One of the great college basketball careers in the history of the Big East Conference will end in a couple of weeks when Luke Harangody completes a record-setting career for the Fighting Irish. But, when No. 12 Pitt faces Notre Dame tonight at the Joyce Center, Harangody will not be in the lineup.
He will miss his third consecutive game with a bone bruise in his right knee. Harangody, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound senior who had been targeting Pitt as his return game, tried to practice Monday afternoon, but lasted only 15 minutes. Afterward, coach Mike Brey told reporters that he would not play against Pitt.
That means Pitt coach Jamie Dixon and his staff must retool their game plan for the Fighting Irish, who lost their previous two games without Harangody and five of their past seven overall. Dixon said Monday that the Panthers were game-planning as if Harangody would play.
Harangody, averaging 24.1 points and 10 rebounds per game, was Notre Dame's only serious offensive threat in the post. The Irish are a perimeter-oriented team without their star center.
The Irish shot 24 3-pointers in their most recent loss, a 91-89 setback in double overtime against Louisville. In the other game without Harangody, a 69-68 loss at St. John's, the Irish took 20 3-pointers.
The Irish were competitive in both games because they were making a lot of those 3-point attempts. They were 10 for 20 against St. John's and 10 for 24 against Louisville.
It was not a two-game spurt. Notre Dame remains a dangerous team against Pitt because it is shooting 41 percent from 3-point range for the season.
Junior forward Tim Abromaitis is shooting 49.5 percent and senior guard Ben Hansbrough 45 percent.
Pitt has been able to defend the 3-point shot well all season and was tested by two of the top 3-point shooting teams in the conference in their past two outings.
Marquette is the best 3-point shooting team in the league and managed to make 5 of 19 from behind the arc against the Panthers last week. Villanova, another strong outside team, was 6 for 14 from 3-point range.
Pitt's opponents are shooting 30.5 percent from 3-point land.
Pitt has a 6-1 record in games played at Notre Dame under Dixon, but the Panthers lost the previous time they visited the Joyce Center. One of the main reasons was Notre Dame point guard Tory Jackson, who grabbed 13 rebounds and led the Irish back from an 11-point second-half deficit to win, 82-70.
"I reminded them about the game a couple of years ago when he almost beat us by himself," Dixon said. "He's a senior who has been around. He's a different type of point guard. He's physical, strong and can shoot it. He also does things on the interior that most point guards can't do."
Notre Dame has been bothered by the injury bug all season. Scott Martin, a transfer from Purdue who was expected to start and be a major contributor, has missed the entire season with a knee injury.
Unless Notre Dame wins its final four games to make a compelling case to the NCAA tournament committee, the Irish will miss the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the past seven seasons.
He will miss his third consecutive game with a bone bruise in his right knee. Harangody, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound senior who had been targeting Pitt as his return game, tried to practice Monday afternoon, but lasted only 15 minutes. Afterward, coach Mike Brey told reporters that he would not play against Pitt.
That means Pitt coach Jamie Dixon and his staff must retool their game plan for the Fighting Irish, who lost their previous two games without Harangody and five of their past seven overall. Dixon said Monday that the Panthers were game-planning as if Harangody would play.
Harangody, averaging 24.1 points and 10 rebounds per game, was Notre Dame's only serious offensive threat in the post. The Irish are a perimeter-oriented team without their star center.
The Irish shot 24 3-pointers in their most recent loss, a 91-89 setback in double overtime against Louisville. In the other game without Harangody, a 69-68 loss at St. John's, the Irish took 20 3-pointers.
The Irish were competitive in both games because they were making a lot of those 3-point attempts. They were 10 for 20 against St. John's and 10 for 24 against Louisville.
It was not a two-game spurt. Notre Dame remains a dangerous team against Pitt because it is shooting 41 percent from 3-point range for the season.
Junior forward Tim Abromaitis is shooting 49.5 percent and senior guard Ben Hansbrough 45 percent.
Pitt has been able to defend the 3-point shot well all season and was tested by two of the top 3-point shooting teams in the conference in their past two outings.
Marquette is the best 3-point shooting team in the league and managed to make 5 of 19 from behind the arc against the Panthers last week. Villanova, another strong outside team, was 6 for 14 from 3-point range.
Pitt's opponents are shooting 30.5 percent from 3-point land.
Pitt has a 6-1 record in games played at Notre Dame under Dixon, but the Panthers lost the previous time they visited the Joyce Center. One of the main reasons was Notre Dame point guard Tory Jackson, who grabbed 13 rebounds and led the Irish back from an 11-point second-half deficit to win, 82-70.
"I reminded them about the game a couple of years ago when he almost beat us by himself," Dixon said. "He's a senior who has been around. He's a different type of point guard. He's physical, strong and can shoot it. He also does things on the interior that most point guards can't do."
Notre Dame has been bothered by the injury bug all season. Scott Martin, a transfer from Purdue who was expected to start and be a major contributor, has missed the entire season with a knee injury.
Unless Notre Dame wins its final four games to make a compelling case to the NCAA tournament committee, the Irish will miss the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the past seven seasons.
