Echoes on the Hardwood

Echoes on the Hardwood: 100 Years of Notre Dame Basketball, the first book written about the tradition of Irish hoops in over 15 years, ranks among the most comprehensive efforts on the subject ever undertaken. For this impressive history, Michael Coffey-men's basketball editor of NDNation.com-interviewed over 120 current and former Irish players, coaches, administrators, and media, and turned their memories and anecdotes into the first oral history of the renowned program. Former Coach George Keogan's players talk about the pressures of being pallbearers at his funeral in the afternoon and playing in the Chicago Stadium that night. Tommy Hawkins recounts the support of the school and his teammates in the face of racism in the 1950's. Player Austin Carr and his teammates reflect on the difficulties of dealing with a "one-man team" image. Digger Phelps' players recall the big 71-70 victory over UCLA and the relief of making it to the Final Four after so many near-misses, followed by the angst of Danny Ainge's shot finding the net and sending a powerhouse team home early in the NCAA Tournament.
The program declines and rebounds as the players contrast the taciturn but steady John MacLeod with the raw emotion of Matt Doherty's controversial season and discuss the program's return to the NCAA Tournament after an 11-year absence. With a foreword by Irish great Austin Carr and an afterword by head coach Mike Brey, this book is a must for any Irish fan enjoying the program's return to prominence.