Emma: Fighting Irish Primed For Special Season
By Chris Emma-
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (CBS) -- The final seconds were ticking off the game of the year to this point in the college basketball season.
No. 8 Notre Dame had overcome a 10-point deficit and was moments away from topping No. 4 Duke, 77-73, and Purcell Pavilion was ready to party Wednesday night. Likely top pick and Blue Devils phenom Jahlil Okafor hurdled over Jerian Grant as the final seconds ticked off, trying to get one more bucket for his 22-point total. After the buzzer, Fighting Irish teammates approached Grant with hugs, but his eyes were elsewhere.
Grant, the senior guard who posted a game-high 23 points, rushed in front of the jam-packed student section and waved his arms. Rushing the court is a time-honored ritual for upsets, a game few expected a victory. This was a statement that Grant and the Irish knew they would make.
Perhaps the only man who could stop thousands of students from rushing the court was Grant, who could do no wrong in Wednesday's win.
"God, he loves the moment," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said of Grant. "He's such a bright-lights, big-stage guy. He's really clutch."
In a full 40 minutes on the floor, Grant hit a three from close to Michigan City, nailed a near-miracle jumper in crunch time, then offered a delicious dish to Steve Vasturia for the dagger 3-pointer.
Grant's heroics came after Notre Dame (20-2) rallied back with a 14-2 run, unlikely against an elite Duke team. But he delivered.
"He has always been the kid that makes the right play," Irish guard Pat Connaughton said. "It's never about him getting the points. It's all about him making the winning play."
A year ago, Grant wasn't hitting the big shots for the Irish. Academic issues forced him away from the team. This matters at Notre Dame, where a promising season fell to nothing.
Now, Grant is part of a Notre Dame team that ranks third in the nation at 81.3 points per game with a loaded lineup that features four players posting double-figure scoring averages. This could be the strongest Irish team since Digger Phelps led the 1977-'78 squad to the Final Four.
Brey has his best team in 15 seasons at Notre Dame, a group poised for a run deep in the NCAA Tournament.
"They're competitors, they're winners, and then (Brey) puts them in a position where they can do things well, offensively and defensively," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Added Brey: "I'm proud of my group. We continue to get better. It's (almost) February, and we're still getting better."
What made this win special for Notre Dame was that it was against Duke, the perrenial ACC and national power. The dominating force that is Okafor was in full form. Heck, the Irish fell behind by 10 and still prevailed.
"It's the winning mentality," Connaughton said. "There's just something about us that when we're down, we never think we are out. We are able to rally around each other."
Added Grant: "It's huge. We beat a top-five program, it's Duke, and we are 8-1 in the ACC. That's really the most important thing, just getting another win."
Krzyzewski was dealt defeat No. 309 to his 1,000 wins, while Notre Dame became the first major-conference team in college basketball to 20 wins. The Irish earned a memorable victory over the blueblood Duke Blue Devils.
None of this surprised the Irish a group with that winning drive. If fans ready to rush the court were overwhelmed, they shouldn't be. Notre Dame is worthy of wins like this and can keep doing it deep into March.
Follow Chris Emma on Twitter @CEmma670.
