Notre Dame has been one of the best stories of the year in college basketball. The Fighting Irish began the season unranked because they were coming off a disastrous season when Mike Brey‘s squad finished with a career-worst 15-17 record. The return of senior guard Jerian Grant from an academic suspension has been discussed ad nauseam but with good reason — the senior has performed at an All-America level all season long. While Grant has been spectacular, another major reason why Notre Dame has been able to improve to an impressive 26-5 mark has been the play and leadership of the team’s senior captain, swingman Pat Connaughton.
Connaughton arrived at Notre Dame in the summer of 2011 and it was not long before the Arlington, Massachusetts, product made an impact. In a season that figured to be lost following standout Tim Abromaitis’ season-ending knee injury in November, Connaughton was a key cog in the Irish’s plan to reinvent themselves. He started the final 18 games of the season as the team battled to a 22-12 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. His demonstrated toughness and durability took center stage during a sophomore season where he started every game and played the third-most minutes on a team that featured veterans Jack Cooley and Eric Atkins. The high point of that season for him came in Notre Dame’s epic five-overtime victory over eventual national champion Louisville in February. Connaughton logged a career-high 56 minutes while contributing 16 points and 14 rebounds to the winning effort. While last season was clearly a disappointment for everyone associated with the program, Connaughton took the opportunity to emerge as both a standout scorer (13.8 PPG) and rebounder (7.1 RPG).
Connaughton’s offseason between last year was a bit different than those experienced by most other college basketball players around the country. In early June, the baseball pitcher side of him was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. As a result, he spent June and July pitching for the Aberdeen IronBirds before returning to the basketball team for its August exhibition trip to Italy. As Notre Dame’s lone captain this season, Connaughton has led his team to an unbelievable turnaround. Playing the power forward position at just 6’5″ and going toe-to-toe with much bigger ACC power forwards, the toughness and durability that he is known for are on display each night. Being undersized has not deterred him, though, as he is the team’s leading rebounder at 7.9 per contest and has collected 10 or more rebounds four times in conference play. Connaughton has also been a standout on the offensive end of the court, shooting a career-best 46.5 percent from the field and 43.9 percent from behind the three-point line.
Notre Dame’s postseason struggles in the Mike Brey era are well-documented. The Irish have not advanced to the Sweet Sixteen since 2003 and have had several successful seasons end at the hands of double-digit seeds in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. But there is something that seems different about the Irish this time around. They are incredibly efficient offensively; they share the ball very well; they have a bona fide star in Grant; and they are the most athletic unit that Brey has ever had in South Bend. They also have the leadership of the senior Connaughton. The Pat Connaughton who plays well above his size. The Pat Connaughton who can knock down open threes. The Pat Connaughton who can guide Notre Dame to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over a decade.