Seeing a Notre Dame jersey in the gym Tuesday was reassuring for Ryan Ayers. It was a little touch of home when he arrived for the Irish’s practice at the University of Denver.
Earlier in the day, the Irish arrived from South Bend, Ind., checked into their hotel and proceeded to DU’s Hamilton Gymnasium to begin preparation for Thursday’s NCAA Tournament game against George Mason.
The connection to Notre Dame turned out to be Joe Scott, DU men’s basketball coach. Scott played for Princeton but was in law school at Notre Dame; he won the prestigious student body’s Book Store basketball tournament played each year on the Notre Dame campus.
“Maybe that karma will be around all the Notre Dame guys right here,” Ayers said.
Ayers doesn’t depend on intangibles. His basketball heritage is very real. His father, Randy Ayers, has a rich history in college coaching as well as in the NBA.
The elder Ayers was the head coach at Ohio State for eight years, posting a 124-108 record. He won Big Ten titles in 1991 and 1992 and was the 1991 national coach of the year. His time in the NBA includes stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was head coach and also an assistant to Larry Brown, the Orlando Magic and presently with the Washington Wizards.
“There are a lot of benefits being a coach’s son,” Ryan Ayers said. “You grow up with the game. You have more experience with it. It gives the game a different perspective. It’s the life you’re born into.”
Ayers is in his junior year at Notre Dame. The 6-foot-7 guard/forward has made 17 starts this season, averaging 7.4 points in 31 games.
“I played all sports growing up, but basketball always was my favorite thing to do,” Ayers said. “Notre Dame has been a great fit for me so far.”
Ayers believes the Irish (24-7) are on a mission this year. They entered the NCAA Tournament last year with a roster lacking in postseason experience, and the sixth-seeded Irish lost 74-64 to Winthrop in the first round.
“We’re looking forward to bouncing back from last year’s performance,” Ayers said. “We have more experience this year and know what to expect.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
