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Men's Basketball Hosts Hoosiers Wednesday

Dec. 9, 2003

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INDIANA Hoosiers (2-3) at
NOTRE DAME Fighting Irish (2-2)

Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Place: Joyce Center (11,418)
Time: 9:00 p.m. (EST)
Television: ESPN – Sean McDonough (play-by-play analyst), Bill Raftery (color analyst) and Jay Bilas (color analyst)
Radio: Notre Dame Sports Properties (Jack Lorri, Jack Nolan) originates the Notre Dame Radio Network (includes WNDV 92.9 FM and 1490 AM in South Bend, Ind./Michiana Region, Elkhart, Michigan City, Gary and Hammond), ESPN 1000 AM) in Chicagoland Area), ESPN 950 AM (Indianapolis), WGL 1250 in Fort Wayne), WEFM 95.9 in Michigan City and Gary and WLUV AM 1520 (Rockford, DeKalb, Beloit, Janesville). All radio broadcasts can also be heard through the World Wide Web at www.und.com.
Real-Time Stats: Live in-game statistics are available for all home games, via the Notre Dame athletic website (www.und.com).

Irish Items:

  • The 2003-04 campaign marks the 99th season of basketball at Notre Dame.
  • The Irish will be looking to snap its two-game losing streak in tonights matchup against Indiana after suffering back-to-back losses to Marquette and Central Michigan.
  • After being ranked in 19 consecutive polls dating back to last season, Notre Dame dropped out of the top-25 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today rankings.
  • Notre Dame’s 2-2 record marks the first time that the Irish have been .500 or under since Dec. 11, 1999 when that team owned a 4-5 mark after its first nine games of the season.
  • Mike Brey coached in his 100th game on December 1 in Notre Dame’s loss at Marquette. He owns a 68-33 (.673) overall record as the Irish head coach. Brey coached in his 250th career game in eight-plus seasons against Mount St. Mary’s on November 29.
  • Indiana is the only Big Ten team on the Irish schedule this season. The last Big Ten foe a Notre Dame team played was Illinois last season (March 22, 2003) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Irish, ranked 20th at the time of the contest, defeated the 10th-ranked Illini, to advance to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1987.
  • This will be the 20th time that Notre Dame has played on December 10. Irish teams have posted a 15-4 record when playing on this date.
  • Under head coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame is 16-1 all-time during the month of November and owns a 15-6 mark in the month of December. The Irish finished with a perfect 6-0 mark in December during the 2002-03 season.
  • Tonight’s game ends a two-game homestand for the Irish. Notre Dame will be on the road on Sunday, December 14 when the Irish take on DePaul. Following that contest, Notre Dame will not play again until Sunday, December 21 when they play host to American.
  • Notre Dame is 18-3 in its last 21 games at the Joyce Center.

Tonight’s Game:

  • The Irish and Hoosiers will be meeting for the 66th time in this evening’s contest. Only six other opponents have appeared on Notre Dame’s schedule more often.
  • Both Notre Dame and Indiana have lost each of their last two games. The Hoosiers. who are 2-3 on the season, have dropped back-to-back decisions to Wake Forest (100-67) and Missouri (63-58).
  • Notre Dame has shot under 40.0 percent in three of its first four games and have had more turnovers than assists in each of its three games. The Irish turned the ball over just eight times against Northern Illinois in the season opener, but since that contest, the Irish have averaged 15.7 turnovers.
  • Notre Dame has more turnovers (55) than assists (53) this season.
  • The Irish have faced injury woes this season. Seniors Torrian Jones and TomTimmermans both did not dress for the Central Michigan game. Jones was bothered by a hip flexor and Timmermans has seen limited action (and missed one other game – Mount St. Mary’s) because of a back injury. Jordan Cornette’s play has been somewhat restricted due to a sore knee.
  • Notre Dame has four players who are averaging double figures. Chris Thomas leads the team in scoring with an 18.5 scoring average, while Torin Francis is averaging a double double with 17.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. Chris Quinn has scored in double figures in three of the four game and is netting 12.8 points per game. Torrian Jones is the fourth Irish player averaging double figures with a 10.3 scoring average.
  • Chris Thomas led all scorers in Saturday night’s contest as he tossed in 24 points in the loss to Central Michigan. It marked the 24th time (dating back to last season) that he has scored in double figures and the 27th time in his career that he has scored 20-plus points in a contest.
  • Torin Francis registered his second double double of the season and 12th of his career against Central Michigan with his 10 points and 12 rebounds. He also blocked five shots in 37 minutes of action.
  • Chris Quinn played the entire 40 minutes of the contest for the first time in his career and finished with 13 points.
  • Freshman Colin Falls played 33 minutes in earning his first career start on Saturday night against Central Michigan. He finished with 11 points, connecting on three three-pointers in the contest.
  • Central Michigan shot 59.3 percent from the field against the Irish in the first half, but connected on just 9-33 from the field in the second half (27.3 percent).
  • Free throw shooting continues to be a strength with 28.4 percent of the Irish’s points coming from the charity stripe. Notre Dame has outscored its opponents 79-39 from the line and attempted 45 (100-55) more free throws.
  • Four of Notre Dame five starters are averaging 33-plus minutes – Chris Quinn (36.8), Chris Thomas (36.5), Torin Francis (36.2) and Torrian Jones (33.0). Jordan Cornette is just under 30 minutes per game at 29.3.
  • Notre Dame opponents have converted on 39.7 percent of their shots from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range, while the Irish are shooting 38.6 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from the beyond the arc.

