ND=Groundhog Day
November 15, 2006 2:54 pm by Big Willie StyleWatched the Notre Dame-Butler game last night. Butler had 2 very good guards and the Irish were unstoppable inside. The main man for ND was Freshman Luke Harangody who had 17 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. Butler guards totally outplayed Colin Falls and Kyle McAlarney. So the game goes back and forth ….. Irish a 10 point run….. Butler 11 point run etc. And it comes down to Harangody powering up a hoop and makes it 3 when fouled with about 1:30 left to give ND a 1 point lead. Butler’s A.J. Graves (28 points) hits a 3 with about a minute left to put Butler up by two. TIME OUT, ND with 10 seconds left. Common sense says go in to Harangody for the tying hoop and maybe he will get fouled and win the game. NOOOOOOOOO!!!! Brey takes Harangody out of the game and puts in all 3 point shooters (None of whom have done squat all night). They inbound and can’t get a shot off until Russell Carter throws up an off balanced 3 with a man in his face with less than 1 second left. Game, set, match. Horrible coaching at the end of the game, which is unbelievably reminiscent of so many ND finishes last year (5 OT losses in 5 tries). Maybe it is that Brey doesn’t know how to set up a play to finish a game…… OR maybe it’s just like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.
Categories: Big Willie Style, Commentary, Notre Dame
2 Responses to “ND=Groundhog Day”
Sounds like you have some company:
http://thefieldhouse.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_thefieldhouse_archive.html#116352021004835591
[...] Several bloggers (including our own Big Willie) have noted on Notre Dame’s ability to snatch defeat from the claws of victory. Today was an exception, however, as they kept West Virginia’s comebacks at bay. It was the Mountaineers turn at Groundhog day as they got to within 5 (exactly!) an astounding four times in the second half. Each time Notre Dame would break the 1-3-1 and put the Irish back up by 7. If UConn wants to figure out how to break down the West Virgina defense, they need only look at the Irish, which put together a textbook attack. If they are able to dissect other defenses with the same precision, Notre Dame will be a force. That seems like a big “if”, though. West Virginia, on the other hand, looked small and seemed to depend too much on the outside shot. Eight of the Mountaineers’ 14 field goals in the second half were three pointers. They made exactly one free throw. Without a threat of scoring through penetration, the Mountaineers look to be a bit one-dimensional. They had great success in their first three Big East games, but my belief is that you’ll mostly die if you live by the three. More on the game from the West Virginia perspective. [...]
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