For the second straight game, Jack Cooley was shoved to the floor by an opposing player. And for the second straight game, Cooley responded with a scoring outburst for Notre Dame.Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody’s return has been delayed a game, and maybe more.
The 6-foot-8 senior is recovering from a bone bruise on his right knee and will not play against No. 12 Pittsburgh (21-6, 10-4 Big East) at 7 p.m. today in Purcell Pavilion.
Harangody sat out the last two games as Notre Dame (17-10, 6-8) fell to St. John’s 69-68 Feb. 14 and Louisville 91-89 in double overtime Feb. 17.
“We are not going to mess around with this thing,” Irish coach Mike Brey said in a phone interview Monday before the decision to hold Harangody out was made. “One of the issues with the bone bruise, from what I understand just talking to doctors, is you can’t come back too soon.”
Harangody participated in about 15 minutes of practice Monday before having to stop, and the decision to hold him out of tonight’s game was made then, according to the South Bend Tribune.
Harangody could also miss Saturday’s road game against Georgetown, as well as the regular-season home finale against Connecticut on March 3 and the regular-season finale at Marquette on March 6.
“I said, ‘Look we are going to be smart about this. We are not going to bring you back too soon,’ ” Brey said he told Harangody. “I know we are at a crucial part of our season and he knows the team needs him, but I don’t care. We are not going to bring (Harangody) back too soon and risk re-injuring the thing.”
Notre Dame will likely continue to use the lineup it had against Louisville with Harangody out. Forward Carleton Scott made his first collegiate start against the Cardinals, finishing with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks.
The Irish will also likely continue to work in freshman forwards Jack Cooley and Mike Broghammer. Cooley scored two points and had five rebounds against Louisville, and Broghammer had two points and a rebound.
