March 17, 2013
ND NCAA Press Conference Transcript 
|
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame is headed to Dayton, Ohio, for a second-round 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships matchup Friday against Iowa State. THe game will tipoff at approximately 9:45 pm (ET) and will be televised on CBS.
The Irish (25-9) qualified for the NCAA event for the fourth straight season–the best streak for Notre Dame in that category since six straight in 1985-90. This marks the sixth time in the last seven years the Irish have earned an invitation to the NCAA Championships and the ninth time during the 13-year tenure of current Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey.
The Irish also have extended a school-record streak of seven straight 20-win seasons–and Notre Dame is a pair of NCAA wins away from tying the modern Irish record for victories in a season at 27 (from 2010).
Brey’s Irish are coming off their fourth straight appearance in the BIG EAST Championships semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York City–something no other BIG EAST school accomplished during that time frame. The 2013 event marked Notre Dame’s final appearance in that tournament, with the Irish moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference for 2013-14.
Notre Dame defeated #11 BIG EAST seed Rutgers Wednesday and #3 seed Marquette Thursday before falling Friday night in the semifinals to eventual repeat tournament champion Louisville.
The Irish own regular-season wins over 2013 NCAA participants Louisville (the overall #1 NCAA seed in 2013), Marquette (#3 seed), Pittsburgh (#8), Villanova (#9) and Cincinnati (#10) twice. Notre Dame’s 2012-13 schedule also included matchups against 2013 NCAA qualifiers Georgetown (#2 seed) and Syracuse (#4). The Irish are one of eight teams from the BIG EAST Conference to earn an NCAA invitation.
The Irish received a number-seven seed in the West Region, the second consecutive year Notre Dame has been assigned a seven seed.
The Notre Dame’s men’s basketball team takes on 10th-seeded Iowa State (22-11) Friday (March 22) in a second-round game in Dayton at the University of Dayton Arena (capacity 13,435), based on NCAA pairings released tonight. If Notre Dame advances, the Irish Sunday (March 24) would take on the Ohio State (#2 seed at 26-7)-Iona (#15 seed at 20-13) winner in a third-round matchup.
The other second-round games played in Dayton feed into the East Region: Top-seeded Indiana (27-6) against winner of a first-round game between Long Island University/Brooklyn (20-13) and James Madison (20-14), along with eighth-seeded North Carolina State (24-10) versus ninth-seeded Temple (23-9).
Notre Dame receives a very limited allotment of tickets for the NCAA men’s games in Dayton. There will be no public sale, however, a limited number of tickets will be available for purchase to current Notre Dame men’s basketball season-ticket holders and student Leprechaun Legion members. Available tickets for season-ticket holders will go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Monday (March 18) by calling 574-631-7356 or by visiting the Notre Dame ticket office located between Gates 8 and 10 of Purcell Pavilion. Student sale information will be emailed to eligible students Sunday night. Tickets to the Dayton games may be available through Ticketmaster.com at 800-745-3000.
The Irish previously have made eight NCAA appearances in the Brey era:
— In 2012, the seventh-seeded Irish lost a second-round contest 67-63 to #10 Xavier in Greensboro, N.C.
— In 2011, the second-seeded Irish defeated #15 Akron 69-56 in the second round, then dropped a third-round contest 71-57 to #10 seed Florida State in Chicago.
— In 2010, the sixth-seeded Irish dropped a first-round South Region game 51-50 to #11 seed Old Dominion in New Orleans.
— In 2008, the fifth-seeded Irish defeated #12 George Mason 68-50 in a first-round game in Denver, before losing a second-round contest 61-41 to #4 Washington State.
— In 2007, the sixth-seeded Irish dropped a first-round Midwest Region game in Spokane 74-64 to 11th-seeded Winthrop.
— In 2003, the fifth-seeded Irish defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee 70-69 in an NCAA first-round game and fourth-seeded Illinois 68-60 in a second-round matchup (both in Indianapolis) before falling 88-71 in a West Regional semifinal to top-seeded Arizona in Anaheim, Calif.
— In 2002, the eighth-seeded Irish men defeated Charlotte 82-63 in the first round in Greenville, S.C., before falling to top-seeded Duke 84-77 in the second round.
— In 2001, sixth-seeded Notre Dame defeated Xavier 83-71 in the first round in Kansas City, Mo., before dropping a second-round game 59-56 to third-seeded Ole Miss.
Notre Dame’s men will be making their 33rd NCAA appearance in school history (31-36 record). The Irish played in the NCAA Final Four 35 seasons ago in 1978 in St. Louis.
The Irish in 2013 mark their 14th straight postseason appearance (NIT in 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009). That’s the best streak in Notre Dame history in that category–topping the next-best run of nine straight from 1973 through 1981 (one NIT, then eight straight NCAAs).
Notre Dame has a 9-10 record at the University of Dayton Arena, including an 8-10 mark against Dayton in games there. The Irish are 11-11 overall in games played in Dayton, 10-11 against the Flyers. The Irish last played in Dayton on Jan. 17, 1995, in a 73-63 loss to Dayton. From 1985 through 1993, the Irish and Dayton played each other twice per season as part of their Great Independents alliance, with Marquette and DePaul joining that group for most of those years.
This marks the third year the Irish have played NCAA games in the state of Ohio:
— 1957 in Columbus (first round)–Notre Dame 89, Miami (Ohio) 77
— 1970 in Dayton (first round)–Notre Dame 112, Ohio University 82 (Austin Carr scored an NCAA record 61 points)
— 1970 in Columbus (regional)–Kentucky 109, Notre Dame 99 (semifinal); Iowa 121, Notre Dame 106 (consolation)
This will be Notre Dame’s second matchup against Iowa State. The fourth-rated Irish defeated the Cyclones 83-77 on Dec. 3, 1979, at the Joyce Center.
The NCAA began seeding teams in its 1979 tournament–and in those previous 17 years in which the Irish have participated, here’s how they’ve done at the various levels (12-17 overall, 6-8 under Mike Brey): 1979–2-1 as #1 ; 1980–0-1 as #4; 1981–1-1 as #2 ; 1985–1-1 as #7 ; 1986–0-1 as #3 ; 1987–1-1 as #5; 1988–0-1 as #10; 1989–1-1 as #9 ; 1990–0-1 as #10 ; 2001–1-1 as #6 ; 2002–1-1 as #8; 2003–2-1 as #5 ; 2007–0-1 as #6 ; 2008–1-1 as #5; 2010–0-1 as a #6; 2011–1-1 as #2; 2012–0-1 as #7.
Multiple appearances have featured three times each as a #5 (4-3) and a #6 (1-3), twice each as a #2 (2-2) and a #10 (0-2).