IRISH GO WEST, NORTH AND A LITTLE SOUTH
After beginning the season with a cupcake victory, the Notre Dame hoop team embarked on a lengthy and, I do mean lengthy, road trip.
First, the Irish headed West to the left coast to take on Loyola Marymount. Then, like intrepid sailors, they proceeded even further West, negotiating the vast Pacific Ocean and alighting on the island of Maui for the annual basketball tournament there.
So what was discovered at the end of this rather remarkable odyssey? Quite a number of things but for the sake of brevity, let's condense them into a salient few.
To begin with, this Irish contingent showed that its' lofty preseason ranking might be justified. They look legit and are probably worthy of the hype they've received.
This is a gifted shooting team, at least from the field. On the offense end, ND moves the ball with rhythm and purpose. Moreover, the Irish play with an unselfishness that's infectious. And they hustle, scrap and don't quit. All of these traits are powerful positives to build on.
So on balance, after the trek West, it appears the Domers are moving up. Or if you're accustomed to using a compass, matriculating North.
But while there are signs that ND might be headed towards a special season, there are also some red flags that have cropped up. Nothing over which to panic but issues that could prove to be problematic. The most prominent of which are shaky free-throw shooting, poor interior defense, deficient blocking out and an inability to consistently get back in transition.
Unless these flaws are addressed and corrected against one of the nation's most challenging schedules, ND could find a promising year going in a direction not to their liking. As in South.
But, taken in totality, ND's off to a solid start in this 2008-9 campaign. They're a solid 4 and 1 and one of those wins came at the expense of highly regarded and No. 6 Texas. Their lone setback was administered by the top team in the land, North Carolina.
By the way, it doesn't seem to matter if it's football or hoops because at the present, the Tar Heels appear to have ND's number.
On their journey to points West and beyond, the Domers won in a variety of ways which can be an indicator of a resourceful club. Versus LMU, they overcame a sluggish start, showed poise at critical times and prevailed in a decidedly hostile environment.
Against Indiana, in a first-round match in the Maui Invitational, they did what you would expect. The Domers took nothing for granted, competed hard and soon blitzed an inferior foe.
In their contest with the athletic Longhorns, ND demonstrated plenty of variety and got great scoring balance from Luke Harangody (29 points ), Kyle McAlarney (19) and Tory Jackson (16). The Irish exhibited a splendid mix of outside shooting, drives to the hoop and a forceful inside presence, supplied primarily by Harangody.
But, in some respects, the 81-80 conquest of Texas was disappointing. Missed free-throws down the stretch really hurt. And shoddy perimeter defense enabled the 'Horns to hit some clutch treys and almost overcome a late 9-point Irish lead.
Only when a Longhorn heave from well beyond midcourt hit the rim at the buzzer could the Irish relax. The truth is it should have never come down to a final shot, no matter from how far out. ND's inability to close was troubling.
But the Irish modest four-game win streak was destined to go no further. After hanging with the 'Heels for about 10 minutes in the Maui final, North Carolina repeatedly beat the Irish underneath and in transition. The Domers had absolutely no answers for lightning quick guard Ty Lawson and the reigning Player-of-the-Year Tyler Hansbrough, who tallied 22 and 34 points respectively.
Carolina steadily stretched its' lead to a comfortable double-digit margin until a phenomenal 3-pt. bombing barrage by McAlarney in the waning minutes made the final score respectable.
But even though they got outquicked and outmaneuvered, the Irish didn't pack it in. They competed right up until the end and that mentality should serve them well in the rugged Big East where toughness, both mental and otherwise, is at a premium.
So through the early stages of this college hoop season, the gritty Irish seem, for the most part, on the right path.
The trip West showed they just might be ready for a brave new world among the game's elite. And if they can somehow shore up their current but correctable flaws, they shouldn't ever have to worry about going South.
For now, at least, the Irish seem pointed in the right direction.