Jan. 21, 2005
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Date: Sunday, January 23, 2005
Place: MCI Center (20,600)
Time: 12:00 p.m. (EST)
TV: ESPN Regional — Don Criqui (play-by-play analyst) and Bob Wenzel (color analyst)
Radio: Notre Dame Sports Properties (Jack Lorri, Jack Nolan) originates the Notre Dame Radio Network which includes: WZOW 97.7 FM and 102.3 FM (South Bend, Ind./Michiana Region); ESPN 1000 AM (Chicagoland area); ESPN 950 AM (Indianapolis, Ind.); WGL 1250 (Fort Wayne, Ind. and Northeast Indiana); WEFM 95.9 (Michigan City and Gary, Ind.), WLUV 96.7 FM and 1520 AM (Rockford and DeKalb, Ill. and Beloit and Janesville, Wis.); ESPN 1480 AM-WRSW (Warsaw, Ind.) and WAMW 107.9 FM and 1580 AM in Washington, Ind.). Radio broadcasts also can be heard through the World Wide Web at www.und.com. and SIRIUS Satellite Radio.
Real-Time Stats: Live in-game statistics are available for all home games, via the Notre Dame athletic website (www.und.com).
Sunday’s Game:
Notre Dame (12-3, 4-1) plays its second of three consecutive road games in Sunday’s matchup against Georgetown (11-5, 3-2) … This will be Notre Dame’s first appearance at the MCI Center in nearly two years … Irish teams own a 6-1 record all-time and are undefeated (6-0) at the MCI Center during Mike Brey’s four-plus seasons … Notre Dame will be playing its fifth game of the year away from the friendly confines of the Joyce Center … The Irish improved their road record to 3-1 on the season with its 70-57 win at West Virginia on Wednesday night … Since a one-point loss (61-60) to Michigan on December 4, Notre Dame has won three consecutive road outings … The most consecutive wins for an Irish team on the road in the Brey era was during the 2000-01 season when that Notre Dame road team won five straight road outings … Wednesday’s night’s game at West Virginia began a stretch for the Irish in which they would play seven of their next 10 games on the road after beginning the season by playing 11 of their first 14 at the Joyce Center … The Irish head into the contest having won eight of their last nine games … Notre Dame’s 4-1 start in BIG EAST play is the second best in school history … The 2002-03 began 6-1 before finishing the conference regular season with a 10-6 mark.
Celebrating 100 Seasons:
The 2004-05 season marks the 100th season for the Notre Dame men’s basketball program … A special logo has been designed and there will be events throughout the season commemorating the occasion … Notre Dame is one of 13 Division I schools celebrating its 100th season of basketball this year … The others include: Dayton, Delaware, Duke, Georgia, Howard, Illinois, Miami (Ohio), Northwestern, Oregon, Virginia, William and Mary and Wyoming.
Notre Dame played its first varsity game on January 29, 1898 (a 64-8 loss to First Regiment) … The Irish played two other games that season and finished with a 1-2 record … The following year, they played two games in 1899 and then did not field a team again until the 1907-08 campaign.
Irish Find Success At The MCI Center:
Notre Dame is 6-1 all-time in games played at the MCI Center …. During the 2002-03 campaign, the Irish were 3-0 in the MCI Center with victories over 2001 national champion Maryland (79-67) and Texas (98-92) to win the 2002 BB&T Classic in early December and then ended regular season with an 86-80 win over Georgetown …. Since dropping a 76-56 decision the first time a Notre Dame squad took the floor of the MCI Center against Georgetown on February 7, 1998, Irish teams have won six straight with four wins coming against the Hoyas … As Notre Dame’s head coach, Mike Brey is 5-0 all-time in the MCI Center (3-0 versus the Hoyas) … Certainly one of the most memorable was the epic four-overtime contest as the Irish prevailed 60 minutes later with a 116-111 victory … Chris Thomas played the entire game in what ranks as the longest game in BIG EAST history.
Starting The Season Ranked:
For the second consecutive year and 24th time in the program’s history, Notre Dame began the season ranked — 20th in the Associated Press and 21st in the ESPN/USA Today preseason rankings … This marks the third time a Notre Dame team under head coach Mike Brey has been ranked … His first Irish team, the 2000-01 squad, started the year tied for 15th in the AP Poll and were 17th in the ESPN/USA Today ranking … Last season’s 2003-04 squad was 21st and tied for 19th, respectively in the two polls at the start of the year … Notre Dame has been out of the polls for the last seven weeks after climbing to 20th in the AP and 19th in the ESPN/USA Today rankings.
Thomas Reaches 2,000-Point Milestone:
With his 16-point performance against West Virginia, Chris Thomas become the sixth player in Notre Dame history to score 2,000 points … Thomas has 2,001 career points in 114 career outings, good for sixth on the career scoring list … He ranks behind Austin Carr (2,560), Adrian Dantley (2,223), Pat Garrity (2,085), David Rivers (2,058) and Troy Murphy (2,011).
