Dec. 8, 2014
Game 10
Mount St. Mary’s (2-4)
vs.
#25/RV Notre Dame (8-1)
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 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 84/XM 84
Check affiliates on Pg. 3 of notes packet
Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
Torrian Jones (analyst)
LIVE STATS
FIGHTING IRISH TO MEET MOUNT ST. MARY’S ON TUESDAY
– The Fighting Irish return to the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center court Tuesday when they play host to Mount St. Mary’s. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. (ET).
– This will be the second meeting all-time between the Fighting Irish and Mountaineers. Notre Dame topped Mount St. Mary’s 78-64 on Nov. 29, 2003, at the Joyce Center.
– Tuesday’s contest 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 Torrian Jones will serve as the analyst. The contest also is available on Sirius 84 and XM 84.
– The Fighting Irish are ranked 25th in this week’s Associated Press poll. It’s Notre Dame’s first appearance in the AP poll since the Irish were No. 21 in the rankings released Nov. 11, 2013.
GRANT NAMED ACC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
– Jerian Grant and Virginia’s Justin Anderson on Monday were named the ACC Co-Players of the Week. Grant averaged 21.0 points, 5.5 rebounds. 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals in leading Notre Dame to wins over No. 19/18 Michigan State (79-78 in overtime) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and Fairleigh Dickinson (75-57). Grant scored a career-high 27 points in the victory over Michigan State.
– It’s the first ACC player-of-the-week accolade for Grant. He is the first Notre Dame player to receive the honor since Eric Atkins on Jan. 6, 2014.
HOMESTAND CONTINUES
– Tuesday’s affair will be the fifth of a six-game homestand for the Fighting Irish.
– Notre Dame is 7-0 at home this season and the Irish are averaging 86.1 points per game in those contests, while allowing just 55.7 points per game.
BUSY BEGINNING FOR THE FIGHTING IRISH
– The showdown with Mount St. Mary’s will be Notre Dame’s third game in a seven-day span.
– Notre Dame is slated to play 11 games in the first 30 days of the season. That stretch concludes Saturday at Purcell Pavilion against Florida State in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both schools.
NOTRE DAME AGAINST THE NEC
– Tuesday will be Notre Dame’s second straight showdown with a Northeast Conference school. The Irish topped NEC foe Fairleigh Dickinson, 75-57, on Saturday. Notre Dame is 21-0 all-time against teams currently in the NEC.
HOT SHOTS
– Notre Dame leads the nation in field goal percentage at 55.8 percent.
– The Irish have shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in eight of nine 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.
– Four of Notre Dame’s five starters are shooting better than 50.0 percent from the field — Zach Auguste (64.9%), Jerian Grant (57.7%), Demetrius Jackson (56.2%) and Pat Connaughton (52.3%).
FACTS FROM FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
– Notre Dame never trailed in Saturday’s 75-57 win over Fairleigh Dickinson. It marked the second time this season the Irish did not trail in a game (Coppin State is the other).
– Fairleigh Dickinson’s 22 first-half points matched the fewest for an Irish opponent in an opening half of play this season. Chicago State also netted 22 points in the first half on Nov. 29.
– Fairleigh Dickinson shot 37.7% (23-61) from the field. Notre Dame has held six of nine opponents under 40.0% shooting from the floor this season.
– Pat Connaughton scored a season-high 19 points. It was the first time this season that Connaughton led the Irish in scoring.
– Zach Auguste notched his second double-double of the season (third of his career) with 11 points and a season-high 11 rebounds.
EN FUEGO
– Jerian Grant is averaging 22.7 points per game in the last three contests. The senior guard scored a career-high 27 points on Wednesday versus Michigan State after tying a career-best mark with 26 points in the previous outing against Chicago State. Grant tallied 15 points on Saturday versus Fairleigh Dickinson.
– Grant is 23-40 (.575) from the field, 9-20 (.450) from three-point range and 13-14 (.929) from the free throw line in the last three contests.
– He has committed just five turnovers in the last four games while averaging 34.8 minutes per contest.
– Grant has scored 20-plus points four times in the last six games.
– He has reached double-figures in points in each of his last 11 games and 74 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.
– Overall, Grant is averaging 19.0 points and 6.4 assists per contest and owns a 4.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
GRANT HAS AN ALL-AROUND GAME
– Senior guard Jerian Grant leads the ACC in points per game (19.0) and assists per game (6.4).
– Grant has had a hand in 41.6 percent of Notre Dame’s 758 points this season. He’s netted 171 points and his 58 assists have led to 144 Fighting Irish points.
– Grant ranks 12th nationally – and second in the ACC – with a 4.5 assist-to-turnover ratio this season. His 2.51 career assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth nationally among active Division I players.
TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL
– Notre Dame ranks sixth nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.6) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.66). The Irish had a season-low four turnovers on Wednesday versus Michigan State. That was the fifth time this season Notre Dame had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game.
MILESTONES
– With his fifth rebound against Michigan State, 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 1,117 points and 610 boards.
