Notre Dame Looks To Extend Two-Game Winning Streak

Feb. 23, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame basketball team brings a two-game winning streak into tonight’s BIG EAST Conference game against Providence College. The Irish have defeated Connecticut (68-66 on Feb. 12) and Seton Hall (76-74 on Saturday) in the streak and enter tonight’s game with an overall record of 16-10 and 7-5 in the BIG EAST.

In the win over Seton Hall, sophomore forward David Graves (Lexington, Ky.) hit a jump shot with 0.3 seconds left to play to give the Irish the winning margin. Notre Dame led 71-62 with 3:55 left to play, but the Pirates made a late rally with two three-point field goals, a two pointer and two free throws to take a 72-71 lead with 1:53 left. Graves then hit a three-pointer with 1:34 left to give the Irish a 74-72 lead, but a Rimas Kaukenas layup tied the game at 74-74 with 37 seconds left. Notre Dame held for the last shot to set up Graves game-winning field goal.

The shot was the second buzzer-beater of the season for Graves as he hit a jumper on Nov. 16 against ’99 Final Four participant Ohio State in the first round of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament in Columbus to give the Irish a 59-57 win. Notre Dame went on to finish fourth in that event.

Graves wound up with 15 points in the win over Seton Hall as sophomore Troy Murphy (Morristown, N.J.) had a game-high 35 points with eight rebounds. Freshman center Ivan Kartelo (Split, Croatia) had a career-high eight rebounds.

Notre Dame has played a total of nine games against ranked teams this season and have posted a 5-4 record in those contests with wins over Connecticut (No. 2 and No. 13), Ohio State (No. 5), St. John’s (No. 23) and Seton Hall (No. 23).

The Irish also have lost a pair of overtime games – an 81-64 loss at Indiana on Nov. 30 (the Hoosiers went out to a 22-4 lead in that contest) and at home against Vanderbilt on Dec. 4 (87-85).

After tonight’s game, Notre Dame travels to Miami on Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. EST nationally-televised game on ESPN.

Providence enters the game with an overall mark of 9-16 and is 2-10 in the BIG EAST. The last action for the Friars came on Feb. 16 with a 47-45 win at Miami.

Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2000
Place: Joyce Center (11,418), Notre Dame, IN
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Television: None
Radio: Host Communications Inc. (Jack Lorri, Jack Nolan) originates the Notre Dame Radio Network (includes WNDV-1490 AM and WNDV-92.9 FM in South Bend, WEFM-95.9 FM in Michigan City and selected games on WMAQ-670 AM or WAUR-930 AM in Chicago)

THE NOTRE DAME-PROVIDENCE SERIES: Tonight’s game is the 12th meeting between Notre Dame and Providence and the Friars lead the series by a 7-5 count. Since Notre Dame joined the BIG EAST in 1995-96, Providence holds a 4-3 edge. In games played at the Joyce Center, the Notre Dame leads by a 3-2 count and is 2-1 in BIG EAST play.

The two teams played a pair of games last year with Notre Dame winning both of them – an 83-80 win at the Providence Civic Center in the BIG EAST opener on Dec. 8 and an 81-62 win at the Joyce Center on Jan. 30.

In the win at Providence, Murphy scored 30 points – tying the BIG EAST record for most points in a conference debut.

Series: PC, 7-5
Current Streak: ND, 2
In BIG EAST: PC, 4-3
At Notre Dame: ND, 3-2
At Providence: PC, 4-2
Last Meeting: 1998-99, at ND, 81-62, ND

QUICK HITS: Some quick notes about the Notre Dame basketball team –

Earlier this season (Dec. 18 through Jan. 12), the Irish strung together a seven-game winning streak for the first time since the 1986-87 season. Notre Dame won 11 games in a row that year – the final nine of the regular season and two in the NCAA tournament before losing to North Carolina in the regional semifinals.

The Irish reached the 13-victory plateau on Jan. 29, the quickest that has happened according to the calendar since the 1985-86 team also reached 13 wins on Jan. 29. The Irish team reached the 11-win point on Jan. 12 and the only other time in school history that happened quicker was when the 1908-09 Notre Dame team reached 11 wins on Dec. 31.

Notre Dame’s 16-10 record is the best mark for an Irish team 26 games into the season since the 1988-89 team had a 19-7 record. That team advanced to the NCAA tournament and lost to Georgetown in the second round.

Notre Dame’s 7-5 mark in BIG EAST play is the best Irish record 12 games into the conference season. Notre Dame started 6-6 in the BIG EAST last year. Notre Dame had never been two games above the .500 level in BIG EAST play until this year’s team began with a 2-0 record. Notre Dame’s best start in the BIG EAST after 13 games was 6-7 in each of the past three years.

WHAT A SCHEDULE: Matt Doherty is starting his collegiate head coaching career with a very rugged schedule as 13 of his first 26 games have been against teams that played in last year’s NCAA tournament.

The Irish have posted wins over:

• Ohio State, 59-57 on Nov. 16 in the first round of the Preseason NIT in Columbus. The Buckeyes finished last season with a 27-9 record and advanced to the NCAA Final Four.

• Siena, 107-96 on Nov. 18 in the second round of the Preseason NIT at Notre Dame. The Saints had a 25-6 record last year and played in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

• Valparaiso, 65-42 on Dec. 8 at Notre Dame. The Crusaders had a 23-9 record last year and played in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

• Connecticut, 75-70 on Jan. 5 at Hartford and 68-66 on Feb. 12 at Notre Dame. The Huskies went 34-2 last season and won the national championship.

• St. John’s, 73-60 on Jan. 29 at Notre Dame. The Red Storm went 28-9 and advanced to the NCAA regional semifinal last year.

Notre Dame’s losses include: Arizona (22-7 last year and played in first round of the NCAA tournament), Maryland (28-6 last year and advanced to NCAA regional semifinal), Indiana (23-11 last year and advanced to NCAA tournament second round last year), Miami of Ohio (24-8 last year and advanced to NCAA tournament regional semifinals), Syracuse (21-12 last year and played in first round of the NCAA tournament), Miami of Florida (23-7 last year and advanced to NCAA second round) and Villanova (21-11 last year and played in first round of the NCAA tournament).