Irish Player Tidbits:

  • Chris Thomas is the leading scorer for the Irish as he is averaging 18.5 points per game. He heads into the Indiana game having scored in double figures in 24 consecutive games dating back to last season. Thomas has scored in double figures in 59 of 71 career contests. The last time Thomas failed to score in double figures was against Pittsburgh on the road (January 6, 2003) when he netted just five points . He dished off seven assists against Northern Illinois which marked the 39th time in his career that he has dished out seven or more assists in a game. Thomas is one of just five players in Notre Dame history who has dished off 500-plus assists. He owns a career assist total of 507.
  • Chris Quinn has started all four games for the Irish, and in just his fourth career start, played all 40 minutes in Saturday night’s loss to Central Michigan. He is averaging 12.8 points and 2.8 assists and 36.8 minutes of playing time. Quinn responded to his first career start in the season opener against Northern Illinois with career bests of 18 points and six steals. He has scored in double figures in five career games.
  • Torin Francis is averaging double figures in both scoring and rebounding with 17.5 and 11.5 averages, respectively. He has scored 20-plus points in two contests, netting 24 in the season opener against Northern Illinois and 23 in the December 1 loss at Marquette. Francis registered the 12th double double of his career against Central Michigan (10 points, 12 rebounds). In the season opener versus Northern Illinois, he scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. Dating back to last season, he has had five doubles doubles in the last 10 games. Francis also has scored 20-plus points on six occasions in 38 career outings (all of them starts) and has registered 10 or more rebounds 14 times. He has scored in double figures 23 times.
  • Torrian Jones played 33 minutes in each of Notre Dame’s first three games before missing the Central Michigan game with a hip flexor. He is averaging 10.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Jones has scored in double figures in two of the three games he played – 14 points versus Marquette and 12 against Mount St. Mary’s – and seven times during his career. His double-digit scoring efforts in each of the last two games marks the first time in his career that he has scored in double figures in consecutive outings. In addition to his 12 points against the Mountaineers, he had seven rebounds and career-high six assists.
  • Jordan Cornette has been in the starting lineup for each of Notre Dame’s first four games and has made 31 starts during his career. He has 103 career blocks in an Irish uniform. His season-high 10 rebounds against Marquette marked the fifth time in his career with 10 or more rebounds.
  • Tom Timmermans has seen limited playing time this season with a sore back. He missed the Mount St. Mary’s game after playing 12 minutes in the season opener against Northern Illinois. He played just three minutes against Marquette and did not dress for the Central Michigan game.
  • Rick Cornett has averaged 2.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in the first four games in 8.3 minutes per game. He played a career-high 15 minutes against Mount St. Mary’s.
  • Colin Falls is averaging 20.8 minutes per game while netting 4.0 points and grabbing 2.3 rebounds. He earned his first career start against Central Michigan and played 33 minutes. He connected on three three-pointers in the contest and finished with 11 points.
  • Russell Carter saw action for the first time in his career coming off the bench against Mount St. Mary’s and recorded the first collegiate points of his career when he hit a three-pointer at the buzzer right before the end of the first half. He also played in the Marquette and Central Michigan contests.

Series Record Vs. Indiana:
Tonight’s game marks the 106th meeting between the two schools. Indiana has dominated the series and owns a 46-19 advantage. The Hoosiers have won seven straight and have been victorious 14 times in the last 17 meetings. Notre Dame is 6-19 overall at home against Indiana (6-9 at the Joyce Center). Three of the last eight meetings have been decided in overtime. Notre Dame’s last victory in the series came on November 29, 1994, an 80-79 win at the Joyce Center in overtime.