– Jerian Grant needs five assists for 500. With 1,282 career points and 495 assists, he would become the sixth Irish player in the 110-year history of the program to score 1,000 points and dish off 500 assists.
IRISH GET OFFENSIVE OUT OF THE GATE
– The Fighting Irish rank 13th nationally in scoring (84.2 ppg.). Notre Dame’s 758 points are the most for the Irish through the first nine games of a season since they tallied 784 in 2006-07.
– Notre Dame has scored 74 points or better in each of its first nine games of a season for the first time in program history.
– The Fighting Irish have deposited 90-plus points three times this season (104 vs. Coppin State, 92 vs. Navy, 90 vs. Chicago State).
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 nine 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 nine 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 (19.0), Pat Connaughton (14.1), Zach Auguste (13.6), and Demetrius Jackson (12.6).
– Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in every game this season. The Irish had five double-figure scorers twice this season (Coppin State and Providence).
DRAINING FROM DEEP
– Notre Dame is 10th nationally in made three-point field goals (79) and 26th in three-pointers per game (8.8).
– Notre Dame is shooting 39.9 percent (79-198) from beyond the arc.
– Pat Connaughton’s 24 three-pointers rank second among ACC players and he ranks fifth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.471).
– Notre Dame made a season-best 14 three-pointers (14-25) against Chicago State on Nov. 29.
FIGHTING IRISH EDGE SPARTANS IN OT
– Backcourt mates Jerian Grant (27) and Demetrius Jackson (22) both netted career-high point totals in Wednesday’s 79-78 overtime win over #19/18 Michigan State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge inside Purcell Pavilion.
– In addition to scoring a career-high 27 points, Grant notched game-high totals for assists (6) and steals (3) while playing all 45 minutes against the Spartans.
– Notre Dame committed a season-low four turnovers. The Irish did not have a turnover in the second half and turned the ball over just once in overtime.
– The Irish had season-high marks in made free throws (20) and free throw attempts (25).
– Grant (45), Jackson (44), Pat Connaughton (44) and Steve Vasturia (42) all played over 40 minutes and all four players scored in double-figures (Connaughton & Vasturia both had 12 points).
– Notre Dame improved to 17-10 in overtime contests under head coach Mike Brey. The Irish are 7-1 in their last eight overtime affairs.
– Michigan State was the first ranked opponent Notre Dame defeated since the Irish topped #7/8 Duke, 79-77, on Jan. 4, 2014. The Irish were 0-3 against ranked foes since that victory over the Blue Devils. Notre Dame is 50-73 versus ranked opponents under Brey.
– The Fighting Irish improved to 13-12 in one-point games under Brey.
AUGUSTE STAYS HOT FROM THE FIELD
– Junior forward Zach Auguste ranks 13th nationally – and second in the ACC – in field goal percentage at 64.9 percent.
– Auguste posted a career-high point total in each of the first three games of the season. He tallied 19 points in the season opener versus Binghamton and followed that up with a 20-point effort versus Navy. Against Coppin State, Auguste topped the 20-point mark for the second straight game with a personal best 21 points.
– 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.
A DYNAMIC DUO
– Seniors Pat Connaughton and Jerian Grant have spent a lot of time on the court together since they first stepped onto the floor during the 2011-12 campaign.
– The duo has combined for 200 games played (182 of them starts), 2,399 points, 870 rebounds, 712 assists and 200 steals.
– Even more impressive is the fact they have accounted for 6,656 minutes played on the court (33.3 mpg.).
IRONMAN
– Pat Connaughton has never missed a game during his Fighting Irish career. He has played in all 110 contests, including 94 starts. Connaughton has started 91 consecutive games.
– Connaughton never left the court in eight games in 2013-14 (six times in ACC play).
DOUBLE THE PLEASURE FOR PAT
– Senior guard Pat Connaughton leads Notre Dame in rebounding (7.7 rpg.) and is second in scoring (14.1 ppg.).
– He netted a season-high 19 points on Saturday versus Fairleigh Dickinson.
– Connaughton has two double-doubles this season. He registered 13 points and 11 boards versus Providence and notched 17 points and 10 rebounds in the season opener against Binghamton.
– He has nine career double-doubles, which are the most of any current Irish player.
– Connaughton has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game 13 times during his career, including three times this season.
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.
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 1,117 points in 110 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 1,282 points in 90 games in an Irish uniform (14.2 ppg.).
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 407-212 (.658) 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 308-160 (.658) 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 AGAINST COPPIN STATE
– 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.
DEFENSIVE DISPLAYS
– 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.
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.
ANOTHER CROSSROADS CLASSIC CLASH
– Notre Dame will battle Big Ten rival Purdue in the fourth annual Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The game between the Irish and the Boilermakers will be the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Dec. 20. Butler and Indiana will square off in the first contest.
– The Fighting Irish are 2-1 in their three previous Crossroads Classic showdowns. Notre Dame topped Indiana, 79-72, last season and the Irish downed Purdue, 81-68, in 2012. Notre Dame fell to Indiana, 69-58, in the inaugural event in 2011.
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.