Some teams come from nowhere to earn a top-25 ranking. Notre Dame came from one exit past basketball oblivion.
The Irish are the No. 23 team in the country as of Monday, according to the latest Associated Press poll, and anyone who took that bet in November or early December might be sizing up the purchase of a tropical island. Like, say, Oahu.
“It’s really an accomplishment for us, especially coming from where we were in (non)-conference play,” guard Eric Atkins said. “It really does feel good to have our whole season turn around like that.”
Coach Mike Brey didn’t downplay poll position at all. Not when his team was 8-5 before Big East play without a signature victory.
But six straight wins, a 9-3 conference record and clear shots at a double bye in the Big East tournament and a berth in the NCAA tournament made the ranking something of a validation.
“It’s another mark of what they’ve earned,” Brey said. “This group needs to keep seeing tangible things of what they’ve accomplished and how far they’ve come. We can really build on that.”
His honor: Forward Jack Cooley’s revival continued with 21.5 points and 13 rebounds per game in wins over West Virginia and DePaul and Big East Player of the Week honors Monday.
Since missing a Dec. 4 game versus Maryland because of illness, Cooley has seven double-doubles and has averaged 14.8 points and 9.7 rebounds.
“I’m really pleased at his maturity and his not being distracted,” Brey said. “There were days in his younger years where he was mailing it in in practice. But … there’s a great pressure created where he knows, ‘I can’t let my guys down now.’ “
At attention: Rutgers handed Notre Dame its last loss Jan. 20. The Scarlet Knights visit Wednesday, and Brey immediately prodded his team’s psyche Monday after feeling the Irish acted immature and unglued in the first meeting.
“I don’t know, are we the favorite Wednesday after they beat our butts so easily in New Jersey?” Brey said. “Certainly I think I’ll have guys’ attention because it was the last time we lost and, really, we were kind of babies.”
