Ben Hansbrough scored a career-high 26 points on Saturday versus St. John's.

#14/15 Notre Dame Set For Big Monday At Marquette

Jan. 9, 2011

Notre Dame Game NotesGet Acrobat Reader

#14/15 Notre Dame vs. Marquette
Monday, Jan. 10 o 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Bradley Center (18,600)o Milwaukee, Wis.

TV: ESPN2/ESPN3.com
Dave Pasch (play-by-play)
Jay Bilas (analyst), Bill Raftery (analyst)

Radio: Affiliate listings on page 7; Broadcast also on UND.com
Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
Jordan Cornette (analyst)

#14/15 IRISH TRAVEL TO MARQUETTE FOR BIG MONDAY SHOWDOWN
– Notre Dame (14-2, 3-1) will travel to Milwaukee, Wis., for an ESPN2 Big Monday showdown with Marquette (11-5, 2-1). Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. (ET) inside the Bradley Center.
– Notre Dame has recorded 14 wins in its first 16 games for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign.
– The Irish are coming off a 76-61 home victory over St. John’s on Saturday.
– Notre Dame is off to a 3-1 start in BIG EAST play for the fifth straight season. The last 4-1 league start for the Irish occurred in 2004-05.
– Notre Dame is 20-4 in its last 24 games. That’s the best 24-game stretch for the Fighting Irish under head coach Mike Brey.
– This will be the 114th meeting all-time between the Fighting Irish and Golden Eagles. Notre Dame leads the series 78-35. Eight of those meetings have occurred since Marquette joined the BIG EAST in 2005. The Irish are 3-5 in those contests, which includes a Marquette victory in the BIG EAST Tournament. Irish head coach Mike Brey is 4-6 against Marquette.
– Notre Dame is 32-23 when playing Marquette in Milwaukee. This will be the 12th time the Irish have played the Golden Eagles at the Bradley Center. Notre Dame is 6-5 in those contests. In the last meeting at the Bradley Center, the Irish topped the Golden Eagles 63-60 in overtime on March 6, 2010. That was the last meeting between the two schools.

BLAZING BIG EAST STARTS
– Notre Dame is off to a 3-1 start in BIG EAST play for the fifth straight season. A win over Marquette would give Notre Dame a 4-1 BIG EAST record for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign and for just the third time since joining the league in 1995. Here are the top starts for the Irish in BIG EAST play …
2002-03: 6-1 (finished 10-6)
2004-05: 4-1 (finished 9-7)
2006-07: 3-1 (finished 11-5)
2007-08: 3-1 (finished 14-4)
2008-09: 3-1 (finished 8-10)
2009-10: 3-1 (finished 10-8)
2010-11: 3-1

STARTING STRONG
– Notre Dame has collected 14 wins in its first 16 games of the season for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign when that Irish squad opened with a 15-2 mark.
– The Fighting Irish have won 14 of their first 16 games three times during the Mike Brey era (2002-03, 2006-07, 2010-11).
– Notre Dame has reached 14 wins the quickest (date wise) in program history. The previous fastest was last season when the Fighting Irish secured their 14th win on Jan. 9, 2010.
– Prior to this year, the 2006-07 campaign was the only other season during Notre Dame’s BIG EAST era that the Irish suffered just one regular-season non-conference loss.
– Notre Dame’s loss to Kentucky on Dec. 8 was the latest calendar date the Irish had suffered their first setback of the season since the 1979-80 campaign. Notre Dame started that season 7-0 before suffering its first loss to Kentucky (86-80) on Dec. 29, 1979.
– Notre Dame’s 8-0 start was the fifth in program history and the best ever for the Irish under head coach Mike Brey. It also matched the longest win streak for an Irish team coached by Brey. Notre Dame’s last eight-game win streak came during Brey’s first season when his 2000-01 squad rattled off eight straight BIG EAST conference regular-season victories.

