[Tuck4Bama]

By Brian Hamilton | Tribune reporter

It was a noticeably muted Thursday for Notre Dame. There was no official practice. Kyle McAlarney shot around in a vacant Joyce Center. Rob Kurz casually tugged a suitcase into the gym. A flight to Tampa, not an array of dunks, was the air travel of the day.

When the Irish departed, they remained in the subdued business of contrived motivation. In the remote basketball outpost of South Florida, with a tournament bye sewn up and a bottom-feeding opponent on tap, the idea was to find an excuse to care.

Hours later, Notre Dame had that problem solved for it. The Irish now can shoot for three.

Irish look to hit 3 in final road game -- ChicagoSports.com