ACC: Notre Dame’s Magical Season Comes To An End

Sometimes David doesn’t beat Goliath. Sometimes Cinderella does not meet Prince Charming and everyone does not live happily ever after. That was the case in the NCAA Tournament as Notre Dame’s fairytale season ended Saturday night without the storybook ending that they wanted, falling to Kentucky 68-66 in one of the most exciting games of the season.

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Notre Dame’s undersized bunch hung with Kentucky’s giants for the first twenty minutes. At halftime the score was tied at 31, despite Mike Brey’s squad shooting only 1-for-5 from outside. A strong defensive effort from Notre Dame made up for the lack of three-pointers.

They held Kentucky to 37 percent shooting in the half, but had no answer for projected lottery pick Karl-Anthony Towns who scored 8 points on 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. Aaron Harrison was held in check early, anytime he got a touch, a Notre Dame defender was virtually in his shirt making it difficult for him to get off a clean shot.

Notre Dame’s only true center, 6-foot-10 Zach Auguste, set perfect screens, ran the floor, and cut beautifully to help the Irish open up their offense during his limited first half minutes. He scored 8 points in the first half, but he collected his second foul with 6:33 remaining in the half, sending him to the bench.

Jerian Grant turned up his aggressiveness as the half progressed, driving in amongst the tree to score 9 points and hand out four assists. Kentucky still had six blocks in the half, which is to be expected given Notre Dame’s size disadvantage.

Auguste continued to play well when he returned to the game in the second half. He would lead Notre Dame with 20 points and nine rebounds on 10-for-13 from the field. Steve Vasturia and Jerian Grant added 16 and 15 points, respectively

Notre Dame’s game plan was surprising, yet effective. Rather than bombing three-pointers over Kentucky’s larger defenders, they attacked the interior. Jerian Grant, Demetrius Jackson, Pat Connaughton, Steve Vasturia, it didn’t matter.

They used their reputation as three-point gunners to shot-fake their way into open driving lanes that resulted in either an open layup, a contested shot, a thunderous Kentucky block, or free-throws. It worked better for some than others, but for better or for worse, they continued to attack the paint.

That strategy led to a 10-for-13 effort from the line and 13 offensive rebounds. It kept them in the game, but the defense could not replicate their first half success for a full forty minutes.

On the defensive end, Notre Dame still couldn’t do anything with Towns. He ate them alive, finishing with 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Kentucky made an effort to pound the ball inside during the second half, ending the night shooting 53.2 percent. Devin Booker was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 10 points.

Andrew Harrison provided the knockout blow by knocking down a pair of free throws in the final seconds that would give Kentucky the 68-66 win.

It has been an emotional few weeks for Notre Dame coach Mike Brey. After their round of 32 victory over Butler, he announced that his mother had passed away earlier that morning. The combination of losing a parent and being in the midst of the most successful season in his career likely created a whirlwind of conflicting emotions that I can’t even begin to comprehend.

Getting his team ready to play one of the best college basketball teams ever assembled is no small task, yet he had Kentucky on the ropes with under a minute to play.

Despite not winning a national championship, this season should not be viewed as a disappointment. The Irish exceeded all expectations by finishing third in the ACC in the regular season, beating Duke and North Carolina each twice, winning the ACC tournament, and reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in Mike Brey’s career.

They brought an exciting, offense-heavy style of play to the conference that nicely balanced out the sometimes tough to watch gritty and highly defensive identities of Virginia and Louisville. The “pace-and-space” style the Warriors, Spurs, and Hawks have unleashed in the NBA has meandered its way to South Bend and the eyeballs of ACC fans are better for it.

Star guard Jerian Grant may have been the biggest winner of all. Both Notre Dame and Grant benefitted tremendously from his final year on campus.

The first team All-ACC member sat out most of the 2013-14 season due to an academic issue, torpedoing Notre Dame’s season. He could have elected to move on from college and begin a professional career in the NBDL or overseas, but instead he got himself back into good academic standing and returned for his senior season.

That decision has proven to be a wise one as Grant has turned himself into one of the best players in college basketball. He has a legitimate chance to be named a first team All-American and seems like a safe bet to be picked in the top 20 in this summer’s NBA Draft.

Grant will obviously be gone next season and fellow senior sharpshooter Pat Connaughton will graduate and likely focus on his professional baseball career. Those losses hurt, but they still have a decent core returning.

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Starters Demetrius Jackson, Steve Vasturia, and Zach Auguste will be back, as will reserves V.J. Beachem, Austin Torres, and Bonzie Colson. Beachem and Colson should step into the starting lineup to replace the departing Grant and Connaughton, how they respond to their increased roles will go a long way in determining how successful they will be next season.

ESPN has Notre Dame’s current crop of recruits for 2015 rated as the 34th-best class in the country. The class is comprised of trio of four-star prospects. Rex Pflueger, a sweet shooting wing; Matt Ryan, another sniping wing; and Elijah Burns, a bulky big man. How quickly they acclimate to the college game will also be important in replacing the production of Grant and Connaughton.

But those questions will be answered on another day.

For the time being, they should take the time to reflect on such a spectacular season. This was a special group and one that cemented Notre Dame as a force to be reckoned in the modern ACC.

Next: NBA Draft: Top 15 Prospects in the Elite Eight

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