Back And Ranked...

Notre Dame men's basketball coach Mike Brey said after the Irish beat DePaul on Saturday that he felt his team earned the right to be ranked.
So, too, did the nation's coaches.
Notre Dame entered the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll at No. 21 on Monday, the first time all season the Irish have held a ranking in either poll this season. The Irish also are ranked No. 22 in the latest Associated Press media poll.
"The rankings, it's important to us because we went out there and earned it," junior swingman Ryan Ayers said. "Beat a team on the road and took care of business at home. It's another accomplishment we can talk about and keep building on."
Sophomore guard Tory Jackson he actually expected to have a number next to Notre Dame's name for the first time this season, but other than that, he doesn't worry too much about it.
It's almost as if he's taking Brey's mantra.
Said Jackson: "We have a lot more basketball to play."
Notre Dame is sandwiched between two SEC schools in the coaches' poll. Slumping Vanderbilt is No. 20 and surging Florida -- the two-time defending national champions -- are No. 22.
The Irish are one of five ranked Big East teams, joining No. 6 Georgetown, No. 16 Marquette, No. 19 Connecticut and No. 25 Pittsburgh.
-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette