SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Maybe Digger Phelps momentarily forgot about Hersey Hawkins, J.R. Reid, Gary Grant and all the other stars in college basketball.
The always-outspoken Notre Dame coach proclaimed the Player of the Year chase a race “between Danny Manning and David Rivers” following Saturday afternoon’s 80-76 non-conference victory over Kansas.
This coach’s vote goes to…guess who?
If you said David Rivers, you win one of the green and gold “terrible towels” the Fighting Irish cheerleaders were handing out before the battle.
“When it was showtime, Rivers took over the game on national TV,” said Phelps. “Here’s a kid that was almost dead last summer (following a car wreck two Augusts ago). I don’t think it’s a sentimental vote. It’s based on what he did when they went head to head.”
Phelps figured Rivers’ 29 points and seven assists outshined Manning’s 22 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
“Rivers today was a Joe Theismann, Joe Montana at his best,” said Phelps, comparing the 6-0 quarterback to two past ND football QB greats.
Phelps didn’t mention the fact the 6-10 Manning outscored Rivers 40 points to 13 last year in KU’s Allen Fieldhouse.
KU coach Larry Brown does remember that game and the many others Manning’s turned in. That’s why the KU boss figures Manning is Player of the Year. Regardless of the fact Manning missed a key front end of a one-and-one free throw situation with 15 ticks left and KU down by two…and the fact Rivers banged in 14 of 15 charities on the day.
“You ask any kid in America who the best player or any team who would be the first person they’d take and they’ll say Danny,” said Brown. “I’ve never seen a point guard hurt by the college game. I’ve seen a big kid hurt by different defenses. This is not to take anything away from David. He’s phenomenal. I would say this in comparing Danny to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It’d be no offense to Kareem, it’d be my respect for Danny.”
Notre Dame leaned on Manning Saturday.
“He had 40 points and 22 shots on us last year,” Phelps said. “Today he had 13 shots. It was a great job by our defense. We surrounded him all day.”
“I’m used to people putting the body on me,” said Manning. “They didn’t do anything different from other teams. They did a good job on the boards.”
The Irish outrebounded KU 26-22.
“Danny only touched the ball once in the last 12 minutes and that was on a lob break,” Brown said. “Our kids have to realize they have to get it into his hands. Notre Dame got it to the right people and we didn’t.”
Actually, Notre Dame succeeded no matter who touched the ball the second half. The Irish, who wiped out an 11-point second-half deficit, made 15 of 23 shots after canning just 12 of 26 the first 20 minutes. Rivers hit seven of 16 total, five of nine the final half.
“Notre Dame executed and Rivers was great,” summed up KU forward Chris Piper. “Rivers took control of the game, especially the last five minutes.”
Rivers – the subject always switches back to him when discussing this game – did swish four key free throws in the final 12 seconds, holding off the Jayhawks.
“Late in the game, I want the ball in my hands,” said Rivers. “I want to shoot one-and-one situations. I want to lead the team. I have confidence. I knew today we’d come back even when they had us down by 11. This was an emotional game. Our guys wanted to contain Danny and win the game. We did both.”
