Ray Floriani

NOTRE DAME/SETON HALL IMPRESSIONS

Ray Floriani provides the NBE Basketball Report with a running commentary on last night’s contest at the ‘Rock’.

By Ray Floriani

NEWARK, NJ – About ten minutes prior to tipoff of Notre Dame-Seton Hall official Tim Higgins comes over to say hello. “Nice buiding, my first time here,” Higgins says. Kind of surprised this is Higgins’, a New Jersey resident, first trip to the ‘Rock’. But he’s been on the move just having done Michigan-Ohio State the night before. “Just a great game,” he adds before rejoining his partners on the floor.

20:00-13:56
Jamar Nutter buries a deep three on his first attempt. A good sign for the Hall? Luke Harangody’s first two baskets are fifteen footers. Not a good sign as the Irish big man has yet to go in the paint. Hall runs a nice pick and roll with Augustine Okosun finishing. Kyle McAlarney, courtesy of some great ball movement, buries an open three for ND.
16-8 Notre Dame

13:56 – 11:39
Shot selection is an issue for Seton Hall. Pirates have four field goals and three are beyond the arc. Can’t seem to get inside against Notre Dame’s big men.
19-12 Notre Dame

11:39-7:54
ND’s 6-10 Luke Zeller comes off the bench and buries two treys. Teams are trading threes for a few possessions, still the Irish are distancing themselves from the Hall.
28-15 Notre Dame

7:54 -3:24
Irish force a turnover and McAlarney cans a three in transition, 34-15 ND time out Seton Hall. Pirates are getting beaten to loose balls and rebounds. Jeremy Hazell hits two treys to cut the ND lead to 13 and awaken the crowd. Notre Dame quickly answers.
40-21 Notre Dame

3:24 – 0:00
Hall is limited to one shot on offense. On the other end Notre Dame is a model of efficiency. Good ball movement (a first hand look at why the Irish lead the Big East in ‘synergy’) and spacing results in great looks. The visitors are also handling the Hall press with poise.
47-27 Notre Dame

At the half ND is 54% from the field while Seton Hall is shooting at 31%. Irish also own a 42-15 rebounding edge. It’s been a 38 possession half with ND owning a whopping efficiency (points per possession * 100) advantage of 124-71.

The concession stands and Ice Bar show a fair amount of Notre Dame fans in attendance. The cigar stand unfortunately is shut. A surprise considering ND is in town and a good attendance of 9,800 on hand.

20:00-15:38
A quicker paced first four minutes. Ryan Ayers hits a three to extend the Irish lead to 24. In the half court set Mike Brey’s club is burning the hall with a signature play. Ball is passes to Harangody just off the blocks , he turns and hits a weakside cutter for a backdoor layup.
60-39 Notre Dame

15:38-11:44
Harangody forces a shot and Ayers catches and lays it in. It’s that type of night as the margin hits 26. Hall forces a few turnovers with pressure and a Brian Laing three cuts it to 17.
67-50 Notre Dame

11:44-6:54
Hall is picking it up and active on defense. Offensively, they can’t but a basket. Even close range shots miss. Hazell is fouled again on a three point attempt. He has a great knack of drawing fouls on the perimeter. Meanwhile, Eugene Harvey misses again in close. He has two points in a night to forget.
83-58 Notre Dame

6:54-3:51
Harangody steals and goes in for a dunk. Irish fans, especially in McAlarney’s (he’s a Staten Island native) cheering section are thrilled. The game is over yet ND still shows good ball movement and crisp offensive execution.
91-60 Notre Dame

3:51-0:00
Three minutes left the deficit is 30 and the crowd is filing out. A young ND fan behind me at press row hollers, “hey Brey you’re a better coach than (Charlie) Weis.” No comment (and that’s not to disparage the fine job Brey has done).
Final 95-69 Notre Dame

In post game interviews Brey spoke about how his team beat the pressure down the floor and is playing with a lot of confidence. The road win over Villanova followed by two home wins(over DePaul and Providence) has been a big key.

Brey also notes how his big men like Harangody and Rob Kurz are multi skilled and can put the ball on the floor or pass, thus making the Irish very difficult to defend. The ND mentor keeps it all in perspective noting,”there is ‘bracketology’ but the only one we are interested in making is the one in New York (Big east Tournament).” At 7-2 in conference play, ND’s ticket is virtually punched.

Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez summed it best as a night when Notre Dame played extremely well and Seton Hall very poorly. “We had too many guys play poorly,” Gonzalez said. “Too many things went wrong for us and too many things went right for them (ND).”

Gonzalez goes on to praise Harangody (game highs 22 points 13 rebounds)whom he feels is the conference player of the year.

Gonzalez notes that the Hall is 5-5 in conference with wins over Cincinnati and Providence. “This is one game,”he said. “We have to put it past us. I think we are overachieving considering we picked 13th in conference. I feel we aren’t as good as when we beat Louisville nor as bad as tonight. Just take it game by game.”

ND finishes at 54% shooting while the Hall is 35%. Irish also had that big rebounding edge of 49-31. The game wound up an 81 possession affair, Hall pressure pushed the pace a bit, with ND owning a hefty 119-84 efficiency edge.

MCAlarney added 19 while Kurz had a solid 17 point 10 board night. Hazell led Seton Hall with 26 points while Laing added 18.

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