March 14--Notre Dame coach Mike Brey was ready to make travel plans back to South Bend at halftime of his team's 78-47 loss to North Carolina on Friday in a semifinal of the ACC tournament.
"That was tough," Brey said. "Let me put it that way."
The most lopsided loss during his 16-year tenure as Irish coach meant no repeat as conference tournament champion. It also was quickly was forgotten by Selection Sunday, when the Irish learned where they would travel next, for the NCAA tournament.
Notre Dame earned a No. 6 seed in the East region and will face either Michigan or Tulsa on Friday in Brooklyn in Brey's 11th tournament selection since he arrived in South Bend.
"It was a tough ACC tournament this year," senior Zach Auguste said during a Selection Sunday party at the Joyce Center before the team learned who its next opponent would be. "We look forward to making another run. We're not done yet."
Should the Irish (21-11) win their first game, they would face West Virginia or Stephen F. Austin in the second round on Sunday.
The Irish advanced to the Elite Eight last season before falling to then-unbeaten Kentucky 68-66.
pskrbina@tribpub.com