IRISH ON A ROLL
– Notre Dame is 20-4 (.833) in its last 24 games dating back to last season. That is the best 24-game stretch for Notre Dame under head coach Mike Brey. Following a double-overtime loss to Louisville (91-89) in Freedom Hall on Feb. 17, 2010, the Irish won their final four regular-season games in 2009-10 (Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Connecticut and Marquette) and won two games in the BIG EAST Tournament (Seton Hall and Pittsburgh) before losing to West Virginia in the conference championship semifinals and to Old Dominion in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

WHAT AN OPENING STRETCH
– Notre Dame opened BIG EAST play with an unprecedented stretch as the Irish faced three top-10 foes in its first three contests. Notre Dame went 2-1 against those foes. The Irish defeated No. 9/9 Georgetown 69-55 at home before falling at No. 5/5 Syracuse 70-58. Notre Dame concluded the stretch with a 73-70 triumph of No. 8/9 Connecticut at home.

TAKING DOWN A TOP-10 FOE
– Last Tuesday’s 73-70 victory over No. 8/9 Connecticut coupled with the 69-55 victory over No. 9/9 Georgetown on Dec. 29 marked the first time since the 2002-03 campaign that Notre Dame has defeated two top-10 teams in a three-game span. That season the Fighting Irish took down No. 13/10 Marquette (92-71), No. 9/8 Maryland (79-67) and No. 2/2 Texas (98-92) in consecutive contests.
– Prior to the wins over Georgetown and Connecticut, the last time Notre Dame recorded back-to-back home wins over top-10 teams was during the 1960-61 season when the Irish knocked off No. 7 DePaul (61-58 on Jan. 17, 1961) and No. 7 St. John’s (64-63 on Feb. 2, 1961).
– The last time Notre Dame defeated three top-10 teams in the same season was during the 2008-09 campaign. That season, the Irish took down No. 6/7 Texas (81-80), No. 9/10 Georgetown (73-67) and No. 5/7 Louisville (90-57).

DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORERS
– Five Fighting Irish players (Hansbrough 16.3, Abromaitis 16.2, Scott 11.9, Nash 10.1 and Martin 10.1) are averaging double-figures in points.
– Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in points in the same game 10 times this season. At least five players have reached double-digits in the same contest three times and six players have scored 10-plus points once.

CLAMPING DOWN
– Notre Dame has held 15 of its 16 opponents to 50% or less from the field this season. The Irish have held their foes under 40% on eight occasions and under 30% once (California).
– Notre Dame opponents are shooting 40.0% from the field and 30.9% from three-point range.

BREY REACHES BIG EAST MILESTONE
– Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey notched his 100th BIG EAST regular-season victory last Tuesday with the win over Connecticut. Brey is the sixth coach in BIG EAST Conference history with 100 regular-season league wins. Brey’s Irish teams are 101-69 (.594) all-time in regular-season BIG EAST play.

ELDER STATESMAN – Mike Brey is in his 11th season along the Irish sidelines. He is the third-longest tenured coach in the BIG EAST, behind only Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Jim Calhoun of Connecticut. Brey stands sixth all-time in career BIG EAST victories (both regular-season and tournament) with his 107-79 (.575) mark. He is one of seven coaches in BIG EAST history to record 100 conference wins.
BIG EAST All-Time Winningest Coaches By Victories
(Includes conference regular-season and championship games)
1. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse 374-204 (.647)
2. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut 290-165 (.637)
3. John Thompson, Georgetown 231-123 (.653)
4. Lou Carnesecca, St. John’s 139-80 (.635)
5. Rollie Massimino, Villanova 123-92 (.572)
6. Mike Brey, Notre Dame 107-79 (.575)
7. Jay Wright, Villanova 100-69 (.592)

HANSBROUGH STAYING HOT
– Senior guard Ben Hansbrough scored a career-high 26 points on Saturday versus St. John’s. His previous high was 24 earlier this season against Indiana State (Nov. 30). He also matched a career-high total in steals with four against the Red Storm.
– Hansbrough has scored in double-figures a team-best 15 times this season, including in each of the past 10 games. That ties him with Carleton Scott for the longest double-figure scoring streak for the Irish this season. It also is a personal-best streak for Hansbrough.
– He notched 21 points, five rebounds and four assists on Tuesday versus Connecticut. Hansbrough also helped hold Connecticut’s Kemba Walker, the nation’s leading scorer, to an 8-23 shooting night.
– Hansbrough has led the team in scoring a team-high seven times this season. Hansbrough leads the Irish with a career-best 16.3 ppg. average. He also has a team-best 63 assists (3.9 apg) and a team-high 20 steals.
– He has scored 20-plus points six times this season and 13 times in his career (nine times at Notre Dame). Hansbrough has reached double-digits in 38 of his 51 career games with the Irish.

