Irish Player Notes: Kennesaw State

Our player-by-player recap of Notre Dame's 80-62 victory over Kennesaw State tonight at the Purcell Pavilion.

Luke Harangody

• Misses a pick-and-pop open 3 but works free after a Jackson offensive board for a 15-footer in the lane.
• Knocks down a kick-out 3 on a pass from Nash on the low block.
• Hits an open 12-footer from the corner on a drive and feed from Hansbrough
• A little flat on a turn and shoot from 17-feet in the left corner
• Finishes with an open layup after maintaining excellent post position (feed from Hansbrough)
• Position offensive board and bucket plus foul after a Abro miss inside.
• General Observation: ND would struggle to go .500 in non-conference play without Harangody
• Strong rebound in traffic leads to outlet pass to Jackson who hits Hansbrough on the left wing for a transition 3.
• Another awkward, successful finish in the lane. Harangody is a unique, incredible college basketball scorer
• General Observation: If the entire world played a game of “21” (or “Wild 21” for the old-timers)…Harangody would be the champion. (Maybe LeBron).

2nd Half:

• Called for consecutive player control fouls (first two fouls) prior to 17:30 mark of 2nd half.
• Later draws consecutive reach-in fouls in the post (and glares at fallen defender on No. 2). I’m all for it….
• Misses pet shot over left shoulder after a back-in move to the post
• Drives (left-hand) down the lane and finds Jackson on right block for an easy layup
• Helps break the press and find Abromaitis underneath for a contested layup
• Called for his 3rd charge, this time leading the break
• BIG BOARD Becomes 5th player in Irish history to grab 1,000 rebounds: Tom Hawkins, Walt Sahm, Laphonso Ellis (in attendance per usual as the radio voice of the Irish), Bob Whitmore and Big Luke make up he exclusive list. Harangody is 319 boards away from breaking from Hawkins’ career mark set in 1959.
• Another day at the office: 29 points and 15 boards for the big man.

Ben Hansbrough

• Finds Nash underneath with a reversal pass from the right elbow (Nash fouled and hits 1-2).
• Draws the foul with a shot-fake and drive to the hole on the left side. Hansbrough had little chance of finishing, it will be interesting to see if he can draw these fouls vs. Big East foes.
• Can’t finish trying to draw a foul on a right elbow drive (Hansbrough is not yet 100 percent from an injury suffered vs. Long Beach State).
• Drills open transition 3 from Jackson

2nd Half:

• Finds Peoples for an open 10-footer on the baseline with a pass across the lane
• Still a bit gimpy (ankle) and tweaked it again tonight.

Tory Jackson

• Knocks down a corner J on a feed from Nash out of a post double-team.
• Short on spot-up 3 from right wing (after clanking bail-out 3 with shot clock winding down on previous possession)
• Blocked shot denies point guard penetration

2nd Half:

• Backed down for a post bucket by Markeith Cummings
• Hits spinning layup in the lane for bucket and foul (barely nicks rim on FT)
• Strong drive down the right side rims out but Harangody is there for bucket and foul
• Sloppy on advantage break as he hits Abromaitis with a tough pass on the left but Abro was the only ND player with a defender near to contest him. Pull-up jumper in this 3-2 situation would be ideal if it were in the arsenal

Tyrone Nash

• Solid move over his right shoulder (left-handed player) to draw the foul in the post (bucket good but did not count).
• (1-2 from the line on a feed from Hansbrough). Nash’s release point on his free throws is bordering on almost acceptable this year, so we have that going for us.
• Nice effort to keep an offensive board alive, eventually leading to a Jackson-to-Harangody mid-range jumper.
• Draws a foul (bad call) with a up and under move from 4-feet (hits both)
• Misses awkward (wide open) right handed-layup on transition feed from Harangody. Went up left-handed and tried to adjust in mid-air.

2nd Half:

• Elbow feed to Luke for an easy reverse layup
• Again fails to finish with right hand, this time in transition
• Solid floor game with 8 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, no turnovers.

