Pat Connaughton notched his team-high third double-double of the season on Saturday versus Purdue with 19 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds.

#21/21 Irish Play Host To Northern Illinois On Monday

Dec. 21, 2014

Notre Dame Game Notes Get Acrobat Reader

Game 13
Northern Illinois (4-4)
vs.
#21/21 Notre Dame (11-1)

Monday, Dec. 22, 2014
7 p.m. (ET)
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center
Notre Dame, Ind.

TV/INTERNET
ESPN3
Jim Barbar (play-by-play)
Kyle Macy (analyst)

RADIO
Broadcast on WatchND (free)
Sirius 132/XM 194
Check affiliates on Pg. 3 of notes packet
Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
Jordan Cornette (analyst)

LIVE STATS

NOTRE DAME TO HOST NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON MONDAY
– No. 21/21 Notre Dame returns to the court for the second time in three days with a Monday night showdown with Northern Illinois. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET) inside Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
– The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Jim Barbar (play-by-play) and Kyle Macy (analyst) on the call. A free audio broadcast will be available on WatchND.tv. Jack Nolan will handle play-by-play duties, while Jordan Cornette will serve as the analyst. The contest also is available on Sirius 132 and XM 194.
– Notre Dame is coming off a 94-63 win over Purdue on Saturday at the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis. That victory extended the Fighting Irish win streak to seven games.
– Following Monday’s contest, the Irish will have a seven-day break without a game prior to closing out non-conference play Dec. 30 versus Hartford inside Purcell Pavilion.

HIGH MARKS
– Notre Dame ranks in the top five nationally in six categories: field goal percentage (1st, 55.3%), assist-to-turnover ratio (1st, 1.77), fewest turnovers per game (2nd, 8.8), scoring margin (3rd, +25.2), fewest personal fouls per game (4th, 13.7) and points per game (5th, 85.7)

THE NIU SERIES
– Monday will be the fifth meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Northern Illinois. The Fighting Irish lead the series 3-1, including a 108-62 victory in the last encounter on Dec. 8, 2007. That win was Notre Dame’s 25th straight at home, which set the program record for consecutive victories at the Joyce Center. The Fighting Irish extended the streak to 45 straight home wins before it was snapped on Jan. 24, 2009.
– The 108 points in the last meeting were the most ever for the Irish in a regulation contest under head coach Mike Brey.
– All four of the previous meetings have been played at the Joyce Center. The first matchup was played Dec. 10, 1969, and the Irish came away with a 101-92 victory. The second meeting took place on Dec. 12, 1981, with the Huskies earning a 70-65 win. Notre Dame bested Northern Illinois 74-65 on Nov. 24, 2003.
– Brey is 2-0 all-time versus the Northern Illinois.

MEETING THE MAC
– The Fighting Irish are 55-17 (.764) all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Notre Dame’s last meeting with a MAC opponent was a 74-62 victory over Miami (Ohio) in the 2013-14 season opener.
– The last time the Irish lost to a MAC foe was on Dec. 6, 2003, a 69-68 setback to Central Michigan inside Purcell Pavilion.

TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CROSSROADS CLASSIC
– Saturday’s 94-63 win over Purdue improved Notre Dame to 3-1 in the Crossroads Classic. That mark ties the Irish with Butler for the best record at the event. The Fighting Irish have won their last three Crossroads Classic showdowns, which is the longest active streak for any of the four schools.
– The Fighting Irish improved to 7-4 in Indianapolis under Mike Brey, including a 5-3 mark inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
– Notre Dame had six double-figure scorers (Jackson 22, Connaughton 19, Torres 11, Vasturia 11, Grant 10, Auguste 10) for the first time since Dec. 1, 2013 (vs. Cornell). The Irish have had at least four players reach double-figures in 11 of 12 games this season. This was the third game with five or more double-figure scorers.
– The Fighting Irish shot 51.6% (33-64) from the field. Notre Dame has shot 50.0% or above in 11 of 12 games this season.
– Purdue shot 39.3% (24-61) from the field. Notre Dame has held nine of 12 opponents under 40.0% shooting from the floor this season.
– It was the fifth time this season the Fighting Irish scored 90 or more points in a game.
– Notre Dame led 46-39 at halftime. The Irish are 11-0 this season when leading at the intermission.
– The Fighting Irish tied a season-high mark with 20 made free throws (on 28 attempts).
– Notre Dame committed just seven turnovers. It was the eighth time this season the Irish had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game.