A IS FOR ABROMAITIS
Tim Abromaitis has scored in double figures in all but two games (California and Kentucky) this season. He is Notre Dame’s leading rebounder (7.3 rpg) and ranks second in points (16.2 ppg). Both of those figures are career-high marks.
– Abromaitis has scored in double-figures in 11 straight regular-season BIG EAST games. He has registered double-figures in 20 out of 22 BIG EAST regular-season games over the past two seasons.
– He has led the Irish in scoring six times this season. Abromaitis has led the squad in rebounding a team-high nine times. He has led the Irish in rebounding in seven of the last eight games.
– Abromaitis’s seven games with 20-plus points is a team-high total this season. He has 15 career games with at least 20 points.
– Abromaitis has two double-doubles this season. He has three career double-doubles. He has grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds twice this season (California and UMBC).
– Abromaitis has hit at least three three-pointers in four of the past five contests. He has deposited at least three treys in a game eight times this season. Abromaitis matched a career-high total with five made three-pointers (on seven attempts) against Georgetown (Dec. 29).

MARTIN MAKING AN IMPACT
Scott Martin has reached double-figures in the each of the past five games. That double-digit scoring streak matches a career-best mark for Martin. He also scored 10-plust points in five consecutive games during his freshman season at Purdue (2007-08). He has reached double-figures eight times this season and 22 times in his career.
– Against St. John’s on Saturday, Martin netted 12 points and hauled down a season-high eight rebounds.
– Martin produced an all-around effort at Syracuse on Jan. 1. He scored 10 points and hauled down a team-high tying seven rebounds. He also dished out a career-high six assists in addition to having one blocked shot and one steal.
– He has netted a season-high 15 points three times this season (Maine, Indiana State, UMBC). Those were his highest point outputs since he netted a career-high 17 points against Missouri State on Dec. 23, 2007, during his freshman season at Purdue.
– Martin did not play in 2008-09 due to NCAA transfer rules and he missed all of last season with an ACL injury.

CONSISTENCY FROM CARLETON
Carleton Scott has scored in double-figures 10 times this season. He saw his 10-game double-digit scoring streak come to an end versus Georgetown (Dec. 29). That was the longest double-digit scoring streak for the Irish this season and it also was a career-best streak for Scott. He has reached double-digits 14 times in his career.
– His four made three-pointers against Stony Brook (Dec. 19) were a career-high total. He dished out a career-high six assists versus UMBC (Dec. 22).
– The 20-point effort against Stony Brook was Scott’s second straight game (and second of his career) with 20 or more points. He netted a career-high 23 points versus Gonzaga on Dec. 11.
– Scott’s three double-doubles this season tie him with Tyrone Nash for the team lead in that category.

PERFECT PERFORMANCE
Carleton Scott’s perfect 8-8 performance from the field against Stony Brook (Dec. 19) ranks in a tie for third all-time in program history. John Shumate was 9-9 versus Louisville on March 20, 1973, in the second round of the NIT. Keith Robinson also went 9-9 against UCLA on Dec. 17, 1989. Torin Francis was 8-8 versus Maryland on Dec. 7, 2002.
– Scott was 4-4 from three-point range against Stony Brook. Matt Carroll owns the program’s three-point perfection record as he went 6-6 against Tennessee-Chattanooga on Nov. 24, 2001.

IRISH FUN FACT UNDER BREY
– Notre Dame teams under Mike Brey have always ranked among the best teams in the nation and BIG EAST in assists and three-point shooting. In 11 seasons with Brey on the sidelines, Notre Dame is 70-9 when Irish teams have 20 or more assists and are 71-28 when making 10 or more three-pointers.

