Notre Dame Fighting Irish Will Luke (Haran)Goody On The Court In 2010

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

With these new additions, as well as the core members from last year's team, the Irish figure to have at least a solid seven-man rotation comprised of Jackson, Peoples, Nash, Scott, Harangody, Hansbrough, and Martin.

Look for Head Coach Mike Brey to try and get the freshman class involved as well to ensure fresh legs down the stretch for the Irish. 

The Fighting Irish figure to have the element of surprise on their side next year, with all the new faces and a likely underwhelming pre-season ranking. That could bode well for the Irish, however.

In the past, the Irish have been at their best when the "experts" have thought nothing of them.  Flying under the radar helped them reach the 2007 NCAA tournament field and advance in the 2008 NCAA tournament.  In both years, the Irish were not highly ranked or viewed as major threats in the NCAA tournament field.

As we saw last year, the high expectations of a team once ranked in the top ten of both major polls eventually doomed them.  The Irish were dealt a tricky schedule, but elite teams are supposed to be able to navigate their way through rough patches of games.  We saw that last year's squad was certainly not elite.

But the magic of sport is that there is always next year (except for Cubs fans, but that's another story). 

With their star forward back on the court, as well as the experienced back court of Jackson and Peoples, the Irish should be able to compete every night.

New additions Hansbrough and Martin only figure to strengthen the Irish rotation and give them enough bodies to run and bang with the highly competitive Big East Conference. 

The Irish figure to rely heavily on Jackson and Harangody. The loss of seniors McAlarney, Ayers, Zach Hillesland, and Luke Zeller will also be easier to stomach with the additions and improved play from the returning group.

Luke out for next year's Irish Basketball Team, because they don't figure to dominate the headlines in the pre-season, which is exactly how they will want it.

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