Notre Dame Vs. Big Ten:
Notre Dame has played Big Ten teams on 419 occasions and owns a 225-193-1. Indiana is the most frequent Big Ten foe on the Irish schedule (105 meetings) with Michigan State second at 94 games. The last Big Ten team Notre Dame faced was Illinois last March in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. In that game, the Irish defeated the Illini 68-60 to advance to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1987. It was the first meeting between the two schools in more than 30 years. The Captains:

For the first time in the 99-year history of the Notre Dame men’s basketball program, four players will be serving as team captains. Seniors Torrian Jones and Tom Timmermans and juniors Jordan Cornette and Chris Thomas will serve as the Irish captains for the upcoming 2003-04 campaign.

Tough Ticket:
Notre Dame played host to 10 sellouts at the Joyce Center during the 2002-03 season – the most since the 1985-86 campaign when 14 of the team’s 17 games drew a record capacity crowd. Three games last season – Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Syracuse – produced the largest crowds to ever witness a Notre Dame basketball game – 11,480. Already this season, seven games are already sold out – Indiana, Kentucky, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Seton Hall and Georgetown. Student tickets (2,800 to students, 400 to band and Notre Dame student-athletes) were sold out in 5-1/2 hours. Last season, student ticket packages were sold out in 36 hours.

Irish In November Under Brey:
Notre Dame played just two games in the month of November. Each of the past two campaigns, the Irish have played six games during the first month of the season. Notre Dame owns a 16-1 record during the month of November under head coach Mike Brey. In 2001-02, the Irish completed November with a perfect 6-0 slate. It marked the most wins ever by a Notre Dame team in the month of November. The only loss suffered by the Irish during the month of November under Brey was an 80-75 setback in the championship game of the Guardians Classic in Kansas City, Mo., last season.

Home Sweet Home:
Since the inaugural season (1968-69) at the Joyce Center, Notre Dame owns a 422-125 record all-time for a .771 winning percentage. The Irish are 37-11 (.771) at the Joyce Center during Mike Brey’s three seasons, and since the 1996-97 campaign, they own an 87-30 mark for a .744 winning percentage. Notre Dame was 14-2 at home in 2002-03, winning 10-plus games for the sixth time in seven years. The Irish have won 18 of their last 21 games at home.

The Irish All-Time:
The 2003-04 campaign marks the 99th season of men’s basketball at Notre Dame. Irish teams have posted a 1531-840 record for a .647 winning percentage.

Home Cookin’:
Notre Dame begins the 2003-04 campaign by playing eight of its first 10 games at home. That’s an advantage the Irish did not enjoy two years ago (2001-02) when they were on the road for eight of their first 11 contests.

Jump Start:
Over the course of the last three-plus seasons, Notre Dame teams have played well in its non-conference tuneups before the start of the BIG EAST regular season during the months of November and December. Irish teams own an impressive 31-7 (.838) combined record. Six of the 38 games have been against ranked opponents and have included wins against Cincinnati (2000), Marquette (2002), Maryland (2002) and Texas (2002).

New BIG EAST Look:
The BIG EAST Conference will play under a new league format in which every team will play each other at least once and three other schools twice during the regular season. Notre Dame is slated to play Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Syracuse twice as part of its 16-game conference slate.

The past three seasons have seen the 14-team league play under a two seven-team divisional format. Under the former system, the teams were broken down into the East and West divisions. Each school played 12 divisional contests on a home-and-home basis and crossover opponents against teams from the other divsion (two at home and two on the road), but did not face three schools from the opposite division.

In addition to its home-and-home series with the Huskies, Panthers and Orangemen, Notre Dame’s conference home slate this season also includes matchups against Georgetown, Miami, Providence, Seton Hall and West Virginia. The Irish are scheduled for road games at Boston College, Rutgers, St. John’s, Villanova and Virginia Tech.

Twelve teams will once again advance to the ’04 BIG EAST Championship at Madison Square Garden, March 10-13, with the top four finishers during the regular season receiving a first-round bye.

Francis, Thomas On Wooden Watch List; Thomas Listed Among Naismith Candidates:
Chris Thomas and Torin Francis are one of 50 candidates named to the 2003-04 John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-America Team. The 50 candidates were announced in early August and selected by the Wooden Award Preseason All-America Committee.

The Irish tandem is among 11 BIG EAST players named to the team, the most of any conference. Only three other teams – Connecticut (Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor) and Syracuse (Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick) -also placed two players on the list.

Thomas, an honorable mention Associated Press All-America selection, and second-team all-BIG EAST honoree as a sophomore, was among the top-30 candidates last year for the Wooden Award and also was a finalist for the Naismith and USBWA/Oscar Robertson player-of-the-year awards. Francis was a member of the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.

The other BIG EAST players selected as candidates were: Andre Barrett (Seton Hall), Ryan Gomes (Providence), Julius Page (Pittsburgh), Darius Rice (Miami) and Craig Smith (Boston College).

