Pat Connaughton scored a game-high 22 points in last season's showdown at Miami. He was 6-of-7 from three-point range in the game.

#12/12 Irish Play Host To Hurricanes On Saturday

Jan. 16, 2015

Notre Dame Game Notes Get Acrobat Reader

Game 19
Miami (12-4, 2-1 ACC)
vs.
#12/12 Notre Dame (16-2, 4-1 ACC)

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015
2 p.m. (ET)
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center
Notre Dame, Ind.

TV/INTERNET
ESPN2
WatchESPN
Dave Lamont (play-by-play)
LaPhonso Ellis (analyst)

RADIO
Broadcast on WatchND (free)
Sirius 92/XM 193
Check affiliates on Pg. 3 of notes packet
Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
Jordan Cornette (analyst)

LIVE STATS

#12/12 NOTRE DAME TO PLAY HOST TO MIAMI ON SATURDAY
– No. 12/12 Notre Dame (16-2, 4-1) will play host to Miami (12-4, 2-1) Saturday inside Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. The Atlantic Coast Conference clash is slated for 2 p.m. (ET).
– Saturday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and WatchESPN with Dave Lamont (play-by-play) and LaPhonso Ellis (analyst) on the call.
– A free audio broadcast will be available on WatchND. Jack Nolan (play-by-play) and Jordan Cornette (analyst) will be on the call. The broadcast can also be heard on The Notre Basketball Radio Network headed by WSBT 96.1 FM and 960 AM in South Bend. A complete affiliate list is available on page 3 of this notes packet. The broadcast also is available on Sirius 92/XM 193.
– Notre Dame currently is in third place in the ACC standings, while Miami is in sixth place.
– This will be the only regular-season meeting between the Fighting Irish and Hurricanes.

A SOLID START
– Notre Dame’s 16-2 record is the program’s best start to a season since the 1978-79 squad opened with a 17-2 mark.
– The Fighting Irish are 4-1 in conference play for the first time since the 2004-05 season. Notre Dame’s best league start occurred in 2002-03 when the Irish opened BIG EAST action 6-1.
– This is the fourth time in Notre Dame’s conference era (since 1995-96) that the Irish suffered just one regular-season non-conference loss (2006-07, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15).

ROAD WARRIORS
– Notre Dame has won its first two conference road games for the first time since the 2004-05 season (Seton Hall & West Virginia). It’s the third time under head coach Mike Brey that the Fighting Irish have started conference road play 2-0 (2001-02 & 2004-05).

HIGH MARKS
– Notre Dame ranks in the top five nationally in six categories: field goal% (1st, 53.0%), assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd, 1.67), fewest turnovers per game (4th, 9.2), fewest personal fouls per game (5th, 13.9), scoring margin (5th, +19.9) and won-lost% (5th, .889).

THE MIAMI SERIES
– Saturday will be the 17th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Miami and the second as ACC counterparts. The series is tied 8-8.
– The Hurricanes topped the Irish, 71-64, last season in Miami.
– This is Miami’s first trip to Notre Dame since Jan. 28, 2004 (a 72-62 Irish victory). Notre Dame boasts a 4-3 home record versus Miami.
– Eleven of the meetings between the two programs came when the Irish and Hurricanes were rivals in the BIG EAST Conference. Miami won seven of those encounters.
– Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey is 2-1 all-time against Miami.

TOM HAWKINS TO BE INDUCTED INTO NOTRE DAME RING OF HONOR
– Nearly 56 years have passed since Tom Hawkins played his final collegiate men’s basketball game for the University of Notre Dame, yet the indelible mark he left on the program remains intact today. While dozens of players have donned an Irish uniform since Hawkins last took the court, none have been able to duplicate his rebounding as he remains the career leader in that category.
– Hawkins, whose 1,318 career rebounds rank currently as the oldest record in the 109-year annals of Fighting Irish men’s basketball, will become the seventh inductee into the Notre Dame Basketball Ring of Honor on Saturday at halftime of the Notre Dame-Miami game. He will follow six former players–Austin Carr (2011), Adrian Dantley (2012), Skylar Diggins (2013), Luke Harangody (2010) and Ruth Riley (2010)–and former men’s head coach Richard “Digger” Phelps (2014) into the school’s Ring of Honor.

