Nov. 14--SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Mike Brey's most important recruiting pitch this spring might have been his easiest.
Senior Pat Connaughton and fifth-year senior Jerian Grant could have left Notre Dame -- Connaughton to begin a promising professional baseball career as a pitcher, while Grant could have gone to the NBA after his academic suspension.
Both had said they intended to return to Notre Dame for one last go-round, but Brey wasn't resting easy until he saw them back on campus this summer.
"That was the most important recruiting and there was never really much drama with them not coming back," Brey said. "But when I saw them in our first workout around June 18, my blood pressure went down a little bit. That's a great place for us to start."
Others in Notre Dame's lineup need to step up and make contributions, namely sophomore Demetrius Jackson and junior Zach Auguste, but if Notre Dame is going to get back to the NCAA tournament this season, it will be because Grant and Connaughton led the way.
For Grant, this is a chance for redemption after he spent the conference season and postseason at home while serving an academic suspension. Grant hasn't shied away from taking blame for Notre Dame going 6-12 in conference, a record that featured several close losses when the Irish could have turned to a natural scorer like Grant in the final minutes.
"I feel like I let them down last year, as much as they tell me it wasn't my fault," Grant said. "I feel like a lot of what happened last year was on my shoulders."
Grant's game was on an upward trajectory last season before his suspension. He had become a more efficient offensive player and was shooting 52 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. He was a catalyst for Notre Dame's offense, and Brey immediately knew the Irish would struggle without him because his presence on the floor dictates how opposing defense guard Notre Dame.
By being on the floor, Brey said, Grant commands defensive attention and that can lead to better shots for the four other players on the floor.
"He's one of the better players in college basketball," Brey said. "He's a heck of a guard and when we lost him, we lost a playmaker who he was involved with every play offensively. If he wasn't scoring it, he was setting somebody up. ... When he gets in and he's kicking (the ball outside), guys are getting cleaner looks."
Connaughton, meanwhile, could have said goodbye to basketball after he was a fourth-round pick of the Orioles in June. But his intent was always to return, so he rejected his agent's advice to tell baseball teams we was considering leaving basketball behind.
"I was straight up with every baseball team," Connaughton said. "I said if you're going to draft me I'm going to come back to play basketball so don't waste a pick on me if you're not going to let me.
"It definitely cost me. It cost me probably a lot. But at the end of the day, I'm not just back here to finish up my final season or get my degree. I'm back here to see what I can do in basketball and see if I can get drafted in basketball."
Connaughton, who averaged 13.8 points per game last season, is perhaps Notre Dame's most versatile player. On defense, the 6-foot-5 swingman might guard some power forwards and he will mix it up on the glass. Last season, he averaged 7.1 rebounds per game, tied for the team lead.
"This guy is a flat-out stud," Brey said. "He's one of the unique athletes we've had in our history here."
Both Grant and Connaughton are hoping to write a memorable final chapter in their collective histories before moving on with their careers.
"They're two of the better players, maybe two of the 10 best or 12 best returning players in the ACC," Brey said. "That's a great place to start."
chine@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @ChristopherHine
