Notre Dame Basketball: Luke Harangody, Kyle McAlarney Lead the Irish

As Notre Dame's football players cleaned out their lockers in late November, Irish basketball hit the courts in the middle of their non-conference schedule.

As usual, the Irish finished with a winning mark prior to entering Big East play, but fans of the gold and blue were hesitant to celebrate, having recently experienced disappointing conference play.

But the 2008 squad tells a different story.

Led by sophomore forward Luke Harangody and junior shooting guard Kyle McAlarney, the Irish enter tonight’s contest in Connecticut with an 8-2 record in Big East play. The 18th ranked Irish also boast the third-longest winning streak in the country at 34-straight games, following a marquee 86-83 win on Saturday over the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Notre Dame began the 2008 calendar year with a win over West Virginia, and proceeded to beat UConn, Cincinnati, Villanova, Providence, DePaul, Seton Hall, and Marquette. They lost just two games during this stretch; both were on the road to Georgetown and Marquette. The team looks to get their first big road win of the year tonight at 17th-ranked UConn.

The biggest reason for this year’s success in South Bend is the complementary play of Harangody and Kyle. Harangody—averaging a Big East-leading 20.3 points per game and 10.2 rebounds—and McAlarney—averaging 15.2 points per game shooting 45.3 percent from behind the arc—have carried the team on both ends of the floor.

The forward is a big and powerful presence down low and can will the ball into the hoop through strong takes or pretty jump hooks. The guard is one of the top ball-handlers in the conference as well its deadliest shooter from three-point land. Solid defensive play from starters Tory Jackson, Rob Kurz, and Zach Hillesland aid Luke and Kyle in their quest for the Big East title.

While Notre Dame teams of the past have fallen in love with the three-pointer and lacked a presence by the hoop, this team has not. On campus there is a new and hopeful feeling about this year's squad.

Maybe it’s the scoring abilities of Harangody and McAlarney, maybe it’s the 34-game home winning streak, or maybe it’s the 8-2 record in the Big East that puts them just a game behind conference-leading Georgetown.

Whatever the reason, this year’s Irish is a force to be reckoned with, in the Big East Tournament in New York and in the NCAA Tournament come March.

With Notre Dame on the gridiron in 2007 destroying fans’ spirits, the South Bend faithful look to Irish basketball in 2008 to revive them.

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