March 25, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The honors continue for roll in for Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Mike Brey and senior guard Ben Hansbrough (Poplar Bluff, Mo.).
Brey picked up another national coach-of-the-year accolade as he was tabbed as Basketball Times’ Coach of the Year. Meanwhile, Hansbrough was named a second team All-American by Sporting News and a third team All-American by Basketball Times. In addition, he was chosen to CollegeInsider.com’s 22-person Lute Olson All-America Team.
For Brey, it marks his sixth different national coach-of-the-year accolade. Earlier this week, he was named the recipient of the Henry Iba Award presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the first-ever Notre Dame coach to receive this award. Earlier this month, he named national coach of the year by SI.com, CBS Sports.com, Yahoo Sports.com and FOXSports.com.
The 2011 BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the third time in five seasons, led the Irish to a 27-7 record this season and 14-4 ledger in BIG EAST play as Notre Dame finished second in the final BIG EAST regular-season standings and advanced to the semifinals of the BIG EAST Conference Championship for the second consecutive year and fourth time under the 11-year mentor.
Notre Dame’s 27 wins are the most in the modern era of Irish basketball and the second-most wins ever in program history. The 1908-09 squad finished with a 33-7 record. The 14 BIG EAST wins also tied a school record, matching the mark set by the 2007-08 squad. Brey guided Notre Dame to a No. 2 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, its highest ever in the seven appearances under him and the highest since 1981 when that squad also earned a No. 2 seed.
In Brey’s 11 seasons at Notre Dame, his Irish teams have compiled a 238-120 record for a 66.5 winning percentage, while his overall coaching ledger (including five seasons at Delaware), stands at 337-172 (.662). He squads have eight 20-win seasons, including five straight, and have won 10 or more BIG EAST regular-season games on seven occasions.
Notre Dame finished fifth in the final Associate Press ranking, it highest finish ever under Brey and first top-10 finish since 1981 when that Irish squad ended the year seventh in the AP poll.
Notre Dame, which won the 2010 Old Spice Classic in Orlando in November during the regular season, defeated a school-record seven ranked opponents during the regular and finished the 2010-11 campaign 8-3 against ranked foes.
Hansbrough, the ’11 BIG EAST Player of the Year, finished this season as Notre Dame’s leading scorer with an 18.4 scoring average. In addition to averaging 3.9 rebounds per game, he led the Irish in assists (145) and steals (41). A unanimous first team all-BIG EAST selection, Hansbrough was named a second team All-American honoree by USBWA, SI.com, CBS Sports.com, Yahoo Sports.com and FOXSports.com.
In BIG EAST play, he finished as the Conference’s third-leading scorer at 20.7 points per game and also grabbed 4.1 rebounds and dished off 4.3 assists in 18 league outings. On 20 occasions Hansbrough led the Irish in scoring, reaching double figures in all but two contests, topping the 30-point mark on two occasions and netting 20-plus point 14 times.
Sporting News’ First Team All-America selections were Kemba Walker (Connecticut), Nolan Smith (Duke), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) and JaJuan Johnson (Purdue). Joining Hansbrough on the second team were Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin), Marcus Morris (Kansas), Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State) and Derrick Williams (Arizona), while the third team was comprised of Jacob Pullen (Kansas State), Tu Holloway (Xavier), Charles Jenkins (Hofstra), Jordan Hamilton (Texas) and Kenneth Faried (Morehead State).
In addition to Hansbrough, also selected to the Lute Olson All-America were Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), Keith Benson (Oakland), Marshon Brooks (Providence), Alec Burks (Colorado), Norris Cole (Cleveland State), Faried, Fredette, Andrew Goudelock (College of Charleston), Hamilton, Justin Harper (Richmond), Holloway, Jenkins (Hofstra), Johnson, Leonard, Morris, Andrian Oliver (San Jose State), Smith, Kyle Singler (Duke), Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), Walker and Williams.