The regular season is ALMOST here as Notre Dame and Villanova will tip things off from Rome this Sunday. The Villanova alumni showed out last spring as New York won an NBA title thanks in large part to the trio of former Wildcats known as the “Nova Knicks”: Mikal Bridges/Jalen Brunson/Josh Hart. However, Notre Dame has a proud basketball tradition as well including Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley, 2-time NBA champ Bill Laimbeer, and 3-time All-American Luke Harangody. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel recently got to chat with Luke about his incredible college career and the significance of the ” Eternal City Tip-Off” this weekend.
You grew up in the Midwest: what made you choose Notre Dame? I grew up in Indiana about 90 minutes outside South Bend. My parents/brother went to Indiana University but everything at Notre Dame was a perfect fit for me. I liked my visit there and never looked back.
You played for Coach Mike Brey: what made him such a good coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He is a player’s coach and our personalities meshed very well together. If you look at the players he has recruited, there were a lot of overachievers. He instilled confidence in me on an ongoing basis and always trusted me, which was huge for the trajectory of my career.
After your freshman year you improved everything from your diet to your workouts to your leadership skills: how did that summer change your life either on and/or off the court? I would say both. I recall sitting down with our strength coach about where I was trending. I was at a crossroads and had to make a choice: either go out and enjoy college as a student or consider basketball to be my job. I changed a lot of things in my life, and losing weight was great for my motor.
You were the 1st man to lead the Big East in both scoring/rebounding in consecutive seasons (2008/2009), and you remain the only man to ever average 20+ PPG/10+ RPG in Big East play for your career: how were you able to balance your scoring with your rebounding? I had a lot of individuals surrounding me who allowed me to do that. I brough some energy/ferocity to the court and Coach Brey put me in a place on the court to score/rebound.
You were 2008 conference POY and a 3-time All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? Never in my life would I have imagined receiving those accolades. You can see the recurring theme is the guys around me both on/off the court. Once I reached that level where things started to take off, a lot of it was due to my network in the Notre Dame community. Just to hear you say that out loud: I must pinch myself! I never thought I would have been able to do all that, but my teammates and I challenged each other on a day-to-day basis…and it showed during our games.
In the summer of 2010 you were drafted 52nd overall by the Celtics: did you see that as a validation of all your hard work, or the realization of a lifelong dream, or other? It meant a lot. 1 of the biggest reasons I went to Notre Dame was for my education, and never did I think I would get paid to play basketball, so that night was 1 of the most memorable moments of my life.
You later spent several years playing pro basketball overseas: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US and basketball in other countries? I would have loved to play 10+ years in the NBA, but due to my height/athleticism the European game fit me better. In the NBA there is a lot of length, but overseas it is more a game of chess that fits my personality. It was a great experience and I enjoyed my time both on/off the court.
Your father Dave/brother Ty both played football at Indiana: who is the best athlete in the family? I would have to give that moniker to myself because of how competitive I am: you can print that! When we were growing up it was a humbling experience to face my brother in any sport, but he helped me become the player I turned out to be. It was great to be in such a competitive household.
You are currently VP/Head of Enterprise Solutions for a financial company called GeoWealth: how do you like it, and what do you hope to do in the future? After 10 years in the NBA/overseas I made a significant pivot. I always wanted to do something in financial services and entered this sector at age 32. I have been here about 6 years, and it is great because our company has a lot of people from Notre Dame. I jumped into it headfirst and really enjoyed it, so I want to keep doing this for many years to come. I will always miss basketball, but this job challenges me and the people are great, so I enjoy it.
Your alma mater will tip-off its season next weekend against Villanova in Rome: is it just a neat gimmick or is it something that everybody is talking about? Being Catholic and getting the chance to play on a stage like that in front of the Pope: you cannot beat that! It is great from a marketing standpoint, and I wish I could be there in person, but it is not in the cards for me to fly to Rome with 3 kids at home and a 4th on the way.
