September 17, 1998
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 1997-98 University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team will play a minimum of 13 games against teams that advanced to national postseason play last year. The 1998-99 Irish basketball schedule was released today and the slate includes 18 BIG EAST Conference regular season games, eight non-conference contests and a trip to the Carrs Great Alaska Shootout over Thanksgiving weekend.
Notre Dame will open its season with a pair of exhibition games at the Joyce Center against One World Basketball on Monday, Nov. 2, and Team Fokus on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Irish then open the regular season at home on Friday, Nov. 13 against Miami of Ohio, a team that advanced to the championship game of the Mid-America Conference Tournament last season.
Head coach John MacLeod and his team will venture to Anchorage, Alaska for Thanksgiving as they take part in the Carrs Great Alaska Shootout. Notre Dame will play Duke in the first round of the event before an ESPN national television audience on Thursday, Nov. 26. Notre Dame will meet Alaska-Anchorage or Fresno State in the second round on Friday, Nov. 27 and will play Southern Utah, Cincinnati, Iowa State or St. Mary’s (CA) in the final round on Saturday, Nov. 28.
Notre Dame returns from Alaska and play in-state rival Indiana at the Joyce Center on Tuesday, Dec. 1. The Irish will open their fourth season of BIG EAST Conference play on Tuesday, Dec. 8, when it travels to Providence. The BIG EAST home opener will be Tuesday, Dec. 29, against Syracuse.
Notre Dame plays the following teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament last year: Duke, Cincinnati (possible opponent in Alaska), Indiana, Syracuse (twice), Miami (Fla.), Connecticut, West Virginia (twice) and St. John’s. Teams on Notre Dame’s schedule that appeared in the National Invitation Tournament last year are Vanderbilt, Fresno State (possible opponent in Alaska), Seton Hall (twice) and Georgetown.