FIGHTING IRISH AFTER 12
– Notre Dame has posted at least 11 wins through its first 12 games of a season for the fifth time in 15 campaigns under head coach Mike Brey (2002-03, 2006-07, 2010-11, 2012-13 are the other seasons).

HOT SHOTS
– Notre Dame leads the nation in field goal percentage at 55.3 percent.
– The Irish have shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 11 of 12 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.
– All five Notre Dame starters are shooting better than 47.0 percent from the field — Zach Auguste (65.1%), Demetrius Jackson (57.1%), Jerian Grant (54.6%), Steve Vasturia (54.3%) and Pat Connaughton (47.5%).

GRANT HAS AN ALL-AROUND GAME
– Senior guard Jerian Grant leads the ACC in points per game (18.2), assists per game (6.2), assist-to-turnover ratio (4.6) and total minutes (407).
– Grant’s 4.6 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks third nationally. His 2.56 career assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth among active Division I players.
– Grant has committed just eight turnovers in the last seven games. On Saturday versus Purdue, he dished out a game-high nine assists and did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes on the court.
– He has reached double-figures in points in each of his last 14 games and 77 times during his career, which are the most for any current Fighting Irish player. Grant is the only Irish player to score in double-figures in every game this season.
– Grant scored a career-high 27 points versus Michigan State on Dec. 3 after tying a career-best mark with 26 points in the previous outing against Chicago State.

GRANT A MAJOR FACTOR IN IRISH OFFENSE
Jerian Grant has had a hand in 39.0 percent of Notre Dame’s 1,028 points this season. He’s netted 218 points and his 75 assists have led to 183 Fighting Irish points.

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE FOR PAT
– Senior guard Pat Connaughton notched his team-best third double-double of the season on Saturday versus Purdue with 19 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds. The 19 points matched a season-high total. Connaughton has 10 career double-doubles, which are the most for any current Irish player.
– Connaughton leads Notre Dame in rebounding (8.2 rpg.) and is fourth in scoring (13.3 ppg.).
– He ranks 16th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (6.8) and he is 10th in the ACC in rebounds per game (8.2).
– Connaughton has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game 14 times during his career, including four times this season.

ACTION JACKSON
– Sophomore point guard Demetrius Jackson tied a career-high mark with 22 points in Saturday’s victory over Purdue. He also netted 22 points earlier this month against Michigan State.
– Jackson was 7-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-3 from three-point range, versus the Boilermakers. He also had a game-high three steals.
– Jackson has scored in double-figures in each of the last three games and 10 times overall this season.
– He is 7-of-10 from three-point range in the last three games.
– Jackson ranks second in the ACC in steals (25) and is seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3).

TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL
– Notre Dame leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.77) and the Irish are second nationally in fewest turnovers per game (8.8).
– The Irish have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in eight games this season, including three straight contests. Notre Dame had a season-low four turnovers against Michigan State (Dec. 3).

FIGHTING IRISH GET OFFENSIVE
– The Irish rank fifth nationally – and first in the ACC – in scoring (85.7 ppg.).
– Notre Dame’s 1,028 points are the most for the Irish through the first 12 games of a season since they tallied 1,059 in 2006-07.
– Notre Dame has scored 74 points or better in each of its first 12 games of a season for the first time in program history.
– The Fighting Irish have deposited 90-plus points five times this season (104 vs. Coppin State, 94 vs. Purdue, 93 vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 92 vs. Navy, 90 vs. Chicago State).

