Rivers Leading Irish, but He’s Still Not 100%

There are many times when David Rivers looks like his old self on the court--one of the best point guards in America. He dribbles swiftly and penetrates, makes jump shots from the top of the key and unleashes dazzling passes.

Still, the Notre Dame star admits he’s not at 100%, even though he’s playing full time and leads the Irish in scoring, assists and steals.

“I’m not quite back yet,” he said last week. “I’d say 80 to 85% back. As the seasons progresses, I’ll be in better shape. I don’t have as much spring in my long-range shot.”

The 15-inch gash across his stomach is the reason why.

In the wee hours of Aug. 24, the van Rivers was riding in went off a two-lane road near Wakarusa, Ind. He smashed through the windshield, landed 90 feet away in a ditch and nearly bled to death.

“I think about it every day,” the 6-foot junior said after Notre Dame beat Yale last Sunday at New Haven, Conn. “The scar is a constant reminder.”

Ken Barlow, Rivers’ recently graduated teammate and the driver of the van, suffered only minor injuries.

“I remember everything about it,” Rivers said. “I was depressed at what happened. I was thinking about my parents, the guys on the team and all those people back home I would have liked to say to goodbye to, and I remember feeling depressed because I wasn’t going to be able to.

“The first thing I thought about was that I was going to die. But when Kenny Barlow started talking to me, I had a feeling I’d live. After that I just wondered if I would play again and be able to go to school.”

It took doctors three hours and hundreds of stitches to repair Rivers’ wound. But by Sept. 15, he was able to return to class while undergoing rehabilitation, including jogging in shallow water. By Nov. 1, he was shooting jump shots and taking part in noncontact portions of practice.

“I didn’t want to redshirt,” said Rivers, who lost 21 of his 180 pounds but has gained most of it back. “I wanted to play this season.”

“You’ve got to admire him for his determination,” Coach Digger Phelps said. “I don’t know if I’d have had the courage to go through what he did.”

Rivers has made it through rough times before.

He had it tough growing up in Jersey City, N.J., the youngest of 16 children. One of his brothers was stabbed to death; another was killed by a truck.

“We didn’t have much,” he said, “but there was a lot of love and understanding.”

Rivers managed to avoid the pitfalls of urban life and played at St. Anthony’s High School under Bob Hurley. He was determined to use basketball to get a college education.

“I could have gone anywhere I wanted,” Rivers said matter-of-factly.

By going to Notre Dame, he became a starter as a freshman and was told to run the show by Phelps. The Irish were a big, plodding team before Rivers turned things around and led Notre Dame into the NCAA tournament the past two seasons.

Averaging 16 points, Rivers has played every game so far this season for the Irish, who lost their first two games, to Western Kentucky and Indiana, then won eight straight heading into the weekend.

Proving he isn’t lacking in stamina, Rivers played 45 minutes in an overtime win over Eastern Michigan Dec. 11, scoring 24 points and providing nine assists.

“He was out of shape in the beginning of the season,” Phelps said, “but he’s played himself back into shape. He doesn’t have the strength in his shoulders he used to have. Before the accident he was in weight-training, but he had to stop that. He’s going to resume weight-training soon.”

Last Sunday, in the 64-49 victory over Yale, Rivers drove the lane, hung in the air and faked a left-handed, behind-the-back pass to Mark Stevenson. A split-second later, Rivers fed a pass with his right hand to Stevenson, who was caught offguard.

“I was being creative,” Rivers said. “Mark knew he was going to get a pass, but he didn’t know how or where it was coming from.”

“He’s the best guard I’ve seen this year,” Yale Coach Dick Kutchen said, “and I’m an ESPN nut.”

The night before, Rivers scored 15 points, including two straight three-point goals, over three minutes, to beat Penn.

Rivers promises he will graduate from Notre Dame and then play on the Olympic team.

Five months ago, lying in a ditch in rural Indiana, he didn’t seem to have a chance of playing at all.