Pat Connaughton is mostly known for being the heart of the Notre Dame team. He shows a lot of emotion, comes through in a big way with clutch jumpers, makes the extra pass, and generally just helps the Fighting Irish be better than if they didn’t have Pat Connaughton.
The senior, along with Jerian Grant, is trying to make the most of his final season in South Bend, and the Round of 32 matchup against Butler was a tight one. With the game tied at 55 and the Bulldogs having a chance to win, Connaughton (seven points, nine rebounds, five blocks) made sure there wouldn’t be any buzzer beating magic before the horn with an emphatic block to send the game to overtime. The Irish would eventually win 67-64 and move the ACC to 9-0 through the first three days of the tournament.
This is the first time the Fighting Irish advanced to the second weekend since 2003, and Connaughton will have at least one more opportunity to make a final memory at Notre Dame. It might be tough to top the sheer awesomeness of that block – or his Batman socks – though.
