Notre Dame Paradise Lost

[RockyMTblue2]

Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune just weighed in with a column. Noie can generally be seen writing about the men's program and covered the tough year Mike Brey and the men had last year, so the perspective is interesting. (kudos to The Bench's RISteve for the initial posting.) Many issues have been addressed, including MM taking aim at herself in the latest press conference (the entirety of which has been posted, btw). Maybe the "step back and down" from the BC game presser has now hit the bottom and one can move forward.

Still, just not sure the resources in the gym are ready to power the trip, particularly if Peoples is out for awhile. Keeping working with the team, individually and collectively, and make note of the gains.

Noie: Trying times for Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame women's program

Hoops season's been a struggle for Notre Dame women

www.ndinsider.com

A brutal editorial, or maybe I should say unflinching. Something rarely seen even in negative opinion pieces involving women's college ball. The end is probably correct:

“It can turn at any moment,” McGraw said. “It’s important for me to remain hopeful.”

Hope floated out into the evening ether Sunday. A top-five recruiting class comes aboard in June. This year’s freshmen will be sophomores. Right now, all of that feels a long way away."

Noie is surmising that remaking this particular squad into a winner isn't going to happen.

 

[OneTrickPony]

Most of us have come up against situations where, regardless of our past successes, we haven't been able to turn things around in time to matter much. If you've been lucky and good enough to have that moment later in your career, rather than earlier, it just makes letting go of your high expectations of yourself that much more difficult.

I've been where Coach McGraw is today, and it was every bit as gut-wrenching an experience as she's going through now. Thank God I didn't have a camera thrust in my face to record the agony for posterity...

This experience will make Muffet a stronger and better human being and coach once she completes the process of soul-searching, separating a failed season or so from being a failure. In the meantime, maybe the wolves among us that delight in seeing an aging competitor brought low can offer her some moral support.

Good luck, Coach...this will take three years to grow through, and it's going to be a tremendous process for you and the young ladies in your charge.