AUGUSTE STAYS HOT FROM THE FIELD
– Junior forward Zach Auguste ranks seventh nationally – and second in the ACC – in field goal percentage at 65.1 percent.
– 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 was a perfect nine-for-nine from the field against Coppin State and five-for-five versus Grambling State. His performance against Coppin State tied a Notre Dame record for most field goals without a miss in a single game.
– Auguste is averaging 14.8 points per game after posting a 6.7 ppg. mark last season (+8.1).

A DYNAMIC DUO
Jerian Grant leads all current ACC players in career points (1,329), while Pat Connaughton is third (1,149).
– Connaughton leads all ACC players in career rebounds (639) and Grant is first in career assists (512).
– The senior duo has combined for 206 games played (188 of them starts), 2,478 points, 911 rebounds, 733 assists and 208 steals.
– They also have accounted for 6,777 minutes played on the court (32.9 mpg.).

MILESTONES
– With his second assist in the Florida State game, Jerian Grant reached the 500-assist mark for his career. With 1,329 career points and 512 assists, he 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).
– With his fifth rebound against Michigan State (Dec. 3), Pat Connaughton reached the 600-rebound mark for his career. He is the first Notre Dame player to notch 1,000 points and 600 rebounds since Luke Harangody (2006-10). Harangody finished his Irish career with 2,476 points and 1,222 rebounds. Connaughton has 1,149 points and 639 boards.

DEFENSIVE DISPLAYS
– Notre Dame ranks second in the ACC in total steals (94). Individually, sophomore Demetrius Jackson is second in the league in steals (25).
– The Irish have held nine of 12 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 over Chicago State was the largest for Notre Dame since a 50-point win (101-51) over Rider on Dec. 28, 2006.

STARTING FIVE
– Notre Dame has fielded the same starting lineup of Jerian Grant, Demetrius Jackson, Pat Connaughton, Steve Vasturia and Zach Auguste in each of its first 12 games.
– Last season, the Irish juggled its starting lineup throughout the season and ended up with 12 different rotations throughout the 2013-14 campaign.
– Through 12 games last season, Notre Dame already had three different starting lineups.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
– Four Fighting Irish players are averaging double-figures in points – Jerian Grant (18.2), Zach Auguste (14.8), Demetrius Jackson (14.0) and Pat Connaughton (13.3).
– Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in 11 of 12 games this season.
– The Irish had six players reach double-figures on Saturday against Purdue. Notre Dame had five double-figure scorers in the Coppin State and Providence games.

DRAINING FROM DEEP
– Notre Dame is 12th nationally in made three-point field goals (102) and 15th in three-point field goal percentage (.413).
Pat Connaughton’s 29 three-pointers are the second-most among ACC players.
– Connaughton made his 200th career three-pointer in the ACC opener against Florida State. He is the eighth Notre Dame player to drain at least 200 treys during his career. He has 204 career three-pointers.
– Notre Dame made a season-best 14 three-pointers (14-25) against Chicago State on Nov. 29.

IRONMAN
Pat Connaughton has never missed a game during his Fighting Irish career. He has played in all 113 contests, including 97 starts. Connaughton has started 94 consecutive games.

1,000-POINT PERFORMERS
– With his 17-point performance against Binghamton in the season opener, Pat Connaughton eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career to become the 56th member of Notre Dame’s 1,000-point club. He has netted 1,149 points in 113 career games (10.2 ppg.).
– Connaughton became the second current Fighting Irish player with at least 1,000 career points. Senior Jerian Grant has tallied 1,329 points in 93 games in an Irish uniform (14.3 ppg.).
– Grant ranks 27th in Irish history in scoring, while Connaughton is 40th.

GRANT ON PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR WATCH LISTS
Jerian Grant has been named to the watch lists for the John R. Wooden Award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Naismith Trophy.

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 410-212 (.659) 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 311-160 (.660) record in his 14-plus seasons in South Bend. He is one of 17 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 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).

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 Jan. 17, 2015, at halftime of the Notre Dame-Miami men’s basketball 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.

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.