With No Press.,.,..

Winthrop still has coach. In a move that fulfills the coaching carousel that is NCAA Basketball, Wichita State announces a new coach. If Mike Brey plays with normal tempo and doesn't press, Marshall is still in South Carolina coaching the Winthrop Eagles.

Maybe he can give some of that performance bonus to Brey.

Brey COY or CYA

Mike Brey rightfully won the Big East Basketball Coach of the Year award. No other program has gone through what the Irish have this season. With the dismissal of Kyle McAlarney at the beginning of the season, the Irish were certainly doomed. Losing a scorer is one thing, but losing a guy that the team looked to is quite another. McAlarney started the first 12 games this season and averaged 10.3 points. He was 26 for 56 from 3 point range and had 65 assists. He was improving at the time of his dismissal and the team was left for dead.

Just wait a second my friend, nobody is dead with Brey at the helm. He got the boys playing for a reason, not just the season.

Congrats to Coach Brey and the Irish Basketball team for a fantastic season.

The Demons are coming. The Demons are Coming.

Notre Dame heads into final three regular-season games in four-way tie for fourth place in league standings.

UND Story

The win at Cincinnati was just that, A win. Tonight DePaul comes to the Joyce Center and the Irish will need to play much better to come away with a Victory. Cincinnati pressured the ball in the second half and the Irish had trouble getting the ball up the court. The Bearcats are only 8 sometimes 9 deep. This does not fare well for a team that wants to pressure the ball the entire game. They just ran out of steam. With Russell Carter still feeling the effects of his injury, I am sure that DePaul will come in and pressure Jackson from Start to finish. If ND does not handle the ball better, execute better in the first half and run the court with more authority, this may be an Irish loss at the Joyce Center.

This is a must win for the Irish before their contest with Marquette.

The Irish are sitting pretty good right now in the Big East and could end up with a first round bye at the Gardens. And MSG does not feel like South Bend to the Irish.

Add the troubles at Madison Square Gardens (Loss to St. Johns in Janurary) to the road Woes of the Irish (only two road wins), and you have a brew that is not very tasty. This is Go time and Brey and the boys need to come out swinging and keep a fast pace for the entire game.

2.13.07

DUKE OUT -- (CST) and so are the Irish

ND did not receive votes in this weeks AP poll. Need to win on the road to get the respect. Next few games will be interesting.

AP POLL

ESPN

The BEATEN PATH-- (CT)

ND HOOPS PICS -- (CT)

REAL VOICE of the IRISH -- (IE)

Please Come to South Bend For The Playoffs -- (Observer)

8 days to redemption?

The next three games for the Irish Hoops team are crucial. This is not critical for the rankings, or for their seed at the Big East Tourney, although, those are important issues.

The next three games are against teams that the Irish should beat:
F 15 Providence
F 18 @ Cincinnati
F 20 DePaul

Two are at home and the away game, at Cincinnati, would be a lock, except the woes of the Irish on the Road have made national news.

So, why are these three so important? The fatigue of losses on the road can get a team down. I feel the Irish are doubting their ability to win on the road and this was made obvious with the loss at DePaul. The mental wear of losses like the one at DePaul, can make a team play poor fundamental Basketball.

Providence is a team that can win most games they play. They are fighting for a better seed at the tourney and will come to the Joyce Center with one thing in mind. WIN! Coming from a heart breaking loss at DePaul, ND will need to play well to come away with a win. Providence is just behind the Irish in scoring and total defense. They hit the board hard on offense and will block a lot of shots. ND needs to play solid fundamental offensive B Ball. Simple rules: Follow your shot, box out and rebound. This will be the Key to a Victory.

Cincinnati having a down year and should be a second road B.E. Victory. But UC will come to play. (I will be at the game). They come into this game dead last in the Big East. The Cats have won some games they shouldn't have, but typically are being outplayed at the end of the game. They are young in terms of playing time in D-1 B Ball. Junior College Transfers make up the majority of the team and they are lead by a freshman guard who is starting to play very well. The Cats lack confidence and have given up some big leads recently. Sound Familiar?

The Third game in this crucial stretch is against DePaul. ND has come back from a tough loss on the road to beat the same team within a short span. The Villanova games were like two different teams hit the court. Hopefully Brey can get the guys ready for this one. This game will be important for the strong finish the Irish will need in the final two.

You can blame the officiating, you can blame coaching and you can even blame the loss of a key player. KMac. Pointing fingers never works and this is no different. Handle the ball better, run the play coach sets up and last but not least, do not give up the lead at the end of the game. This is the sign that your team doesn't believe they can win.

Confidence is important, but belief that you can finish a game is crucial. It is time to step up and play ball.

Too bad the B.E. Tourney is not in South Bend.

Remember when ND had these problems. We have come a long way baby...

2.11.07

"Corwin Brown has to make a dent, not only in Chicago, but nationally in recruiting," Lemming said. "Corwin Brown has to do what John Blake did at North Carolina, Lane Kiffin did at USC, Doc Holliday did at Florida. Corwin Brown, since he's the defensive coordinator, should be responsible for the defensive players coming to Notre Dame that will fit into his system.

Corwin Brown --(SBT)

Top 10 Class -- (MSNBC)

ND Hoops --(SBT)

HO-HO-HOMERED

Well they did it again. Another road loss. Yea, probably a foul at the end should have given the Irish two from the stripe, but the game should not have been this close. This team needs to learn how to close out a game and finish on the road.

Road Woes -- (IE)

Are We Dancing?

Notre Dame Basketball has gotten off to a very good start this season. Outside the road woes, they are playing solid ball.

Currently the squad is at 18-5 with a game at DePaul tonight.

Looking at the possibilities for March Madness, you have to notice the need for wins in the B.E. Tourney.

Looking at the current RPI, you notice the Irish are in a fairly comfortable position in the mid to low 40's. If you want to get off the bubble, a 30 something RPI will be needed.

With a look at the schedule to finish the year, I can see a 5-1 finish with probable loss at home to Marquette. You can't expect to go undefeated at home. Can You?

If you look at the Pomeroy Ratings, they have ND winning out and finishing the year at 24-5. Either way, we should be sitting pretty with a 5-7 seed when tourney time comes. Finish strong in the B.E. Tournament, 1st or 2nd, and we may be Dancing the Jig to a 3, yes I said THREE seed.

I can see a Frozen Four and a Final Four, well, at least a Frozen Four.

South Bend.....We have a Problem!

Irish go south in loss-- (SBT)

Irish Fall on Road -- (IE)

Headstrong or Pigheaded

Russell Carter has been thrown out of basketball practice at Notre Dame for a variety of reasons the past four years. There has been bad body language, a lack of interest in defense and a few confrontations with Coach Mike Brey, who laughingly refers to the incidents as “good theater for the players and staff.”

After Brey tossed Carter from the first scrimmage in the fall, Carter came into the basketball office the next day and told the assistant Martin Ingelsby that he was going to have a great practice. After all, he reasoned, he always played better the day after being thrown out.

NY Times

NOTRE DAME WINS ITS FIRST ROAD GAME AT SYRACUSE

MEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP-- (Big East Site)

SCOUT.COM ARTICLE, ND hoops

Notre Shame

ND Hoops news on Sunday 01-28-07

ND HOOPS wins at home again.

Ugly game, sweet result for Irish

McAlarney will return after suspension

Notre Dame unbeatable at home