Thomas In The Record Books
Chris Thomas has made a record 114 consecutive starts and has not missed a game during his Irish career … When he sat out the first eight minutes of the second half against St. John’s on Saturday with a concussion sustained in the first half, it marked the first time in his career that he missed any part of a game due to injury … The consecutive games started mark was formerly held by Pat Garrity (1994-98) who started all 111 contests of his career … Thomas also holds career record for assists (730) and steals (219).
The Captains:
For the second time in school history and for the second consecutive year, Notre Dame has four captains … Seniors Chris Thomas and Jordan Cornette are captains again along with juniors Torin Francis and Chris Quinn.
Road Warriors:
In Mike Brey’s four-plus seasons, his Irish teams have compiled a road record of 42-27 (.603) … That includes a 27-19 (.587) in true road games and a 15-8 (.652) in neutral site contests.
On This Date:
Notre Dame owns an 18-6 record (.750) when playing on January 23.
Scouting the Irish:
Notre Dame has won eight of its last nine games and are 3-1 in road games this season … The three losses that the Irish have suffered have been by a combined total of 21 points … Notre Dame in the midst of three-game road stretch … The Irish play six of the next nine games on the road before ending the regular season with three straight home games … Two of Notre Dame’s last five games (and three games overall this season) have been decided by one point … On defense, the Irish are allowing 59.5 points per game and have held four of its opponents to 45 points and under … Only four opponents — DePaul (84), Marist (73), Villanova (72) and Syracuse (70) — have scored more than 70 points this season … Three players are averaging double figures — Chris Thomas (14.5), Chris Quinn (12.3), Colin Falls (12.3) … Torin Francis is averaging 8.0 ppg. and leads the team with 7.7 rebounds per game … Thomas also leads the team in both assists (6.5) and steals (2.5), while Jordan Cornette is the team leader in blocks (32) and second in steals (27) … Free throw shooting has been critical to the Irish in their recent wins … Overall, the Irish are shooting 75.2 percent (185-246) from the charity stripe and are 73-85 (.859) in their five BIG EAST games.
Irish In The National Statistics:
Chris Thomas stands 13th in assists (6.7 aspg.), while the Irish defense ranks 22nd nationally (59.2 ppg.).
Series Record vs.Georgetown:
Notre Dame leads the series 9-8 and owns a four-game win streak over the Hoyas … Irish teams also have won seven of the last 10 meetings … The two teams played just once last year during the regular season as the Irish earned a 61-48 victory … The 48 points were the fewest allowed by a Notre Dame team in a BIG EAST game … Notre Dame has won four straight over the Hoyas at the MCI Center … In the 14 meetings between the two teams in conference play, the series is tied at 7-7.
The Irish All-Time:
In 99-plus seasons, Irish teams have posted a 1560-854 mark (.646). Thomas, Francis On Wooden And Naismith Honor Rolls:
For the second consecutive year, Chris Thomas and Torin Francis are among 50 candidates for both the John R. Wooden All-America Team and Naismith Trophy award … The Irish duo are among seven BIG EAST players named to the Wooden All-America Team, which also included five other conference players — Ryan Gomes (Providence), Carl Krauser (Pittsburgh), Gerry McNamara (Syracuse), Craig Smith (Boston College) and Hakim Warrick (Syracuse) … All but Smith was named one of the 50 finalists for the the Naismith trophy.
Thomas Nominated For Senior Class Award:
Chris Thomas is one of 30 candidates for the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award … The award is presented annually to the nation’s senior player-of-the-year for NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball … Irish women’s basketball player Jacqueline Batteast is also one of 30 finalists on the women’s side.
Home Sweet Home:
Since the inaugural season (1968-69) at the Joyce Center, Notre Dame owns a 440 -133 record all-time for a .768 winning percentage … The Irish are 55-18 (.753) at the Joyce Center during Mike Brey’s four-plus seasons, and since the 1996-97 campaign, they own a 104-35 mark for a .748 winning percentage … Notre Dame was 14-2 at home in 2002-03, winning 10-plus games for the sixth time in seven years.
Toughest Ticket in Town:
Notre Dame’s success on the hardwood has paid dividends at the box office … For the fourth consecutive year, the number of season ticket holders increased, and already this season, three games have sold out (DePaul, Syracuse and St. John’s) … In addition, the Connecticut, UCLA and Pittsburgh are already advance sell outs … Notre Dame students also showed their support for the Irish as the student allotment of 3,000 was a complete sellout in less than three hours.
Irish Medical Update:
Since March of 2004, five Irish players have had some type of surgical procedure … Forward Torin Francis had back surgery on March 8 to repair a herniated disc … He returned to the basketball court in June and was able to play with the team during its summer off-season conditioning program … Point guard Chris Thomas underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on April 9 for a tear on his left kneecap … He was cleared to return to the court in August … Rick Cornett had surgery for a stress fracture (broken left foot) on July 23 … Rob Kurz had surgery on September 14 for a fractured jaw and walk-on Greg Bosl had surgery to remove a screw in his foot after suffering a break in August.
