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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are off to a good start in the 2019 ACC Tournament after beating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. It was the second time the Irish beat Georgia Tech this season, as they and the Boston College Eagles were the only two teams in the ACC that they bested.
The game itself was a roller coaster ride. The Irish built up a beautiful 20 point lead, and then watched it disappear late in the game. Thankfully, John Mooney stepped up and refused to end the season.
HOW ABOUT THOSE FRESHMEN?
In the first half, we saw exactly what the Irish freshmen are capable of — and why we have more hope for the future than most people coming off of a season as distasteful as this one. Prentiss Hubb gave a performance we have grown accustomed to with 9 points, and Nate Laszewski added 14 points in the first half before he went down with an injury that kept him out for the rest of the game.
Dane Goodwin seized his opportunity and played strong with a 15 point performance and a confidence we haven’t seen very much this season. Chris Doherty even added a bucket!
All in all, the freshmen accounted for more than 50% of the points scored, and 90% of the injected hope for next season.
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THE INJURED IRISH
Notre Dame was already in a tight spot before the game in Charlotte with 4 players out with an injury:
- Rex Pflueger
- Robby Carmody
- D.J. Harvey
- Nikola Djogo
It’s about to get even rougher for the Irish moving forward. The 5 man squad of John Mooney, Dane Goodwin, T.J. Gibbs, Prentiss Hubb, and Juwan Durham will have to put in a HUGE amount of minutes against the Louisville Cardinals. The only scholarship player left to rotate in is freshman Chris Doherty.
Stamina... got some?
MIKE BREY THE MAGNIFICENT
Because of the way the season has gone down and the narrative’s that have formed with the freshmen, I haven’t praised Mike Brey enough for what he’s done. Has he made a few mistakes this season? Sure, but the most important parts of Mike Brey have remained true, and the program will be better for it moving forward.
Some believe the the the sky is falling in South Bend, and that there is “no easy fix.” While it certainly isn’t an easy fix, we have more proof to the contrary. Brey has been able to turn things around quite well in the past, and a year with every single player returning... I like Notre Dame’s chances as it relates to improvement for next year.
STOP DRINKING CRAFT BEER.
MOVING FORWARD
WIN AND ADVANCE! The Irish have the Louisville Cardinals at 7:00 PM EST. LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!