Freshman point guard Eric Atkins scored a career-high 15 points in the last meeting with Marquette.

#16 Irish Play Host To Marquette Saturday Night

Jan. 21, 2011

#16/16 Notre Dame (15-4, 4-3) vs. Marquette (13-6, 4-2)
Saturday, Jan. 22 º 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center (9,154) º Notre Dame, Ind.

TV: BIG EAST Network/WMYS Ch. 69 (South Bend)/ESPN3.com
Jim Barbar (play-by-play)
Anthony Buford (analyst)

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

Complete Notes in PDF Format icon-acrosmall.gif

#16/16 IRISH PLAY HOST TO MARQUETTE SATURDAY NIGHT

  • Notre Dame (15-4, 4-3) will square off against Marquette (13-6, 4-2) for the second time in less than two weeks when the Irish play host to the Golden Eagles at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Saturday inside Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Marquette topped Notre Dame 79-57 on Jan. 10 in Milwaukee, Wis.
  • The Fighting Irish are coming off a 66-58 home win over Cincinnati on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles topped DePaul 94-64 on Tuesday.
  • This will be the 115th meeting all-time between the Fighting Irish and Golden Eagles. Notre Dame leads the series 78-36. Nine of those meetings have occurred since Marquette joined the BIG EAST in 2005. The Irish are 3-6 in those contests, which includes a Marquette victory in the BIG EAST Tournament (2008). Irish head coach Mike Brey is 4-7 against Marquette.
  • Notre Dame is 45-12 at home against Marquette. The Golden Eagles won the last encounter at Purcell Pavilion, 71-64, on Jan. 26, 2009.

THE LAST TIME

  • In the 79-57 setback to Marquette on Jan. 10, Irish senior guard Scott Martin notched his first career double-double as he tallied 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. In the same contest, freshman point guard Eric Atkins scored a career-high – and team-best – 15 points.

IN THE POLLS

  • Notre Dame is 16th in both the Associated Press poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.
  • There currently are 10 Irish opponents ranked in the AP top-25 poll. The Irish are 4-2 against those squads so far this season.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE

  • The Fighting Irish are 12-0 at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center this season. Notre Dame has won 81 of its last 87 (.931) home games and is 35-5 (.875) in its last 40 BIG EAST home contests.
  • Notre Dame is averaging 83.2 points per game in its 12 home games this season, while the Irish average 56.3 points in their three true road games, all BIG EAST contests. The Fighting Irish are shooting 48.4% from the field at home, including a 42.5% mark from three-point range. Notre Dame is shooting 41.1% from the field and 25.0% from three-point range in its away games.
  • In four BIG EAST home contests this season, Notre Dame is averaging 71.0 points per game. The Irish are shooting 44.4% from the field in those games, including 42.3% from three-point range.

SCOTT PROVIDES A SPARK

  • Senior forward Carleton Scott checked into the Cincinnati game at the 14:32 mark of the first half. That was his first game action since leaving the Syracuse game (Jan. 1) in the second half with a hamstring injury. He missed four contests with the injury. Scott connected on his first shot, a three-pointer, less than a minute after entering the Cincinnati game. Scott made both of hit shots (both three-pointers) and finished with six points in 15 minutes of action.
  • The Irish and Bearcats were tied (6-6) when Scott entered the game and Notre Dame proceeded to go on a 16-3 run after he entered the contest.

ICING THE GAME

  • After Cincinnati cut Notre Dame’s lead to five (57-52) with 1:18 remaining in Wednesday’s contest, the Irish went 9-10 from the free throw line down the stretch to secure the 66-58 victory. Ben Hansbrough went 5-6, while Tim Abromaitis and Eric Atkins both were 2-2.
  • Hansbrough was 11-12 from the charity stripe for the entire game.