Shuffling The Lineup:
Irish coach Mike Brey has used three different starting lineups this season … In 2003-04, injuries forced Brey into seven different starting rotations … Below is list of the three different starting lineups that have been used and Notre Dame’s record when starting those five players…
• Torin Francis, Jordan Cornette, Dennis Latimore, Chris Thomas and Chris Quinn (used this starting lineup through first seven games) — 5-2
• Jordan Cornette, Torin Francis, Chris Thomas, Chris Quinn and Colin Falls (Marist, St. John’s and WVU games) — 3-0
• Torin Francis, Dennis Latimore, Chris Thomas, Chris Quinn and Colin Falls (Western Illinois, Samford, Seton Hall, Villanova and Syracuse games) — 4-1
BIG EAST Distinction:
Although Notre Dame fell one game short of recording its fourth straight 10-win season in league, the Irish own the distinction, along with Syracuse, as being the only two schools to post winning conference records each of the last four seasons … Notre Dame has gone 11-5 (2000-01), 10-6 (2001-02), 10-6 (2002-03) and 9-7 (2003-04), while Syracuse has posted marks of 10-6 (2001-01), 9-7(2001-02), 13-3 (2002-03) and 11-5 ( 2003-04).
BIG EAST Season No. 10 for Irish:
The 2004-05 campaign marks Notre Dame’s 10th year as a member of the BIG EAST Conference … In nine-plus seasons as a conference member, Notre Dame owns a 79-78 record all-time in conference regular-season play for a .503 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 44-25 (.637) mark in regular-season play.
BIG EAST Formula For Success Under Brey:
Since his arrival at Notre Dame, Mike Brey has led Notre Dame to a 44-25 (.637) record in BIG EAST regular-season games and a 2-4 mark in tournament play for an overall of 46-29 (.613) against league foes … In Brey’s first season, the Irish posted their first-ever winning record in BIG EAST play and won the BIG EAST West Division title with an 11-5 mark … Prior to Brey’s arrival at Notre Dame, Irish teams had a 35-53 (.398) regular-season record since joining the league in 1995-96.
BIG EAST Honor Roll:
At BIG EAST Media Day on October 27 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Notre Dame was tabbed to finish fourth behind Syracuse, Connecticut and Pittsburgh in the regular-season race on a vote by the league’s head coaches … Chris Thomas was a preseason first-team all-BIG EAST selection, the only Irish player named to one of the preseason teams.
Over The Century Mark:
Notre Dame has scored 100-plus points five times during the Mike Brey era … The last 100-point effort by an Irish team was in a 101-96 overtime decision at Boston College on January 25, 2003.
Heart and Soul
Chris Thomas has long been regarded as the heart and soul of the Irish team by his teammates … Last Saturday afternoon’s performance against St. John’s proved that … Thomas suffered a concussion after colliding with a Red Storm player at the end of the first half and missed the first eight minutes of the second half … It marked the first time that he had ever missed any portion of a game for injury … Returning to the lineup, he played the final 12 minutes … Thomas hit 3-4 from the free-throw line and then hit the game-winning shot — a three-pointer with six seconds remaining — that marked his only field goal attempt of the second half.
Finally…Victory In Bloomington:
Notre Dame’s win against Indiana was about as good as it gets for the Irish, who had not beaten the Hoosiers in 31 years in Bloomington … The last time a Notre Dame team defeated Indiana at Assembly Hall was on December 11, 1973 … The win snapped a 13-game skid in Bloomington and also ended an eight-game losing streak (the longest in the series history) … Notre Dame had not beaten Indiana since November 29, 1994, and heading into the contest, had lost 13 of the previous 14 matchups … The 45 points allowed by Notre Dame were the fewest in the series since December 12, 1931 (a 23-12 Indiana victory) spanning 58 games … Irish head coach Mike Brey remarked after the game that the last time Notre Dame defeated Indiana in Bloomington, he was 14 years old and listening to the Bee Gees.
In Sharp Contrast:
Notre Dame’s victory over West Virginia gave the Irish their 12th victory of the season … Last season, Notre Dame did not record its 12th win of the ’03-’04 campaign until February 14 with an 71-63 win against Seton Hall.
Down To The Wire:
Three of Notre Dame’s 14 games have been decided by a single point … Notre Dame is 2-1 in those contests … Irish teams are 8-3 overall during Mike Brey’s tenure in one point games … Four of Notre Dame’s last five games (all BIG EAST contests), have been decided by less than 10 points.
