Jan. 7, 2005
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Date: Saturday, January 8, 2005
Place: Joyce Center (11,418)
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).
Saturday’s Game:
Notre Dame (9-2, 1-0) hosts Villanova (8-1, Saturday in the BIG EAST home opener … It’s the second of three games in five days for the Irish who posted a 66-65 win at Seton Hall on Wednesday night and will host Syracuse on January 10 … Saturday’s contest begins a three-game BIG EAST homestand for the Irish … Notre Dame’s five-game win streak is its longest of the season and the longest since a six-game streak last season … Notre Dame is 5-4 all-time in BIG EAST home openers, and 2-2 under head coach Mike Brey … This game will be the ninth time this season the Irish have played at home … Currently, Notre Dame owns a 7-1 mark at the Joyce Center.
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.
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 five weeks after climbing to 20th in the AP and 19th in the ESPN/USA Today rankings.
Thomas Set To Tie Consecutive Games Started Mark:
Chris Thomas is making his 111th consecutive start in this afternoon’s contest, tying Pat Garrity’s (1994-98) mark … It will mark the third career mark for Thomas who already ranks as Notre Dame’s career assist (715) and steals (212) leader.
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 41-27 (.603) … That includes a 26-19 (.578) in true road games and a 15-8 (.652) in neutral site contests.
On This Date:
Notre Dame owns an 8-7 record (.533) when playing on January 8.
Scouting the Irish:
Notre Dame stands at 9-2 following its fifth straight win Wednesday against Seton Hall … The Irish defense is allowing just 57.0 points per game and has held four of its opponents to 45 points and under … Four players are averaging double figures — Chris Thomas (14.6), Chris Quinn (11.8), Colin Falls (10.3) and Dennis Latimore (10.1) … Torin Francis is averaging 7.8 ppg. and leads the team with 8.4 rebounds per game … Notre Dame owns a 37.4 to 32.6 advantage on the boards …Thomas also leads the team in both assists (7.0) and steals (2.6), while Jordan Cornette is the team leader in blocks (18) and second in steals (24) … Russell Carter has been a spark for the Irish off the bench in the last four games as he has averaged 6.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 14.5 minutes … Notre Dame is forcing 14.0 opponent turnovers and is averaging 8.7 steals per game, in addition to 4.4 blocked shots per game.
Irish In The National Statistics:
Chris Thomas stands 10th in assists (7.2 aspg.), while the Irish defense ranks eighth nationally (57.0 pppg.).
A Quick 48-Hour Turnaround:
Following today’s game against Villanova, Notre Dame will have a quick turnaround before its next game against Syracuse on Monday night … It’s the second time this season that the Irish will have just one day to prepare for their next opponent and the second of three different segments during the season in which Notre Dame will play on just one day of rest … Just over a week ago, Notre Dame defeated Western Illinois 78-61 on December 28 and then beat Samford 56-44 on December 30 … Last year, the Irish played two games in a 48-hour span on six different occasions and was 9-3 in those contests … Notre Dame’s other two 48-hour turnarounds will be in homes games against Villanova (January 8) and Syracuse (January 10) and road matchups at Providence (February 19) and Connecticut (February 21)
Series Record vs. Villanova:
Villanova owns a 14-10 advantage in the series and has won eight of the last nine meetings between the two schools … The two schools faced each other just once during the 2003-04 campaign with the Irish earning an 82-78 victory in Philadelphia … Today’s matchup will be the first meetings for the two schools during the regular season … Since Notre Dame became a member of the BIG EAST Conference in 1995-96, there have been nine meetings with Villanova owning an 8-1 advantage … Irish teams are 6-6 in the 12 times they have played the Wildcats in the Joyce Center … The last time Notre Dame and Villanova met in Notre Dame, the Irish dropped a 74-72 decision.
The Irish All-Time:
In 99-plus seasons, Irish teams have posted a 1557-853 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 438-132 record all-time for a .768 winning percentage … The Irish are 53-17 (.757) at the Joyce Center during Mike Brey’s four-plus seasons, and since the 1996-97 campaign, they own an 102-34 mark for a .750 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, six games are sold out (DePaul, Syracuse, St. John’s, Connecticut, UCLA and Pittsburgh) … 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 been 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 game) — 1-0
• Torin Francis, Dennis Latimore, Chris Thomas, Chris Quinn and Colin Falls (last three contests versus Western Illinois, Samford and Seton Hall) — 3-0
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 seasons as a conference member, Notre Dame owns a 76-77 record all-time in conference regular-season play for a .496 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 41-24 (.631) 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 41-24 (.631) record in BIG EAST regular-season games and a 2-4 mark in tournament play for an overall of 43-28 (.606) 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.