CONNAUGHTON A CONSISTENT PRESENCE
– Senior Pat Connaughton made his 100th consecutive start on Wednesday at Georgia Tech. He became the third player in Notre Dame history to start at least 100 straight games. Chris Thomas (2002-05) started all 128 games during his Fighting Irish career and Pat Garrity (1995-98) was in the starting lineup during all 111 contests of his career. Torin Francis (2003-06) started all 113 games he played in an Irish uniform, but he missed the final 12 contests of his sophomore season.
– Connaughton has played in all 119 games during his career and has started all but 16 of those contests. He has 103 career starts. Connaughton became the 10th player in program history to notch at least 100 starts.
– Connaughton has been on the court for 165 of a possible 170 minutes over the last four contests. Last season, Connaughton played every minute of eight games, including six ACC contests.

IRISH IN THE POLLS
– Notre Dame is No. 12 in both major polls (USA Today Coaches & Associated Press). It’s the highest ranking for the Irish since they were No. 5 in the AP poll prior to the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

TAKEAWAYS FROM GEORGIA TECH
– Wednesday was the 12th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech and the fourth as ACC rivals. The Yellow Jackets lead the series 7-5, but the Irish have won the last three matchups, including both this season. It was Notre Dame’s first-ever win at Georgia Tech (1-4).
– Notre Dame improved to 44-43 under head coach Mike Brey in games decided by three points or fewer.
– Notre Dame had five players score in double-figures (Grant 12, Vasturia 11, Connaughton 10, Colson 10, Beachem 10). It was the sixth time this season the Irish had at least five players score in double-figures.
Bonzie Colson (career-high 10 points) became the ninth different Notre Dame player to score in double-figures this season.
– The Fighting Irish had an assist on 16 of their 20 made field goals.
– The Irish only committed nine turnovers. It signified the 11th time this season (third straight contest) Notre Dame had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game.
– Notre Dame trailed 38-30 at halftime. The eight-point halftime deficit was Notre Dame’s largest of the season. The Irish are 2-1 this season when down at the intermission.
– The eight-point halftime deficit (38-30) was the largest overcome by the Irish en route to a victory since they came back from a 16-point margin (39-23) in a 74-70 overtime win at Villanova on Feb. 18, 2012.
– Georgia Tech shot 53.6% (15-28) in the first half, but Notre Dame limited the Yellow Jackets to just 26.1% (6-23) in the second half. That’s the lowest second-half percentage ever for an Irish opponent in an ACC contest.
– Georgia Tech’s 59 points were the fewest ever allowed by Notre Dame in an ACC game.

HOT SHOTS
– Notre Dame leads the nation in field goal percentage at 53.0 percent.
– The Irish have shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 14 of 18 games this season and they topped 60.0 percent in two contests — 65.6 percent (40-61) vs. Coppin State and 62.2 percent (28-45) against Grambling State.
– Six Notre Dame players are shooting better than 48.0 percent from the field (min. 50 attempts) — Zach Auguste (65.3%), V.J. Beachem (54.5%), Demetrius Jackson (53.9%), Jerian Grant (49.8%), Steve Vasturia (49.1%) and Pat Connaughton (48.6%).

TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL
– Notre Dame ranks second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67) and fourth in fewest turnovers per game (9.2).
– The Irish have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in 11 games this season, including each of the last three contests (North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia Tech). Notre Dame had a season-low four turnovers against Michigan State (Dec. 3).