Late-Game Heroics:
Notre Dame has used late-game heroics to pull out its three BIG EAST wins … Each of the last four contests have been decided by nine or fewer points…
vs. Seton Hall – Colin Falls hits game-winning three-pointer with 4 seconds remaining after Pirates had taken a 65-63 lead with 20 seconds remaining for the 66-65 victory.
vs. Villanova – With the game tied at 70-70 with 1:45 remaining, Dennis Latimore gives the Irish a 72-70 advantage on two free throws … Following a missed Villanova shot, Chris Thomas gives the Irish a four-point lead (74-70) with a jumper along the baseline as the shot clock is about to expire … Villanova pulled to within two with 41 seconds and then Colin Falls and Thomas sealed the win with two free throws each in the final 38 seconds of the game.
vs. St. John’s – Chris Thomas’ three-pointer with six seconds remaining — his only shot attempt of the second half — gives the Irish a 67-66 victory over St. John’s … Jordan Cornette blocks Daryll Hill’s drive to the basket as time expires … It marked the first game-winning shot of Thomas’ career.
Nothing But Net:
Notre Dame’s 19-19 performance from the free-throw line against Villanova was the best ever for an Irish team at the Joyce Center … Prior to that game, the record for highest free-throw percentage for an Irish team in a game at the Joyce Center was .944 on two occasions – vs. Butler (17-18) on February 14, 1977 and vs. Loyola (17-18) on February 27, 1992 … Notre Dame has made 85.9 percent of its free throws (73-85) since the start of BIG EAST play … As a team, the Irish have connected 185 of their 246 attempts (.744).
All About The Threes:
In its victory over West Virginia on Wednesday night, Notre Dame recorded a season-high 13 three-pointers for the second straight game as the Irish finished 13-25 for a season-best 52.0 percent … Over the last 10 games, the Irish are 92-291 as they have connected on 38.2 percent of their three-point attempts and have made 39.1 percent overall (129-330) … As a team, Notre Dame is averaging 8.6 three-point field goals made per game … Of the 129 three-point field made, Chris Thomas (28), Chris Quinn (33) and Colin Falls (46) have combined for 82.9 percent of those three-pointers.
Stingy Defense:
Irish opponents are averaging 59.5 points per game … Notre Dame held its first five opponents to 61 points and under with three of those opponents scoring 45 points or less … Overall, the Irish have limited their opponents to 45 points and under on four occasions .. In the two wins prior to the loss at Michigan (60-61), the Irish held IPFW (73-45) and Charleston Southern (54-38) to under 50 points … The last time time that occurred was during the 2002-03 season when the Irish held their first three opponents — Belmont (76-48), IUPUI (89-45) and Bucknell (73-42) — to under 50 points … The 38 points scored by Charleston Southern in Notre Dame’s win on November 26 were the fewest allowed by an Irish team under head coach Mike Brey and the second fewest ever scored by an Irish opponent since the opening of the Joyce Center for the 1968-69 season … The 44 points scored by Samford were the third-fewest allowed under Brey.
Where Was The “D” Against DePaul:
The 84 points that the Irish yielded against DePaul were the most since Arizona scored 88 in the Wildcats 88-71 victory on March 27, 2003 in the West Regional semifinals … Prior to the DePaul game, Notre Dame had not allowed that many points in 37 previous outings … DePaul shot 59.5 percent from the field, the third-best shooting performance by an opponent during Mike Brey’s four-plus seasons … In 143 games during Brey’s tenure, only 13 teams have shot better than 50 percent or better from the field (and only two better than 60 percent).
Thomas In Elite Scoring Company:
Chris Thomas has a career scoring average of 17.7 points per game as he stands sixth on the all-time Notre Dame career scoring list with 2,001 career points in 114 career outings … Heading into this season, Thomas had scored 1,783 points in 99 career outings … Only four other players scored more points in the first three seasons of their careers — Austin Carr (2,560 points in 75 games), Adrian Dantley (2,223 points in 86 games), Troy Murphy (2,011 points in 94 games) and Tom Hawkins (1,820 points in 79 games) .
Ironman:
Chris Thomas has started in a Notre record 114 consecutive games and has never missed a game during his career … His 112th consecutive start on January 10 against Syracuse set the record for consecutive games started … The record of 111 was formerly held by Pat Garrity (1994-98) … John Paxson (1979-83) stands third all-time with 85 consecutive starts (86 total during his career) … Paxson started every game in his final three seasons … Thomas has never missed a game during his Irish career and has averaged 37.5 minutes per game in those contests and been on the court 93.0 percent of the time in those 114 games having played 4,275 of a possible 4,595 minutes.
No Doubting Thomas:
In games against Marist (Dec. 22) and Western Illinois (Dec. 30), Chris Thomas flirted with recording his second and third career triple-doubles … Against Marist, he finished with 18 points, nine assists and eights rebounds before following that up with 21 points, nine assists (all in the first half) and nine rebounds in the win over the Leathernecks … In the last 10 games, Thomas has averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists and 2.2 steals … He has played 40 minutes in three of the last five games … Thomas has converted 43 of his last 45 free-throw attemtps that included a recent string of 33 straight before missing a free throw against St. John’s … It marked his first miss in a game since December 19 versus Army.