Here’s a look at the records of the Irish non-conference opponents this season (as of Feb. 21):

TOTAL RECORD OF TEAMS TO WHICH NOTRE DAME HAS LOST: 88-35

THE RANKED WINS: Notre Dame’s wins over Ohio State (ranked fourth at the time in Associated Press poll and sixth in the ESPN/USA Today poll) in the first round of the Preseason NIT, Connecticut in the BIG EAST opener on Jan. 5 (ranked second in both polls) and Feb. 12 (ranked 13th at the time in Associated Press poll and 12th in ESPN/USA Today poll), St. John’s on Jan. 29 (ranked 23rd at the time in the Associated Press poll and 25th in the ESPN/USA Today poll) and Seton Hall on Feb. 19 (ranked 23rd at the time in the Associated Press poll and 25th in the ESPN/USA Today poll) marked a number of milestones for the Irish:

The wins gave Notre Dame five victories over ranked teams in the same season for the first time in regular season play since 1991-92 when the Irish beat No. No. 23/22 USC, No. 8/7 North Carolina, No. 10/10 Syracuse, No. 2/2 UCLA and No. 17/14 St. John’s. The school record for ranked wins is six in 1973-74 (includes NCAA) and the Irish have never won six games against ranked team in the regular season.

The Ohio State win and the first Connecticut victory gave Notre Dame victories over two top-five ranked teams in the same season since 1980-81 when the Irish beat No. 1/2 Virginia and No. 2/1 Kentucky.

The Ohio State win and the first Connecticut win gave Notre Dame victories over two top-five ranked teams on the opposing floor for the first time in school history.

The first Connecticut victory was the first win over a team ranked that high since defeating No. 2/2 UCLA on Feb. 22, 1992, at the Joyce Center by an 84-71 score.

The first Connecticut win was the first victory over a team ranked that high at an opposing site since defeating No. 2 UCLA on Dec. 9, 1978, by an 81-78 score. The Irish posted wins over No. 2 Kentucky and No. 1 Virginia during the 1980-81 season at neutral sites.

The Connecticut wins marked the eighth and ninth time in school history that Notre Dame had defeated the defending national champion. Those wins were Kentucky in 1949-50, North Carolina in 1957-58, UCLA in 1970-71, 1973-74 and 1975-76, Indiana in 1976-77 and Marquette in 1977-78. The wins marked the first time in school history, and the fifth time overall since 1992-93, that a school beat the defending national champion twice in the same season.

The Ohio State win was the first win over a ranked team since defeating No. 15/15 Syracuse on Jan. 21, 1998, by an 83-63 score.

The Ohio State win was the first win over a ranked team on the road since defeating No. 20/21 West Virginia on Jan. 15, 1998, by a 74-72 score.

The Ohio State win was the first win over a top-10 team since beating No. 4/T2 UCLA on Feb. 5, 1994, 79-63 score.

The Ohio State win was the first win over a top-10 team on the road since defeating No. 4/3 Syracuse on Feb. 17, 1990, by a 66-65 score.

The Ohio State win was the first Notre Dame road win over a Big Ten team since defeating Northwestern on Dec. 5, 1979, by a 73-56 score.

NATIONAL RANKED WINS: Notre Dame’s five ranked wins this season places them tied for second place nationally in victories over opponents ranked in the Associated Press poll at the time of the games.

The national leaders are:

IRISH SET RECORD FOR THREES: Notre Dame has connected for 195 three-point field goals this season, breaking the school record for most threes in a single season. The former record was 178 set by the 1993-94 Irish. This year’s team has also set the single-season record for most threes attempted with 523, while the former record was 472 in 1993-94.

Notre Dame hit on 14-of-23 three-point field goal attempts in its win over Pittsburgh on Jan. 22. The 14 three-pointers set a school single-game record topping the old mark of 13 set against Syracuse on Jan. 21, 1998, and Dayton on Jan. 9, 1993. Freshman Jere Macura (Split, Croatia) accounted for four of those threes along with junior guard Martin Ingelsby (Philadelphia, Penn.) (three), Murphy (two) and Graves (two).

IRISH AND BIG EAST ATTENDANCE: Notre Dame is currently averaging 8,645 fans per home game at the Joyce Center for the 1999-2000 season, which places the Irish tied for fourth among BIG EAST teams.

Notre Dame is also a draw on the road as it has accounted for the largest crowds of the year at Connecticut (16,294 along with six other games), Pittsburgh (6,798 along with one other game), Villanova (17,902) and Seton Hall (12,907). The Notre Dame vs. Syracuse game on Jan. 16 is currently the fifth-biggest crowd at a BIG EAST game this season at 22,500.

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Notre Dame was in the also receiving votes category of the Associated Press college basketball poll on Monday with three points. The Irish were in the also receiving votes category of the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today college basketball polls on Jan. 31 as it received two points in each poll.

Notre Dame received 18 points in the ESPN/USA Today poll on Nov. 21, to place sixth in the also receiving votes category, and received one point in the polls released on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5.

The Irish were second in the Associated Press ranking of Nov. 22 in the also receiving votes category with 160 points. Notre Dame also received four points in the AP voting of Dec. 6.

The last time Notre Dame appeared in the national poll rankings was a No. 19 spot in the first Associated Press poll of the 1989 season.

ONLY 42 POINTS: The 42 points that the Irish gave up in their 65-42 win over Valparaiso on Dec. 8 marked the least amount of points that Notre Dame has given up since Jan. 30, 1985, when Notre Dame also gave up 42 points in a 48-42 win over St. Louis at the Joyce Center. The last time Notre Dame gave up less than 42 points was Jan. 16, 1984, a 65-39 win over Rice at the Joyce Center.

PRESEASON NIT: Notre Dame’s trip to the Preseason NIT in ’99 marked the third appearance for the Irish in the event. In 1986, Notre Dame lost at home in the first round to Western Kentucky by an 80-63 score. In 1990, Notre Dame defeated Fordham (56-46) and Iowa (77-68) at home to advance to the finals in New York and lost to Arizona (91-61) in the semifinals and Duke (85-77) in the consolation game.

