Kyle McAlarney

#23 Kyle McAlarney- 6-0 / 196, Staten Island, NY-

2006 was a year to forget for K-Mac, and it had little to do with his actual performance on the basketball court. Marijuana charges and a University suspension cost him half his season. Before leaving the team, Kyle averaged 10.3 points and 5.4 assists in 29.8 minutes per game while starting the first 12 contests. Perhaps his brightest moment was scoring 20 points in leading the Irish to their best nonconference win of the year against Alabama.

What's next? Now that Mac has returned, he has competition for the starting point guard spot in superb sophomore Tory Jackson. Thankfully, Coach Brey has shown the willingness to pair two natural point guards together in the backcourt. While a Jackson-McAlarney pairing matches the two most talented guards on the team, previous combos of PGs have produced mixed results. Jackson and McAlarney must be able to share the spotlight in order for the team to perform at its best.

Kyle might be sharing ball control responsibilities with Jackson, but he brings much of his own talents to the floor as well. Hitting 46.4 % of his shots from three-point range last year showed his immense shooting ability. He must be able to convert his outside shots to make up for the loss of Colin Falls' 15.3 PPG. If McAlarney stays humble, makes his shots, and keeps away from jail, he will pick up right where he left off and lead the team to many wins this season.