PROTECTING THE BASKETBALL
– Notre Dame boasts a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Irish have registered 286 assists on its 407 made field goals this season (.703). The Fighting Irish average just 10.9 turnovers per game.
– The Irish matched a season-low total by only committing eight turnovers against Connecticut last Tuesday. That was the fifth time this season Notre Dame had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game. The Irish are 8-0 this season when committing fewer turnovers than their opponent.
– Notre Dame has notched at least 20 assists in a game six times this season. The Irish had a season-high 29 assists (on 34 made field goals) versus Chicago State (Nov. 17).
– Senior guard Ben Hansbrough leads the Irish with 63 assists (3.9 apg). Freshman point guard Eric Atkins is second with 55 (3.7 apg). Atkins has a team-best 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

ROOKIE ON THE RISE
– Freshman point guard Eric Atkins is averaging 6.5 points per game and he is second on the team with 55 assists (3.4 apg). He is averaging 27.6 minutes per game and boasts a team-best 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
– He has started the past two contests (Connecticut and St. John’s) and has played a season-best 39 minutes in both games. Atkins has three starts this season.
– Against Connecticut last Tuesday, Atkins registered five assists and no turnovers in addition to scoring seven points and notching a career-high three steals. Atkins has dished out five-plus assists in a game four times this season.
– Versus Gonzaga (Dec. 11), Atkins matched a career-high total with 12 points in addition to hauling down a career-high seven rebounds. It was the third time that he’s netted 12 points in a game (Chicago State and Wisconsin were the other two occasions). Atkins has scored in double-figures four times this season.
– Atkins is the first Notre Dame freshman to start multiple games since Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson did so during the 2006-07 season.
– By scoring 10 points against Liberty (Nov. 14) and 12 more versus Chicago State (Nov. 17), Atkins became the first Irish freshman to reach double figures in consecutive games since Harangody did so during the 2006-07 campaign.

TOPPING 20 – Three Notre Dame players, Tim Abromaitis, Ben Hansbrough and Carleton Scott, all have scored 20-plus points in a game this season. Abromaitis has accomplished the feat a team-best seven times. Hansbrough has done it six times, while Scott scored 20-plus points twice.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
– Four different Notre Dame players have led the team in scoring during a game this season. Ben Hansbrough has led the Irish in scoring a team-best seven times, while Tim Abromaitis has done so on six occasions. Carleton Scott has led the Irish in points three times, including one tie with Eric Atkins.
– Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in points in the same game 10 times this season. At least five players have reached double-digits in the same contest three times.
– Six Notre Dame players (Abromaitis, Nash, Scott, Hansbrough, Cooley, Martin) reached double figures in points against Maine. It marked the first time the Irish had six double-digit scorers since Jan. 14, 2003 (vs. DePaul).
– All five Notre Dame starters reached double-figures against Chicago State, Maine and Indiana State.

FIRST HALF FLURRY
– Notre Dame opponents are averaging just 28.3 points in the first half this season, while the Irish are averaging 39.6 points during the first stanza.
– The Fighting Irish have scored 40-plus points in the first half of play nine times this season (once in BIG EAST play).
– The Irish have trailed at halftime just two times this season (Georgia and Syracuse). Notre Dame is 1-1 in those contests. Notre Dame is 13-0 this season when leading at the intermission.

POINT PRODUCTION
– Notre Dame has scored 80 or more points in a game eight times this season, including four games with 90-plus points and one game with over 100 points.

LIVING LARGE AT THE LINE
– The Fighting Irish have 83 more made free throws than their opponents have attempts from the charity stripe. The Fighting Irish are 309-420 (.736) from the free throw line this season. Irish opponents are 160-226 (.708) from the line.
– The Irish are 13-0 this season when making more free throws than their opponent.
– Notre Dame has been in the bonus before the 10-minute mark of the first half five times this season, Georgia Southern (15:36), Chicago State (10:44), Gonzaga (10:50), Stony Brook (11:55) and St. John’s (10:36). Fighting Irish opponents have been in the bonus in the first half just a total of seven times this season.
– The Irish have made 20 or more free throws eight times this season. Notre Dame made a season-high 30 free throws, on 43 attempts, versus Georgia.
Carleton Scott is shooting a team-best 88.2% (30-34) from the line. Tyrone Nash owns team-high totals in makes (73) and attempts (98) from the line for a 74.5% average. Nash entered this season as a career 56.7% shooter from the charity stripe (110-194).
– Against Maine, Notre Dame shot a season-best 92.6% from the free throw line (25-27). The Fighting Irish also shot above 90% from the charity stripe against Stony Brook as they connected on 11 of 12 shots (91.7%).

HITTING THE GLASS
– Notre Dame boasts a +7.6 rebound margin this season. The Irish have a +9.8 margin in their 14 wins, while they are -8.0 in their two losses. The Fighting Irish have held the advantage on the glass during all 14 of their wins, while they have been out-rebounded in both of their losses.
– Notre Dame owns a 638-517 overall advantage on the glass overall this season. That mark includes a 192-161 edge in offensive boards. The Fighting Irish lead all BIG EAST squads by averaging 27.9 defensive rebounds per game.
Tim Abromaitis has a team-best 117 rebounds (7.3 rpg), while Tyrone Nash has a team-high 40 offensive rebounds.

DRAINING FROM DEEP
– The Fighting Irish are 129-342 (.377) from three-point range this season. Notre Dame has hit 10 or more three pointers in a game five times this season, all wins. The Irish are 116-298 (.389) from three-point range in their 14 wins and they are 13-44 (.295) in the two losses.
– Notre Dame went 8-11 from three-point range in the first half against Maine (Nov. 22). The eight made treys matched a season-high total for a half for the Irish. Notre Dame made eight three-pointers in the second half versus Chicago State (Nov. 17).
Ben Hansbrough is shooting at a 44.6% clip (41-92) from beyond the arc. Dating back to last season, Hansbrough has made at least one three-pointer in a team-best 20 straight games. That is a personal-best streak and it’s the longest such streak for an Irish player since Tim Abromaitis made a trey in 29 consecutive games last season.

390 AND COUNTING
– Heading into the Marquette contest, Notre Dame has made at least one three-pointer in 390 straight contests dating back to the 1998-99 campaign. The Fighting Irish have made at least one three pointer during every game of the Mike Brey era. The last time an Irish team failed to hit a three-pointer in a game was in a 101-70 loss to Connecticut at the Hartford Civic Center on Jan. 12, 1999. Notre Dame finished 0-7 from beyond the arc in that contest. In 2008-09, the Irish set a single-season three-point record with 319.

VETERAN PRESENCE
– Seniors Tim Abromaitis (F), Ben Hansbrough (G), Scott Martin (G), Tyrone Nash (F) and Carleton Scott (F) have combined for 77 of a possible 80 starts this season. Nash, Abromaitis and Hansbrough have started all 16 games this season, while Martin has 15 starts. Scott started the first 14 contests of the season before suffering a hamstring injury versus Syracuse (Jan. 1).

IRONMEN
Tim Abromaitis, Ben Hansbrough and Tyrone Nash all have played in the past 51 contests. Nash and Hansbrough both have started all 51 of those contests. Overall, Nash has played in a team-best 66 straight contests. The last game he did not play in was at Cincinnati on Feb. 4, 2009.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
– The Fighting Irish are 11-0 at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center this season. Notre Dame has won 80 of its last 86 (.930) home games and is 34-5 (.872) in its last 39 BIG EAST home contests.

BLOCK PARTY
– Senior forward Carleton Scott has a team-best 25 blocked shots this season (1.8 per game).
– Scott has blocked two or more shots in a game nine times this season. Scott tied a career-high total with a season-high four blocked shots against Indiana State (Nov. 30).

TYRONE TAKES CONTROL
– Senior forward Tyrone Nash has scored in double-digits twice in BIG EAST play this season, including an 11-point effort last Tuesday versus Connecticut. Against Georgetown (Dec. 29), he posted his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. His three double-doubles tie him with Carleton Scott for the team lead in that category this season. Nash has four career double-doubles.
– Earlier this season, Nash registered double-figures in points in five straight games (Liberty, Chicago State, Maine, Georgia, California). It was the first time in his career that he reached double figures in five consecutive contests. He has 22 career games with 10-plus points.
– Nash’s 97 rebounds (6.1 rpg) rank second on the team, while he has a team-best 40 offensive rebounds. He is third among Irish players with 43 assists (2.7 apg) and fourth in points with 161 (10.1 ppg).

JACK ATTACK
– Sophomore forward Jack Cooley is an efficient 30-45 (.667) from the field this season.
– Cooley has hauled down six rebounds in each of the past two games, wins over Connecticut and St. John’s
– Cooley scored a career-high 13 points on 6-7 shooting from the field against Maine on Nov. 22. It was the second double-digit scoring output this season for Cooley, who netted a then career-high 11 points versus Georgia Southern in the season opener.

PASSING THE TEST
– Notre Dame has recorded a perfect score of 100 percent in each of the last three Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figures released in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and is one of just 12 schools to earn a perfect 100 percent score in each of the last three years. The 11 other schools include Binghamton, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Colgate, Holy Cross, Davidson, Loyola of Maryland, North Carolina-Wilmington, Utah State, Wake Forest and Western Kentucky.
– In the recent set of GSR scores released in the fall, Notre Dame had the highest percentage of sports with 100 percent scores (for the fifth time in six years) among the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision institutions, with a .863 figure (19 of 22).

OLD SPICE CHAMPIONS
– Notre Dame won the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. (Nov. 25-28) by capturing wins over Georgia (89-83 in 2ot), California (57-44) and Wisconsin (58-51). It marked the first three-game in-season tournament victory for the Fighting Irish since winning the 2001 Hawaii-Pacific Thanksgiving Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii as the Irish defeated Hawaii-Pacific (98-58), Tennessee-Chattanooga (97-84) and Monmouth (85-48). Notre Dame also won the 2002 BB&T Classic in Washington, DC with wins over Maryland (79-67) and Texas (98-92).
– Notre Dame has played in an in-season tournament in each of the past five seasons and eight times during the Mike Brey era. Notre Dame is 18-6 all-time under Brey in in-season tournaments.
– In the Old Spice Classic, the Irish held California and Wisconsin to five and 19 points, respectively, in the first half of play.
– Notre Dame held California (16-61) and Wisconsin (20-57) to a combined 36-118 (.305) from the field during the final two games of the Old Spice Classic. – Notre Dame out-rebounded Wisconsin 43-28 in the title game of the tournament.
– Notre Dame held a decisive free throw advantage in all three games of the tournament. The Irish made 20 more free throws than both Georgia (30-10) and California (26-6). Notre Dame made 16 more free throws (20-4) than Wisconsin in the title game.
– Notre Dame went a combined 13-14 from the charity stripe during both overtime periods in the 89-83 triumph of Georgia.
– Senior forward Tim Abromaitis was named the MVP of the Old Spice Classic as he averaged 14.0 ppg. and 8.7 rpg. during the three-game run. Fellow senior forward Carleton Scott also was named to the all-tournament team. Scott was the only Irish player to reach double figures in points during every game of the event.

ON A RUN
– Notre Dame used several key runs during the Old Spice Classic to secure the tournament title.
– After falling behind Georgia 38-25 early in the second half, Notre Dame erased the deficit by going on a 27-10 run to claim a four-point lead with 7:22 left in regulation. The Irish wound up winning 89-83 in double-overtime.
– After surrendering the game’s first basket to California, the Irish went on to hold a 21-5 halftime advantage over the Golden Bears. The Irish defeated Cal 57-44.
– In the championship game, Notre Dame trailed Wisconsin 43-32 with 9:21 left in regulation. The Fighting Irish finished the game on a 26-8 run to claim the 58-51 victory. Included in that stretch was a 15-0 run for the Irish.

BIG EAST TEAMS FIND SUCCESS IN PRESEASON TOURNAMENTS
– Notre Dame won the Old Spice Classic and was one of six BIG EAST teams to come away with an in-season tournament title during the month of November.
Champions
Notre Dame – Old Spice Classic
Connecticut – EA Sports Maui Invitational
Pittsburgh – 2K Sports Classic
Syracuse – Legends Classic
Georgetown – Charleston Classic
St. John’s – Great Alaska Shootout
Runner-Up
Villanova – Preseason NIT Tip-Off
West Virginia – Puerto Rico Tip-Off

HANSBROUGH HITS 1,000 CAREER POINTS
– Senior guard Ben Hansbrough posted 20 points in the season opener against Georgia Southern (Nov. 12). With his 12th point of the contest, Hansbrough reached the 1,000th point mark for his career that spans two playing seasons at Mississippi State (2006-08) and one at Notre Dame (2009-10).