As an assistant at Kansas, Notre Dame head coach Matt Doherty participated in the event twice. The Jayhawks won both the 1993 and 1997 events.

HITTING THE CENTURY MARK: Notre Dame’s win over Siena on Nov. 18 in the second round of the Preseason NIT marked the first time Notre Dame scored over 100 points in a game since a 101-98 win at Syracuse on Feb. 15, 1992. The 107 points scored by the Irish were the most since they also scored 107 vs. Miami (Fla.) on Jan. 27, 1990. The 48-point differential for Notre Dame from Ohio State (59 points) to Siena was the most in back-to-back games since a 50-point differential in the ’74 NCAA tournament with a 77-68 loss to Michigan and a 118-88 win over Vanderbilt in a regional consolation game.

HEAD COACH MATT DOHERTY: Notre Dame head basketball coach Matt Doherty is in his first year in charge of the Fighting Irish program and his first season as a collegiate head coach.

Doherty previously served as an assistant coach at Kansas for seven seasons from 1992-99 as the Jayhawks advanced to the NCAA tournament in each year, including a trip to the 1993 Final Four.

Doherty previously served as an assistant coach at Davidson for three seasons from 1989-92.

Doherty is a 1984 graduate of North Carolina and helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1982 NCAA title. Doherty became just the second player in Atlantic Coast Conference history, joining North Carolina’s Walter Davis, to accumulate 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists in a career.

MURPHY 29TH IN CAREER SCORING: Murphy became the 40th player in Notre Dame history to score 1,000 points on Jan. 29 when the Irish defeated St. John’s. Murphy now has a career total of 1,129 points, which places him 29th in school history. Bill Paterno (1973-77) is in 28th with 1,134 while Ron Reed (1962-65) is in 27th with 1,153.

Murphy became the second-youngest player in Irish history to score 1,000 points at 19 years and 272 days old. Former Irish All-American Adrian Dantley (1973-76) was 18 years and 355 days old when he scored his 1,000th point. Murphy also joins Dantley as the only Irish sophomores with 1,000 points. Murphy scored his 1,000th point in his 48th career game – the fifth-fastest among Notre Dame’s 39 previous 1,000-point scorers. All-time leading scorer Austin Carr (1968-71) needed just 35 games, while Dantley needed 44. It took John Shumate (1972-74) and Bob Arnzen (1966-69) 46 games to score 1,000 points.

MURPHY GETS 16TH DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Murphy had his 16th double-double of the season on Feb. 12 vs. Connecticut with 18 points and 10 rebounds. His 16 double-doubles lead all players in the BIG EAST Conference. The 16 double-dobules is tied for fourth nationally (as of Feb. 20) in statistics researched by STATS, Inc. Murphy is tied with Chris Mihm of Texas while Darren Phillip of Fairfield is first with 20.

The sophomore forward has led the Irish in scoring in 22 of 26 games this season and has been the leading rebounder or tied on 22 occasions. He scored 35 points against St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 20 and vs. Seton Hall on Saturday night for his career high, topping his previous mark of 32 set against West Virginia last year.

Murphy has now played in 53 games as a collegiate performer and has scored in double figures in all but one of them. He has posted double-doubles in 28 games and has scored 20 or more points in 28 games and 30 or more points in 11 games.

This season, Murphy has scored in double figures in every game, scored 20 or more points in 17 games and 30 or more points in eight games.

MURPHY AND THE NATIONAL LEADERS: Murphy is among the national leaders in scoring and rebounding. As of February 23, Murphy was fifth in the country in scoring at 23.5 points per game, while Courtney Alexander of Fresno State was first at 25.2 points per game. In rebounding, Murphy was seventh at 10.7 per game while Darren Phillip of Fairfield is first at 13.7. Murphy is the only player in the country currently to be ranked among the top 10 scorers and rebounders.

MURPHY NAMED BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK- TIES RECORD: Murphy was named the BIG EAST co-player of the week on Monday for his performance in the Seton Hall game. Murphy has now won the award a total of six times this season, which ties the conference record for most player-of-the-week awards with Syracuse’s John Wallace in 1995-96.

Murphy won the award in four consecutive weeks earlier in the season (Dec. 20 through Jan. 10), which was one short of the conference record of four – also set by Wallace in 1995-96.

As of Feb. 16, Murphy is the leading scorer and leading rebounder in the BIG EAST in overall games and conference games.

Murphy was named the BIG EAST rookie of the year in 1999 and won the BIG EAST rookie of the week award eight times – the second-highest in league history.

MURPHY ON THE WEB: The Notre Dame athletic department official website (www.und.com) now has a special page profiling Murphy and the accomplishments of his career and season. The website is updated daily and can be found at www.und.com/troymurphy.

BIG EAST LEADERS: Here’s where Irish players and the team stand in the current BIG EAST statistics (as of Feb. 22).

In overall games, the Notre Dame team is fifth in scoring offense at 72.2 points, second in free throw percentage at .731, second in field goal percentage at .468, second in three-point field goal percentage at .373, second in assists per game at 18.04 and fifth in assist/turnover ratio at 1.02. In conference games, the team is fourth in free throw percentage at .738, fourth in field-goal percentage at .444, fourth in three-point field goal percentage at .361, second in assists per game at 16.58 and fourth in assist/turnover ratio at 1.03.

Murphy’s 35 points vs. St. Francis (Pa.) earlier this season and Seton Hall on Saturday is tied as the most points by a BIG EAST player in a single game this season along with Anthony Glover of St. John’s having 35 vs. Hofstra. Murphy’s 14 field goals made vs. St. Francis is second. His 15 free throws made vs. Siena tops the league as does his 18 attempts vs. the Saints. Dillon’s 12 assists vs. Siena is tied for second most by a league player this year. Murphy leads the league in overall double-doubles with 16.

In league play, Murphy’s 35 points vs. Seton Hall is the highest. Murphy’s 13 field goals vs. Seton Hall is also a high and his 18-rebound performance vs. St. John’s is tied for tops in the league.

