When we last left our hardcourt heroes. . .: They were walking off the floor of the Pepsi Center, 61-41 losers to the Washington State Cougars in the second round of the NCAA tournament after knocking off 2006 Cinderella George Mason in the opener.  It was a sour note to end a fun season on, as an Irish team that prided itself on running and gunning attempted to get into a half-court slugfest with a team that would have been perfectly comfortable with a three minute shot clock.  Who knows what would have happened if Notre Dame had attempted to force the Cougars to try and play their kind of game, but no one forced the issue, and it'll go down as a lesson learned.

Since the Season of Infinite Heartbreak in 2006, the last two years have been a renaissance of Irish hoops under Mike Brey.  The youth movement has been underway since Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson started playing early on in their freshman, coupled with a consistent contribution from the elder statesmen of the team (Colin Falls and Russell Carter in 2007, Rob Kurz in 2008).  The one constant, from the dog days of '06 to the dreams of a Final Four in '09, has been this group of seniors.  It's one last visit to Mike Brey's Festival of Fast-Breaking for many, and while the future of the program isn't exactly dim, there's a chance to do some legitimate damage on a national scale this season.

Who is gone?: The Irish lose just one player, Rob Kurz, but he did everything for the team.  It would require a lot of research, but I'm sure there weren't many players in college basketball who shot forty percent from three and eight-five percent from the line while scoring thirteen points, grabbing seven rebounds, blocking a shot and a half and defending the opposition's best offensive player.  We jokingly called our draft coverage this summer "Kurz Watch 2008," but the 6' 9" Philadelphia area product is suiting up for the Golden State Warriors this season, and his presence - even with his hands that turned to stone nearly every time he got near the rim - will be missed.

How will they replace his production?: Sophomore Tyrone Nash will take over the lion's share of Kurz's minutes, although he will most certainly not be starting.  That honor will probably go to Luke Zeller, a senior many Irish fans hope will finally make the leap to dominating on the inside as well as behind the arc.  You can also expect increased minutes contributed to the Zach Hillesland/Ryan Ayers combo, who split time last year but will see the floor a lot more together if Zeller is ineffective.  There's also some serious potential in sophomores Carleton Scott and Tim Abromaitis, but this is a veteran team and there are only so many minutes to go around.

Maleficent-like antagonists in this potential fairy tale season?: After an embarrassing non-conference slate last season, the Irish have ramped up the difficulty level.  The Maui Invitational will be the first test, with old Irish foe (and total toolbag) Tom Crean now stomping up and down the crimson and cream sidelines for the Indiana Hoosiers.  Survive that and the Irish will most likely go against the Texas Longhorns, one more win almost assuredly netting them a deathmatch with everyone's anointed champions (for very good reason), the North Carolina Tar Heels.  Also in non-conference is a neutral site game in Indianapolis against Ohio State and a trip to Westwood to take on the Buffalo Bills of NCAA basketball, the UCLA Bruins. 

As tough as that gauntlet is, it will be no comparison to the absolutely stacked competition of Big East play.  There are three top five teams (Connecticut, Louisville and Pitt), four others in the top 25 (Notre Dame, Marquette, Villanova, Georgetown), a team that was a play away from the Elite Eight (West Virginia, who loses Joe Alexander but has another season of Bob Huggins coaching), a talented Syracuse team and a Seton Hall team that has another year of experience under Bobby Gonzalez.  When the NBA draft happens next June, it will be saturated from top to bottom with Big East talent.  If the point of the regular season is to give a team an opportunity to both qualify and prepare itself for the NCAA tournament, then the trek from DePaul on New Year's Eve to the Garden in early March will be the best testing ground a championship-caliber team could ask for to test its mettle.

Neutral opinion from elsewhere on the Internet: Storming The Floor, probably the best college hoops sites on the net, dropped Notre Dame into their "Flop Teams" category.  It wasn't mean-spirited, but simply an acknowledgement of a fact most Irish fans would agree with: expectations are awful high for a team not used to lights anywhere near this bright.  Says Storming The Floor:

With Big East POY Luke Harangody in the lineup, this will be a very strong team. A second-round loss to Washington State in the 2008 tourney revealed some weaknesses, and the Irish are playing in the toughest conference in the land. 6'9" Rob Kurz is gone, and his bulk and leadership will be missed. Even though 12 players return, only two - Harangody and Kyle McAlarney - were consistent scoring threats last season. We'll know more about this Irish team when they play in the Maui Invitational, where they have potential matchups with North Carolina, Oregon, Alabama, and Texas. After that, it's the grind of the Big East schedule. Every great team needs three scoring options, so if Tory Jackson can add a couple more points, and Harangody can pass out of the double-team, we'll happily eat our words.

 Nothing erroneous in that passage, although I'd be extremely surprised if Jackson, Ayers and Zeller all didn't flirt with double-digit scoring averages this season.  There are only so many shots to go around, but the Irish's problem won't be on offense.  I have particularly high hopes for Ayers, who started to add more facets to his game beyond spot-up shooter as the season went on.  I think if anything can shield the team from the pressures of a high ranking, its Brey's style of play, where you're encouraged to take open shots and enjoy the game.  When you're not looking over your shoulder at the bench after every mistimed pass or clanged jumper, it's a lot easier to relax.

The other problem that could show up for the Irish is a lack of lateral quickness and size in the defensive backcourt of the Irish.  While Jackson can be a terror, it would be nice if Jonathan Peoples could evolve into a solid defensive stopper to throw at slashing two guards.  Zones also can stunt the perimeter athleticism of other teams, but as always, the best defense for the Irish is going to be scoring more points than their opposition.

Part Two, where we'll look at expectations for each individual, will be up later this week, well before the USC Upstate game on Sunday night.