IRISH TAKE SHOT AT FIFTH STRAIGHT 20-WIN CAMPAIGN
– Notre Dame will be aiming for its fifth consecutive 20-win campaign and eighth in the last 11 seasons under head coach Mike Brey. The last time Irish teams reached the 20-win mark in five straight campaigns was from 1983-89 when those Notre Dame squads under Digger Phelps strung together six consecutive 20-win seasons.

POSTSEASON STRETCH
– Notre Dame has earned appearances in the postseason in each of the last 11 years, which marks the longest stretch in school history. The Irish have been to the NCAA Tournament on six occasions and the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) five times during this current stretch. Under head coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame has played in the NCAAs six times and NIT four times.

BIG EAST FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
– Since his arrival at Notre Dame, head coach Mike Brey has led the Irish to a 101-69 (.594) record in BIG EAST regular-season games and a 6-10 mark in tournament play for an overall record of 107-79 (.575) against league foes. Brey’s Irish teams have won 10 or more conference regular-season games in six of his 10 seasons. Prior to his arrival at Notre Dame, Irish teams had just a 35-53 (.398) regular-season record from 1995-2000.

BIG EAST TURNAROUND
– During head coach Mike Brey’s tenure, Irish teams have only had two losing seasons in BIG EAST play – 6-10 in 2005-06 and 8-10 in 2008-09. Since the 2005-06 campaign when the Irish finished 6-10 after beginning the BIG EAST regular-season with a 1-8 record, Notre Dame has gone 51-30 (.630) over the last 80 regular-season contests. In addition to Notre Dame, only four other BIG EAST teams have had records of .500 or better eight or more times – Pittsburgh and Syracuse (nine times) and Notre Dame, Connecticut and Villanova (eight times).

BIG EAST REPEATS
– For the fourth consecutive season, Notre Dame will meet Connecticut in a home-and-home series during the 2010-11 BIG EAST regular season. In addition to the Huskies, the Irish also are slated to play Marquette and St. John’s twice this season. This will be the fourth year since the expansion to 16 teams that the Conference will employ an 18-game regular-season slate with all teams playing each other once and three opponents twice in a home-and-away format. Notre Dame’s single-game home opponents will be Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Villanova. The road slate also will feature visits to DePaul, Pittsburgh, Providence, USF, Syracuse and West Virginia.

IRISH TO APPEAR ON THREE BIG MONDAY BROADCASTS
– As part of its 18-game national television slate in 2010-11, Notre Dame will be part of three ESPN Big Monday broadcasts. The first appearance for the Fighting Irish will be when head coach Mike Brey’s squad travels to the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis., to take on Marquette at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Monday in a game that will be shown on ESPN2. Notre Dame’s matchup at Pittsburgh on Jan. 24 at 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Petersen Events Center will be shown on ESPN. The ESPN Big Monday cameras will make their only appearance at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Feb. 28 when the Irish take on Villanova.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
– More than half of the 144 regular-season BIG EAST Conference men’s basketball games will be seen on national television during the 2010-11 season, once again giving BIG EAST teams unprecedented exposure on the nation’s leading television outlets. In total, 73 of the regular-season contests will be on national television – either on CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. This will mark the fourth straight season in which all 144 regular-season league games will be televised.

106 YEARS AND STRONG
– The 2010-11 campaign marks the 106th season of basketball at Notre Dame and the 16th season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. Notre Dame teams have posted a 1688-922 record for a .647 winning percentage. In 15 seasons as a member of the BIG EAST, the Irish own a 136-122 (.527) record all-time in conference regular-season play.

THE CAPTAINS
– Seniors Tim Abromaitis, Ben Hansbrough, Tyrone Nash and Carleton Scott will serve as captains during the 2010-11 season. All four are captains for the first time in their careers.