BALANCED ATTACK

  • Notre Dame had five players (Atkins, Abromaitis, Hansbrough, Martin, Nash) reach double-figures in points in Wednesday’s win over Cincinnati. That marked the fourth time this season – and first in BIG EAST play – that the Irish had at least five double-digit scorers.

CLAMPING DOWN

  • Notre Dame has held nine of its opponents to under 40% shooting from the field. The Irish held California under 30% on Nov. 26.
  • Notre Dame opponents are shooting 40.8% from the field and 33.7% from three-point range.
  • Notre Dame held Cincinnati to 19 first-half points on Wednesday. That marked the third time this season that the Irish have held an opponent to fewer than 20 points in the opening stanza. Notre Dame held California to five points and Wisconsin to 19 in the first half of play in consecutive contests at the Old Spice Classic (Nov. 26 & 28).

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

  • Notre Dame has scored less than 60 points in its four losses this season. The Irish are 2-4 this season when scoring fewer than 60 points. The Irish are averaging 56.8 points per game in the four setbacks and 80.1 points in their 15 victories.
  • The Irish are surrendering 62.3 points per game in their wins and they are allowing 73.2 points per game in their losses.

DYNAMIC DUO

  • Seniors Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis both have reached double-figures in points a team-high 17 times this season (out of 19 games).
  • Hansbrough has led the Irish in scoring a team-best nine times this season, while Abromaitis has done so on six occasions.
  • Abromaitis has a team-best seven 20-plus point games this season in addition to leading the Irish in rebounding a team-high nine times.

A IS FOR ABROMAITIS

  • Tim Abromaitis has scored in double figures in all but two games (California and Kentucky) this season. Abromaitis is Notre Dame’s leading rebounder (6.8 rpg) and his points-per-game average (15.3) ranks second on the team.
  • He has reached double-digits in 10 straight games, which is a personal-best streak. That is the top active streak on the team and it ties him with Carleton Scott and Ben Hansbrough for Notre Dame’s longest double-figure scoring stretch this season.
  • Abromaitis has scored in double-figures in 14 straight regular-season BIG EAST games. He has registered double-figures in 23 out of 25 BIG EAST regular-season games over the past two seasons.
  • Abromaitis has made a three-pointer in 10 straight contests, which is the longest active streak on the team. His personal-best streak is 29 straight games, which occurred last season.
  • 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).

HANSBROUGH HELPS IN MANY WAYS

  • Senior guard Ben Hansbrough is averaging a career-best and team-high 15.8 points per game. Hansbrough has a team-best 72 assists (3.8 apg) and a team-high 25 steals.
  • He has scored 20-plus points six times this season.
  • Hansbrough has reached double-digits in 40 of his 53 career games with the Irish.
  • Hansbrough was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Jan. 10 for his efforts in wins over Connecticut (Jan. 4) and St. John’s (Jan. 8). Hansbrough averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals in the two victories. It was his first career BIG EAST player-of-the-week award.
  • Hansbrough netted 21 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists as the Irish topped the eighth-ranked Huskies 73-70. He also helped hold Connecticut guard Kemba Walker, the nation’s leading scorer at the time, to an 8-23 shooting night.
  • In the 76-61 victory over St. John’s, Hansbrough deposited a career-high 26 points. He also had four rebounds, three assists and matched a career-high total in steals with four.

ATKINS ASSISTING THE IRISH

  • Freshman point guard Eric Atkins is averaging 11.3 points per game and 4.7 assists per game over the past three contests.
  • The rookie has dished out five-plus assists in a game six times this season, including in each of the past two contests. Atkins has led the Irish in assists six times this season, which ties him with Ben Hansbrough for the team lead in that category.
  • At St. John’s last Sunday, Atkins scored eight points and dished out a career-high seven assists. He also matched a career-high total with three steals.
  • Versus Marquette on Jan. 10, Atkins scored a career-high – and team-best – 15 points. He has scored in double-figures six times this season.
  • Atkins is averaging 7.3 points per game and he is second on the team with 69 assists (3.6 apg). He boasts a team-best 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 19th nationally.
  • Atkins has started the past five games and he has six starts this season. He is the first Notre Dame freshman to start multiple games since Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson did so during the 2006-07 season.

