how about losing the team’s floor general a couple of days before the conference opener – and then witnessing the evolution of Tory Jackson into potentially the most lethal, offensive and defensively, quickest and mentally tough point guard that has ever been on an Irish roster.
Then there’s another freshman, Luke Harangody, joining Jackson on the all-rookie team. Or previously nondescript sophomore Zach Hillesland developing into a prototype point forward off the bench. Or another sophomore, Ryan Ayers, overcoming past shooting woes to drill clutch baskets late in victories over Villanova and Cincinnati.
The leadership of the upperclassmen, including junior Rob Kurz, and the remarkable progress of the sophomores and freshmen made the two-hour practice sessions with his players the best part of Brey’s days this year.
“I was asked why is it this team plays so loose and like it’s having fun,” Brey said. “I said, ‘Because the coach is loose and having fun (with this group).’ ”
From a seeding perspective, the Irish mentor is looking at the 4 to 6 range, making a 5 seed “about right.” Because Notre Dame has been ranked in the top 25 in 12 out of 13 weeks, a 5 seed makes sense to Brey, especially with a quality neutral court win versus Maryland, a road win at Syracuse, and conquests of Louisville, West Virginia, Villanova and Marquette. The ideal scenario would be a 5 seed in nearby Chicago.
The last time Notre Dame made the Big Dance, 2003, it was a No. 5 seed in nearby Indianapolis, and it resulted in the school’s first Sweet 16 in 16 years, after surviving against No. 12 seed UW-Milwaukee (70-69) and having complete control versus No. 4 seed Illinois (68-60).
The Irish entered that tournament with a 22-9 record and were ranked No. 22 and No. 20 in the two polls – despite losing in the first round of the Big East Tournament to St. John’s. Remarkably, that squad limped into the NCAA Tournament having lost four of its last five games, whereas this unit won its last six before losing by two on a neutral floor to a potential No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
What did that 2003 team have to earn that high seed that this edition might not? Answer: Four regular season victories against top 10 teams – Marquette, Maryland, Texas and Pitt.
Brey’s first Irish team was a No. 6 seed with a 19-9 regular season mark, including 11-5 (the same as this year) in the conference. His second was a No. 8 seed with a 21-10 regular season mark, 10-6 in the Big East. Both were eliminated in the second round, the latter in a classic against No. 1 Duke.
While a 5 seed seems realistic given Notre Dame’s strong finish, historical pattern seems to indicate that 6 is more likely to be in the cards.
Either way, it’s a present Brey is eager to unwrap and play with to the hilt – just as he has all year.
Just once, though, he needs a gift of closing out a tight game with a last-second shot that falls in his favor.
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