PRESEASON BIG EAST HONORS FOR MURPHY: Murphy was picked first team preseason all-BIG EAST for the 1999-2000 season by the league coaches. The honor was announced at BIG EAST Media Day on Wed., October 25, 1999, and was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

Also named to the first team was: Khalid El-Amin of Connecticut, Johnny Hemsley of Miami, Erick Barkley of St. John’s and Etan Thomas of Syracuse.

The second team was Kevin Freeman of Connecticut, Isaac Hawkins of Pittsburgh, Bootsy Thornton of St. John’s, Jason Hart of Syracuse and Marcus Goree of West Virginia.

The preseason player of the year was El-Amin and the preseason rookie of the year was Ajou Deng of Connecticut.

MORE HONORS FOR MURPHY: In addition to the BIG EAST honors, Murphy garnered a number of preseason accolades heading into the 1999-2000 campaign and during the season, including:

• One of top 30 candidates for 2000 John R. Wooden Award
• Named to USA Today’s midseason All-America team
• Named to The Sporting News midseason All-America team
• Named by ESPN’s Dick Vitale to his midseason All-America team
• Second Team All-America, Dick Vitale’s College Basketball (preseason)
• Second Team All-America, Basketball News (preseason)
• Honorable Mention All-America, Athlon (preseason)
• Ranked second in country among centers, Dick Vitale’s College Bas- ketball (preseason)
• Ranked fourth in country among power forwards, Lindy’s (preseason)
• Ranked 11th in country among power forwards, The Sporting News
• First Team All-BIG EAST, Dick Vitale’s College Basketball (preseason)
• First Team All-BIG EAST, The Sporting News (preseason)
• First Team All-BIG EAST, Lindy’s (preseason)
• Best NBA Prospect in BIG EAST, Lindy’s (preseason)
• Best Rebounder in BIG EAST, The Sporting News (preseason)
• All-Windex Team (The kids can really clean the glass), Dick Vitale’s College Basketball (preseason)

MURPHY AND SINGLE-SEASON MARKS: Murphy leads the Irish with 30 blocked shots this season, which is tied as the seventh-highest single-season mark in school history. Phil Hickey also had 30 in 1988-99 while the leader is LaPhonso Ellis with 86 in 1991-92.

Murphy’s 179 free throws is the sixth-highest in school history (Adrian Dantley is the leader with 253 in 1974-75) and his 224 attempts are seventh (Dantley is the leader again with 314 in ’74-’75).

GRAVES IS SUPER SOPH: Sophomore forward David Graves has started 53 of the 56 collegiate games he has played in and has scored in double figures in 38 of those contests. He has scored in double figures in all but eight games this season.

Graves scored 370 points as a freshman last year – the fourth-highest in school history behind Murphy (519 last year), Adrian Dantley (511 in 1973-74) and David Rivers (474 in 1984-85). He now has 696 career points.

Graves tied for the Notre Dame scoring lead with 17 points against West Virginia (Feb. 2), marking the third time this season he either led or tied the Irish in scoring. The 17 points broke a four-game streak where Graves had not scored in double figures.

Graves has added the three-point field goal shot to his repertoire this year as he is 55-of-125 (44.0%) from that range this year to lead the Irish. Last year, Graves was 35-of-86 from behind the arc.

Graves’ 55 three-pointers made is the third-highest in school single-season history as Ryan Hoover made 80 in 1993-94 for the record. Graves’ 125 attempts is the seventh-highest, as Hoover again holds the record with 198 in ’95-’96.

Graves enjoyed an outstanding game against Vanderbilt on Dec. 4 with career highs for points (33), rebounds (12), field goals made (11), three-point field goals (five) and minutes played (44). The game was the first double-double of Graves’ collegiate career. Against Elon on Dec. 28, Graves also led the Irish in scoring as he registered 24 points and also added six rebounds.

Graves connected for his second game-winning buzzer-beating basket of the season on Saturday as he hit a jump shot with 0.3 seconds left in the game to lift Notre Dame to a 76-74 win over Seton Hall. Graves scored his first winning basket of the season against Ohio State.

CARROLL IS PRODUCTIVE FROSH: Freshman Matt Carroll (Horsham, Pa.) has scored in double figures in 12 games – 16 points vs. Siena, 11 vs. Maryland, 18 vs. Vanderbilt, 22 vs. VMI, 13 vs. Valparaiso, 10 vs. Elon, 10 vs. Connecticut, 15 vs. Boston College, 13 vs. Rutgers, 10 vs. St. John’s, 17 vs. West Virginia and 17 vs. Villanova.

In his BIG EAST debut against Connecticut on Jan. 5, Carroll went scoreless in the first half – missing his first six field goal attempts – but scored 10 points in the second half to help the Irish to the victory.

Carroll also enjoyed a hot second half against the Moutaineers as he scored just two points in the first half, but came back to score 15 points in the second half for 17 points. Carroll was five-for-seven from the field and four-for-five from three-point distance in the second half.

Carroll is 41-of-123 from three-point field goal range this season. His 41 threes stand sixth in Notre Dame single-season history while his 123 attempts is eighth.

Carroll registered a career-high 22 points against VMI on Dec. 18. Carroll was three-for-six from three-point field goal range and was seven-for-11 from the field. He also added five assists.

Carroll had come off the bench in the first six games of the season before being moved into the starting lineup against Vanderbilt on Dec. 11. In his first start, he had 18 points – then a career-high.

He spent the summer as a member of the USA Basketball Junior National Team that played in the FIBA World Championships, which were held in Portugal last August. The United States won the silver medal in the event. Carroll played in seven of the eight games the United States played and scored a combined 16 points to go along with three rebounds and four steals. He scored eight points in the United States’ opening round win over China.

Carroll is the only player in the history of Pennsylvania high school basketball to win the Associated Press player of the year twice.

