I’ve written so much about the most recent iteration of Notre Dame basketball that it seems redundant to say anything else about it, so I’ll just go over a few key points.
The 2019-20 Irish had all the makings of a team threatening to make the NCAA tournament after a two-year absence. However, one close ACC loss after another derailed those hopes. It wouldn’t have mattered what the deficit was in the eyes of the selection committee. All they would have seen was a weak resume unworthy of earning an at-large bid.
The Irish weren’t terrible, however, as their win over Boston College in their ACC tournament opener gave them a 20-12 record and stronger consideration for an NIT bid. Then, COVID-19 put a stop to everything, so we’ll never know where Notre Dame might have ended up once they left Greensboro. Like all college basketball players, the ones on this team will have to spend the rest of their lives playing the what-if game.
With averages of 16.2 points and 12.7 rebounds a game, John Mooney tied Luke Harangody for most double-doubles by a Notre Dame player in a single season with 25 and also led the nation in that category. T.J. Gibbs and Prentiss Hubb averaged 13.3 and 12.1 points a game, respectively, and Dane Goodwin was a formidable sixth man thanks to his scoring average of 10.8.
In spite of their inability to close games, the Irish were a very intelligent team. They committed the fewest fouls in the country (397) and had the sixth-fewest turnovers (315). As we’ll see throughout this bracket, this has been a common trend under Mike Brey.