IRISH ON A ROLL

  • Notre Dame is 21-6 (.808) in its last 27 games dating back to last season. 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.

BEATING THE BEST

  • Three of Notre Dame’s four BIG EAST wins have come against a ranked opponent. The Irish defeated No. 9/9 Georgetown 69-55 in the BIG EAST opener. Following a 70-58 setback at No. 5/5 Syracuse, Notre Dame topped No. 8/9 Connecticut 73-70. The Irish downed No. 25/- Cincinnati 66-58 on Wednesday.

TAKING DOWN A TOP-10 FOE

  • The 73-70 victory over No. 8/9 Connecticut on Jan. 4 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 defeated two top-10 teams in a three-game span.
  • 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).

BREY REACHES BIG EAST MILESTONE

  • Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey notched his 100th BIG EAST regular-season victory with the 73-70 win over Connecticut on Jan. 4. Brey is the sixth coach in BIG EAST Conference history with 100 regular-season league wins. Brey’s Irish teams are 102-71 (.590) 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 108-81 (.571) mark. He is one of eight 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 376-205 (.647)
2. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut 293-165 (.640)
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 108-81 (.571)
7. Jay Wright, Villanova 102-70 (.593)
8. Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh 100-41 (.709)

MARTIN MAKING AN IMPACT

  • Scott Martin has reached double-figures in points in seven of the last eight games. He has registered double-figures 10 times this season.
  • Martin notched his first career double-double versus Marquette (Jan. 10) as he tallied 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. He has led the Irish in rebounding four times this season, including on Wednesday versus Cincinnati as he hauled down eight boards.
  • 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.

PROTECTING THE BASKETBALL

  • Notre Dame boasts a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Fighting Irish rank eighth nationally in that category. The Irish have registered 324 assists on its 464 made field goals this season (.698). The Fighting Irish average just 11.4 turnovers per game, which is the 27th-best mark in the country.
  • The Irish have had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game five times this season. Notre Dame’s season-low turnover total is eight, which has occurred twice (Gonzaga and Connecticut).
  • 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). Notre Dame is 16th nationally in assists per game (17.1).
  • Senior guard Ben Hansbrough leads the Irish with 72 assists (3.8 apg). Freshman point guard Eric Atkins is second with 69 (3.6 apg). Atkins has a team-best 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 19th nationally and second in the BIG EAST.

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

  • Five 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 nine times, which included one tie with Tyrone Nash. Tim Abromaitis has led the Irish in points on six occasions. Carleton Scott has done so three times, including one tie with Eric Atkins, who has posted a team-high point total twice this season.
  • Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in points in the same game 11 times this season. At least five players have reached double-digits in the same contest four 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).

FIRST HALF FLURRY

  • Notre Dame opponents are averaging just 27.9 points in the first half this season, while the Irish are averaging 37.6 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).
  • Notre Dame is 14-0 this season when leading at the intermission.
  • In the first half of their four losses, the Irish have been outscored by just 13 points combined (133-120). Notre Dame has been outscored by 53 points (160-107) in the second half of its four setbacks.

LIVING LARGE AT THE LINE

  • The Fighting Irish have 75 more made free throws than their opponents have attempts from the charity stripe. The Fighting Irish are 359-493 (.728) from the free throw line this season. Irish opponents are 204-284 (.718) from the line.
  • The Irish are 14-0 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 six times this season, Georgia Southern (15:36), Chicago State (10:44), Gonzaga (10:50), Stony Brook (11:55), St. John’s (10:36) and St. John’s (11:47). Fighting Irish opponents have been in the bonus in the first half just a total of eight 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, a double-overtime Irish victory.
  • 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 +5.7 rebound margin this season. The Irish have a +9.1 margin in their 15 wins, while they are -7.2 in their four losses. The Fighting Irish have held the advantage in 14 of their 15 wins. The only time the Irish did not have the edge, they tied Cincinnati 32-32 on the glass. Notre Dame has been out-rebounded in all four of its losses.
  • Tim Abromaitis has a team-best 130 rebounds (6.8 rpg), while Tyrone Nash has a team-high 47 offensive rebounds.

