After closing the regular season with a rush, it might be right to say that this 2007-08 version is the best team Notre Dame has fielded since joining the Big East.

The Irish finished tied for second in the conference with Louisville, earning a bye for the Big East tournament and won 14 games. The most any team won previously was 11, set in 2000-01 and 1996-97.

Notre Dame doesn't want to stop there, either.

"Great accomplishment, but we can't stop here. From the beginning of the year, we had a lot to play for. We knew we were good," point guard Tory Jackson crowed after beating St. John's and South Florida this week to end the regular season.

"I think we're playing like one of the best teams in the country right now. We feel that we have a lot of momentum," the team's lone senior and captain, Rob Kurz, said after the Irish won for the 11th time in 13 games to enter the postseason confidently.

"We know it's going to be a tough road to get to the championship game, but we feel like we're as good as any team in the league, and we're going to fight and leave it all on the floor."

The Irish, who are going to have to do all their winning away from the Joyce Center, where they have won a school-record 37 straight, have been carried most of the year on the hard-work ethic of center Luke Harangody, who is favored to be named the Big East's Player of the Year even though he's a sophomore.

But shooting guard Kyle McAlarney's 3-point accuracy has opened a lot up inside for Harangody and Jackson has delivered the ball to the open man better than any other guard in the country.

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