Jonathan Peoples

• Bangs home a left wing three on a nice skip pass from Harangody (face-up, not in the post).
• Good defensive board in traffic but loses control at the other end then commits defensive foul running over a pick
• Another good defensive board in traffic is fouled by another turnover, this time in the backcourt for a layup and bad foul on Peoples (missed FT)
• Peoples goes hard to the hole on the next play to draw the 2-shot foul. Good job by Brey keeping Peoples in after a mental mistake; they need him this year. Then he proves me wrong by missing both FT…

2nd Half:

• Beaten across the line by a hard drive.
• Short on a corner J and he might have had Hansbrough on a backdoor cut down the pike
• Lazy post-feed to Nash knocked out of bounds
• Strong drive and feed to Harangody for the dunk attempt (foul) as the shot-clock winds down
• Nails baseline 3 on feed from Harangody
• Turnover vs. press at other end after made hoop but Hansbrough bails him out with a steal right back

Tim Abromaitis

• Checks in for Nash at 12:39
• After missing short from the corner, Abro finishes at the hole on an offensive rebound/pass from Scott.
• Misses a corner 3 on the next possession after a drive and kick from Hansbrough (the corner has been Abro’s spot over the first three games)
• Misses 3rd open corner 3 on pass from Jackson (Kennesaw State has been trapping out top if you’re wondering why the corners are uncovered)
• Called for a charge (not sure about the call) as he buries a 5-footer

2nd Half:

• Checks in near 18:00 mark 2nd half
• Offensive board leads to power Harangody layup 10 seconds later
• Keeps board alive with diving save on the baseline (Harangody misses bucket and Scott loses control after a strong offensive board)
• Finishes with a baseline dunk on a feed from Peoples (described in Scott’s note below)
• Drills right wing 3 on next possession (from Jackson)
• Good effort for defensive board in traffic with 12-point lead (6:09 remaining). Drew the foul and hit both free throws.
• 12 points off the bench, his fifth consecutive game in double figures this season.

Carleton Scott

• Checks in for Peoples at 12:39
• Consecutive authoritative defensive boards
• Played the passing lane and creates steal, bucket for Irish at other end

2nd Half:

• Checks in at 17:30 mark of 2nd half
• Hustles back for transition board defensively
• Defensive board in traffic leads to Jackson spinning layup and foul at the other end.
• Rebounds (badly) missed Jackson free throw and hits Abro for an open 3 up top.
• Fouled (next series) on baseline J - an aggressive two minutes for Scott, who ranks as the key to the season with Scott Martin out (and zero inside presence other than possibly the junior from San Antonio, defensively). Scott hits both free throws
• Rebounds air-balled Harangody 3-pointer and draws foul on putback (already his best game in an Irish uniform). Scott hits 1-2 for a 45-35 advantage.
• Rebounds Harangody miss the collects own miss for short hook in the lane
• (Hopeful) Observation: November 24: Scott’s arrival as a college basketball player…
• Replaced by Abro and exhorts his teammate to keep the momentum goin - Abro immediately flushes a baseline dunk on a feed from Peoples. Scott received a nice ovation when he came off the floor
• Hits quick turnaround J from right elbow on feed from Peoples with clock winding down
• Defensive board and outlet leads to Harangody dunk at the other end
• Seven points and a career-best 11 boards for the junior.

Mike Broghammer

• Enters for Hansbrough after 9:48 timeout
• Loses control of offensive board after a missed Jackson 3

2nd Half:

• Checks in at 2:40 in 2nd half
• Hits 1-2 after Brooks feed on the break. Broghammer has a soft touch at the line (with a quirky pre-shot routine). He’ll be a fine free throw shooting big man as an upperclassmen in the rhythm of the game

Joey Brooks

• Checks in at 2:40 in 2nd Half
• Beats press and hits Broghammer underneath (two free throws)
• Sweet crossover move in transition late to draw foul (1-2).

Jack Cooley

• Checks in at 2:40 of 2nd Half
• Bucket on offensive board after Brooks miss
• Battles for offensive board and free throws after Kopko miss from the corner. Misses both.

Tom Kopko and Tim Andree

• Check in at 1:42 in 2nd Half:
• Andree hits offensive rebound bucket after Broghammer and Cooley keep the ball alive