I would like to applaud the efforts of the Irish Men's Basketball team in Wednesday night's heartbreaking loss to Louisville. I admit that my first reaction to the final buzzer sounding was anger and doubt. I wondered if the team will win another game this season. I thought that our players were not "clutch." After my heart stopped pounding and I took a well-deserved seat, I began to see the game for what it was (other than an inconsistent display of refereeing).
The four years I have been here have been a roller coaster of hard-court emotions. In 2007 and 2008 we completely exceeded expectations. Our home court was defended to the tune of the nation's longest winning streak. Men's basketball slowly became worthy of a massive jump in student ticket prices because of the quality of play. Even my father, who used to hate sports with a passion, now calls me before and after every game to hear my opinions. The team manages to earn respect in the toughest conference in the country. The game against Louisville was a testament to the players' resilience and hard work. We lost, but even the announcers could not help rooting for us.
I was worried that our team would be horrible next year without Jackson and Harangody (in that order). But tonight proved to me that we will be competitive, if not pretty good. The players who kept us in the game tonight were the guys that are going to be on the court next year and for the next few seasons. Thank you for making Notre Dame basketball exciting to watch. I'd rather be disappointed in a team that lost on the road to a perennial power than convinced that we never had a chance in the first place. Go out and win the rest of our regular season games — starting with Pitt! Win two or three games in the Big East tournament. Make it difficult for the selection committee to leave us out.
George Kiamos
senior
off campus
Feb. 17
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
