Last game with Irish still a vivid memory

TUSCALOOSA | Every University of Alabama sports fan has a bad memory or two about Notre Dame stored in his head, and Mark Gottfried isn’t any different.

In Gottfried’s case, though, it’s not the 1966 Associated Press football poll voting, or the 1973 Sugar Bowl. Instead, it is last year’s basketball game between the two schools.

Gottfried, the head coach of the No. 4 Crimson Tide men’s basketball team, saw the Fighting Irish come to Tuscaloosa -- on the night of dedication ceremonies for the new renovations at Coleman Coliseum -- and build a huge lead before holding on to defeat the Crimson Tide 78-71.

That memory is still fresh in Gottfried’s mind as Alabama heads into an 8 p.m. game against the Irish in South Bend, Ind., tonight. The game will be nationally televised by ESPN.

“We were awful that night," Gottfried said, recalling last year’s loss. “Notre Dame was very good and we weren’t, especially on defense. We were able to sort of fight our way back in it in the end and get within four points, but then we had a couple of turnovers and they beat us.

“We were a different team last December than we were last February."

Gottfried said that this year’s Notre Dame team, which has a 6-1 record, is even better than the one that upended the Crimson Tide last season.

“I think they are better offensively," Gottfried said. “They can really shoot the ball and that includes their post players.

“Their [81-74] win against Maryland was very impressive. It was basically a road game for Notre Dame. They went in there and soundly beat those guys. When you watch Notre Dame on film, they know how to play. They’re a quicker team than most people realize.

“Their point guard has played exceptionally well. [Colin] Falls played well, [Russell] Carter played well. They’re an NCAA team this year, there’s no question about that."

Rob Kurz, a 6-foot-9 forward, leads Notre Dame in scoring this season at 15.4 points per game, while Carter, a 6-4 guard, is scoring 15.1 points per contest.

Alabama, which is looking for its eighth consecutive win, is expected to be at full strength for the game. Point guard Ronald Steele, who has been hampered by a sore knee all season, practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday and showed no ill effects from a 35-minute effort against Tennessee State last Saturday.

“We’re following along with what our doctors tell us to do," Gottfried said. “[Steele] needs to work out that pain in his knee and keep going. We didn’t want to play him 35 minutes the other night. When you have any injury with your ankles, knees, thighs, with your legs, it just affects everything about your game. It affects your balance, how quick you are, how explosive you are. He’s having to compensate a little for that.

“Hopefully this isn’t going to last long and he’ll be 100 percent soon."

(Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil.hurt@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0225.)