augustagroovebasketball.com

When I was a student at Notre Dame, the primary sport, regardless of season, was football. Basketball was an afterthought in every sense of the word. That really changed my junior year. Even though Notre Dame’s men’s team did not make the NCAA tournament, it did host 3 games of the NIT. The third and final game, against Manhattan, was a thing of beauty. LaPhonso Ellis, playing his final game at the Joyce Center, put the team on his back and led the Irish to a 74-58 victory. More importantly, the students were seated behind one of the baskets, instead of their usual spot along the sidelines. Every student at that game and the two that preceded it are convinced that we helped influence the game with our noise and enthusiasm. For a few days in March, South Bend was home to a hoops hotbed.

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