Expectations
UHND.com - Ed, "Irishmania"
July 3, 2000

The men's basketball team at Notre Dame has gone through plenty of changes this past year.  A new coach has brought in a new attitude, a new work ethic and a new focus.  With the success of the past year another change has started taking place and will continue to do so in the future.  That change is expectations.

The expectations for the upcoming basketball season have never been greater in well over a decade.  Usually the summer months are encompassed with thoughts about Notre Dame football.  The basketball program has usually been rendered an afterthought by most ND sports fans and only mentioned among the true die hard basketball fans.

This year however everything has changed.  Not only has Doherty created expectations among faithful Irish followers but the return of Murphy for his junior year along with OU transfer Ryan Humphrey, a strong returning core of players and some potentially exciting freshman has contributed to that feeling.   Doherty's second recruiting class has insured even higher expectations for the future.

But what about the upcoming season?  What are fair expectations and what are unrealistic expectations?  Year after year it was always about getting at or above .500 and securing an NIT invite.  Obviously this year the bar has been raised.  Getting to the Big Dance isn't just a goal anymore, next season it's considered a given.  Will getting to the 64 man field be enough?  Is it the next logical plateau to reach?  If and when the Irish do get into the tournament is it expected for them to do some damage?  Is one win and out good enough progress considering the immense progress the program made in Doherty's first year?  Looking at the talent the Irish will possess next year should the bar be raised to a Sweet 16 type level?

Anyone who followed the Irish last year and who knows Doherty can tell you that he will put no limitation on his team.  He sets high goals for his team and tries to teach them how to strive to be the best regardless of what's "expected" of them.

Looking at the Irish basketball program it might be best to expect great things.  For the Irish to be great they first have to dare to be great.  If this program doesn't expect to do great things this year then they won't.   For Notre Dame basketball to achieve championship status they need to truly believe they can.  Before anything you need to believe.  Doherty seems to thrive on challenges and he's continually teaching his kids to do the same.  He's the type of coach who can convince kids to believe that they can do anything.

This year will definitely be a test for the Irish.   For a team to come out of nowhere for one year and make a run in a tournament can be considered luck.  But when you are a Duke, a North Carolina or a Kentucky and do it year in and year out with all the expectations and pressure involved you know you have a national championship caliber program.  Obviously Notre Dame is not at that level yet but that is the level this program aspires to attain.

As fans I think putting a limit on next season's expectations would be selling Doherty and his kids short.  Did anybody truly expect a runner up finish in the NIT last year?  But remember, regardless of what we fans expect from the team next year it will not match the expectations of the coaching staff and players.  After all, they are the ones who put in all the long hours and hard work to be the best they can be.

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