Walker Carey is an RTC Correspondent. He filed this report after Wednesday night’s game between Coppin State and Notre Dame.
After four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2010-13, Notre Dame took a big step back last season to finish at just 15-17 overall. A major reason for the lackluster season in South Bend was because the Irish were without dynamic scoring guard and best player Jerian Grant‘s services for the second half of the season. The junior was lost after an incident involving academic impropriety caused his temporary separation from the university. Without Grant’s 19.0 PPG and 6.3 APG, the Irish struggled offensively throughout their first season in the ACC. Known for utilizing a short rotation, Mike Brey was forced to rely on several young players who otherwise would have seen limited action.
Almost immediately after his suspension began, Grant announced his intention to return to Notre Dame for this year’s campaign. He subsequently took care of what he needed to do off the court and was readmitted by the school in late May, bolstering the hopes of this year’s Fighting Irish. In the preseason, opinions on Notre Dame were fairly mixed. One national writer picked the Irish to finish ninth in the conference, while another picked Brey’s squad as a sleeper contender for an NCAA Tournament bid. While Grant is obviously the marquee name on the roster, the Irish have several additional pieces who can help shoulder the load this season. Versatile senior Pat Connaughton, who spent much of the summer pitching in the Baltimore Orioles organization, has been an important piece for Brey since the day he stepped foot on campus. Junior big man Zach Auguste and sophomore guards Demetrius Jackson and Steve Vasturia saw ample playing time last season, and each are expected to make significant strides forward this season.
Notre Dame opened the season with two wins in impressive fashion, scoring a 43-point win over Binghamton and a 39-point win over Navy. In those victories, Grant showed no signs of rust, filling the stat sheet with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals against Binghamton, and 17 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds against the Midshipmen. In Tuesday night’s dominating 104-67 trouncing of Coppin State — a game in which the Irish raced out to an early 19-2 lead — Grant once again turned in a strong effort, finishing with 15 points and a game-high eight assists. Through three games, the Irish have yet to be tested on the young season, but that will change this upcoming weekend when they battle NCAA Tournament teams Massachusetts and Providence at the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic. With the way Grant has played so far in his redemption year at Notre Dame, the Irish should certainly be a team to keep an eye on as the season progresses.