Feb. 18, 2008
Notre Dame, Ind. – The lone NCAA Final Four team in the history of the Notre Dame men’s basketball program will be honored at halftime of the Notre Dame-Syracuse game on Sunday afternoon, February 24. The game will be televised by CBS beginning at 2:00 p.m. (EST).
A video tribute saluting 1977-78 squad that finished with 23-8 will be shown at halftime. In addition, a commemorative poster will given out to early-arriving fans.
The team is celebrating the 30-year anniversary of its memorable run to the Final Four at the Checkerdome in St. Louis, Mo. Notre Dame worked its way through the 32-team field by dominating Houston (100-77), Utah (69-56), and DePaul (84-64) to capture the 1978 Midwest Regional title. In the national semifinal the Irish lost to the Duke Blue Devils (90-86) who went on to lose in the championship game to Joe Hall’s Kentucky Wildcats.
The 1977-78 squad included: Dave Batton, Rich Branning, Jeff Carpenter, Chris Fabian, Bruce Flowers, Randy Haefner, Bill Hanzlik, Tim Healy, Tracy Jackson, Bill Laimbeer, Gilbert Salinas, Kelly Tripucka, Stan Wilcox, Don Williams, Orlando Woolridge, Head Coach Digger Phelps, Assistant Coach Dick Kuchen, Assistant Coach Daniel Nee, Assistant Coach Scott Thompson, Trainer Arno Zoske and Team Managers Rick Gabbianelli and Joe Toddy.
Those who will be in attendance during the weekend will be Flowers, Hanzlik, Healy, Jackson, Salinas, Wilcox, Williams, Woolridge, Phelps, Kuchen, Nee, Thompson, Zoske, Gabbianelli, and Toddy.