FIGHTING IRISH GET OFFENSIVE
– The Irish rank 10th nationally – second in the ACC – in scoring (82.1 ppg.).
– Notre Dame’s 82.1 points-per-game average is the highest since the Irish averaged 85.4 ppg. during the 1976-77 campaign.
– The Fighting Irish have deposited 90-plus points six times this season.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
– Four Fighting Irish players are averaging at least 13 points per game this season – Jerian Grant (16.3), Zach Auguste (14.3), Pat Connaughton (14.1) and Demetrius Jackson (13.8).
– Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in 15 of 18 games this season. The Irish have had five or more double-digit scorers on six occasions. The Irish had a season-high six players reach double-figures against Purdue (Dec. 20).

20-POINT PERFORMERS
– Four different Irish players have scored 20 or more points in a game this season. Jerian Grant has done it a team-best five times, while Zach Auguste (3), Pat Connaughton (2) and Demetrius Jackson (2) have netted 20-plus points on multiple occasions this season.

DRAINING FROM DEEP
– Notre Dame is 11th nationally in made three-point field goals (158) and three-point field goal percentage (.407). Both of those figures lead the ACC.
– The Irish are 17th nationally (first in the ACC) in three-pointers per game (8.8).
– The Irish have deposited 10 or more treys in a game six times this season (four times in the last six games).
– Notre Dame made a season-best 14 three-pointers (14-of-25) against Chicago State (Nov. 29).
Pat Connaughton ranks 21st nationally in three-point percentage (.450) and 27th in made three-pointers (49).
– Three Irish players are shooting 43.0% or higher from three-point range – V.J. Beachem (53.1%), Pat Connaughton (45.0%) and Demetrius Jackson (43.9%).
– Connaughton ranks eighth in Irish history in made three-point field goals (224).

GRANT HAS GAME
– Senior guard Jerian Grant leads the ACC in assists per game (6.2), assist-to-turnover ratio (3.50) and total minutes (631). He is fourth in points (294) and sixth in points per game (16.3).
– He ranks 10th nationally in assists (112) and 13th in assists per game (6.2).
– Grant will be playing in his 100th career game on Saturday versus Miami.
– Grant scored a career-high 27 points versus Michigan State on Dec. 3.
– His 3.50 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 12th nationally. His 2.54 career assist-to-turnover ratio ranks third among active Division I players.

GRANT KEEPS IRISH OFFENSE GOING
Jerian Grant has had a hand in 39.0 percent of Notre Dame’s 1,478 points this season. He’s netted a team-high 294 points and his team-best 113 assists have led to 282 Fighting Irish points.
– Grant has assisted on 14 of Notre Dame’s 27 three-pointers in the last three games.
– Grant has had a hand in 83 of Notre Dame’s 158 three-pointers this season (52.3%). Grant has made 27 treys and he’s assisted on 56 others.

GRANT IN CONTENTION FOR PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR AWARDS
Jerian Grant has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list. He also has been selected to the watch lists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Naismith Trophy.

PAT’S AN ALL-AROUND PERFORMER
Pat Connaughton has reached double-figures in each of the last seven games, which ties a career-best streak and is the longest active streak for the Irish.
– He tied a season-high mark with 21 points last Saturday versus Virginia. It was his second 20-plus point effort of the season (10th of his career). He was 4-of-9 from three-point range and he also hauled down a game-high tying eight rebounds against the Cavaliers.
– Connaughton has a team-high four double-doubles this season and his 11 career double-doubles are the most for any current Irish player.
– Connaughton leads Notre Dame in rebounding (8.2 rpg.) and is third in scoring (14.1 ppg.).
– He ranks 14th nationally (third in the ACC) in defensive rebounds per game (7.06) and he is eighth in the ACC in total rebounds per game (8.2).
– At North Carolina (Jan. 5), Connaughton pulled down a game-best nine rebounds. He also tied a career-high total with three blocked shots, which are the most for any Irish player this season.

STARTING FIVE CONSISTENCY
Demetrius Jackson, Jerian Grant, Steve Vasturia, Pat Connaughton and Martinas Geben started Wednesday’s contest at Georgia Tech. It was just the second different starting lineup of the season for Notre Dame. It was the first career start for Geben, while Jackson, Grant, Vasturia and Connaughton have started every game this season.
– Last season, the Irish juggled its starting lineup throughout the campaign and ended up with 12 different rotations.
– Through 18 games last season, Notre Dame already had seven different starting lineups.