Scoring Streak Snapped:
Chris Thomas’ two-point performance against Michigan snapped a 19-game double-figure scoring streak for the Irish guard and also marked his lowest scoring output in the 103 games he had played at the time … Thomas has netted double figures in 98 of 114 career contests.
He Keeps Going And Going And Going….:
Chris Thomas has been on the court an amazing 93.0 percent of the time during his career and has played all but 320 minutes … Thomas has played 30-plus minutes in 11q career contests and 40-plus minutes on 39 occasions in three-plus seasons.
Lending The Assist:
Chris Thomas has led the Irish in assists in each of his three seasons (a single-season school record 252 in 2001-02, 236 in 2002-03 and 150 in 2003-04) … Currently the school’s career assist leader with 726, he will look to become just the third player in Notre Dame history to lead the Irish in assists during all four of his seasons … Rich Branning was the first player to do so as he led Notre Dame from 1976-80 and finished his career with 466 (currently sixth on the all-time list) … David Rivers (1984-88) also led the Irish during all four of his seasons … Rivers finished as the school’s all-time career assist leader with 586 and held that record until last season, when it was eclipsed by Thomas in February of 2004.
Thomas Registers 13th Career Double-Double:
Chris Thomas’ 10 points and 11 assists in the win over IPFW marked the 16th double-double of his career, but the first time he registered double figures in both points and assists since his sophomore season when he scored 21 points and dished off 13 assists against Virginia Tech on February 22, 2003 … Thomas’ lone double-double last season was a 23-point and 11-rebound effort in a loss to Providence on February 24, 2004 … He has dished 10-plus assists in 17 games during his career.
Francis Posts 19th Double-Double:
Torin Francis posted his second double-double of the season and 19th of his career in the victory at Seton Hall as he netted 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds … He also turned in a double-double in the win at Indiana earlier this season, with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Cornette Eyes Block Record:
In three-plus seasons spanning 112 career games, Jordan Cornette has 187 career blocked shots to rank second all-time in that category … He needs 14 blocks to break LaPhonso Ellis’ (1988-2002) career mark of 200 … Cornette’s four blocks against Western Illinois moved him past Ryan Humphrey (2000-02) in Notre Dame history … Humphrey stands third on the all-time list with 166 blocked shots … Cornette stands third all-time in blocked shots average (1.7).
Transfer Of Influence:
Dennis Latimore is the third transfer to play under head coach Mike Brey … He transferred to Notre Dame in the summer of 2003 after two seasons at the University of Arizona … Ryan Humphrey was the first transfer to play for the Irish … He played his first two seasons at the University of Oklahoma … During his two-year career from 2000-02, he played in 60 games and averaged 16.6 points (997), 9.95 rebounds (597) and 2.8 blocked shots (166) … Humphrey was a first-team all-BIG EAST selection in his senior season and earned second-team All-America honors from Basketball Times … Dan Miller played one year (2002-03) after transferring from the University of Maryland and averaged 13.9 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Latimore Nets Double Figures In Three Straight Games:
Dennis Latimore’s three consecutive double-figure outings against Army (15), Marist (10) and Western Illinois (18), marked the first time in his career that he has scored in double figures in three straight contests … Outings at Michigan and Indiana earlier this season produced back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts for the first time in his career … Against the Wolverines, Latimore scored a career-high 18 points in 35 minutes (then a personal high) … He followed that performance with a 12-point outing against the Hoosiers … Heading into the season, Latimore, had only scored in double figures twice in 57 games at Arizona … Already this season, he has registered 10-plus points in seven games and played 30-plus minutes in four contests … Latimore is averaging 26.9 mpg. … At Arizona, he averaged 10.9 and 12.0 minutes during his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively.
Latimore Posts Second Career Double-Double:
Dennis Latimore registered his second career double-double and first in a BIG EAST game in the win over Villanova as he scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds … He posted his first career double-double, scoring 12 points (tying a career-high) and grabbing a personal best 11 rebounds … In two seasons at Arizona, where he played 57 games, he only twice scored in double figures (22 versus California and 10 against Arizona State) and never had 10-plus rebounds in a game.
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 114 games he has directed Mike Brey’s teams, Thomas has helped the Irish compile a 77-37 record for a .675 winning percentage … As a freshman, he averaged 7.64 assists to rank fifth nationally … Thomas then dished off 6.9 assists (eighth in the nation) as a sophomore … He is the only player in Notre Dame history to record 200-plus assists in consecutive seasons … Thomas has distributed 10-plus assists in 17 games during his career … This season, he is averaging a 6.5 assists, after dishing off just 4.7 during the 2003-04 campaign.
