Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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the way too much.��� Notre Dame fans rushed the floor. t this time last year, the Notre Players such as sixth-year senior Scott Dame men���s basketball team Martin, who immediately vacated the was 5-4 and searching for an- court in mild disgust, and junior Jeswers before embarking on rian Grant, who was obviously anBig East Conference play. The non- noyed by the celebration, eventually league portion of the slate was unkind got over what may have been an overto the Fighting Irish, which had lost the-top reaction by supporters. captain Tim Abromaitis for the year ���They took it very matter of fact,��� due to a knee injury. Two losses came Brey said a couple days later. ���They against ranked teams in Gonzaga and weren���t jumping around in there Missouri ��� both blowouts ��� and it [with the crowd]. ��� What I���ve loved took another three weeks, when head about this group and maybe our procoach Mike Brey���s gram is, when the team pummeled ���College basketball ��� anytime lights have been you try and figure this No. 22 Pittsburgh bright in this thing out ��� The University Dec.�� 27, for the building, we���ve of Illinois-Chicago beat Irish to get a delivered. Northwestern a couple days strong shot of con���I���m really ago. Need I go on? It���s crazy. ��� proud of that. This fidence. At 8-1 this year, group is mature head coach Mike Brey and with a 64���50 about that.��� victory against then-No. 8 Kentucky As much as Brey appreciated his Nov.��29, a veteran Notre Dame squad team���s businesslike approach, he had developing a talented bench is way to explain why Notre Dame fans felt ahead of the game. the need to go bonkers after a victory ���I was very confident in our group,��� over touted Kentucky. Brey said after the win over the de���I did like that [they were embarfending national champions. ���It was rassed by the celebration],��� Brey said. interesting to hear people around the ������ As I tried to explain to them, there country, though; we didn���t look at it was such good energy in the building as an upset. We just felt we had a team that night, and that was a celebration that has played together and could get of a lot of things going on here. I���ll be into a rhythm against a very talented darnned if any usher or me is going young group. We���re good here. We���re to stop Manti [Te���o] and the defensive so confident here. line from charging the floor. ������ The way our guards were con���Our guys were like, ���The fans trolling things, you don���t have to do didn���t really need to do that.��� We exa lot of coaching the team. Eric Atkins pected to do well. But I tried to put was running the team and calling sets. it in the context of everything that���s When you have a veteran backcourt going on athletically here, especially doing that, I just don���t want to get in with the football guys. Our students A By Wes Morgan