The Fighting Irish will be playing their second game in Denver tonight, starting in less than two hours. They moved on to the round of 32 after defeating George Mason and will now have to face the Cougars who defeated Winthrop. Both teams played very well in their first games and dominated on both sides of the ball. Washington State is an excellent team defensively and only gave up 40 points in their first round match. However, Notre Dame’s offense is one of the best in country and they shouldn’t have a big problem scoring. Look for Luke Harangody to play well as always and Kyle McAlarney to contribute from three. If the Irish can get a good game out of their bench players and Tory Jackson they should come away with a victory in this 4/5 matchup. Sorry for this short preview, short on time, but catch the game on CBS at 6:40 PM ET. It should be a good one and as always, Go Irish!
Notre Dame advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with the win over George Mason last night. The Patriots could never get close in the contest and the Irish kept a commanding lead throughout the entire night. Once ND led 8-7 very early in the first half, they never looked back and remained up by at least 10 points nearly the entire game. It was a complete team effort and each Irish played their part in the victory.
Luke Harangody as usual was the high scorer for Notre Dame, this time with 18 points on 8 of 19 shots from the floor. Obviously not his best game but he played well enough and managed to grab 14 rebounds, 6 of which were offensive. Luke wasn’t able to hit as many shots as he wanted nor get to the free-line as often as he had hoped. He only shot 42.1% and only made two of his five free-throw attempts. But in the end, I’ll take a Notre Dame win over a big Harangody game in a loss any day of the week.
Kyle McAlarney had a typical game with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. All of those numbers are very close to his season averages. He made 3 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc, which is also pretty normal for him this year. Kyle played 38 of the 40 minutes, more than anyone else, and had zero fouls. He was productive and did what he had to do.
Ryan Ayers had a very nice game coming off of the bench with his 12 points in 25 minutes. He shot 50.0% from the floor on 10 attempts which includes his 2 of 6 shooting from three. He was making his jump shots and making smart decisions. He also had one rebound, one assist, and one steal.
My player of the game is going to have to be Zach Hillesland. He only finished with 6 points but he sure did make a big difference in this game. He made 3 of his 4 shot attempts in 31 minutes played while doing everything else right. He grabbed a season high 11 rebounds in the game while dishing out five assists. He played extremely well on defense with a blocked shot and three steals. Definitely one of Zach’s best games this year even with only six points the entire night.
Tory Jackson had an “OK” game with 6 points and only two assists in 36 minutes. He did however manage to bring in 8 rebounds, something he has done very well as a point guard. I am amazed at how he does this each and every game at only 5′11″. Rob Kurz also had 6 points in the win before he fouled out. He hit two shots from beyond the arc which kept the Irish ahead.
The other contributors were Luke Zeller with 3 points and freshman Tim Abromaitis with 2 points in the last minute of the game. Other players who saw playing time were sophomore Jonathan Peoples, freshman Ty Proffitt, and freshman Tyrone Nash. They all checked into the game with a few seconds remaining.
George Masons offense was led by senior forward Will Thomas who had a game high 25 points as well as 7 boards. No one else on the Patriots finished in double digits. They were obviously outmatched and had no chance of winning this game. They just didn’t have enough talent and could never get into any rhythm which is extremely difficult against an excellent offensive team such as the Irish. Thankfully, George Mason didn’t pull the upset like they did two years ago and are heading home in the first round. Best of luck to them next season.
Notre Dame Statistics
Field Goals Made - Attempts: 26 - 57
Field Goal Percentage: 45.6%
Free-Throws Made - Attempts: 7 - 11
Free-Throw Percentage: 63.6%
Rebounds: 42 (11 Offensive)
Assists: 14
Personal Fouls: 15
Turnovers: 12
Blocked Shots: 5
Steals: 4
3-Point Field Goals Made - Attempts: 9 - 21
3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 42.9%
George Mason Statistics
Field Goals Made - Attempts: 19 - 57
Field Goal Percentage: 33.3%
Free-Throws Made - Attempts: 9 - 14
Free-Throw Percentage: 64.3%
Rebounds: 31 (8 Offensive)
Assists: 8
Personal Fouls: 14
Turnovers: 11
Blocked Shots: 2
Steals: 5
3-Point Field Goals Made - Attempts: 3 - 17
3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 17.6%
Up next for Mike Brey and the Fighting Irish is Washington State tomorrow at 6:40 PM ET. I’ll have a preview for that game sometime tomorrow and a look at the East Region later on today. Check back for updates and as always, Go Irish!