Francis Returns:
Torin Francis was back in the lineup for the first time since the Connecticut game (February 9, 2004) last year in the season opener against Harvard … Francis missed the final 12 games of the ’03-’04 campaign with a herniated disc … In his first regular-season game back, he scored seven points and grabbed nine rebounds in 32 minutes of action … In the IPFW game, Francis played 28 minutes and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds … It marked his first double-digit scoring game since a 23-point performance against Virginia Tech on January 20, 2004 … In the three games prior to being sidelined with his back injury, he scored six points versus Boston College (29 minutes), four points against Pittsburgh (nine minutes) and did not score against Connecticut (seven minutes) … Francis has scored in double figures in four games overall this season — IPFW, Michigan (12 points), Indiana (11 points) and Marist (13 points) … He turned in a 10-rebound performance in the win over Western Illinois … Led the Irish in points and rebounds, with 15 and 10, in the Seton Hall contest, marking his second double-double of the season … Francis has started all 69 games of his Irish career and has grabbed nine or more rebounds in nine games.
The Mighty Quinn:
Chris Quinn is second on the team with an 12.3 scoring average and has led or shared team-high scoring honors on five occasions … He achieved a first in his career by leading Notre Dame in scoring in his first three games… Quinn has scored 20-plus points in two games, a 21-point performance against Marist (seventh 20-point performance of his career) in which he finished 7-8 from the field and connected on all four of his three-point field goal attempts and a 20-point effort in the season opener against Harvard … Last season, Quinn led the Irish in scoring on three occasions — in the Quinnipiac (25 points), Boston College (25 points) and Purdue (21 points) games … He played 38 minutes in the game against the Crimson and did not turn the ball over once … Against IPFW, he scored 15 points and dished off three assists, while turning the ball over just once … He finished with 17 points and no turnovers in 38 minutes against Charleston Southern … He netted 16, while handing out five assists, in the win over Villanova in the BIG EAST home opener … While averaging 35.5 minutes per game (in 533 minutes played), Quinn has turned the ball over just 17 times … In 11 games in 2003-04 (spanning 390 minutes), Quinn did not commit a turnover … Last season he committed just 37 turnovers and dished off 104 assists and owned a BIG EAST best 2.81 assist-to-turnover ratio … Also during the season, Quinn had a stretch of 159:00 minutes on the floor without a turnover.
Taking Care Of The Ball:
Prior to the Michigan game, Notre Dame’s backcourt tandem of Chris Thomas and Chris Quinn had only turned the ball over a combined four times in the first three games … Against the Wolverines, each had three turnovers in the contest … Thomas has played 548 minutes for an average of 36.5 minutes per game … He is averaging a turnover every 12,5 minutes… Quinn has turned the ball over 17 times in 533 minutes while averaging 35.5 minutes per game as he averages a turnover every 31.4 minutes … Neither of the two turned the ball over against Charleston Southern with Quinn playing 38 minutes and Thomas playing 37 minutes … Quinn’s only turnover prior to Michigan was in the IPFW game … Thomas’ last game without a turnover before IPFW was in Notre Dame’s second-round NIT matchup against Saint Louis last March.
Hot Shot:
Colin Falls scored a career-high 23 points in Notre Dame’s win against St. John’s as he connected on 7-16 from the field and 6-13 from beyond the arc … His six three-point field goals marked a career best … Falls has been in double figures in each of the last five games — the first time in his career that he has registered double figures in five consecutive outings and led the Irish in scoring in each of the last two outings (vs. St. John’s and West Virginia) … Earlier this season in contests against DePaul and Army, Falls shot 63.2 percent from the field (12-19) and 57.1 percent from three-point range (8-14) … He also averaged 18.0 points, scoring a career-high 20 against DePaul and 16 versus Army … Against DePaul, he connected on 7-10 shots from the field and 5-7 from three-point range, and followed that up by shooting 5-9 from the field and 3-7 from beyond the arc against Army … In Notre Dame’s defeat of Western Illinois, Falls knocked down 5-9 shots from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points, and he scored a team-high 19 on 3-6 shooting from downtown in the BIG EAST-opening victory at Seton Hall … He buried three shots from beyond the arc en route to 16 points in the Villanova contest … Falls has reached double figures in eight of the last 10 contests … He is averaging 15.9 points in the nine-game stretch.
Threes The Key For Falls:
Forty-six of Colin Falls’ 51 field goals have come from three-point range … It wasn’t until the DePaul game that he connected on a two-point field goal … Prior to the contest, all eight of his field goals and all 20 of his attempts had come from three-point range … Falls connected on three three-pointers against IPFW and Michigan as he finished with nine points in both of those games … During his freshman season, Falls’ favorite shot was from beyond the arc … 83 of his 98 career field goals made (.847) have come from three-point range, while 194 of his 231 attempts (.840) have been from the three-point line or beyond.
In Select Company:
When Jordan Cornette recorded his 100th career steal in the Army game, he joined former Irish standout Troy Murphy as the only two players in school history with 100 career blocks and 100 career steals … Cornette has 181 blocks and 113 steals in three-plus seasons, while Murphy ended his career with 126 and 113, respectively.
Counting On Colin:
Colin Falls’ game-winning shot (from three-point range) against Seton Hall on January 5 with four seconds remaining, marked the second game-winning shot of his career (44 games) .. . In the first round of the BIG EAST Championship last year, Falls’ three-pointer with 15.8 seconds remaining lifted the Irish to a 65-64 victory over West Virginia.
