Notre Dame men’s basketball history is replete with dozens of one-game masterpieces against top 10 teams, including nine conquests of No. 1 (second on the NCAA all-time chart to UCLA).
Under Mike Brey in December 2002, Notre Dame also became the third known team in college basketball history to vanquish a top-10 rated team in three straight contests: No. 10 Marquette (92-71) on Dec. 2, No. 8 Maryland (79-67) on Dec. 7 and No. 2 Texas (98-92) on Dec. 8, with the latter two coming on a neutral court in the BB&T Classic. (Marquette and Texas would advance to the Final Four three months later, while Maryland was the defending national champ.)
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In addition to the current streak, Brey's 2002 Irish also impressively knocked off three consecutive ranked opponents.
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There was one other memorable “triple play” in Notre Dame’s hardwood annals. In March 1978, head coach Digger Phelps’ Irish won three straight games in the NCAA Tournament against No. 14 Houston, No. 14 Utah (which moved to No. 14 after Houston lost) and No. 3 DePaul en route to their lone Final Four.
But has Notre Dame ever put together a four-game winning streak against quality opposition like the one it did to cap the 2010 regular season last weekend?
With a 6-8 Big East record, a three-game losing streak and the loss of All-America forward Luke Harangody for an indefinite period, the Irish would have to host No. 12 Pitt on Feb. 24, travel to No. 11 Georgetown three days later, entertain UConn — one of the nation’s top five programs in the last decade — and then close out at Marquette, where the Irish had not won since 1994. Furthermore, the Golden Eagles had won nine of their last 10 games against Big East opposition.
The Las Vegas odds on the reeling Notre Dame outfit going 4-0 in this stretch run might have been astronomical. Its akin to a football team being four touchdowns down entering the fourth quarter, or a race horse having to make up about eight to 10 lengths in the final quarter mile back stretch. Nevertheless:
• Notre Dame defeated No. 12 Pitt, 68-53, controlling the game from start to finish. Tim Abromaitis tallied 17 points, while Tory Jackson scored 14 and handed out seven assists.
• The Irish toppled No. 11 Georgetown 78-64 for its victory in D.C. since 2003. It was the first time since 2002-03 Notre Dame defeated ranked opponents back to back. Ben Hansbrough scored 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half — when the Irish shot a scorching 71.4 percent from the field. Carleton Scott added 17 points with nine boards and three blocked shots. Granted, Hoyas star Austin Freeman was ailing and would be diagnosed with diabetes — but Notre Dame was shorthanded too sans Harangody.
• Desperate to stay in the hunt for an NCAA bid, UConn ratcheted up the defensive intensity against the Irish and held them to 17 first-half points, the fewest ever in the first half since joining the Big East in 1995. But in the second half, the Irish improved from 24 percent shooting from the field to 61 percent, out-scored the Huskies 41-30 and won 58-50. Jackson poured in 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, while Scott posted his first double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, to go with three blocked shots.
• After falling behind by 10 in the first half to UConn, Notre Dame found itself in an 11-point first-half hole at Marquette — and still trailed by seven with 1:19 left in the contest. But a trey by Abromaitis, a defensive stop and another three by Scott with 0.3 seconds left sent the game into overtime, and the Irish pulled out a remarkable 63-60 conquest.
There is only one other Notre Dame four-game winning streak against quality opposition that might eclipse this, and it came at the close of Phelps’ second season in 1972-73. Phelps debuted with a 6-20 record in 1971-72 and started 1972-73 with a 1-6 mark before turning it around in January. Because the Irish lacked depth, Phelps pretty much had to play his starting five of center John Shumate, forwards Gary Novak and Pete Crotty, and guards Gary Brokaw and Dwight Clay, known as “The Iron Five,” the entire game.
Heading into the final regular season game that year, the Irish were 14-11. Only 25 teams made the NCAA Tournament back then, and just the champion was permitted in each conference. Thus, the 16-team NIT was also an esteemed tournament, and the goal was to crash the NIT party, when all the games were held in New York City. To do that, Notre Dame had to first upset South Carolina.
• On March 3, the No. 19 Gamecocks (a 109-83 winner over the Irish a year earlier) were 20-6 and would advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament —but a late Brokaw steal and basket gave the Irish a 73-69 win over Hall of Fame coach Frank McGuire. The Irish received the NIT bid at 15-11, much to the protest of many.
• In Round 1 at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick’s Day, Notre Dame rallied late for a 69-65 conquest of Pac 8 runner up USC, which was 18-9, and featured All-America guard Gus Williams.
• In Round 2 at MSG three nights later, Notre Dame upset future Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum and his 23-6 Louisville team that included star Junior Bridgeman, 79-71. The Cardinals had made the NCAA Tournament Final Four the previous year. Shumate finished 9-of-9 from the field.
• In the semifinal on March 24 in New York City, Shumate converted his first 11 shots to run his streak to an unbelievable 20 straight field goals without a miss as the Irish upset No. 11 and 24-7 North Carolina, 78-71. Like Louisville, North Carolina featured a future Hall of Fame coach in Dean Smith, and also made the Final Four the previous year. Its roster included future NBA star Bobby Jones.
Alas, the next day the Irish would lose in overtime to Virginia Tech in the final on a shot at the buzzer, but this amazing run to end the 1972-73 campaign set the table for what would be an eight-year stint from 1973-81 when the Notre Dame basketball program was among the 10 best in the country.
Which was a better four-game streak, 1973 or 2010?
I’m still partial to the 1973 run because it came against venerated programs that featured three Hall of Fame coaches and turned around the school’s basketball fortunes for an extended run of glory.
Nevertheless, much like in 1973, Notre Dame in 2010 was confronting an “elimination game” situation in four straight games since the Pitt contest — and responded superbly without their All-American in the lineup (except for 11 minutes against Marquette).
You make the call.
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