The 10-player Wooden Award All-America Team will be announced on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 and one member from that squad will be awarded the Wooden Award Trophy, symbolic of the nation’s “Most Outstanding Collegiate Basketball Player of Year.” That announcement will be made on Saturday, April 10 and CBS Sports will televise the event live from The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Thomas also is listed among the top 30 candidates for the Naismith Player of the Year honor.

Looking To Make It Four-In-A-Row:
The Irish will be bidding for their fourth straight NCAA tournament bid in 2004. That would be a first since Notre Dame made six consecutive appearances from 1985-90. The most consecutive NCAA tournament appearances made by Notre Dame teams was eight – from 1975-81.

The 20-Win Mark:
Notre Dame’s 24 wins a year ago marked the 30th time in the program’s 98-year history that an Irish team reached the 20-win mark. It marked the fourth consecutive 20-win campaign and first time since 1985-89 that Irish teams posted four consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins.

Notre Dame All-Time In The BIG EAST:
In eight seasons as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, Notre Dame owns a 66-70 record all-time in conference regular-season play for a .485 winning percentage. In their first five years, Irish teams were 35-53 (.398), but since Mike Brey took over the program, Notre Dame has compiled a 31-17 (.646) mark in regular-season play.

BIG EAST 10:
Notre Dame is the only BIG EAST team to win 10-plus conference games during each of the last three regular-season campaigns. The Irish finished 11-5 in 2000-01 and produced 10-6 marks in both 2001-02 and 2002-03. Notre Dame is the only BIG EAST team to make the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons.

Brey Has The Formula For BIG EAST Success At Notre Dame:
Since his arrival at Notre Dame, Mike Brey has led Notre Dame to a 31-17 record in BIG EAST regular-season games for a 64.6 winning percentage and 1-3 mark in tournament play for an overall record of 32-20 (.615) against league foes. The Irish won the BIG EAST West Division title by fashioning an 11-5 record (the most conference wins in its six previous seasons in the league). Under Brey, Notre Dame is the only BIG EAST school to win 10-plus league games each of the last three seasons. Prior to Brey’s arrival at Notre Dame, Irish teams had a 35-53 (39.8 percent) regular-season record in its conference games since 1995-96.

Brey Versus Ranked Opponents:
As a head coach at both Notre Dame and Delaware, Mike Brey has coached in 34 games against ranked opponents and owns a 12-22 record in those matchups. In three-plus seasons at Notre Dame, he has faced ranked opponents on 28 occasions and his teams are 12-16 in those contests. Last season, his team was 5-6 versus ranked teams. The Irish were 3-6 and 4-3 during the 2001-02 and 2000-01 campaigns, respectively.

Brey And The Irish In Overtime Games:
Notre Dame is 3-0 in overtime games (two on the road and one at home) under head coach Mike Brey. The Irish did not play an overtime game in Brey’s first season. The first overtime game played by Notre Dame under Brey (during the 2001-02 campaign) was the epic four-overtime classic in 2002 against Georgetown at the MCI Center in which the Irish defeated the Hoyas 116-111. The Irish played two overtime contests in ’02-’03 – at Boston College (101-96) and at home against Georgetown (93-92 in double overtime).

Over The Century Mark:
Notre Dame has scored 100-plus points five times during the Mike Brey era. The Irish went over the century mark twice last season – a 102-71 victory over DePaul (December 14, 2002) and 101-96 overtime decision against Boston College (January 25, 2003).

Elite Company:
Notre Dame is one of just nine schools – Arizona, Duke, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland Misouri and Stanford – that has advanced past the first round each of the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years.

Home Stripe Advantage:
Notre Dame was particularly successful from the free-throw line in home games last season as the Irish were 286-373 (.767) compared to 177-257 (.689) for their opponents. In the last 11 home games of ’02-’03, Notre Dame finished 224-279 (.803) from the line as the Irish made an average of 20.4 free throws on 25.4 attempts and averaged just 5.0 misses per game. Notre Dame shot a season-best 95.7 percent from the line against Rutgers (Jan. 14, 2003) as the Irish converted 22 of their 23 attempts. This season, Notre Dame has outscored their opponents 79-39 from the line and attempted 45 more free throws. As a team, the Irish have converted on 79.0 percent of their attempts. Notre Dame was 19-20 from the line against Mount St. Mary’s and 24-31 versus Central Michigan. In home games this season, the Irish have converted on 64-80 (.800), while opponents are 26-35 (.742).