SWANAGAN AND DOUBLE FIGURES: Swanagan has scored in double figures in five of the past 11 games for the Irish with 11 points vs. Boston College (Jan. 12), 12 points at Syracuse (Jan. 16), 10 points vs. Pittsburgh (Jan. 22), 12 points vs. West Virginia (Feb. 2) and 10 vs. Connecticut (Feb. 12). The 12-point performances stand as the fifth-best scoring game of his career. He scored 11 points and had 12 rebounds vs. Rider on Dec. 22 for his first double-double of the season and third of his career.

Swanagan scored in double figures for the first time this season when he had 10 points and added four rebounds against Valparaiso on Dec. 8. Swanagan has started 23 of 25 games for the Irish this year at the center position.

Swanagan played in 29 games last season, scoring in double figures in eight of them and starting two games.

DILLON DISHES OUT: Senior point guard Jimmy Dillon has started all 26 games for the Irish this season and has recorded a team-leading 155 assists to go with 81 turnovers. His 155 assists is the eighth-highest in school single-season history. Dillon’s 155-assist total is already his personal career-high for a season as he had 80 last year.

Entering the season, Dillon had started just two games in his career and had averaged 11.6 minutes per game – as opposed to 28.8 minutes per game this year. Dillon is the most experienced player on the Irish team this year in terms of career games with 110.

In the Jan. 25 game vs. Miami, Dillon had 10 points to register a career high. Against Connecticut on Jan. 5, Dillon scored nine points – to tie a career-high – and dished out seven assists. In the win over St. John’s, Dillon scored nine points and had a steal and a dunk for a three-point play late in the contest to seal the victory.

Dillon also had nine assists in Saturday’s win over Seton Hall for 19 assists in the past two games.

MACURA HITS THE THREE: Freshman forward Jere Macura came off the bench on Jan. 22 against Pittsburgh to score 12 points – on four three-point field goals – in 20 minutes of action. Macura also added four rebounds and two assists in the effort.

Macura started the first game of his collegiate career vs. VMI (Dec. 18) and had two points and three rebounds in 15 minutes of action. He also started the Jan. 25 game vs. Miami and scored three points with two rebounds.

Macura registered a career-high 13 points, including two three-point field goals, vs. Indiana (Nov. 30). Macura played a career-high 33 minutes off the bench and also added eight rebounds.

Macura scored five points in 10 minutes against Connecticut on Jan. 5. All five points – a field goal and a three-point field goal – were scored during a 13-2 Irish run during the second half that turned a 38-35 UConn lead into a 48-40 Notre Dame lead.

MONSEREZ AND CAREER HIGHS: Freshman guard Mike Monserez (Cincinnati, Ohio) posted his career high for points in three-straight games.

Monserez scored five points vs. Elon (Dec. 28), six points vs. St. Peter’s (Dec. 31) and nine vs. Loyola Marymount (Jan. 2). Monserez registered three three-point field goals vs. LMU and is 9-of-27 from that range this season.

Monserez came off the bench vs. St. John’s (Jan .29) and scored eight points, including two three-point field goals.

KARTELO GETS REBOUND HIGH: Kartelo registered a career-high eight rebounds vs. Seton Hall in the Irish win on Saturday.

Kartelo also scored 11 points off the bench in 22 minutes of action against St. Peter’s (Dec. 31). Kartelo played a career-high 26 minutes vs. Connecticut on Jan. 5 and scored two points with five rebounds. He started his first career game on Jan. 25 vs. Miami.

INGELSBY CHIPS IN: Junior guard Martin Ingelsby (Philadelphia, Pa.) started the first six games of the season at point guard and has come off the bench in the next 14. Although his minutes are down this year from previous seasons (he started 54 games in his first two seasons), his productivity remains high.

Ingelsby has hit key three-point field goals this year for the Irish and is 33-of-78 from that range. He was three-of-four against Pittsburgh on Jan. 22 and was two-of-three in the win over Connecticut on Jan. 5. In the win over West Virginia, Ingelsby had eight points and was two-of-five from three point range.

On Feb. 12 vs. Connecticut, Ingelsby played just five minutes, but hit a key three-point field goal with 7:17 left to extend the Irish lead to six, 58-52.

When he was in the starting lineup, Ingelsby hit four-of-seven three pointers against Ohio State in the first round of the Preseason NIT, including two key ones down the final stretch, in the Irish win and he hit three against Siena two days later in the second round of the NIT.

IRISH SIGN THREE: University of Notre Dame basketball coach Matt Doherty announced on Nov. 12 that three players have signed national letters of intent and plan on enrolling at Notre Dame in the fall and playing for Doherty’s squad. The three are: Torrian Jones, a 6-4, 185-pound guard from Fairless Hills, Pa., and Pennsbury High School, Tom Timmermans, a 6-11, 235-pound center from Driehuis, Netherlands and the Blue Ridge School in Dyke, Va., and Chris Markwood, a 6-5, 185-pound guard from South Portland, Maine and South Portland High School.

Jones averaged 17 points per game last year at Pennsbury for head coach Frank Sciolla as the team won 26 games – the most in school history. The team played in the District One championship game and lost in the second round of the state tournament. Jones earned first team all-conference and all-area honors and averaged 22 points per game in seven post season contests. In his junior year, Jones shot 50.2% from the field and 43.8% from three-point field goal distance.

Markwood earned first-team all-state honors last season at South Portland, averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds and four assists for head coach Tony DiBiase. Markwood earned first team all-conference honors last year and was named conference MVP. His AAU team in Maine has been the state champions for the past three years.

Timmermans averaged 12.5 points per game last year at Blue Ridge for head coach Bill Ramsey along with 10 rebounds. The team finished 19-6 on the season – third in the state among independent schools.

IRISH ON THE RADIO
Host/USA originates the Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network for the 12th consecutive year in 1999-2000.

Jack Lorri will handle the play-by-play of all Notre Dame basketball games and this season marks his 31st year announcing Irish games. Lorri spent his first 14 years with Notre Dame as sports director of WTRC-AM in Elkhart, Ind., and then five years doing games on WGN-AM in Chicago before teaming up with Host/USA. He served as sports director for WSJV-TV in Elkhart for 13 years beginning in 1967 and did play-by-play for Kentucky football and basketball on WLAP in Lexington in 1961-63. Lorri also served as sports director of the Tribune Radio Network in Chicago.