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.
Stingy Defense:
Irish opponents are averaging just 57.0 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 139 games during Brey’s tenure, only 12 teams have shot better than 50 percent 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 1,944 career points in 110 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 played and started in all 110 games at Notre Dame … He ranks second all-time in consecutive games started … Thomas is set to eclipse Pat Garrity’s (1994-98) career mark of 111 consecutive starts and will break the record with his start against Syracuse on January 10 … 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 110 games having played 4,125 of a possible 4,435 minutes.
No Doubting Thomas:
In recent 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 five games, Thomas has averaged 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists.
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 … He has, however, bounced back with six consecutive double-figure scoring performances … Thomas has netted double figures in 95 of 110 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 310 minutes … Thomas has played 30-plus minutes in 107 career contests and 40-plus minutes 37 games 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 715, 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.
Hitting The Boards:
Although his scoring average is down to a career-low of 7.8 points per game, Torin Francis’ team-leading 8.4 rebounds is near his rebounding totals of his freshman (8.4) and sophomore (8.8) seasons … Francis’ 14 boards against Samford marked a season-high, which he follwed up with a 10-board performance against Seton Hall, as he posted 10-plus rebounds for the third consecutive game … He is averaging 11.3 rebounds in the last three games and 10.5 over the last four contests … Francis has grabbed 10-plus rebounds in four games this season.
Cornette Eyes Block Record:
In three-plus seasons spanning 108 career games, Jordan Cornette has 173 career blocked shots to rank second all-time in that category … He needs 28 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 (1.6).
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 contest … 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 six games and played 30-plus minutes in four games … Latimore is averaging 27.6 mpg. … At Arizona, he averaged 10.9 and 12.0 minutes during his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively.
Latimore Posts First Career Double-Double:
In his second game in an Irish uniform, Dennis Latimore registered 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 110 games he has directed Mike Brey’s teams, Thomas has helped the Irish compile a 74-36 record for a .672 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 7.0 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 65 games of his Irish career.
The Mighty Quinn:
Chris Quinn is second on the team with an 11.8 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 … While averaging 35.2 minutes per game (in 352 minutes played), Quinn has turned the ball over just 10 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 398 minutes for an average of 35.8 minutes per game … He is averaging a turnover every 12.4 minutes… Quinn has turned the ball over 10 times in 386 minutes while averaging 35.1 minutes per game as he averages a turnover every 38.6 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:
In games against DePaul and Army, Colin 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 … It marked the first time in his career with back-to-back double-figures scoring efforts … 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 … Those two performances earned Falls a starting spot in Notre Dame’s last four outings … 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 has reached double figures in four of the last six games and is averaging 14.5 points in the six-game stretch,
Threes The Key For Falls:
Twenty-nine of Colin Falls’ 33 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 … 66 of his 80 career field goals made (.825) have come from three-point range, while 155 of his 187 attempts (.829) 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 173 blocks and 106 steals in three-plus season, 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 Wednesday night with four seconds remaining, marked the second game-winning shot of his career (43 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 10 games, while freshman Rob Kurz has played in nine games (did not play against Michigan and Seton Hall) … 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 as 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 46 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 48 blocked shots in their first 11 games (4.4), which included a season-high nine versus Western Illinois.
190 And Counting:
Heading into today’s game against Villanova, Notre Dame has hit at least one three-pointer in 190 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 291 of the team’s 740 points (.393) and dished off 106 of its 162 assists (.654).
Spark Off The Bench:
Russell Carter has come off the bench to give the Irish a spark in their last five 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 … Carter is averaging 5.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 15.5 minutes in the last four games.
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 bettern 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 29 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 2000-02 are the most since the 1983-87 seasons.
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.
Upcoming Game Promotions:
Villanova (100th Anniversary Trading Cards) … Syracuse (Mike Brey Mock T-shirts) … St. John’s (2004-05 Team Trading Cards)
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 third 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) … The final fall standings will be available Jan. 11 … Stanford (332 points) stands second, thanks to its NCAA title in volleyball. Duke (327) is third after runnerup NCAA finishes in women’s cross country and women’s field hockey … 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 … 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.