Where Charity Begins:
The Irish used free throw shooting as a weapon last season averaging nearly 17 free throws made per game. Notre Dame outscored their opponents 575-389 and attempted 190 more free throws (756-566). The Irish converted 76.1 percent of those attempts, while their opponents hit on 68.7 percent. Notre Dame is averaging 19.8 made free throws per game this season and have attempted an average of 25.0 per game. Irish opponents are averaging just 9.8 made three throws per game and 13.8 attempted.

Thomas Reaches Assist Milestone:
Chris Thomas surpassed 500 career assists on December 1 against Marquette. In 71 career contests, he has 507 for a 7.1 career average. He is one of only five Irish players who have reached that mark and is one of just three players who has scored more than 1,000 points and dished off more than 500 assists in their career. Thomas has 1,227 career points. The other two players who have scored 1,000 career points and dished off 500 assists are David Rivers (1984-88 – 2,058 points and 586 assists) and Elmer Bennett (1988-92 – 1,488 points, 516 assists). Thomas stands fifth all-time in career assists and needs just 80 to break Rivers’ career assist mark.

Block Party:
Notre Dame’s 189 blocked shots in 2002-03 set a new single-season team record with a per game average of 5.59. The former mark of 178 was set during the 2000-01 season in which Notre Dame averaged 5.93 blocks. The Irish finished the 2001-02 campaign with 163 blocks for an average of 4.94 per game. Notre Dame’s block totals each of the last three seasons rank as the top three all-time. Notre Dame already has 30 blocks in 2003-04.

The “Quinn”-Essential Player:
Sophomore guard Chris Quinn has made the most of his opportunity as a starter in the Irish lineup. He is averaging 12.8 points and is shooting 43.1 percent from the field (16-37) . Quinn leads the team in minutes played (36.8). In his first career start in the season opener against Northern Illinois, he scored a career-high 18 points and had a personal best six steals. Quinn, who averaged 15.3 minutes off the bench as a rookie last season, hit 7-10 from the field and was 3-5 from three-point range in the contest. In the last two games, he has averaged 39.0 minutes, playing 38 against Marquette and 40 versus Central Michigan.

Double Dose Of “Chris” Give Irish “1”-“2” Punch:
Notre Dame’s backcourt tandem of junior Chris Thomas and sophomore Chris Quinn will certainly provide Irish opponents with some headaches this season. The two have combined for 125 of the team’s 278 points (45.0 percent) and taken 105 of the team’s 223 total shots (47.1 percent) in the first three games. The two are a combined 19-57 (33.3) from the charity stripe.

In The Spirit Of Giving:
Chris Thomas’ unselfish play is one of the reasons why the Irish have been successful while he has been in the Notre Dame backcourt. In the 71 games he has directed Mike Brey’s teams, Thomas has helped the Irish compile a 48-23 record for a .676 winning percentage As a freshman, he averaged 7.64 assists to rank fifth nationally in that category, and dished off 6.9 assists (eighth in the nation), as a sophomore. Thomas is the only player in Notre Dame history to dish off 200-plus assists in consecutive seasons. He has dished off 10-plus assists in 15 games during his career.

Threes Finally Fall For Falls:
While earning his first career start (and playing 33 minutes against Central Michigan), freshman Colin Falls finally hit his first career three-pointer. Heading into the contest, he was 0-6 from beyond the arc. Falls missed his first three-point attempt against Central Michigan, but nailed his first career three-pointer on his second attempt at the 14:02 mark of the contest.

Double The Pleasure:
Torin Francis recorded the 12th double double of his career in the Central Michigan game when he scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. It marked his second double double of the season after registering his first one of the season opener versus Northern Illinois. His scoring (24 points) and rebounding (19 rebounds) totals in that game were the second-highest of his career. Dating back to the Syracuse game (March 4, 2003), Francis has registered five double doubles in the last 10 games dating back to last season and in four of the Irish’s last seven outings. He has scored in double figures 23 times during his career and grabbed 10 or more rebounds on 14 occasions.

Century Mark II:
Jordan Cornette blocked his 100th career shot against Marquette and has 103 to his credit for a and owns a 1.49 career average in that category. He is one of just four players in Notre Dame history who has blocked 100 or more shots during his career. LaPhonso Ellis (1988-92) holds the school mark with 200, followed by Ryan Humphrey’s (2000-02) 166 and Troy Murphy’s (1998-01) 126.

Jones Reaches Double Digits In Back-To-Back Scoring Efforts:
At the start of this season, senior Torrian Jones had averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game in his first three seasons. Just three games into the 2003-04 campaign, he is averaging 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, while playing 33 minutes in all three contests. His back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts against Mount St. Mary’s (12 points) and Marquette (14 points), marked the first time in his career that he was in double figures in consecutive outings. Prior to the start of the season, he had scored in double figures on just five occasions.