DRAINING FROM DEEP

  • The Fighting Irish are 142-387 (.367) 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 123-312 (.394) from three-point range in their 15 wins and they are 19-75 (.253) in the four 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. Notre Dame made eight three-pointers in the second half versus Chicago State (Nov. 17).
  • Ben Hansbrough is shooting at a 42.6% clip (43-101) from beyond the arc.

393 AND COUNTING

  • Heading into the Marquette contest, Notre Dame has made at least one three-pointer in 393 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.

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.

PLAYING IN THE POST

  • Senior forward Tyrone Nash notched a team-high tying 13 points in addition to grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out three assists in Wednesday’s victory over Cincinnati. That was the first time in his career that he posted a team-high point total. Nash has reached double-figures nine times this season.
  • Nash has led the Irish in assists five times this season. He has registered five or more assists in a game four times this season, including a career-high seven versus Chicago State (Nov. 17).
  • Nash’s 53 assists (2.8 apg) rank third among all Notre Dame players. His 112 rebounds (5.9 rpg) rank second on the team, while he has a team-best 47 offensive rebounds.
  • Nash’s three double-doubles tie him with Carleton Scott for the team lead in that category this season. Nash has four career double-doubles.

VETERAN PRESENCE

  • Seniors Tim Abromaitis (F), Ben Hansbrough (G), Scott Martin (G), Tyrone Nash (F) and Carleton Scott (F) have combined for 89 of a possible 95 starts this season. . Nash, Abromaitis and Hansbrough have started all 19 games this season, while Martin has 18 starts. Scott started the first 14 contests of the season before suffering a hamstring injury versus Syracuse (Jan. 1). Notre Dame’s game-by-game starters are listed on page 11 of this notes packet.

IRONMEN

  • Tim Abromaitis, Ben Hansbrough and Tyrone Nash all have played in the past 54 contests. Nash and Hansbrough both have started all 54 of those contests. Overall, Nash has played in a team-best 69 straight contests. The last game he did not play in was at Cincinnati on Feb. 4, 2009.

CONSISTENCY FROM CARLETON

  • Before going down with a hamstring injury against Syracuse on Jan. 1, senior forward Carleton Scott was one of Notre Dame’s top performers. 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.
  • Scott’s 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.

BLOCK PARTY

  • Senior forward Carleton Scott has a team-best 26 blocked shots this season (1.7 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).

JACK ATTACK

  • Sophomore forward Jack Cooley is an efficient 30-49 (.612) from the field this season.
  • 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.

STARTING STRONG

  • Notre Dame reached 14 wins the quickest (date wise) in program history when the Irish topped St. John’s 76-61 on Jan. 8. The previous fastest was last season when the Fighting Irish secured their 14th win on Jan. 9, 2010.
  • This season and the 2006-07 campaign are the only two seasons 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.

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.
  • 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
    Connecticut – EA Sports Maui Invitational
    Pittsburgh – 2K Sports Classic
    Notre Dame – Old Spice 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 102-71 (.590) record in BIG EAST regular-season games and a 6-10 mark in tournament play for an overall record of 108-81 (.571) 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 48-29 (.623) over the last 77 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 team 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 came on Monday at Marquette. 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 1689-924 record for a .646 winning percentage. In 15 seasons as a member of the BIG EAST, the Irish own a 137-124 (.525) record all-time in conference regular-season play.

THE CAPTAINS

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.