Ivey points the way to Notre Dame victories
By KERRY SMITH
Assistant Sports Editor
Note to opposing players: Niele Ivey is watching you.
And when you have the ball, she will take it from you in a second.
Note to opposing coaches: when she has the ball, you can run the press, but she'll probably just break through the double team while passing the ball up court to her open teammate under the basket. And she will do it all with a smile.
"We're in the point of the season where basketball day-in and day-out is tiring," said Ivey, who leads the Irish in steals and assists, about her wide grin when she steps on the court.
"We're trying to bring some more enthusiasm on the court," continued Ivey. "I'm trying to be that person to do that. When our shots go in we start having fun."
As the Irish head into the final stretch of the season riding a 13-game winning streak with Ivey at the helm, the senior point guard has proven to head coach Muffet McGraw, her teammates and her opponents that she is a consummate leader on and off the court.
"She's our leader," said McGraw of the senior co-captain after Notre Dame's 87-56 win over Georgetown Saturday night. "We're a veteran team but we're a quiet team, too. It's a difficult position. She has a lot of responsibility but I think she's handling it real well."
Stacking stats
A quick glance at the team's statistics prove that Ivey is handling the responsibility well. She has guided her squad to its longest winning streak in nine years and its longest home winning streak since the program began.
"She plays multiple roles on our team," said center Ruth Riley. "She's our captain, so she plays a big role as our leader. At point guard, she makes sure everyone is where they're supposed to be and doing what they're supposed to do."
Ivey, as the fourth leading scorer on the team, averages 11.5 points per game. She has led the team in scoring four times this year and is a scoring threat from in front of and behind the arc.
But her point production for the Irish goes far beyond putting the ball in the net. Ivey is the team's play maker. She is an unselfish member of the Irish offensive game. She leads the team with 127 assists this season — three times more than any other player on the team. Averaging almost seven assists per game, Ivey leads the Big East and is ranked ninth nationally.
Defensively, Ivey is quick with her hands and feet, coming up with more steals than any other Irish player. A menace to anyone on the court with the ball, Ivey made five steals in Saturday's meeting with Georgetown.
Ivey's leadership doesn't just come from her game performance. Her focused attitude during the team's practices pushes the rest of the squad to work harder.
"She dives, takes charges and really hustles all the time in practice," said guard Imani Dunbar. "She doesn't take off for even one drill. When she's tired she gets that look in her eye and she just pushes herself harder."
Battling back
It is that drive and intensity that has allowed Ivey to overcome much adversity to rise to the top of the Irish roster. Saddled with injuries throughout her collegiate career, Ivey has had to push herself to return to the top of her game.
"It was hard coming back," said Ivey. "But I set many goals for myself when I was recovering from the injuries and I've worked hard through the months and the years to accomplish them."
Ivey suffered a torn ACL in the sixth game of her freshman year that left her sidelined for the season.
"When I was a freshman she had just overcome her first injury so even though she was a sophomore she was like a red-shirt freshman so we had the same court experience," said Dunbar. "She was the point guard, and so the whole team rested on her shoulders, and I looked at the way she responded to that and it was just amazing. She took us to the Sweet 16 that year."
Ivey tore her ACL again during the Big East tournament last season and was forced to watch her team in the tournament's championship loss to Connecticut as well as Notre Dame's two NCAA tournament appearances.
Working hard in the off-season, Ivey returned to the court better than ever for the Ô99-'00 campaign, determined to lead the Irish to the NCAA tournament.
"She has a spirit that will not die," said Dunbar. "She will not be denied — That's the Niele Ivey I look up to."
Ivey's combination of poise and precision on the court isn't the only reason her teammates see her as a leader.
"She brings so much enthusiasm to the team," said Riley. " She loves to joke around and is probably the funniest person you'll ever meet. Anyone that's met her knows she has a great personality and just loves basketball."
That love for basketball has propelled her this year to her most successful collegiate season. Ivey's leadership and skilled performance has been a defining feature of the Notre Dame team.
The Irish will look to her at tournament time to lead the squad to victory. And that's a role Ivey is willing and able to take.
"My role on the team is a leader," said Ivey, humbly acknowledging her importance to the Irish. "I need to get everyone going and get them ready to play as well as getting myself ready to go. There are so many different talents on the team —any person might step up during any game and so we all need to be ready to play."
While many different players have stepped up to lead the Irish in their 19 games this season, one thing is certain: When Ivey steps onto the court, she is always ready to be the team leader and never disappoints.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, February 1, 2000