BASKETBALL BLOODLINES
– This year’s Notre Dame roster features several players with some strong basketball bloodlines:
Tim Abromaitis – His father, Jim, played basketball at the University of Connecticut (1975-80) and was drafted by the New Jersey Nets. His brother, Jason, played basketball at Yale (2003-07).
Mike Broghammer – His uncle, Christian Laettner, played professional basketball for 13 seasons and was a member of the 1992 gold medal Dream Team. He played for Duke University (1988-92) and led the Blue Devils to national championships in 1991 and 1992.
Joey Brooks – His father, Lott J. Brooks, III, played college basketball at Eckerd College (1974-78).
Jerian Grant – His father, Harvey, played basketball at the University of Oklahoma (1986-88), and was the 12th pick overall in the 1988 NBA Draft and played from 1988-99 in the NBA. His uncle, Horace Grant, played at Clemson, and was the 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He is the owner of four NBA championship rings. His older brother, Jerai, is a senior on the Clemson basketball team, while a younger brother, Jerami is a junior on the DeMatha basketball team.
Ben Hansbrough – His brother, Tyler, played basketball at the University of North Carolina (2005-09). A three-time All-American, he was the 2008 National Player of the Year and led the Tar Heels to the 2009 national championship. Currently, he is in his second season with the Indiana Pacers, and was the 13th pick overall in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Tom Knight – His father, Karl, played basketball at Bowdoin (1976-80).

DEMATHA CONNECTION
Jerian Grant is the first Irish basketball player from DeMatha High School to attend Notre Dame during the Mike Brey era. Brey played and coached at DeMatha and also is the alma mater of assistant coach Rod Balanis. Former Irish players who also played at DeMatha include Bob Whitmore (1967-69), Sid Catlett (1969-71) and Adrian Dantley (1974-76).

IRISH INK ONE FOR 2011
– Pat Connaughton, a 6-5, 195-pound swingman from Arlington, Mass., was the lone early-November 2011 signee for head coach Mike Brey.
– A four-year starter at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Mass., Connaughton averaged 24.0 points and 17.9 rebounds in 2009-10 as he led St. John’s to one of the best seasons in program history as the squad finished with a 21-3 mark that included a 15-game win streak during the season. In addition, his squad won the Catholic Conference championship and finished the regular season with a 7-1 league record. His team was ranked seventh in the final Massachusetts state poll after making the school’s first appearance since 1974 in the Division 1 state finals.
– Connaughton was the only junior selected to the Boston Globe Super Team and the Boston Herald High Dream Team. He was selected as Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Catholic Conference and was named to the Catholic Conference All-Star Team. In addition, he was selected as his team’s MVP and served as team captain.
– He is ranked 73rd nationally by Scout.com and 100th by ESPNU.

BREY SERVING AS CHAIRMAN OF THE NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL RULES COMMITTEE
– Mike Brey was elected chair of the 2010-11 NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee in May 2010 and is serving his fourth year on the rules committee.

ADIDAS AND NOTRE DAME UNVEIL LIGHTEST, MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED COLLEGE BASKETBALL UNIFORMS
– At the start of the 2010-11 basketball season, adidas and the University of Notre Dame basketball teams unveiled the lightest and most technologically advanced college basketball uniforms ever. Designed and developed by adidas, the uniforms are 30 percent lighter and dry twice as fast as previous uniforms to help enhance the Fighting Irish’s performance by keeping players cooler, drier and more comfortable on the court.
– The new Notre Dame uniforms, made from 60 percent recycled materials, feature adidas’ Formotion technology, which reduces seams, decreases friction between the garment and the player’s skin and optimizes the player’s natural movement through specially constructed material. adidas reduced uniform weight and increased player comfort by switching front and back numbers from heavier, dense materials to a more breathable mesh.
– The new Notre Dame uniform absorbs moisture in less than three seconds as a result of adidas CLIMACOOL fabrics. The jersey moves heat and sweat away from the body through a combination of moisture management materials, ventilation channels and three dimensional garments, helping the uniform dry twice as quickly.
– Along with Notre Dame, 10 other schools will debut the new uniforms this season, including Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Tennessee, UCLA and Wisconsin.
– In addition to the NCAA teams wearing the new uniforms, all 30 NBA teams will wear Revolution 30 jerseys this season featuring similar adidas technology.