Jack Nolan handles the color commentary on the network. He has been a sports anchor at WNDU-TV, the NBC affiliate in South Bend, for more than a decade. He has done play-by-play of Irish basketball on both television and radio as well as on live telecasts of Notre Dame football. He is also the host of WNDU’s highly successful Saturday and Sunday morning news broadcasts.

Stations on the Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network this season are: WMAQ 670 AM in Chicago, WAUR 930 AM in Chicago, WNDV 1490 AM and 92.9 FM in South Bend, WEFM 95.9 FM in Michigan City, Ind., WLUV 96.7 FM and 1520 AM in Rockford, Ill., KHEP 1280 AM in Phoenix, Ariz., KATD 990 AM in San Francisco, Calif., KSAR 92.7 FM in Conway, Ark., and KIND 1010 AM in Independence, Kan.

All radio broadcasts of Notre Dame basketball games can also be heard through the World Wide Web at www.und.com.

CHICAGO RADIO
WMAQ-AM radio will carry Notre Dame basketball games in the Chicago market again this season as part of the Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network originated by Host/USA. In addition, Chicago’s WAUR-AM will also broadcast selected Irish games.

WMAQ-AM (670), with its 50,000-watt clear channel signal, covers a larger geographic area than any other radio station in Chicago. The station’s other sports properties include the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Blackhawks and the station is also affiliated with CNN Radio.

Notre Dame basketball games on WMAQ this season include: Dec. 4 against Vanderbilt, Dec. 11 at Miami (Ohio), Dec. 18 vs. VMI, Jan. 16 at Syracuse, Jan. 22 vs. Pittsburgh, Jan. 25 vs. Miami (Fla.), Jan. 29 vs. St. John’s, Feb. 6 at Pittsburgh, Feb. 8 at Villanova, Feb. 12 vs. Connecticut, Feb. 19 at Seton Hall, Feb. 26 at Miami (Fla.) and March 4 at Georgetown.

Six more Irish games will be carried in the Chicago area on WAUR-AM (930). They include: Nov. 16 at Ohio State, Nov. 30 at Indiana, Dec. 8 vs. Valparaiso, Jan. 5 at Connecticut, Feb. 23 vs. Providence and March 1 vs. Syracuse.

TICKETS ON SALE
A limited number of upper bleacher tickets are still available for the remaining Notre Dame home game this season at the Joyce Center: Wed., March 1, Syracuse, 9:00 p.m.

Tickets in the upper bleachers are priced at $8 each and can be purchased in person at the Joyce Center box office or by calling 219-631-7356 and using a Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit card. A $5 fee is accessed to each order.

BACK TO THE FUTURE
Ever since Matt Doherty was named the coach at Notre Dame, he has stressed the tradition of winning that the program has. He has worked hard to include former players in the program:

Bruce Flowers, a member of the ’78 Irish Final Four team, served as a counselor at the Irish summer basketball camp, while Ken Barlow, who scored 1,342 career points for the Irish from 1982-86, was a guest speaker.

Flowers returned to the Joyce Center on Jan. 22 for the game against Pittsburgh and was introduced to the audience.

Collis Jones, who scored 1,367 career points for the Irish from 1968-71, has visited with the Irish coaching staff and practice sessions during his trips to campus as a member of the University’s Advisory Council for the College of Business Administration.

Austin Carr, the all-time leading scorer in the history of Irish basketball with 2,560 points, was a special guest at ?Friday Night Live,? a series of events that led to the first Irish practice at midnight on Oct. 16. Carr was joined at the event by ESPN and ABC announcer Dick Vitale and fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.

Dwight Clay, who hit the game-winning shot against UCLA on Jan. 19, 1974, for a 71-70 victory over the Bruins to end their record 88-game winning streak, spoke to the Irish before their practice on Nov. 15 – the day before they beat Ohio State in the first round of the Preseason NIT.

Kelly Tripucka, the sixth-leading scorer in school history with 1,719 points from 1977-81, attended the Notre Dame games at the finals of the Preseason NIT and the contest at Rutgers.

Gary Novak, who scored 1,103 points for the Irish from 1971-74 and was a two-time captain, attended the St. John’s game Jan. 29 and was introduced to the audience.

IRISH ON ESPN
Notre Dame will make four appearances on ESPN this season and one on espn2. The Irish game against Ohio State in the first round of the preseason National Invitation Tournament was televised on espn2 and the semifinal game against Arizona was on ESPN.

Notre Dame games scheduled for ESPN are: Sat., February 19, at Seton Hall, 9:00 p.m. EST, Sat., February 26, at Miami (Fla.), 7:00 p.m. EST, Wed., March 1, vs. Syracuse, 9:00 p.m. EST.

PLAYER UPDATES

13 Matt Carroll
Guard, Freshman, 6-6, 200, Horsham, PA (Hatboro-Horsham)

Has started the past 20 games for the Irish and has scored in double figures in 12 games this season, including 10 as a starter and in six BIG EAST games…his 41 three-point field goals are the sixth-highest in school single-season history while his 123 attempts are eighth…in the latest BIG EAST statistics (as of Feb. 21) is 14th in overall games in three-point field goal percentage at .333…scored a career-high 22 points vs. VMI (Dec. 18), including three three-point field goals…led Notre Dame in scoring with 17 points vs. Villanova (Feb. 8) and tied a career-high with five rebounds…tied for the Irish scoring lead with 17 points in win over West Virginia (Feb. 2), 15 in the second half…after going scoreless in the first half, scored 10 points in second half in win over Connecticut (Jan. 5)…had a career-high seven assists vs. Rider (Dec. 22)…also scored 13 points vs. Valparaiso (Dec. 9) and a then career-high 18 points against Vanderbilt (Dec. 4), including two three-point field goals…came off the bench in the first six games of the season to see action..scored 16 points vs. Siena (Nov. 18), including a two-for-two performance from three-point field goal range…scored 11 points, including three three-point field goals vs. Maryland (Nov. 26)…had a career-high five rebounds vs. Indiana (Nov. 30)…the only player in the history of Pennsylvania high school basketball to be named state player of the year twice…a member of the USA Junior National Team last summer, which won the silver medal at the FIBA World Championship.

