Patience key for ODU vs. Notre Dame

NEW ORLEANS

At a crew-cut and beefy-shouldered 6-foot-8 and 246 pounds, Notre Dame All-American Luke Harangody was easy to spot on the floor of the New Orleans Arena on Wednesday afternoon as the Fighting Irish prepared for their NCAA tournament game against Old Dominion today.

Come tip-off at 12:25 p.m., though, Harangody isn’t expected to be on the court. In the Notre Dame media guide, his 22.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 49 percent shooting fall under the category “off the bench.”

That’s not a typo, but a late-season change of philosophy. It’s also, apparently, one of the keys to the Irish’s late-season surge, if that term can be used to describe the 6-1 run of a team that plays offense the way Notre Dame has lately.

“Notre Dame has slowed their tempo way down,” ESPN and CBS basketball analyst Jay Bilas said Wednesday.

The reason: Harangody’s knee injury vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 11. Thought to be potentially season-ending, it forced the Irish to adopt a patient, clock-milking pace.

The question, once Harangody returned four games ago, was whether to stick with that style or go back to the faster tempo the Irish employed before Harangody got hurt.

The slower pace won, and so have the Irish. Harangody says he has adapted to life as a reserve. Notre Dame has adjusted to a slower pace, while retaining the threat that it could go up-tempo.

“I think they probably have a belief in being able to do both,” Old Dominion coach Blaine Taylor said.

Which Notre Dame style to prepare for is one of the challenges facing the Monarchs, a No. 11 seed and 2½-point underdog to No. 6 Notre Dame. But it’s one they think they can handle.

Known for a deliberate pace of its own, ODU is more versatile than given credit for, Taylor has said. Depending on the opponent, the Monarchs have been more than capable of running when  necessary.

“I like to think we can adjust and play either way and be able to hang in there,” Taylor said.

The Colonial Athletic Association offered contrasting styles, whether it was the full-court pressure of Virginia Commonwealth or the walk-it-up approach of William and Mary. Looking at tape of Notre Dame recently, there’s no doubt which team they resemble.

“Basically, they’re a bigger, more athletic William and Mary,” point guard Darius James.

Like the Tribe at its best this year, the Irish have become adept at getting good shots late in their possessions. They’ve called it their “burn” offense.

“They can wait and take it down to 12 seconds on the clock and get just as good a shot as they would have early on,” Bilas said.

Old Dominion will be required to stay patient defensively, whether in man-to-man or zone. But that’s nothing new, guard Marsharee Neely said.

“We’re pretty comfortable and pretty knowledgeable of what they do,” he said.

It’s a comfort born of success, and experience. At 26-8, with six upperclassmen among the first seven scorers and a win over nationally-ranked Georgetown on their resume, the Monarchs say they don’t feel like underdogs. They’re one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, grabbing nine more per game than their opponents. Their scoring is balanced, their bench deep.

“I think we can compete with any team,” Neely said. “It’s just a matter of our confidence and our heart.”

And maybe, of ODU’s ability to play at any pace Notre Dame might choose.

Ed Miller, (757) 446-2372, ed.miller@pilotonline.com