Rich Hidy, Sports Editor

Is 2013 the year for seventh seeded Irish Basketball and Head Coach Mike Brey to cash in on extensive tournament success in the team’s 33rd appearance? Well, the experts call it March Madness for a reason. Literally anything can happen when the tournament kicks off on March 19 with the goal of each of the 68 teams represented to make it to the Final Four in Atlanta. Last year, 15th seeds Norfolk State and Lehigh stunned Missouri and Duke respectively in the second round. This year should contain even more surprises considering there is no dominant team in college basketball; needless to say, expect as much pageantry and drama as ever in March Madness this season. I will be shocked if more than a single team with the distinction of a one seed survives the knockout punches of each team with upset potential. Personally, I have not picked a single one seed heading to Atlanta.

Based on past indications of the Mike Brey coached-Fighting Irish, your average Notre Dame fan would not expect much of a winning streak over the next couple weeks. I am on the other end of the spectrum of the widely accepted belief on campus and throughout ND Nation that the Irish will get knocked out early. I predict the Irish to have some semblance of success in the tournament. Whether that means defeating only Iowa State in the second round, upsetting Ohio State in the third round, or something more that remains to be seen. In my personal bracket, I have the Irish advancing to the Sweet 16 to face Arizona.

Last season, the Irish fell to Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament (first round if you don’t consider play-in games). The Irish played with the same lineup they carry into the tournament in 2013 with the exception of a healthy Scott Martin in 2012. Xavier was arguably the most underrated team in last season’s tournament, making it to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years as a 12 seed. The Musketeers featured Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons, who formed perhaps the best backcourt in college basketball at the time. Freshman stud Dez Wells and seven-footer Kenny Frease were also on that team. The loss was difficult to absorb considering the Irish took a two point lead into halftime and ended up with a deficit of just four points (67-63), a loss that Jerian Grant says still haunts him to this day.

A team led by Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis catapulted the Irish to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in 2011 with a 69-56 victory over Akron, but followed a solid performance with one of their worst with a 71-57 loss at the hands of Florida State. Credit Notre Dame for making the tournament the past three seasons; however, Notre Dame has not been represented in the Sweet 16 since 2003, when it lost to Arizona 88-71.

The Irish are 31-36 in the tourney overall with their sole Final Four berth in 1978 under current ESPN analyst Digger Phelps and standout players like Bill Laimbeer, who gave Michael Jordan fits in the NBA, and Orlando Woolrich. The tournament began in 1953 with moderate success from John Jordan and John Dee Jr. before Phelps. The Irish collected 8 tournament wins under Jordan but didn’t make it past two wins in postseason play. Dee Jr. earned a single tournament victory in 1970 with a 112-82 win over Ohio, but lost in the third place game to Iowa. Notre Dame didn’t make the tournament during a 10-year stretch from 1990-2000. John MacLeod and Mike Doherty were highly unsuccessful in their tenures with Notre Dame over that stretch of time. Mike Brey took over in 2001 and made it to the tournament in his first season with the team after taking the job following a tenure with Delaware, winning a game over Xavier 83-71 and furthering the momentum to three straight tournament appearances, culminating in the 2003 Sweet 16.

Notre Dame has had its rough patches under Brey. The Irish failed to make the cut from 2004-06 and in 2009, just one year after an opening round win against George Mason. Why is this team different than the others under Brey? First, the scoring isn’t concentrated to one player. The Irish have a variety of potent offensive options. Jerian Grant can score with anyone, and when he is shooting well, the Irish normally win. The junior guard averages 13.4 points and 5.6 assists per game, including scoring over 15 points in eight of Notre Dame’s wins and over 20 in three Irish victories.

Jack Cooley needs to come back to form after being a disappointment in the Big East Championship tournament. The senior leader usually comes up in the clutch, going perfect from the field in the tournament last year. Finally, the Irish need bench production from Garrick Sherman, Cam Biedscheid, and Zach Auguste, who have each played major roles at some point this season.

Nobody, not even the experts, know what’s going to happen for sure, but with St. Patrick’s Day just in the rear view mirror, the “Luck of the Irish” may very well come into play.

Rich Hidy is a First Year of Studies student who is entering Mendoza College of Business next year. If you want to know the rest of his bracket predictions email him at rhidy@nd.edu.