AUGUSTE STAYS HOT FROM THE FIELD
– Junior forward Zach Auguste ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage at 65.3 percent.
– Auguste has been perfect from the field three times this season – 9-9 vs. Coppin State, 7-7 vs. Northern Illinois, 5-5 vs. Grambling State. His performance against Coppin State tied a Notre Dame record for most field goals without a miss in a single game.
– Auguste netted a career-high 26 points against Florida State in the ACC opener. Those were the most points ever scored by an Irish player in an ACC game. He made a career-best 11 field goals (on 15 attempts).
– That was his third 20-plus point effort of the season (20 vs. Navy, 21 vs. Coppin State).
– Auguste is averaging 14.3 points per game after posting a 6.7 ppg. mark last season (+7.6).

ACTION JACKSON
– Sophomore Demetrius Jackson had his career-best eight-game double-figure point streak snapped on Wednesday at Georgia Tech, but he still managed to pull down a career-high tying eight rebounds and dish out five assists while only committing one turnover.
– The Irish point guard has played 106 minutes over the last three games and has only turned the ball over once in that time.
– He ranks second in the ACC (25th nationally) in steals (37) and is fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.46).
– Jackson has netted a career-high 22 points twice this season (Michigan State & Purdue).
– Jackson is averaging 13.8 points per game after notching a 6.0 mark last season (+7.8).

BEACHEM BOMBS AWAY OFF THE BENCH
– Sophomore forward V.J. Beachem is 26-of-49 (53.1%) from three-point range this season. He is 9-of-15 (60.0%) from beyond the arc in the last three games (North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia Tech).
– His top three-point effort of the season came against Coppin State (Nov. 19) as he connected on 5-of-6 attempts.
– Beachem missed five straight games earlier this season due to injury, but returned to the floor Dec. 22 versus Northern Illinois.

A DYNAMIC DUO
Jerian Grant leads all current ACC players in career points (1,405), while Pat Connaughton is third (1,243).
– Connaughton leads all ACC players in career rebounds (688) and Grant is first in career assists (550).
– The senior duo has combined for 218 games played (200 of them starts), 2,648 points, 970 rebounds, 779 assists and 218 steals.
– Connaughton and Grant also have accounted for 7,305 minutes played on the court (33.5 mpg.).

MILESTONES
Jerian Grant (1,405 points & 550 assists) is the sixth player in program history to score 1,000 points and dish off 500 assists. Four of those players have played during the Mike Brey era (Chris Thomas, Tory Jackson and Eric Atkins are the others).
– Grant’s 550 assists are the fifth-most on Notre Dame history.
Pat Connaughton (1,243 points & 688 rebounds) is the first Notre Dame player to notch 1,000 points and 600 rebounds since Luke Harangody (2006-10).

1,000-POINT PLAYERS
Jerian Grant (1,405) and Pat Connaughton (1,243) are the 55th and 56th members of Notre Dame’s 1,000-point club. Grant reached the milestone last season, while Connaughton did so in the 2014-15 season opener against Binghamton.
– Grant is 20th on Notre Dame’s career scoring list, while Connaughton is 33rd.
– Grant boasts a 14.2 points-per-game average during his career and Connaughton has a 10.4 mark.

DEFENSIVE DISPLAYS
– Notre Dame ranks fourth in the ACC in total steals (126). Individually, Demetrius Jackson is second in the league in steals (37), while Jerian Grant is ninth (26).
– The Irish have held 10 of 18 opponents under 40.0% shooting from the floor this season.
– The 39 points scored by Binghamton in the season opener marked the third time that a Notre Dame team under Mike Brey has held an opponent to under 40 points and the first time since 2007.
– The Irish limited Chicago State to just 42 points in the 90-42 win on Nov. 29. The 48-point margin of victory was the largest for Notre Dame since a 50-point win (101-51) over Rider on Dec. 28, 2006.

