Notre Dame's Active Hubb
Atonement can be a great source of motivation.
Last Saturday at the Carrier Dome, with Notre Dame’s ACC season already seemingly hanging in the balance, Fighting Irish sophomore point guard Prentiss Hubb went from potentially (albeit unintentionally) sabotaging the league campaign to inspiring a feeling of resurrection.
A lay-up by All-American candidate and senior forward John Mooney gave Notre Dame a 70-69 lead with 5:31 left — but after the play Hubb was rightfully whistled for a technical when he stood over Syracuse’s fallen Joe Girard and posed in a mocking fashion.
Girard converted both free throws and went on a personal 10-point run that put the Orange ahead 79-75.
Still trailing 84-81, Hubb confidently drilled his sixth three-pointer of the contest to tie the contest, and then converted two clutch free throws with 18.1 seconds left that provided the needed margin to achieve the pulsating 88-87 win.
Reflecting on the technical, Hubb acknowledged it was heat-of-the-moment immaturity.
“A dumb play that I shouldn’t have done,” Hubb said prior to Monday’s practice. “…We may have lost that game and it would have been mainly on me because of that ‘stupidness.’
“I just had to get in the mind-set that we can’t lose this game, and I’m going to do whatever I can to not let that happen.”
Had the Irish gone down to defeat, an 0-3 hole in the ACC would have been extremely difficult to dig out of, psychologically and physically.
The Irish now have found new life as they prepare to play on the road Wednesday night (7 p.m., ESPN2) versus a North Carolina State team that has the identical 10-4 and 1-2 in the league marks of Notre Dame.
It is a virtual free-for-all in the 15-team ACC this year that has expanded to a 20-game conference schedule.
Annual doormat Boston College is 3-1 after upsetting reigning national champ Virginia in Charlottesville (and winning by one at Notre Dame earlier), while traditional superpower North Carolina is muddling along at 8-6 (1-2 in the league).
Breaking even in the ACC this year would be laudable and likely NCAA Tournament worthy.
“It just prepares us for the long haul,” said Hubb of opening the New Year with the dramatic road conquest of the Orange. “There’s not going to be an easy game the rest of our season. It kick-starts us for the rest of ACC play to play with that aggression and grit every game.
“I don’t think we can become complacent and think that just because we won one road game we are at the top of the world. We have to be able to compete in practice every day and be ready to play.”
A former top-100 recruit despite missing his senior year of high school with a torn ACL, Hubb finished with 22 points and a team high nine assists in the victory at Syracuse and has become the standout in the four-man sophomore class that complements a veteran starting unit led by Mooney and fellow seniors T.J. Gibbs and Juwan Durham, plus graduate student Rex Pflueger.
Hubb's 11.6 scoring average is third on the squad, while his 72 assists easily paces the team. He is fifth in the ACC in both that category and his assist-to-turnover ratio (plus-2.3 per game).
Although Hubb admits his aggressiveness, and sometimes recklessness, on the floor can get the better of him on occasion, head coach Mike Brey doesn’t want him to lose that edge on a team in need of assertiveness.
Plus, when you lead the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio as a team, that is a reflection of sound guard play.
“As a point guard, everybody follows after me,” Hubb said. “If I’m turning the ball over and being careless with the ball, then everybody else feels like they can do it too.
“Some turnovers happen maybe with a little antsy play, but I don’t think Coach or any of my teammates want me to be a little bit less aggressive. It prevents me from getting other people involved.”
Hubb’s shooting from the field also has made significant strides. He already has made 35 threes this year (second to Gibbs’ 38) at a .372 clip after converting at only a .253 percentage last year while making 39. His overall field-goal shooting is up to .397 following a .321 freshman campaign.
“Just being more technical with my shot, making sure that every shot I shoot is the same — and being in the gym in the off hours,” said Hubb of his improved marksmanship.
“It just comes with experience. Last year was our first year playing together.”
Now as a main Hubb, his value and developing maturity continue to grow.
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