Facing The Defending National Champions:
Notre Dame will meet defending national champion Syracuse twice during the 2003-04 season. It will mark the second straight year the Irish will play the NCAA champion from the previous season. Notre Dame’s matchup last season with Maryland on December 7, 2002 in the first round of the BB&T Classic at the MCI Center marked the 31st time and Irish team had played a team that had won the NCAA crown the previous year. With than victory, Notre Dame owns an 8-23 mark versus those teams, but has been victorious three of the last four times it has gone up against a team which had won the national championship the previous season. The 1999-00 Irish squad beat Connecticut twice – 75-70 at the Hartford Civic Center and 68-66 at the Joyce Center – the season after the Huskies claimed the ’99 NCAA title.

Keeping It Close:
In the 33 losses suffered by Irish teams in Mike Brey’s three seasons, only nine have been by 10 or more points and have been by a combined 242 points for an average of 7.33 points. Notre Dame’s two 17-point losses (at Pittsburgh and against Arizona in the semifinals of the West Regional last season) were the two worst by an Irish team under Brey. Prior to those two setbacks, the worst defeat was a 16-point decision at Connecticut during Brey’s first season. Notre Dame’s 11 losses during the 2001-02 season were by a combined 49 points for an average margin of defeat of 4.45 points. Only one loss (versus Georgetown 83-73) was by double figures, while eight of those setbacks were by five points or less.

151 And Counting:
Heading into tonight’s game against Indiana, Notre Dame has hit at least one three-pointer in 151 straight games, a mark that dates back to the 1998-99 campaign. The last time and Irish team failed to hit a three-pointer was in a 101-70 loss to Connecticut in the Hartford Civic Center (January 12, 1999) as Notre Dame finished 0-7 in the contest.

Bosl Joins Irish Roster:
Junior Greg Bosl, a 6-3, 191-pound guard out of Syosset, N.Y., has joined the Irish team as a walk-on. He played prep basketball at St. Dominic High School and averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds as a senior. He captained St. Dominic’s during his final prep season and helped his team to a No. 3 ranking in the New York metro area. Bosl’s brother Mike played basketball for one year (1998-99) at Villanova and his sister Christine is a 1999 Notre Dame graduate. He is enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business and is majoring in finance.

Notre Dame Wins USA Today/NCAA Academic Achievement Award in 2003:
Notre Dame compiled the nation’s highest overall graduation rate for Division I-A student-athletes to take top honors in the 2003 USA Today/NCAA Academic Achievement Awards.

Ninety-two percent of the Fighting Irish student-athletes who enrolled in 1996 earned a degree from the University. The award included a $20,000 prize and was based on federally compiled figures submitted by the NCAA member institutions.

The NCAA bases graduation rates on the raw percentage of student-athletes who entered an institution and graduated within six years. Students who leave or transfer, regardless of academic standing, are considered non-graduates. Notre Dame’s graduation rate for student-athletes who complete all fours of athletic eligibility is 99 percent.

Notre Dame Partners With College Sports Television:
College Sports Television (CSTV) and Notre Dame are in a multi-year, multi-sport agreement by which CSTV is the year-round home of Fighting Irish athletics. CSTV airs a Notre Dame programming block every Sunday night called “Notre Dame Primetime,” featuring live and classic Fighting Irish events as wll as programming. In addition, CSTV has the rights to televise several Irish Olympic sporting events throughout the year.

Mike Brey Radio Show:
For the second consecutive year, Mike Brey will host a 30-minute radio show live on Tuesday evenings (beginning on December 9) from 7:30-8:00 p.m. at Logan’s Roadhouse on Main Street in Mishawaka. The show will air from December 9, 2003-March 2, 2004 (no shows on December 23, January 20 and February 24) and will broadcast live on 92.9-FM (U93 in South Bend).

Web Site (www.und.com):
Notre Dame’s official athletic department web site can be found at www.und.com. with the extensive offerings including live audio for all Irish women’s basketball games (home and away), as well as real-time statistics for all Notre Dame home games.

ESPN 1000 To Carry Men’s Basketball Game Broadcasts:
ESPN Radio 1000 (WMVP-AM) in Chicago will carry 17 regular-season Notre Dame men’s basketball games live in 2003-04 and another seven on delayed basis, as part of a multi-year agreement that will make ESPN 1000 the home for Irish men’s basketball in that market.

Irish Ink Rob Kurz In Early Signing Period:
Rob Kurz, a 6-8, 225-pound forward from Gwynedd, Pa., has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2004.

Kurz has starred the last two years for William Penn Charter High School in Philadelphia, Pa. As a junior in 2002-03, he averaged 18.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in leading his prep team to a 26-4 record overall and garnering first-team all-league honors. He earned first-team all-city honors after helping William Penn Charter capture the Philadelphia Inter-Academic League crown with a perfect 10-0 league mark that also included two victories in the postseason.

