Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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ing about sets and different stuff. … I'm thrilled I get to go to practice again with this group. It's so energizing. "No one plays offense like that. You've heard people talk about our program, and when we get it in that gear, it's demoralizing to chase us around. It helps our defense when we get that efficient offensively because the team gets rattled and maybe tries to play fast or quick. We've got some guys that want to take big shots and make big plays." Two days later, Notre Dame and tournament favorite Kentucky — un‑ defeated at that point — engaged in one of the top battles of the season. The Irish, however, fell just short of reaching the Final Four for the sec‑ ond time in program history in a 68‑66 Wildcats win. In a dramatic regional championship finish that found Notre Dame match‑ ing Kentucky punch for punch for 40 minutes, Irish fifth‑year senior guard Jerian Grant's final heave toward the basket in a Notre Dame uniform was just a little long. With that miss, No. 3 seed Notre Dame's (32‑6, 14‑4 ACC) storybook season shut in heartbreaking fashion. The Irish led for 21 minutes and 51 seconds in a game in which few out‑ side of their own locker room expected them to contend. "We knew at some point or another it was going to come to an end at some point, whether it was with a win or with a loss," Connaughton said. "For us, I'm happy to have shared it with these guys. There's not a whole lot you can say about it or figure out how it feels after the game. It's just something that at the end of the day you did it with guys you call brothers." Notre Dame led most of the second half until 1:12 remained in the game. At that point, Karl‑Anthony Towns — regarded by many as the top prospect in this June's NBA Draft — recorded his 24th and 25th points of the evening on a layup. The final four Irish possessions ended in the hands of Grant. With 2:35 left in the game, the senior sunk a three‑pointer from deep range after Kentucky guard Aaron Harrison had done the same the previous posses‑ sion. Grant's shot marked the final points of the season for Notre Dame. The next two trips down the floor, the Irish ran down the shot clock toward its expiration before Grant missed a pair of jumpers that would have put them ahead. On the second, with 36 seconds left, Grant's step‑back three‑pointer was partially blocked and ultimately resulted in a shot clock violation. On the ensuing possession, Wildcats guard Andrew Harrison was fouled with 6.0 seconds remaining. He netted both free throws, leading to the final attempt by Grant. Remarkably, Kentucky made all nine of its field‑goal attempts in the final 12:16 to survive. It literally had to be perfect at the end to win. "Very cruel. Very cruel," Brey said. "It ends fast, man. Going in there and addressing your team after all they've done, really since June, and then for it to be over, there's a little shock ...but I wanted them to know they're cham‑ pions and it was an honor to coach them." ✦