Notre Dame Basketball: Keys to Fighting Irish's 2012 NCAA Tournament Run

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are back in the Big Dance. A strong 21-10 record in the regular season, a third place finish in the Big East and a fair showing in the conference tournament led Mike Brey's team to earn a No. 6 seed in the field of 64.

Despite not being as strong as they were last year, when they earned a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance, the Irish are dangerous because they play strong defense. Scoring doesn't always come easy for them, but they don't have to put up a lot to win games because they defend so well. 

While the Big East did not have the banner year that we are accustomed to seeing, the Irish had a number of quality wins during the season. They handed Syracuse its only loss of the regular season, a 67-58 game in South Bend on January 21. 

Mike Brey has found a system that is working well for the Irish, and their young talent is starting to get more comfortable playing together, so don't sleep on them when the tournament begins. 

Here is everything you need to know about Notre Dame's journey through the NCAA tournament. 

Superstars Who Must Shine

The Irish are not a team built on stars. They rely on contributions from everyone in the starting lineup and off the bench. They do have leaders on both sides of the ball that have to set the tone for the rest of the team. 

Jack Cooley

No player on this Notre Dame team has a more profound impact on the game than Cooley. He is the rock in the middle that makes the ship go. 

Though he is not a prolific scorer, Cooley is efficient with his shots. He attacks down low and shoots a high percentage in the paint. Not a lot of teams in the country are built on size, so the Irish can take advantage. 

Rebounding and defense are his greatest strengths. He averages 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He is going to have to be on point to grab the ball and turn shots away so that the Irish don't have to get into a high-scoring game. 

Jerian Grant

Grant is going to be the X-factor for the Notre Dame offense. He has a solid stat line, with 12.5 points, 4.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game, but he is not a great shooter. He tends to settle for things instead of trying to create. 

For the season, Grant shot just 39 percent from the field. That will not work since he has to set up the rest of the offense. 

Guard play is going to be critical for the Irish to advance in this NCAA tournament, and Grant is the best one they have. He has to step up his performance. 

Role Player Who Must Emerge

While it may seem like a broken record, the Irish have to find shooters wherever they can in order to put together a good run in this tournament. They don't have a lot of them, but Pat Connaughton is probably the best one on the team. 

In their victory over Syracuse back in January, Connaughton had just seven points, but he hit two critical three pointers that cut off any momentum the Orange were hoping to build. 

Connaughton is not the most athletic player on this team. He doesn't have the ability to create his own shot with the ball in his hands, which means he is going to need help from Jerian Green.

Beyond the arc, he is as confident as any player on this team. He doesn't shoot a great percentage, just 34.9 for the season, but he wants to be the one to take the shot in the big moment. Every team needs a player like that, and Connaughton has emerged as the man for the Irish. 

Offensive Strategy to Watch

There is not a lot of pizzazz or flash to what the Irish do on offense. In order for them to have success, they must find ways to create high-percentage shots.

Power and speed are not two traits that this team was blessed with, so they have to rely on instincts and feeling out what an opposing defense is going to give them. There have been times in the regular season when that worked out; other times it has left them looking lethargic. 

Jack Cooley has to establish position in the paint early. In doing so, the Irish can keep games close before letting their defense take over. They can't afford to miss shots early, or else their confidence will be shaken and they will start forcing the ball up. 

Defensive Strategy to Watch

This is where the Irish have shined virtually all season long. With the exception of a game against Missouri early, they have been lights out on defense. Mike Brey knows that his team needs to smother opposing teams in order to keep his squad in it for all 40 minutes, and the players have executed very well. 

They finished 44th overall in points allowed this season (61.7) and 57th in opponent's field goal percentage (40.8). Those numbers are good and tell you how the Irish have been successful this season, but where they really shine is defending the three. Opposing teams hit just 30.4 percent of shots beyond the arc. 

Defensive rebounding is something that the Irish have to get more efficient at. We know they can hold teams to a low shooting percentage, but their 22.6 defensive rebounds per game is 94th in the country. Since they run a bland offensive scheme, rebounding is paramount to their success in this tournament. 

Biggest NCAA Tournament Hurdle

Notre Dame has gotten by this season with strong defense that creates opportunities for the offense. The Irish aren't going to outscore anyone. They finished 188th in field goal percentage (43.2) and 203rd in the country in points per game (66.5). 

They have to be on lockdown for 40 minutes, because they don't have the shooters to bring them back from a large deficit. 

As long as the Irish are able to keep the score low early, they will have a chance to win every game. Where they get in trouble is when teams come out hitting shots. That shatters their confidence on defense and the offense feels the pressure to perform. 

Jack Cooley is a handful in the paint, but he is one-dimensional. They need to get Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins going. 

Xavier will give them problems right out of the gate because of their efficient offense. Duke is another problem matchup in the second round due to their athleticism and ability to shoot the ball from the outside. 

Last-Second NCAA Tournament Prediction

Notre Dame was able to succeed in the Big East this season because the conference plays a style that fits what the Irish want to do. Unfortunately, it is not conducive to winning a lot of NCAA tournament games. 

Right out of the gate, the Irish have to take on Xavier. The Musketeers are an underrated shooting team. They don't light up the scoreboard, but they will make a high-percentage of shots. 

Unless the Irish can contain Dezmine Wells and Mark Lyons, they are going to get blown out of the water in the first round. It is not an ideal matchup for them, so don't expect to see many Irish eyes smiling on Friday night. 

Xavier will get the best of Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA tournament, leaving Mike Brey with a lot of questions heading into next season.