Well the NCAA Tournament is finally here and the Irish were given a reasonable number five seed. Before the loss to Marquette in the Big East Tournament, Notre Dame was expected to receive a four seed and certainly higher if they had won the whole thing. Obviously, that didn’t happen and Mike Brey’s team will have to take on the Patriots of George Mason who were chosen as a 12 seed after winning the CAA tournament.
George Mason may ring a bell considering they made it to the Final Four only two years ago (Lost to Florida). The Patriots made one of the most impressive Cinderella runs in the history of college basketball and still have two players who started for that team. Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas have the experience and leadership that could spark another impressive NCAA Tournament run. However, the Irish are going to do everything possible to make sure that that doesn’t happen.
GMU finished the regular season second in their conference with their 23-10 (12-6) record behind Virginia Commonwealth. They managed to defeat William & Mary in the CAA Tournament to get the auto bid which has put them in Denver to take on the Irish tonight. The Patriots biggest wins have come against teams such as Dayton, Kansas State, and South Carolina. They have an experienced coaching staff who knows how to win and should give Notre Dame a tough game.
The leading scorer for Geroge Mason is senior leader Folarin Campbell who averages 15.9 points per game. However their key player is Will Thomas who averages just a tenth of a point less while grabbing 10.5 rebounds per game. Will is also a leader of the team and similar to Harangody, averages a double-double every contest. The Thomas-Harangody matchup should be a fun one to watch but I believe the Big East Player of the Year will be too much to handle.
Points For:
Notre Dame - 80.6
George Mason - 69.9
Points Against:
Notre Dame - 70.5
George Mason - 62.3
The Fighting Irish have a lot more competition playing in the Big East and higher scoring games which would be the reasoning behind their point averages. They give up more points per game than George Mason but their average margin of victory is higher.
Notre Dames National Ranks
Scoring - 80.6 Points - 14th in the Nation
Rebounding - 41.6 rebounds - 5th in the Nation
Three Point Shooting - 41.0 Percent - 5th in the Nation
Scoring Margin - 10.1 Points - 26th in the Nation
Rebound Margin - 5.8 Rebounds - 20th in the Nation
Assists Per Game - 18.9 Assists - 1st in the Nation
Assist Turnover Ratio - 1.46 - 2nd in the Nation
Notre Dame obviously has one of the best offenses in the country and that should be on full display tonight. Luke Harangody has played well the entire season and when he hasn’t, Kyle McAlarney has had a big game. Luke is averaging 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds heading into this game while Kyle is averaging 15.2 points. Senior captain Rob Kurz has played well this year and doesn’t want his Irish career to end in Denver. He is scoring 12.8 points per contest this season while also grabbing 7.5 boards. His leadership is even more important and he has done an unbelievable job guiding this young team.
Mike Brey’s team should be able to get the win tonight to advance to the round of 32 where they will take on either Washington State or Winthrop. Winthrop knocked the Irish off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year but Wazzu should get their victory there. Notre Dame should at least make the Sweet 16 where they will take on North Carolina. A Hansbrough-Harangody matchup would be something everyone would want to see. But I can’t get ahead of myself, the Irish need to defeat the Patriots tonight. Catch the game on CBS tonight at 9:50 ET, it should be a fun one and as always, Go Irish!
Notre Dame received a number five seed in the NCAA tournament and will face George Mason, a number 12 seed. The game will be in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, March 20th. If the Irish beat the Patriots, they will face the winner of Washington State/Winthrop.
George Mason is a team that finished the regular season with a record of 23-10 (12-6) while playing in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference. This is the cinderella team that made it to the Final Four two years ago.
Notre Dame will be taking on Marquette tonight at 9:00 EST in the Quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament. The Irish are the number three seed while the Golden Eagles were given a six seed. This will be Marquette’s second game in the tournament after defeating Seton Hall last night while Notre Dame had a bye. The winner of this game will face either Pittsburgh or Louisville in the Semifinals tomorrow night. You can catch this game on ESPN.
The Golden Eagles are going to make the NCAA tournament with their record of 23-8 (11-7) but a win over the Irish would give them a higher seed. They beat Coach Brey’s team earlier this season 92-66, but Notre Dame got their revenge later with an 86-83 victory. The Fighting Irish are 24-6 (14-4) so far this season and have a real good shot at winning the BIG EAST Championship if they can win tonight. It should be a really exciting matchup this evening so make sure you watch it. Once again, it starts at 9:00 EST on ESPN and as always, Go Irish!
Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the second season in a row. He followed up his impressive 23-6 (11-5) regular season record last year with an even better 24-6 (14-4) record this season. This is the first time the Irish have recorded at least 12 wins in conference play since joining the Big East and it’s a new school record with 14 conference victories. This team was predicted to finish 9th in the Big East and \sure have exceeded expectations by finishing in a tie for second place. They have a real good shot at winning the Big East tournament this week because of their all-around play, so don’t be surprised if they do.
The Irish never have the top talent in the country but Brey is able to string everything together and develop a successful team each year. He recruits the right players who are not only talented but responsible young gentlemen which leads to great accomplishments. His knowledge of basketball and teamwork helps guide these student-athletes to bright futures in life if not in basketball. He greatly impacts each and every player he coaches through his teachings and should be the Irish coach for a long time.
Mike has been coaching Notre Dame since 2000 and has guided the Fighting Irish to a BIG East Conference championship and four (soon to be five) NCAA tournament appearances which includes a visit to the Sweet 16 in 2003. He has been coaching college basketball for 20 years at programs such as Duke and Delaware before coming to South Bend and his experience shows. No other coach in the conference could lead this team to the success that Mike Brey has been able to capture this year. Let’s hope he can bring home another Conference championship and a successful appearance in the NCAA tournament. Congratulations Mike Brey and as always, Go Irish!
As expected, Notre Dame sophomore forward Luke Harangody was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year. Just yesterday he was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team along with teammate Kyle McAlarney. He has had a phenomenal year for the Irish after playing very well as a freshman and surprised a lot of people. Luke leads the conference in points per game with 21.0 and finished second in rebounding with 10.3 boards. Those numbers are extremely impressive for a sophomore, in fact, for any college basketball player. Averaging a double-double at the end of the regular season is an incredible accomplishment and Luke certainly deserves this award.
Harangody has not only contributed with numbers but through leadership and his will each and every game. He and fellow sophomore Tory Jackson have shown true passion for the sport and have given 110% each and every game. He makes the big shots when they are needed and gives the effort when the Irish need motivation. Luke clinched the BIG EAST Player of the Year award when he hit three shots from behind the arc against Louisville to bring them back into that game. Before that game he had never made a three-pointer for Notre Dame.
Without Luke Harangody, there is no chance that the Irish would have been as successful as they have. He has been the heart and soul of Mike Brey’s team the entire year and it’s hard to believe he didn’t have faith in himself at one point. An ESPN (I think) article recently stated that Luke Harangody doubted himself and his ability, thinking that he could never play in a competitive conference like the Big East. Obviously he was mistaken because he is now the best player in the conference as only a sophomore. Everyone is hoping that he will be in South Bend for the next two years and lead the Irish to a Final Four or even better.
Here’s a look at Luke’s season stats:
Points Per Game - 21.0
Rebounds Per Game - 10.3
Assists Per Game - 1.8
Steals Per Game - 0.8
Blocks Per Game - 0.9
Field Goal Percentage - 51.7%
Free Throw Percentage - 76.8%
Minutes Per Game - 28.9
Double-Doubles - 17
Congratulations Luke Harangody, it is truly deserved. I look forward to more incredible performances in the upcoming tournaments and the rest of your Notre Dame career.
Sophomore forward Luke Harangody was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team today as one of eleven players. He was a unanimous selection along with Connecticut’s A.J. Price, Louisville’s David Padgett and Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert. Luke was one of only two sophomores on the First Team, the other was Deonta Vaughn of Cincinnati. Harangody lead the Big East in scoring with with 21.0 points per game and finished second in rebounding with an average of 10.3. I’m not going to get into too much detail about Luke’s season because he should be named BIG EAST Player of the Year tomorrow and I will have an in-depth post than. Congratulations Luke Harangody.
Junior guard Kyle McAlarney was also named to the All-BIG East First Team for the first time in his career. He has been the conference’s best three-point shooter the entire season and has played very well after missing most of last season. He has averaged an impressive 15.0 points per game while grabbing 2.1 rebounds and dishing out 3.6 assists. Could possibly win the Big East Most Improved Player tomorrow after bouncing back from his mistake. Kyle has made some key shots this year and has been very reliable. The greatest news is that he will be back next year and the Irish should be even better. Congratulations Kyle McAlarney.
