Harangody Returns to Notre Dame lineup- Impact on Notre Dame?
Luke Harangody is Notre Dame's All-America senior forward who leads the conference in points per game (23.3) and third in rebounding (9.7). He can be one of the most physically dominating players in the nation with his versatile scoring from the perimeter or in the low post and nose for the ball. As Harangody missed five straight games, and part of a sixth with a bone bruise, the Irish has seemingly been a much better team. They have knocked off two of the Big East's best in Pittsburgh and Georgetown and then won battles against UConn and Marquette- all without the preseason player of the year. Notre Dame looks more balanced on offense and plays more aggressive defense without their burly forward on the court. This may attributed to the Irish normally relying and depending on Harangody's prowess to score the ball, but without him, the team has spread the ball out, using a variety of cuts and screens to get open; they use more of the shot clock and move the ball around more on offense. Carleton Scott has proven to be a more-than-capable fill-in for Harangody, averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds over the last three games, including the game-tying 3-pointer against Marquette this weekend. With Harangody still working his way back into the rotation, its quite possible that he will not come back to having the same impact for the Irish.
By Corey Ruff - President - 3-7-10
