Recap: Notre Dame
Jan. 27, 2009 7:08 p.m.
MU did not practice today in the wake of its 71-64 victory over Notre Dame on Monday night.
Dominic James, who went down with leg cramps late in the game, was said to be fine today and expected to practice tomorrow as usual.
Here's some more coming out of Notre Dame:
-- I asked Wesley Matthews if he and his teammates have discussed what they've accomplished to this point.
"We've said it in bits and pieces," he said. "They keep saying that we haven't played anybody and we're going to fall off at some point. Well, we're going to keep working until that day. Nothing can change what we do and how we work and where our minds are. We're just excited for the next day.
"You reap what you sow. We're putting a lot of work in right now, and it's showing on the court."
-- MU is now 4-0 on the road, 3-0 in the Big East. I asked Jerel McNeal what the difference has been compared to last year.
"Just the maturity and doing all the stuff that we need to do," he said. "Keeping our poise, playing together and defending hard. As long as we keep doing that, I'm not worried about anything. There's going to be some tough ones to come on the road, but as long as we keep playing together and doing the things we need to do, I have unbelievable confidence in this team."
-- MU turned the game around, not coincidentally, when it changed its mind set regarding the three-point shot midway through the second half.
Instead of settling for long jumpers -- the Golden Eagles finished just 5 for 22 overall -- they began attacking the basket, and with great success. Thanks to a run of layups and shots within about six feet of the basket, they were finally able to grab control of the game down the stretch.
"It's not the threes; it's how quick the shot is coming," said Williams. "If we don't score in primary, we want to get the ball reversed so the defense has to shift, and then drive it. And too many times we were making one pass, two passes, catch and shoot. Too many east-west, nothing going north-south off the pass or the bounce.
"It was eerily similar to how we played in segments against DePaul. I mean, we attempted two free throws in the first half. That's not healthy for our team because that means we're just a jump-shooting team, and we're not going to win any games, at home or on the road, just being a jump-shooting team."
Matthews concurred.
"Our maturity means a lot and we've bought into what Buzz and the coaching staff has been talking about," Matthews said. "At times in the first half we felt we had matchups or we could go 1-on-1 and try to carry the team individually, and it didn't work. We broke out of that habit in the second half and it took off from there.
"We're drawing a whole bunch of different defenses, and we've got to keep recognizing it and keep doing what we're doing, making us successful."
-- Matthews liked what he saw defensively, especially with regards to how MU was able to hold Harangody to just four points over the final 12 or so minutes.
"It's impressive. Something you can hang your hat on further down the road," he said. "We've got Georgetown coming up -- Monroe, Summers, they've got players. We're going to have to be like, 'OK, Harangody gave us 27, yeah, he hit crazy shots, but when it was the guts of the game he got one field goal. We've got to know we can do that to people."
-- MU is now 2-0 in games Williams inserts Maurice Acker in the second half to give the Golden Eagles an ultra-small, ultra-quick lineup.
"It's been working," Matthews said. "Teams are still going to have to match up to us. We'll put our hearts up, our fight, our will against anybody in the country. That's just how we work, all we know. Roll the dice and play hard."
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