Rookie Roll Call:
Sophomore Omari Isreal has seen action in 12 games, while freshman Rob Kurz has played in 10 games … Isreal, who missed all of last season while recovering from the ACL surgery he had in February of 2003, had his best outing against Charleston Southern when he scored four points and grabbed three rebounds … He has played 10-plus minutes in three games … Kurz played a season-high 12 minutes against IPFW and scored two points while grabbing four reboudns … He scored a career-high three points against Marist.
Keeping It Close:
In the 47 losses suffered by Irish teams in Mike Brey’s four seasons, only 13 have been by 10 or more points and have been by a combined 343 points for an average of 7.5 points … Notre Dame’s biggest losses have been on the road at Pittsburgh (72-55 on January 6, 2003) and against Arizona (88-71 on March 27, 2003) in the West Regional semifinal in Anaheim, Calif… 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 4.5 points … Only one loss that season (versus Georgetown at the Joyce Center) was by double figures, while eight of those setbacks were by five or less points.
Block Party:
The Irish frontcourt should provide many shot-blocking opportunities this season with an opportunity to break the single-season record … The 2002-03 team set the single-season mark with 189 blocked shots for 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 … Last year, the Irish had 139 blocks for an average of 4.34 per game … Under head coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame averaged 5.17 blocks per game in his first four seasons … The single-season totals each of the past four years are among the top five block totals in school history … The Irish have 71 blocked shots in 14 games (4.7), which included a season-high nine versus Western Illinois.
194 And Counting:
Heading into this afternoon’s game against Georgetown, Notre Dame has hit at least one three-pointer in 194 straight games, a mark that dates back to the the 1998-99 campaign … The last time an Irish team failed to hit a three-pointer was in a 101-70 loss to Connecticut at the Hartford Civic Center on January 12, 1999 as Notre Dame finished 0-7 from beyond the arc in the game.
Steady As They Go:
Notre Dame’s backcourt tandem of Chris Thomas and Chris Quinn has combined for 403 of the team’s 1016 points (.397) and dished off 142 of its 223 assists (.637).
Spark Off The Bench:
Russell Carter has come off the bench to give the Irish a spark in their last 10 games … Against Army, he played 12 minutes and grabbed a career-high five rebounds … In the win over Marist, he came off the bench to play a career-high 15 minutes and scored a personal-best seven points, while grabbing three rebounds … He notched four points and four boards versus Western Illinois in 15 minutes … His best career outing was against Samford as he registered career-bests of 11 points and seven assists, while playing a career-high 20 minutes … He chipped in five points in the conference-opening win over Seton Hall … Prior to playing just four minutes against Seton Hall, Carter had been averaging 4.5 points, 3,2 rebounds and 12.3 minutes in the four previous outings … Against Syracuse, he had seven points in 10 minutes.
All In The Family:
Freshman Rob Kurz’ younger sister Laura is a freshman on the Duke women’s basketball team. As a matter of fact, she played a regular-season contest on the Joyce Center floor 48 hours before her brother’s home opener. The Irish women’s basketball team hosted the Blue Devils in semifinal action of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament on November 17 … Notre Dame won the game 76-65.
Irish Add Four In Early Signing Period:
Mike Brey signed four players to national letters of intent during the early signing period … Joining the Irish in the fall of 2005 will be Ryan Ayers (Blue Bell, Pa.), Zach Hillesland (Toledo, Ohio), Kyle McAlarney (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Luke Zeller (Washington, Ind.) … Ayers, a 6-7, 200-pound combination guard/forward, is the son of former Ohio State and Philadelphia 76ers head coach Randy Ayers … He averaged 16.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists during his junior year at Germantown Academy … Hillesland is a 6-8, 220-pound forward who averaged 13.0 points, 9.0 rebounds in his junior season at St. John’s Jesuit … McAlarney, a 6-1, 170-pound point guard, already ranks as the all-time leading scorer in Staten Island prep history with 1,662 career points and a 22.6 scoring average … His 35.6 scoring average and 907 points in 2003-04 for Moore Catholic set the Staten Island high school single-season marks … Zeller, a 6-11, 240-pound forward/center, is a candidate for the 2005 Mr. Indiana Basketball honors … A Streets and Smith’s All-America selection in his junior season, he netted 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds during his junior year at Washington.
Irish Find Success In The Classroom:
For the second straight semester, Irish basketball players excelled in the classroom … Overall, the Irish earned a 3.056 semester average, the second-highest semester average since the fall semester of 1992, after earning a 3.115 cumulative grade point average following the 2004 spring semester … The team also boasts a 3.028 cumulative grade index, which also reflects the highest average since Notre Dame’s Office of Academic Services For Student-Athletes began keeping track of semester grade point averages at the start of the 1992-93 school year … Seven players — Greg Bosl, Rick Cornett, Dennis Latimore, Chris Murphy, Ben Nickol, Chris Quinn and Chris Thomas – earned semester grade point averages of better than 3.00.