21 Jimmy Dillon
Guard, Senior, 6-2, 178, Philadelphia, PA (Holy Ghost Prep)

Has started all 26 games this season at point guard…his 155 assists are more than his season high of 80 last year…the 155 assists are the eighth-highest in school history…had 10 assists vs. Connecticut (Feb. 12), the second game this year he has been in double-figure assists…scored nine points with five assists in win over St. John’s (Jan. 29), including a steal and three-point play on a dunk with 2:19 left to give Irish lead for good…scored a career-high 10 points vs. Miami (Jan. 25)…registered nine assists in win over Seton Hall on Saturday and now has 19 assists in the past two games…had seven assists to one turnover vs. Syracuse (Jan. 17)…tied a career-high with nine points vs. Connecticut (Jan. 5)…his six rebounds vs. Boston College (Jan. 12) were a career high…in the latest BIG EAST statistics (as of Feb. 21), is third in assists at 5.96 per game, fourth in assists/turnover ratio and seventh in steals at 1.92…in conference games, is tied for third in assist/turnover ratio and tied for third in assists at 6.00…had seven assists with just one turnover vs. Elon (Dec. 28) and seven assists with just two turnovers vs. St. Peter’s (Dec. 31)…hit a layup with two seconds left vs. Indiana (Nov. 30) to send game into overtime…hit a three-point field goal with 42 seconds left in regulation as he scored final five points of regulation…scored a season-high seven points vs. Hoosiers…dished out a career-high 12 assists in win over Siena (Nov. 18)…had nine assists and just one turnover vs. Maryland (Nov. 26)…had eight assists vs. Vanderbilt (Dec. 4) and Valparaiso (Dec. 9).

34 David Graves
Forward, Sophomore, 6-6, 208, Lexington, KY (Lexington Catholic)

Has started 25 of 26 games for the Irish this year, scoring in double figures in 18…has hit two-game winning buzzer-beater shots this season…hit a jump shot with 0.3 seconds left on Saturday to lift Irish to 76-74 win over Seton Hall…scored 15 points in that game….hit game-winning jump shot at buzzer at Ohio State (Nov. 16) in season-opener…scored 18 points vs. the Buckeyes….tied for the Irish scoring lead in win over West Virginia (Feb. 2) with 17 points…in the latest BIG EAST statistics (as of Feb. 21), is third in three-point field goal percentage, eighth in three-point field goals made per game and tied for 12th in steals with 1.69…in conference games is eighth in three-point field goal percentage, tied for 15th in steals and tied for 10th in three-point field goals made per game…his 55 three-point field goals this season is the third-highest in school single-season history while his 125 attempts is the seventh-highest…had 33 points and 12 rebounds vs. Vanderbilt (Dec. 4) – posting career highs in both categories…also had four assists and five three-point field goals vs. the Commodores…was 11 for 15 from the field and six for eight from the free-throw line…recorded a game-high 24 points vs. Elon (Dec. 28)…had 17 points vs. Connecticut (Feb. 12), scored 17 vs. Arizona (Nov. 24) in semifinals of Preseason NIT and scored 17 vs. VMI (Dec. 18)…has now played 56 collegiate games, scoring in double figures in 38 of them…the Vandy game was the first double-double of his career…scored 370 points as a freshman last year, the fourth-highest in school history behind Troy Murphy, Adrian Dantley and David Rivers…has 696 career points.

24 Martin Ingelsby
Guard, Junior, 6-0, 192, Philadelphia, PA (Archbishop Carroll)

Started the first six games of the season as a combination guard working with Jimmy Dillon…scored eight points off the bench in win over West Virginia (Feb. 2) with two three-point field goals…had 11 points, including three three-point field goals, in win over Pittsburgh (Jan. 22)….had a season-high five assists vs. the Panthers…scored seven points off bench in win over Connecticut (Jan. 5) and hit two three-point field goals…scored 14 points in win over Ohio State (Nov. 16) and hit two key three-point field goals with 2:25 left to cut the OSU lead to one and at 1:30 to give the Irish a two-point lead…scored a season-high 15 points vs. Siena (Nov. 18)….had three three-point field goals in 11 point effort vs. Maryland…added 10 points vs. St. Peter’s (Dec. 31)…has 552 career points and 321 career assists.

11 Ivan Kartelo
Center, Freshman, 6-11, 247, Split, Croatia (Winchendon, MA School)

Started his first collegiate game on Jan. 25 vs. Miami after coming off the bench in first 19 games this season…hit one of two free throws with 1:00 left to go vs. Connecticut (Feb. 12) to give Irish the lead for good…also had a blocked shot at the end of the game…also had a then career-high six rebounds vs. the Huskies…registered a career-high eight rebounds vs. Seton Hall on Saturday…had a career-high 11 points vs. St. Peter’s (Dec. 31) for his first double-figure scoring game of his career…also had a career-high three assists vs. the Peacocks…played a career-high 26 minutes in win over Connecticut (Jan. 5) with two points and five rebounds to tie a career high…scored his first collegiate points with four point effort vs. Arizona (Nov. 24)…after playing three mintues in the first three games of the year, played 15 minutes vs. Arizona, 11 vs. Maryland and 12 vs. Indiana…injured his leg in the first exhibition game of the season, which slowed his progress…Croatian product who spent the 1998-99 academic year at the Winchendon School, a prep school in Massachusetts…was the first player to commit to the Notre Dame program after Matt Doherty had been named head coach.