As a sophomore, he netted 19.0 points per game and guided his team to a 16-9 overall record. However, he was unable to compete in league play that season after transferring to William Penn Charter at the beginning of the 2001-02 school year.

Kurz attended the Nike All-America camp each of the past two summers (’02 and ’03) and will serve as one of the team’s co-captains during the 2003-04 campaign.

Kurz’ sister, Laura, also a high school senior, will attend Duke University and play basketball for the Blue Devils.

Notre Dame All Over The Big Screen In ’03-’04:
Notre Dame will make more national television appearances -13 – than any other BIG EAST team this season. The Irish will be appear on CBS four times, ESPN five times and ESPN2 on four occasions. It will mark the most single-season national television appearances ever by a Notre Dame basketball team. Connecticut will appear on 11 national broadcasts (excluding the Preseason NIT) during the regular season.

Irish in Barbados:
Notre Dame spent its fall break (Oct. 18-25) in Barbados and played three games. The Irish finished with a 2-1 record on its foreign tour. Notre Dame became the first-ever college team to play a game in Barbados. Coach Mike Brey and his team got a head start on the season with the first of its 10 practices (allowed by the NCAA before a tour) on September 4. ESPN Magazine followed the Irish on their seven-day trip and it was featured in the magzine’s college basketball preview issue. Notre Dame played the Milton Keynes Lions, a member of the British Basketball League, twice, and face off against the Barbados National Team in its other contest.

The Last Time It Happened…

Notre Dame recorded a …..
30-Point win…..was on 12/14/02 – ND 102, Depaul 71 (31 Points)*
40-Point win…..was on 11/18/02 – ND 89, IUPUI 45 (44 Points)*
50-Point win…..was on 2/22/86 – ND 126, Miami 73 (53 Points)
30-Point loss…..was on 1/7/99 – ND 62, Villanova 93 (31 Points)*

Notre Dame shot……
60% on FGs…..was on 12/14/02 – 60.0% (30-50) vs, DePaul (ND 102, DePaul 71)
65% on FGs…..was on 1/30/02 – 66.7% (34-51) vs. Pittsburgh (ND 89, Pittsburgh 76)*
90% on FTs…..was on 11/29/03 – 95.0% (19-20) vs. Mount St. Mary’s (ND 78, Mount St. Mary’s 64)*

Notre Dame…..
Won 10 games in a row…..was from 1/16/01 thru 2/24/31 – 11 straight
Won 15 games in a row…..was from 12/31/53 thru 3/9/53 – 18 straight
Won 20 games in a row…..never
Lost 5 games in a row…..was from 1/15/94 thru 1/24/94 – 6 straight
Scored 100 points…..was on 1/15/03 (ND 101 – Boston College 94)
– Scored 100 points on the road…..was on 1/15/03 (ND 101 – Boston College 94)
– Scored 100 points at a neutral site…..was on 3/12/78 (ND 100 – Houston 77) (NCAA First Round, Tulsa, OK)
– Scored 100 points and lost…..was on 3/20/71 (ND 106 – Houston 119) (NCAA Regional Semi-finals at Witchita,KS)
Allowed 100 points…..was on 2/9/02 vs. Georgetown (ND 116 – Georgetown 111)
Scored less than 50 points…..was on 11/21/97 vs. Marquette (ND 48 – Marquette 72)
Allowed less than 50 points…..was on 11/22/62 vs. Bucknell (ND 73 – Bucknell 42)*
Played an Overtime Game…..was on 2/1/03 vs. Georgetown (ND 93 – Georgetown 92)*
-Played in a Multi-Overtime Game…..was on 2/1/03 vs, Georgetown (ND 93 – Georgetown 92 – 2OT )*
Won on a “last second” shot…..was on 2/9/03 vs. Pittsburgh (ND 66 – Pittsburgh 64 – Torin Francis layup at 00:00)*
Had 5 double figure scorers…..was on 1/25/03 vs. Boston College (ND 101 – Boston College 96 – OT) -Torin Francis 15, Dan Miller 16, Chris Thomas 28, Chris Quinn 10, Matt Carroll 18
Had 6 double figure scorers…..was on 1/27/90 vs, Miami (Fla.) (ND 107 – Miami 60) – LaPhonso Ellis 10, Keith Robinson 12, Joe Fredrick 14, Elmer Bennett 11, Daimon Sweet, 11, Kevin Ellery 17
Had 7 double figure scorers…..never
Had two double-figure rebounders…..was on 11/18/02 vs. IUPUI (ND 85 – IUPUI 45)* – Dan Miller 11, Torin Francis 10
Had two players with double-doubles…..was on 12/2/02 vs. Marquette (ND 92 – Marquette 71)* – Chris Thomas (32 pts., 10 act.), Torin Francis ( 11 pts., 13 rebs.)
Had three players with double-doubles…..never
Had two 20-point scorers…..was on 2/22/03 vs. Arizona (ND 71 – Arizona 88) – Torin Francis 25, Chris Thomas 20 (NCAA Regional Semi-Final, Anaheim, CA)
Had three 20-point scorers….was on 3/27/03 vs. Virginia Tech (ND 98 – Virginia Tech 76) – Matt Carroll 25, Dan Miller 22, Chris Thomas 21
Made 10 three-point field goals…..was on 3/27/03 – 10-23 (43.5%) vs. Arizona (ND 71 – Arizona 88) (NCAA Regional Semi-Final, Anaheim, CA)
Commited 10 turnovers or less…..was on 11/24/03 – 8 turnovers vs. Northern Illinois ( ND 74 – Northern Illinois 65)*
Commited 25 turnovers…..was on 2/8/00 – 26 turnovers vs. Villanova (ND 69 – Villanova 86)
Forced 25 turnovers…..was on 11/16/01 – 30 turnovers vs. New Hampshire (ND 95 – New Hampshire 53)

