The Observer | ndsmcobserver.com page 2 | ndsmcobserver.com The Observer u IRISH INSIDER Friday, March 23, 2012 COMMENTARY Irish ready to reach consecutive Final Fours Six points. That is how close built a tradition of excellence Notre Dame came to winning a that accepts nothing less than national championship last sea- runs at national championships son. Six points. The Irish did every year. She got her first in the seemingly impossible: They 2001 with Ring of Honor resi- knocked off both Tennessee dent Ruth Reilly and current and Connecticut in consecutive assistant coach Niele Ivey. This games to year, it seems as though she advance has all the pieces again. to the The Irish have arguably the national best player in the nation in Dig- champion- gins, a Naismith Award final- ship game. ist. They have a dominant post Forty player in Peters. They have a minutes of lockdown defender in Brittany basketball Mallory. They have a pure scor- against er in Novosel, and they have a Texas strong all-around, young player A&M was Matthew Robison in Kayla McBride. They are all that deep off the bench and they remained Sports Writer play good team defense. between For those reasons and more, Notre Dame for the Irish not to make it out and a title. of Raleigh with a ticket to the But the Irish fell short. Six Final Four would be nothing points. Undoubtedly, the loss less than disappointing. On top haunts coach Muffet McGraw of holding the No. 1 seed in the SARAH O’CONNOR/The Observer and the Irish. But it has only bracket, the Irish have a favor- made them hungrier. One only able draw. It may be demand- Irish junior guard Skylar Diggins dribbles the ball during Notre Dame’s 66-47 victory over has to look at the fire in the ing a lot, but it is not demand- Providence at Purcell Pavilion on Feb. 14. Diggins had 19 points and five assists in the game. eyes of Skylar Diggins as she ing too much. drives to the basket, the con- Should the Irish beat No. 5 centration on Natalie Novosel’s St. Bonaventure in the regional Bonnies stand in way of Elite Eight face as she slashes for a run- semifinal, the possibility of ning jumper or the look of fury a rematch with Texas A&M on Devereaux Peters’ face as awaits. The No. 2 seed is Mary- By MOLLY SAMMON defensive aid of graduate stu- games that helped them reach she gobbles up rebound after land, the ACC champion. Losing Senior Sports Writer dent forward Devereaux Peters, this point. First, the Bonnies offensive rebound. to any of those teams would who averaged 12.3 rebounds topped Florida Gulf Coast in This Notre Dame team looks be unacceptable with the Top-seeded Notre Dame and 3.4 blocks per game in 2012. overtime 72-65 followed by a ready. The Irish have already degree of excellence McGraw knows the routine of Sweet 16 “They are very good 3-point 66-63 win over Marist after knocked off Tennessee, they demands. competition well, as this week- shooting team, they’re very ath- a failed attempt from the Red have already beaten Connecti- The future is certainly bright end’s regional semifinal in Ra- letic, they move the ball really Foxes to tie the game before the cut twice, and the only blem- for Notre Dame, but the present leigh, N.C. is its third appear- well and they do not cause a lot buzzer. ishes on their record so far is just as brilliant. ance in three years this far in of turnovers, so it is going to be The competition on the court are a loss to undefeated No. 1 Every year, the challenge the tournament. But its next a good test for us really defen- is not the only matchup between Baylor, a surprising home upset of winning a national cham- opponent, fifth-seeded St. Bo- sively,” Peters said. Notre Dame and St. Bonaven- at the hands of West Virginia pionship will get harder. The naventure, is a new challenge Peters said that St. Bonaven- ture. Bonnies’ coach Jim Craw- and a disappointing loss to the parity that was once lacking in for the Irish. ture’s way of structuring an out- ley and McGraw are both final- Huskies in the Big East champi- collegiate women’s basketball “[The Sweet 16] is where we side offensive strategy looks like ists for the Naismith Women’s onship game. is developing. One game in expect to be every year, and what she is used to seeing inside Coach of the Year. The road to the national particular points to that trend. now from here on out anything the Big East. McGraw said junior guard championship continues in In the Des Moines bracket, No. can happen,” Irish coach Muffet “I’m just going to play outside Skylar Diggins wears many hats Raleigh this weekend. In their 11 Kansas knocked off No. 3 McGraw said. a little bit more, and definitely while on the court and is critical first two games of the NCAA Delaware. That points to parity Not only is this year the Bon- on offense we’re going to look to Notre Dame’s success on both tournament, the Irish have for two reasons: Delaware, a nies’ first time to compete at the in because they’re more of a ends of the floor. dominated three of four halves mid-major team, locked up a regional semifinal level, this is guard-oriented team,” Peters “[Skylar is] just doing what- of basketball. California man- No. 3 seed in the bracket, and the first year they have qualified said. “We’re going to look in a ever we need her to do. She had aged to keep it tied through the Kansas advanced to the Sweet for the national tournament. little more. I just have to play nine rebounds in the first game, first half of the second round Sixteen as a No. 11 seed. “I think they are a team that guards, which helps a little bit scored 20 points in the second, matchup, but Notre Dame took Women’s basketball is you look and you have not heard because I am usually trying to so she’s really ready,” McGraw control in the second. The becoming a more dynamic a lot about them, so it is easy to usually play that in the Big East. said. “She wants to score, she electricity of the crowd in the game. In that respect, there is look past them and think that Teams like Villanova that play wants to help us win, and if that Purcell Pavilion on Sunday and no better time for Notre Dame we are just going to concentrate a lot of side offense with a lot of means she needs to score, she’ll Tuesday nights was palpable. to capitalize and take home on the next game,” McGraw guards. It shouldn’t be that big do it. She’s comfortable getting Indeed, McGraw picked up the another national title. said. “But this is a really good of a difference for us.” the assist, getting good steal, public address announcer’s It’s Denver or bust. The time team. They’re number one in The Irish played their first two playing good defense, she’ll do a microphone after the game, is now. the nation in turnover margin, rounds of the NCAA tournament little bit of everything. telling the crowd there was no they do not turn the ball over at the Purcell Pavilion, and the “The big stage is the big place way Notre Dame would have Contact Matthew Robison at and they shoot it really well. trip to Raleigh starts what really for her. She really plays well as won without that support. [email protected] They have the No. 1 three-point feel like a tournament, McGraw the competition steps up.” The best news for Irish fans The views expressed in this shooter in the country.” said. A win against the Bonnies is that trips to the Final Four column are those of the author The Irish and Bonnies share “It has a tournament feel would advance the Irish to face have become what are expect- and not necessarily those of an identical 31-1 record heading when you’re traveling and you the winner of second-seeded ed for Notre Dame. McGraw has The Observer. into their third round match-up. get to have the team to yourself, Maryland and third-seeded Tex- The Irish finished the season at watch a lot more film and do a as A&M in the elite eight, each No. 4 with losses to top-ranked lot more things with them,” Mc- an underdog to Notre Dame’s Baylor and Big East opponents Graw said. place atop the regional. Connecticut and West Virginia. At home, Notre Dame beat “This time we’re the No. 1 St. Bonaventure fell to Dela- Liberty 74-43 in the first round. seed, and I think that puts a lit- ware, Villanova and Dayton In its second game of the tour- tle different look on it,” McGraw twice, once in the regular sea- nament, eighth-seeded Califor- said. “I think that there is maybe son and in the Atlantic-10 con- nia was tied with the Irish at a little more pressure on us, but ference tournament final. halftime, but Notre Dame took we’re trying really not to think “We beat three No. 2 seeds in off on a 10-2 run at the begin- about that.