With new core, Notre Dame tries to earn trip to final four

~ The Bulldogs are 25-4 with four new starters from last season.

Losing four starters is not typically a recipe for a final four team.

But the Notre Dame boys basketball team is on the verge of doing just that, with one game standing between the Bulldogs and a second trip to the state final four in three years.

The Bulldogs (25-4) will face St. Clair (20-9) at 6 tonight in a Class 4 quarterfinal at the Farmington Civic Center.

"It's a pleasant surprise," Notre Dame coach Paul Hale said. "I give the kids credit. We have some nice players. They believe in themselves. They've had a lot of fun this season playing together, and that's quite a recipe for success."

Heading into this season the Bulldogs had to replace all-state post player Alex Ressel, a pair of speedy guards in Frankie Ellis and Xavier Delph and outside shooting threat Kirk Boeller. Ellis and Delph fit perfectly into Hale's pressing style, while Ressel was a main threat on offense in the post.

The Bulldogs have weaved in a pair of sophomore starters along with lone returning starter Ryan Willen and key returning reserves Abe Dirnberger and Ty Williams to surpass last season's win total.

"We had a strong JV team last year, and it's pretty much that team that's helped us," Dirnberger said. "There's a lot of talent there. They have a bright future."

Willen, a 6-foot-7 junior, has had a stellar season, averaging more than 22 points a game. This season, Willen has scored in double figures all 25 games. Willen also has 17 games of 20 or more points.

"Ryan's a heck of a player," Hale said. "I really think he will evolve into a great player next year because he'll work on it. If he improves as much as he did from last year to this year next year, he'll be a heck of a player.

"He knows he has to add strength, and he's going to. I wouldn't trade him for any player in the area. I think he's that type of player."

Complementing Willen down low is 6-0 sophomore Austin Greer. In the sectional win, Greer led Notre Dame with 20 points.

"Austin has really stepped in and has given us a good inside presence," Hale said. "He doesn't like playing down there at times, but he's our best option other than Ryan inside."

This year's Notre Dame squad has surpassed last year's in the shooting department. The Bulldogs have several outside threats, led by Williams and junior reserve Mark Himmelberg. Sophomore starting guard John Unterreiner and Willen also chip in from 3-point range.

Unterreiner and Williams provide most of the pressure up top in Hale's system.

"We're not as quick as we were last year, but we do other things better," Hale said. "We definitely can score better. We've had some success pressing, not as much as last year. We still like to press and make the game as chaotic as possible. That's when we play our best."

Notre Dame's young squad used a last-second 3-pointer to knock off Sikeston, last year's runner-up in Class 4, in the district finals before cruising to a sectional win over Farmington. The winner of District 1 has made the final four each of the past two years, with the Bulldogs taking fourth in 2005.

Dirnberger is the only current player to take part in Notre Dame's last final four run, but several of the team's key players did play important roles in Notre Dame's soccer state title in the fall.

"I think the young guys can handle it," Dirnberger said. "A lot of these guys are soccer players, so they've been in the big game."

St. Clair captured its first district title since 1987 and knocked off Affton in the sectional. Jordan Flora leads the team in scoring at 15 points a game. Zeke Schupp averages 9.6 points a game.

"Everything goes through him [Flora]," Hale said. "He's their senior leader. They have some nice inside players as far as size. If you can control Flora, you have a good chance at beating them. We're going to try to make it as tough for him from the time they get the ball until they score. We'll try to hound him."

A win for the Bulldogs would give Notre Dame its seventh final four appearance. Notre Dame won back-to-back titles in 1986 and 1987, its last appearances before going in 2005.

"We sure would like to win one more to get to the final four," Hale said. "St. Clair is a fine team. They impress me.

"It will be a dogfight. I just hope our kids can play up to their potential. I think potentially our kids have a good chance."