An Irish player had…..
25 points…..was on 3/27/03 – Torin Francis (25) vs. Arizona (ND 71 – Arizona 88) (NCAA Regional Semi-Final, Anaheim, CA)
30 points…..was on 1/6/03 – Matt Carroll (31) vs. Pittsburgh (ND 55 – Pittsburgh 72)
35 points…..was on 2/1/03 – Matt Carroll (36) vs. Georgetown (ND 93 – Georgetown 92 – 2OT )*
40 points…..was on 11/28/93 – Monty Williams (42) vs. Valparaiso (ND 96 – Valparaiso 74)*
15 rebounds…..was on 11/26/02 – Torin Francis (15) vs. Albany (ND 90 – Albany 55)*
20 rebounds…..was on 11/22/02 – Torin Francis (20) vs. Bucknell (ND 73, Bucknell 42)*
a “double-double”…..was on 11/24/03 – Torin Francis (24 pts. 11 rebs) vs. Northern Illinois (ND 74 – Northern Illinois 63)*
a “triple-double”…..was on 11/16/01 – Chris Thomas (24 pts, 11 ast, 11 steals) vs. New Hampshire (ND 99 – New Hampshire 53)*
20 points and 10 rebounds…..was on 3/27/03 – Torin Francis (25 pts, 10 rebs) vs. Arizona (ND 71 – Arizona 88) (NCAA Regional Semi-Final, Anaheim, CA)
20 points and 20 rebounds…..was on 1/8/01 – Troy Murphy (25 pts, 20rebs) vs. Seton Hall (ND 76 – Seton Hall 78)
10 assists…..was on 2/18/03 – Chris Thomas (13) vs. West Virginia (ND 56, WVU 55)
10 blocks…..was on 11/17/02 – Jordan Cornette (11) vs. Belmont (ND 76, Belmont 48)*
10 steals…..was on 11/16/01 – Chris Thomas (11) vs. New Hampshire (ND 99, New Hampshire 53)*

An opposing player had…..
25 points…..was on 3/8/03 – Mike Sweetney (26), Georgetown (ND 86 – Georgetown 80)
30 points…..was on 1/25/03 – Troy Bell (31), Boston College (ND 101 – BC 96 OT)
35 points…..was on 2/1/03 – Mike Sweetney (38), Georgetown (ND 93 – Georgetown 2OT)
40 points…..was on 2/8/87 – Danny Manning (40), Kansas (ND 60 – Kansas 70)
15 rebounds…..was on 3/22/03 – Brian Cook (16), Illinois (ND 68 – Illinois 60)
20 rebounds…..never
a “double-double”…..was on 12/1/03 – Scott Merritt (18 pts, 12 rebs), Marquette (ND 58 – Marquette 71)
a “triple-double”…..never
20 points and 10 rebounds…..was on 3/4/03 – Carmelo Anthony (21 pts, 10rebs), Syracuse (ND 88, Syracuse 92)*
20 points and 20 rebounds…..never
10 assists…..was on 12/4/99 – James Strong (11), Vanderbilt (ND 85 – Vanderbilt 87)*
10 blocks…..was on 1/27/73 – Bill Walton (10), UCLA (ND 63 – UCLA 82)*
10 steals…..was on 1/29/89 – Mark Macon (11), Temple ( ND 64 – Temple 60)*

* indicates Notre Dame home game