Notre Dame pulled off their biggest upset in a long time, by beating the
4th ranked Buckeyes in Columbus.  Offensive rebounds and turnovers are the
two things that one could say the Irish did poorly on Tuesday night. 
However, Notre Dame stayed with one of last year's Final Four in terms of
shooting, execution, and athleticism. 

    What is the most exciting thing about this, though?  They did it with one
senior in the lineup!  That says quite a bit about the very near future for
Matt Doherty's young Irish squad.  Picture this; In two years, Troy Murphy,
David Graves, and Harold Swanagan should all still be there as experienced
seniors.  They will be joined by will be juniors Mike Monserez, Matt Caroll,
Ivan Kartelo, and Jere Macura.  Now add Ryan Humphrey, the 6'8" transfer from
Oklahoma, and the best three or four guys that coach Matt Doherty can
recruit.  Add all of these up, and you have a major contender in the Big
East.  With the 6'11" Ivan Kartelo the Irish will add size to their speed,
giving them a big man in the middle that they have not had for some time. 
Matt Carrol, Jere Macura, and Cincinnati Moeller's Mike Monserez, all have
the potential to become major contributors, and all have the Irish coaching
staff very excited.  Matt Doherty is not only a great coach, but also a great
recruiter.  He already has enticed Ryan Humphrey to leave a tournament team
for one that failed to even make the NIT, and who knows what else this guy
can bring in.

    In a year or two, Notre Dame could very easily be a "Beast of the East." 
This year, let's see if they make the tournament.  The season is still very
young and the Irish have played only the one game, but what a game and what a
win.  If they can survive Siena in the 2nd round Thursday night, they will in
all likelihood face Arizona.  This would be the second major challenge in
three games, but hey, we knocked off the #4 team in the country at their
arena.  So I say, "Bring on the 'Cats!"