Nov. 9, 2017
WHO: #14/14 Notre Dame (0-0) at DePaul (0-0)
WHAT: The 2017-18 season opening game for both teams and the dedication game of DePaul’s new downtown home court, Wintrust Arena.
WHERE: Wintrust Arena (10,387)
WHEN: Saturday, November 11, 2017, 4 p.m ET
TICKETS: Tickets are still available at the DePaul Blue Demons Athletics website.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
A national television broadcast is set for FoxSports1 (FS1) with Brian Anderson (play-by-play) and Bill Raftery (analyst).
The Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network with Jack Nolan (play-by-play) and Jordan Cornette (analyst) will be broadcast on WatchND.tv, locally on WSBT AM960/FM96.1 and via the Notre Dame Basketball Network affiliate stations.
Here are Five Things To Know about the Irish – Blue Demons match up…
NOTRE DAME – DePAUL SERIES HISTORY
Notre Dame and DePaul will be meeting for the 105th time on Saturday afternoon. The Irish lead the all-time series 60-44, 37-13 at home, but DePaul holds a 30-21 advantage on its home court.
The Irish enter Saturday’s game with a nine-game win streak in the series, starting on Feb. 20, 2007 and through the last meeting in the series, an 82-78 overtime victory in Purcell Pavilion on Feb. 12, 2013. That nine-game win streak also matches the highest in series history (which dates back to 1912) when Notre Dame won nine straight from Jan. 13, 1968 through Jan. 31, 1974.
The Notre Dame – DePaul series (104) trails only the Notre Dame – Marquette series (118) for the most prolific in school history.
See the full Game Notes package PDF, page eight, for a full rundown of the Notre Dame – DePaul series.
NOTRE DAME IN ARENA DEDICATIONS
Notre Dame will take part in the dedication of Wintrust Arena on Saturday afternoon, marking the program’s fifth time they will take part in the dedication game of an opposing team’s court. The Irish are 3-1 in the previous four meetings, the most recent a victory at Illinois in the dedication game of the State Farm Center.
Here is a list of those dedication games, along with the Joyce Center/Purcell Pavilion dedication game –
| Arena | Date | Opponent | W/L | ND | Opp |
| Hinkle Field House | 3/7/1928 | Butler | L (OT) | 13 | 21 |
| Scandlon PE Center* | 12/3/1968 | King’s College | W | 84 | 54 |
| Joyce Center (now Purcell Pavilion) | 12/7/1968 | UCLA | L | 75 | 88 |
| Athletics-Recreation Center | 12/9/1984 | Valparaiso | W | 88 | 57 |
| State Farm Center | 12/2/2015 | Illinois | W | 84 | 79 |
* – was also the first game of the 1968-69 season and the second dedication game Notre Dame would appear in that month (including the Joyce Center/Purcell Pavilion four days later).
This is not the first dedication that has taken place during a Notre Dame – DePaul game. On December 14, 2003, the Irish and Blue Demons met at Allstate Arena for the dedication of Ray and Marge Meyer Court – honoring the Hall of Fame DePaul coach and former Irish basketball team captain. Notre Dame won that meeting 82-69.
Also on January 29, 1934, Notre Dame was part of the first college basketball doubleheader ever played in Madison Square Garden. The Irish lost to NYU 18-26, while St. John’s lost to Westminster 37-33 in front of 16,138 fans.
SEASON OPENERS
Notre Dame is 17-0 all-time in season openers during the Mike Brey era (2000-01 to present) and will be making its first season opener appearance on the road this weekend under Brey.
Historically, the Irish are 94-18 (.839) in season openers. The program’s last season-opening game on the road occurred in 1999-2000, when the Irish defeated Ohio State 59-57.
COLSON A CONSENSUS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Bonzie Colson, the top returning rebounder and second-leading returning scorer in the ACC, has been named a 2016-17 Preseason All-American by a majority of the publications and websites that cover college basketball. The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, The Athletic and Blue Ribbon Yearbook all placed Colson on their preseason first team.
In addition, Colson was named the preseason national player of the year by the Blue Ribbon Yearbook and the ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
A SEASON OF MILESTONES AHEAD FOR Mike Brey
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey is poised to reach three key milestones in his coaching career this season.
- Brey is 12 wins away from becoming the all-time wins leader at Notre Dame (382 current, 393 is the record).
- Brey is 18 wins away from 400 at Notre Dame, which would make him the 13th active coach to have 400 wins at his current school.
- Brey is 19 wins away from 500 in his coaching career, on pace to become the 31st active coach to reach 500 career wins.
Should Brey reach the 500-win barrier, he will join Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams, Greg Kampe, Tony Shaver, Tom Izzo, Fran Dunphy, Bob McKillop, Jay Wright and Mark Few as the only current coaches to win 500 or more games while coaching at just one or two schools.
Please see the attached Game Notes PDF for much more game/team information for the Notre Dame – DePaul matchup.