And it's that they got to the championship of a prestigious tournament like the Maui Classic, and competed well:
"Doubts about the direction of the Notre Dame men's basketball program did not escort the team bus down the lava hill that houses the Lahaina Civic Center. Earlier Wednesday evening, the No. 8 Irish had dropped a 102-87 game to top-ranked North Carolina in the championship of the 25th annual EA Sports Maui Invitational. The Tar Heels controlled the contest from the midway point of the first half, when their athleticism and depth and speed and savvy were simply too much for even a veteran group of Irish....They know now what it takes to compete at the level of the game's elite. The challenge will be to match that intensity and aggressiveness, and to get more veterans to do it on a nightly basis."
The Irish would have to play at a very, very high level to beat a team like North Carolina.
However, that doesn't mean that, in March, they won't get a good draw, play well, and find a way to the Final Four. And that would be a huge accomplishment for this team. They can make it there.