BREY NOTCHES 400TH CAREER WIN
– Notre Dame’s season opener against Binghamton signaled the beginning of head coach Mike Brey’s 20th season as a head coach. The 82-39 win over the Bearcats marked his 400th career win as a college head coach. He has registered a 415-213 (.661) record in 19-plus seasons at Delaware and Notre Dame.
– Brey earned his 300th win at Notre Dame last season against Georgia Tech (Feb. 26, 2014). He has compiled a 316-161 (.662) record in his 14-plus seasons in South Bend. He is one of 19 active head coaches to have 300 or more Division I victories at their current institution.
– Only two other Notre Dame head coaches have reached the 300-win milestone. Digger Phelps led the Fighting Irish to a 393-197 record from 1971-91. George Keogan notched a 327-97 mark from 1923-43.

IRISH ECLIPSE CENTURY MARK AGAIN
– The 104 points scored by the Irish in the win over Coppin State (Nov. 19) were the most in a regulation contest since a 106-65 victory over Sacred Heart on Dec. 19, 2011. It marked the first time Notre Dame eclipsed the 100-point mark since a 101-67 win over Cornell on Dec. 1, 2013, and the 17th time that an Irish team under Mike Brey scored 100 or more points.

CAPTAIN CONNAUGHTON
– Senior guard/forward Pat Connaughton has been named captain for the 2014-15 season. Connaughton served as one of four captains for the Irish a year ago and becomes the 22nd different Notre Dame men’s basketball player to serve as a captain in multiple seasons.
– Since the 1985-86 campaign, only four other players have served as lone captains for their Irish teams– Ken Barlow (1985-86), Tim Singleton (1990-91), Ryan Hoover (1995-96) and Rob Kurz (2007-08).

FIGHTING IRISH IN ITALY
– In early August, the Fighting Irish squad traveled to Italy for a 10-day, four-game foreign tour. Notre Dame posted a 4-0 record. The Irish visited Rome, Perugia, Pesaro, Venice and Como during the trip.
– It was the program’s first foreign tour since 2008 when the Irish ventured to Ireland for 13 days.

CONNAUGHTON DRAFTED BY ORIOLES
– The Baltimore Orioles selected Irish swingman Pat Connaughton in the fourth round of June’s Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 121st pick overall.
– Connaughton spent part of June and July pitching for the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Class A Orioles’ affiliate.
– Connaughton finished his Fighting Irish baseball career last spring. He posted a 3.03 ERA and had an 11-11 record on the mound during his three seasons. He fanned 105 batters in 154.2 innings pitched.

NOTRE DAME FIRST AGAIN IN GRADUATION RATE SUCCESS
– The University of Notre Dame once again claims the 2014 national championship for graduating student-athletes in all sports–in the process posting the top NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figure (99) for its student-athletes for the eighth straight year.
– The GSR number for all Notre Dame student-athletes rates the Irish first among the football-playing institutions in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A). The 2014 NCAA figures are based on entering classes from 2004 through 2007.
– Twenty-one of Notre Dame’s men’s and women’s athletic programs posted GSR numbers that rank them best in the nation within their sports (including 20 perfect 100 scores)– and 11 produced federal graduation rates that led all NCAA FBS institutions (including eight perfect 100 scores). Men’s basketball at 100 tied for first with 14 other schools.
– Five Irish women’s programs had perfect 100 federal rates ranking them first within their sports among the NCAA FBS subset. Six Irish men’s programs had federal rates ranking them first within their sports (three with perfect 100 scores) among the NCAA FBS subset. Men’s basketball at 85 ranked tied for first with Penn State.
– Five Irish women’s programs had perfect 100 federal rates ranking them first within their sports among the NCAA FBS subset. Six Irish men’s programs had federal rates ranking them first within their sports (three with perfect 100 scores) among the NCAA FBS subset. Men’s basketball at 85 ranked tied for first with Penn State.