Ole Miss in the Way of the Sweet 16
UHND.com - Frank Vitovitch
March 18, 2001
Kansas City, Missouri - After a 83-71 defeat of Xavier in
the first round on Friday night, the Irish will face #3 seeded Ole Miss with a trip to San
Antonio and the Sweet 16 on the line.
Friday night the Irish were lead by sophomore guard Matt Carroll who paced the team with 21 points and junior David Graves who made started the game after being the 6th man for much of the season. All American Troy Murphy had a quiet game by his standards with 19 points and eight rebounds while shooting only six of seventeen from the floor.
Murphy may have been cold, but the rest of the Irish squad was not. David Graves was seven for seven and Matt Carroll was nine of eleven as the duo combined for 41 points. As a team Notre Dame shot 63% from the field.
For Notre Dame to continue its march in the tournament, Troy Murphy will have to rebound with a strong game. Ole Miss struggled with Iona in the first round and escaped with the win, but make no doubt about it, the Rebels are for real. They are not a #3 seed for no reason.
Murphy and Ryan Humphrey will both need to be forces down low because Mississippi can defend the three pointer well. Notre Dame has struggled mightily in the past two seasons when they have not been able to hit their three's. However, if Ole Miss tries to double down on Murphy and gives Notre Dame open shots, Graves and Carroll could burn the Rebels big time.
This game will show just how good this Notre Dame team is. They showed flashes of brilliance in wins over Syracuse, Boston College, Cincinnati, and Georgetown, but also showed weakness in losses to Miami of Ohio and Pittsburgh in th3e Big East Tourney. A win today solidifies Notre Dame's place among the top college basketball programs in the country this year.
This game could also have an impact on Troy Murphy's decision of whether to leave for the NBA or stay for his senior year. A disappointing showing from him or the Irish could compel Murphy to return for his senior season. A win however could also push Murphy to the NBA since he will have not only went to the NCAA Tournament, but advanced to the Sweet 16. This is all of course speculation though and his decision will be based on much more than the outcome of this game.
The Sweet 16 has been the expected goal of many Irish fans this season so a loss will not please the majority of the Notre Dame fans. Many people are pleased that the Irish made the Tournament and advanced to the second round, but that alone is not good enough for players or most of the fans. Look for Notre Dame to play an inspired game. Troy Murphy will not allow himself to come up short in what could be his final college game. With Murphy's future in doubt, also look for his teammates to go out and give an all out effort for their All America and team leader
Prediction: Notre Dame 68, Ole Miss 62