SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It’s called Perfect Defense, both the name of the practice drill and the only way Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey will consent to ending it. Sometimes it’s two-on-two against the scout team of men at the ready. Sometimes it’s four-on-four or five-on-five.
Whatever the alignment, Notre Dame puts 35 seconds on the shot clock, then tries to nail every switch, every rotation, every help side assignment. Winning only comes from not losing your man. And winning is the only way to get off the court.
Otherwise, Ivey puts another 35 seconds on the clock and the whole process starts again.
“Perfect Defense is definitely one of my least favorite drills. It is kind of fun if you’re getting it. If you’re not, it can get a little tricky,” senior guard Sonia Citron said. “But it’s hard on purpose because you’re working on those little things that can make or break a game.”
As No. 3 seed Notre Dame heads to its fourth straight Sweet 16, where the past three seasons have ended, any shot for Ivey’s program advancing beyond No. 2 seed TCU on Saturday in Birmingham hinges on these details. Notre Dame lost sight of them as it blew a collective tire during the season’s home stretch, losing in double overtime at NC State before bottoming out at home against…
