IRISH, WISCONSIN & ARIZONA ADVANCE
CLEVELAND — Notre Dame basketball found a way to upstage the school’s sainted football program Thursday night.
The ACC Tournament champions, who looked tight in a win over Northeastern and needed overtime to get by Butler in their first two NCAA Tournament games, ran a clinic on Wichita State, defeating the Shockers, 81-70, to advance to the Midwest Regional final.
This is the first time the Irish (32-5) have visited the tourney’s Elite Eight since 1979 when they lost to eventual national champion Michigan State. No one knows how long they can stay in this rarefied air, but there is something magical about coach Mike Brey’s best team ever. They are a great passing and shooting club that can score from all five spots on the floor.
“I was studying film and you could tell what a dynamic team they are,” Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. “There was nobody you could cheat on. Each one of them are dangerous.”
Super quick sophomore point guard Demetrius Jackson, who grew up in Mishawaka, Ind., just outside South Bend, shot 7-for-10, made four of five threes and scored 20 points for the Irish. Notre Dame, the No. 3 seed, shot 56% overall and a sizzling 75% in the second half, when it made 16 of its first 19 shots and outscored the seventh-seeded Shockers, 48-40.
Forward Pat Connaughton had 16 points for Notre Dame and center Zach Auguste and guard Steve Vasturia each added 15.
“I don’t know of any more special season in the history of our basketball program,” Irish coach Mike Brey said.
Guard Fred VanVleet led Wichita State (30-5) with 25 points, but the Shockers struggled offensively, shooting just 40% and making only three of 18 three-point tries.
“They are the best offensive team I’ve seen all year, hands down,” Marshall said. “I’m happy for them, especially Coach Brey and what he’s gone through this week.”
Brey lost his mother Betty to a heart attack last Saturday, hours before the Irish’s Round of 32 game against Butler. His team played with the type of inspired energy that was a tribute to the coach.
“Anytime you can stretch a floor and have four guards who can shoot it, it’s hard to defend a screen-androll,” Shockers guard Ron Baker said. “They just shot the cover off the ball. I’ve never seen a team shoot the ball like they did today.”
Wichita State recovered from an 18-5 deficit and actually took a 38-37 lead when forward Darius Carter scored on a layup with 16:40 left. Then Jackson took the game over, draining a pair of threes to fuel a 18-6 run that gave the Irish a 54-44 lead and opened the flood gates. “I’ve never seen a one-point lead get out of hand so quickly,” Marshall said.
Said Brey: “We can defend, but when we get into an offensive rhythm like that, there is nobody in the country who can duplicate it,” Brey said. “It takes the spirit out of teams.”
“It’s like blood in the water,” Connaughton added.
Notre Dame’s run was reminiscent of the spurt it went on in the second half of the ACC title game against North Carolina. The Tar Heels had a 6456 lead with 9:22 left before the Irish went on a 24-2 flurry that put them ahead, 80-66, with just under three minutes to play.
“Tonight,” Brey said, “we had another lightning strike.”