Notre Dame Basketball On The Big Screen:
Notre Dame will play a record 15 games on national television during the regular season …. Last year, the Irish also made 13 national appearances during the regular season and appeared on either CBS, ESPN or ESPN2 a total of 16 times … Since the 2000-01 season under head coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame teams have appeared on national television during the regular and post-season a total of 52 times (average of 13 per year) – it’s the most television appearances in a four-year period in the program’s history.
Joyce Center Sellouts:
Since the 2000-01 campaign, there have been 32 sellouts at the Joyce Center … Notre Dame enjoyed 10 sellouts during the 2002-03 campaign, the most since the 1985-86 season … The 29 sellouts from 2000-04 were the most in a four-year period since the 1983-87 campaigns.
Notre Dame Basketball Radio Show Returns To Logan’s Roadhouse:
Logan’s Roadhouse Restaurant in Mishawaka will once again be the site of the Notre Dame Basketball Radio Show during the 2004-05 season … The 30-minute radio show will be broadcast live on Monday nights on 92.9-FM (U93 in South Bend) 10 times during the year beginning at 7:00 p.m. … The dates of the show will be December 6, December 13, December 20, January 3, January 17, January 24, January 31, February 7, February 14 and February 28.
The Kevin White Radio Show:
A weekly half-hour talk show featuring Notre Dame athletics director Kevin White airs once again this year on Chicago’s ESPN Radio 1000 (1000 AM, www.espnradio1000.com) … Now in its fifth season, “The Kevin White Radio Show” welcomes a series of guests and prominent figures associated with college athletics, including administrators, coaches and media members.
Notre Dame Athletics Debut On Sirius Satellite Radio:
Notre Dame has increased its radio footprint when it announced an agreeement on August 31 with SIRIUS Satellite Radio to become the official radio partner for Notre Dame athletics … SIRIUS will broadcast selected Irish men’s and women’s basketball games during the upcoming season, in addition to football and other sporting events … In addition, SIRIUS will aid in the development of marketing initiatives with the University’s athletic department as a member of ” Team Notre Dame” … Notre Dame’s agreement with SIRIUS is one of the cornerstones in the formation of SIRIUS College Sports Radio, a partnership between SIRIUS and College Sports Television (CSTV) that includes 23 major universities around the country … SIRIUS radios for the car and home start at $149 and are available at major retailers nationwide … For more, visit www.sirius.com.
Web Site (www.und.com):
Notre Dame’s official athletic department web site can be found at www.und.com … The web site is created in partnership with College Sports Online of Carlsbad, Calif.
Tip-Off Times For Home Games Against Georgetown and Rutgers Changed:
Home games against Georgetown (February 16) and Rutgers (March 2) have been moved to 8:00 p.m. start times … Both contests were originally scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. … In addition to the time change, both games also will be televised by ESPN Classic.
Notre Dame Rises To Top Spot In Directors’ Cup Standings:
Notre Dame stands first in the final set of fall sports standings released in the 2004-05 United States Sports Academy Division I Directors’ Cup all-sports competition sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (formerly known as Sears Directors’ Cup) … This marks the first time in the 12-year history of the all-sports program that Notre Dame has ranked number one … The previous highest ranking for the Irish was second in the 2004-05 second set of fall standings … Fall NCAA competition earned the Irish 337 points based on their NCAA title in women’s soccer (100 points), their fourth-place finish in women’s cross country (80), 11th-place finish in men’s cross country (57) and second-round NCAA appearances in men’s soccer and volleyball (50 each) … Michigan (333 points) stands second, followed by Stanford (332), Duke (327) and UCLA (297) … The current standings include results from NCAA fall competition in volleyball, field hockey, men’s water polo, men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s soccer and football … In previous years in which the Directors’ Cup competition has been held, Notre Dame has finished 11th in ’93-’94, 30th in ’94-’95, 11th in ’95-’96, 14th in ’96-’97, 31st in ’97-’98, 25th in ’98-99, 21st in ’99-’00, 11th in ’00-’01, 13th in ’01-02 and ’02-’03 and 19th in ’03-’04.
Leprechaun Legion
The return of Irish basketball to national prominence has brought attention, enthusiasm and excitement back to the Joyce Center … The Notre Dame student body has been a big part of increasing the homecourt advantage … In the spring of of 2001, an organization known as the Leprechaun Legion was introduced … Members of the Unviersity’s student body formed the Leprechaun Legion to generate support at home basketball games … The Legion sits in the east end of the Joyce Center and is extremely visible underneath the basket as members of the organization don kelly green shirts during game … Its chief aim is to increase school spirit during games and act as a catalyst for the rest of the crowd … This season, every student who purchased a basketball student booklet, received the “2004-05 Leprechaun Legion” shirt … The shirts are also on sale at home games in the Notre Dame Bookstore and Varsity Shops … Proceeds from the sale of the shirt benefit Coaches vs. Cancer.