15 Jere Macura
Forward, Freshman, 6-9, 218, Split, Croatia

Made his first collegiate start vs. VMI (Dec. 18) and scored two points in 15 minutes of action…also started vs. Miami (Jan. 25) and has come off the bench in every other game…scored 12 points on four three-point field goals vs. Pittsburgh (Jan. 22) and added four rebounds and two assists….had a career-high 13 points, including two three-point field goals, and eight rebounds vs. Indiana (Nov. 30)…played a career-high 33 minutes vs. the Hoosiers…scored nine points with a three-for-four effort from three-point range vs. Maryland (Nov. 26)…had nine points vs. Villanova (Feb. 8) and scored eight points vs. Elon (Dec. 28) and St. Peter’s (Dec. 31)…also had seven points against Siena (Nov. 18) with seven rebounds…scored five points in 10 minutes in win over Connecticut (Jan. 5) – scoring all five in key 13-2 Irish run midway through second half…also tied a career high with two assists vs. Huskies….Croatian native that the Irish coaching staff recruited off film and did not actually meet him until he arrived on the Notre Dame campus in August.

22 Mike Monserez
Guard, Freshman, 6-6, 192, Cincinnati, OH (Moeller)

Has come off the bench in all 26 games…had a career-high four rebounds in win over Seton Hall on Saturday…dished off a career-high six assists in 18 minutes of action against Pittsburgh (Feb. 6)…had eight points, including two three-point field goals, vs. St. John’s (Jan. 29)…scored six points – on two three-point field goals – vs. Boston College (Jan. 12), hitting both in the first 5:30 of the game…also had six points in win vs. Connecticut (Feb. 12)..had a career-high four assists vs. West Virginia (Feb 2)…posted a career-high in three-straight games with nine points vs. Loyola Marymount (Jan. 31), six vs. St. Peter’s (Dec. 31) and five vs. Elon (Dec. 28)…had his first collegiate field goal with a three-pointer against Siena (Nov. 18)…led Moeller High School to the Ohio class AAA championship last year and was named tournament MVP.

3 Troy Murphy
Forward, Sophomore, 6-10, 237, Morristown, NJ (Delbarton)

Enters tonight’s game with 1,129 points, the 29th-highest in school history…scored his 1,000th career point in win vs. St. John’s (Jan. 29) when he had 30 points and career-high 18 rebounds…became the second-youngest player in terms of age to reach 1,000 points at Notre Dame and fifth-fastest in terms of games at 48…one of 30 top candidates for the John R. Wooden Award…was named to mid-season All-American teams by USA Today, The Sporting News and Dick Vitale…was named the BIG EAST player-of-the-week on Saturday for his performance against Seton Hall…tied a career-high 35 points against Seton Hall on Saturday…has been named the BIG EAST player-of-the-week six times this season – tying the league record set by John Wallace of Syacuse in 1995-96…earlier in the year won the award four times in a row (Dec. 20-Jan. 10) – one short of the conference record (five by Wallace in 1995-96)…also won the award on Nov. 22…in NCAA statistics as of Feb. 23, is the fifth-leading scorer in the country at 23.5 points per game and is seventh in rebounding at 10.7…in the latest BIG EAST statistics (as of Feb. 21), leads the league in scoring and rebounding for both overall and league games…also in overall games is fourth in field goal percentage, sixth in free throw percentage, 10th in blocked shots, 15th in offensive rebounding and first in defensive rebounding…in conference games, is ninth in field goal percentage, seventh in free throw percentage, tied for 12th in blocked shots, 10th in offensive rebounds and first in defensive rebounding…his 30 blocks this season are tied for seventh in single-season school history, his 179 free throws made are sixth and his 224 attempts is seventh…has scored in double figures in all 25 games this season and has 16 double-doubles, most in the BIG EAST…has scored 20 or more points in 17 games and 30 or more in eight, including six of the past 15…has now played in 53 collegiate basketball games, scoring in double figures in all but one and posting 28 double-doubles…has scored 20 or more points 28 different times and 30 or more points 11 times…scored a career-high 35 points vs. St. Francis (Pa.) this season (Nov. 21) and had a career-high five assists vs. Loyola Marymount (Jan. 2)…was named to the Preseason NIT all-tournament team after averaging 24.8 points per game in four games in the event…was named preseason first team all-BIG EAST by the conference coaches and a second-team preseason All-America pick by the Basketball News and Dick Vitale’s College Basketball Yearbook … the 1999 BIG EAST rookie of the year, who set the Notre Dame school record for freshman scoring with 519 points…one of three Irish captains along with Skylard Owens and Todd Palmer.

43 Skylard Owens
Forward, Senior, 6-4, 220, Shreveport, LA (Loyola College Prep)

One of three captains along with Troy Murphy and Todd Palmer…had been sidelined this season with a toe injury, a hip flexer and the flu…played two minutes and had three rebounds and a steal against Syracuse (Jan. 16)…scored two points in one minute against Arizona (Nov. 24)…played eight minutes vs. Vanderbilt (Dec. 4) and had two rebounds….played three minutes vs. Villanova on Tuesday.

44 Todd Palmer
Forward, Senior, 6-6, 216, Harrington Park, NJ (Don Bosco Prep)

One of three captains along with Skylard Owens and Troy Murphy…had six points in win over St. Francis (Pa.) (Nov. 20)…also had three rebounds…came off the bench to score four points against Siena (Nov. 18) along with two rebounds and a career-high three assists…had four points in three minutes of action vs. Valparaiso (Dec. 8) and four points in 11 minutes vs. St. Peter’s (Dec. 31).

42 Harold Swanagan
Center, Sophomore, 6-7, 252, Hopkinsville, KY (University Heights Academy)

Had started the first nine games of the season at center and was moved back into the starting lineup vs. Rider (Dec. 22) and responded with his first double-double of the season and third of his career with 11 points and 12 rebounds…has now scored in double figures in five of the past 11 games…had 11 points vs. Boston College (Jan. 12)…had season-high 12 points to go along with four rebounds against Syracuse (Jan. 16) and had 10 points vs. Pittsburgh (Jan. 22) and vs. Connecticut (Feb 12)…scored 12 points vs. West Virginia (Feb. 2)…had a then season-high 10 points vs. Valparaiso (Dec. 8) and added four rebounds…scored nine points to go along with six rebounds and four assists (to tie career high) vs. Siena (Nov. 18)…set key screen in David Graves’ game-winning shot vs. Ohio State (Nov. 16).