I have had the good fortune to get to cover the Notre Dame women’s basketball team over the past few years.

I even got to watch them play in the Final Four two years ago in Indianapolis.

So I am more than a little intrigued by the run the Fighting Irish have made this year.

I have to tell you, I didn’t see this coming.

There was no doubt about the amount of talent that Notre Dame has on its roster. But the loss of several key players had me thinking there would be a time of adjustment for them.

I especially thought this year would be one of adjustment with the loss of All-American point guard Skylar Diggins.

Boy was I wrong.

Notre Dame has not missed a beat without the talented Diggins or any of the other players who have graduated the last two years.

Good programs don’t rebuild, they just reload.

Apparently the Fighting Irish are cocked and loaded to make a run at a fourth consecutive trip to the Final Four and a chance to win their second national championship.

The way the 32-0 Notre Dame team rolled through the ACC this season, its first in the league, amazed me. With the exception of the title game, the Fighting Irish embarrassed the field in the ACC Tournament.

And despite playing perhaps one of its worst games of the season Sunday night, Notre Dame still won the ACC championship by 16 points.

Now the Fighting Irish are waiting to see who they will face in the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully they can run the table and get to Nashville and face undefeated Connecticut.

It would be another titanic battle between the country’s two top teams.

I can’t wait to see it.

 

Scott Novak is sports editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com