1981 Notre Dame Basketball: The Last Stand Of A Golden Era

By 1981, Notre Dame basketball was a signature national brand. Over the previous seven seasons, Digger Phelps had taken them to seven NCAA Tournaments, six Sweet 16s and the Final Four in 1978. They had a senior-laden squad in the fold and were primed for more. The Irish did indeed have another strong year in ’81. But a heartbreaking end earlier than expected foreshadowed some tougher times ahead.

A VETERAN CORE & NATIONAL EXPECTATIONS

A trio of senior forwards led the way. Kelly Tripucka was the leading scorer, averaging 18 points/6 rebounds. Tracy Jackson added 13 points/6 rebounds per game. Orlando Woolridge was good for a 14/6 average.

This veteran frontcourt was augmented by future point guard John Paxson. A sophomore sharpshooter who would one day hit one of the most famous shots in NBA history with the 1993 Chicago Bulls, Paxon chipped in 10 points and five assists a night. The Irish opened the season ranked #10 in the country.

DECEMBER SHOWCASES

The season didn’t start well. Notre Dame went to sixth-ranked UCLA, a rivalry that was then one of the premier non-conference showcases in the country. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the Irish saw an early 24-12 lead quickly dissipate, turn into a five-point deficit by halftime and a 94-81 loss.

After recovering with a couple of easy wins, Notre Dame hosted seventh-ranked Indiana. This test went more to Digger’s liking. Paxson scored 18 points, Tripucka added 16 and the Irish controlled the final ten minutes of the game in a 68-64 win over the team that eventually won the national championship.

A December 27 date with second-ranked Kentucky was the third marquee December game. These types of non-conference battles weren’t as common as they are today and Notre Dame “scheduled up” as much as anyone. In a neutral-site game in Louisville, Tripucka went off. He dropped 30 points and the Irish got a big 67-61 win. They rolled into the New Year with a record of 5-1 and were ranked #4 in the nation.

ROAD STUMBLES

January started with four straight road games. It began well enough, with a win over Davidson and then a 96-65 blasting of NCAA Tournament-bound Villanova. But the trip went sour on a Saturday afternoon visit to Milwaukee. Even though traditional rival Marquette wasn’t having a vintage year and would miss the NCAA field, they handed Notre Dame a 54-52 loss on a last-second desperation heave.

Three days later, the Irish lost again, this time to NCAA-bound San Francisco, 66-63. They came back to South Bend licking their wounds at 7-3 and needing to play their back into the national top 10.

RECOVERY

Wins over Hofstra and 19-win Fordham set up a rematch with San Francisco. Notre Dame took out a measure of revenge on the Dons with an 80-65 win. The Irish had their mojo back when they went to Maryland on January 24.

Lefty Driesell’s Terrapins were ranked #10 and would eventually reach the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Tripucka was ready for the moment, scoring 25 points and hitting six clutch free throws in the final two minutes. Notre Dame prevailed 73-70. Four straight home wins against non-descript competition followed, pushing the Irish to 15-3 at #9 in the polls as another key schedule stretch began.

UCLA REMATCH & VIRGINA LOOMING

Notre Dame and UCLA regularly played home-and-home in this era, and the Bruins made their return visit to South Bend on February 8. Playing for a Sunday national TV audience, the Irish fared better than on their November visit to Los Angeles, but it still ended in disappointment. This time, they watched their opponent hit the big free throws down the stretch and Notre Dame lost 51-50.

The polls dropped them to #12. But there was another big opportunity ahead. Virginia, with superstar center Ralph Sampson was undefeated and ranked #1 in the country. They were on the schedule in two weeks. Notre Dame just needed to build some momentum.

Three straight wins built that momentum. They were against teams that were mediocre, although in retrospect, we know that Boston University was coached by a young Rick Pitino and the stretch also included beating Jim Valvano’s N.C. State.

Digger had built a reputation for slaying #1 teams on his home floor, going back to a historic upset of John Wooden’s UCLA in 1974 that ended the Bruins’ 88-game winning streak. This game with Virginia wouldn’t be in South Bend, but it would be a nominal home game, played in Chicago’s Rosemont Horizon. In an era when college basketball’s regular season was much more prominent nationally than it is today, Notre Dame-Virginia was a signature Sunday afternoon showdown.

SLAYING ANOTHER GIANT

Sampson was, at least at the time, a freak of nature, who went 7’4” and was college basketball’s biggest name. The Cavaliers were pursuing an undefeated season. And the game was a classic, tight throughout. Notre Dame double-teamed Sampson and held him to 12 points, but Virginia still held a 49-43 lead with six minutes to play. In an era with no shot clock and no three-point line, the Irish were in a tight spot. The Cavs still clung to a 56-53 lead with 0:35 left.

Paxson hit two free throws to cut the lead to a point. On the ensuing possession, Notre Dame forced a turnover…but turned it back over on their own end. With ten seconds to play, Virginia had possession under the Irish basket.

For some reason, Sampson was positioned back at midcourt for the inbounds pass, meaning a simple lob couldn’t get him the ball. The Irish forced a five-second violation. They had a chance.

An epic final sequence saw Notre Dame first need a timeout of their own to get the ball inbounds. Then they missed a couple chances close to the rim. The ball went bouncing away on the left side as the clock ticked away. Woolridge chased it down and shot a quick turnaround jumper from around 10-12 feet as the clock expired. Basket. Notre Dame had again slayed the giant.

MOVING INTO MARCH

The dramatic win pushed the Irish back to sixth in the national polls. They went on to beat respectable teams from St. Francis (PA) and Dayton. The season finale on Selection Sunday was a showcase game against second-ranked DePaul, another traditional Catholic rival. Notre Dame dropped that one 74-64, but they still earned a #2 seed when the NCAA bracket came out later that day.

Placed in the East Regional, the Irish were in a bracket that offered the chances for rematches. UCLA was the 3-seed, so Notre Dame could potentially get a third crack at the Bruins in the Sweet 16. And on the opposite side of the bracket, on the top line, was Sampson and Virginia.

SHAKY SURVIVAL

HEARTBREAK IN ATLANTA

BYU got in the way of the anticipated rematch with UCLA. The sixth-seeded Cougars, led by a point guard named Danny Ainge had blown out the Bruins. BYU also had a big front line that could bang with Notre Dame.

The Irish led 28-18 at the half and seemed in control much of the way. They forced Ainge into a rough night, 4-for-10 shooting. But Notre Dame couldn’t deliver the knockout blow. They clung to a 50-49 lead in the final seconds. BYU had one last chance. The ball was inbounded to Ainge, who took off on a coast-to-coast run for glory. He beat all five Notre Dame players, two of them twice, got to the basket and laid it in. The Irish suffered a 51-50 loss.

THE END OF THE BASKETBALL GOLDEN AGE

Everyone knew a rebuilding year awaited in South Bend, with the three senior forwards departing. What was perhaps not anticipated is how much rebuilding was ahead—Notre Dame slipped under .500 in 1982, and it took until 1985 to even return to the NCAA Tournament. While they’ve had good teams since—1986 and 1987 under Digger and several times in more recent years under Mike Brey—the Irish have never been the national basketball brand they were in the eight-year run of 1974-81. An era ended that March night in Atlanta.