10th Mar 2008
Notre Dame 67
South Florida 60
The Irish defeated the Bulls Saturday for their 14th conference win on the season. That’s a new school record for Big East wins and is a very impressive number. Harangody once again led all scorers with 21 points while grabbing nine boards. Rob Kurz played well with 14 points and five rebounds before he fouled out. Zach Hillesland had a very good game and made some impressive baskets while scoring 10 points and getting 7 rebounds. Kyle McAlarney finished with 10 points as well but had four assists and three rebounds. As a team, the Irish started off extremely well in the beginning of the game and couldn’t keep it up. South Florida got back into the game but never close enough. It’s always good to win away from home, something Mike Brey has had some trouble with this year.
Notre Dame finished the regular season with a record of 24-6 (14-4) and a tie of second place in the Big East. They receive a number three seed in the conference tournament because Louisville beat them not too long ago. Luke Harangody will win the Big East Player of the Year, no doubt, and as always, Go Irish!
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8th Mar 2008
The Fighting Irish are traveling to Florida tonight to take on the Bulls of South Florida. USF is second to last in the big east with their record of 12-18 (3-14) with conference wins over Rutgers (twice) and Syracuse. They aren’t the most talented team but it’s always hard to win away from home. The Bulls are led by freshman Dominique Jones who averages 17.0 points per game for South Florida. Their other star is senior Kentrell Gransberry who leads the Big East in rebounding, the only person in front of Luke Harangody. Notre Dame is hoping to improve it’s record of 23-6 (12-4) to tie Louisville for second place in the conference. The Cardinals lost to Georgetown today in a close one. The Irish would get a number three seat in the Big East tournament with a win and be in good position for the NCAA tournament seeding. I’m a little busy and will have to cut this preview short. Sorry. This game is on at 7:00 and you can catch it on ESPN360. It should be a fun one to watch and as always, Go Irish!
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6th Mar 2008
Notre Dame 68
St. John’s 55
Notre Dame became the first team to ever go undefeated at home in the Big East two seasons in a row. The Irish have won 37 straight games in the Joyce Center and won’t play there again until next season. With the win, Mike Brey’s team improved to 23-6 (13-4) and jumped solely into third place after being tied with Connecticut. The Huskies play at Providence tonight to try and again join the Irish in third place in the conference. St. John’s is hoping UConn will win for a better chance of making the Big East tournament. The Red Storm are now 11-18 (5-12) on the season with only one game remaining. They will be playing West Virginia and if they lose, their season will be over.
Rob Kurz played his final game in the Joyce Center last night and played pretty well. He finished with 15 points and four rebounds in 34 minutes. The senior captain received a standing ovation as he exited the game with a few seconds remaining. Rob will be most remembered for not only his play, but his leadership. Mike Brey considered him one of the best captains he has ever coached and it showed on the floor. Kurz had a great career at Notre Dame and will try to lead his team deep into the tournaments coming up.
Luke Harangody once again had the most points in the game with 20 on the night. He made 9 of his 12 shots, 75%, but only grabbed six rebounds the entire game. I was expecting him to put up some bigger numbers but he did enough and managed to get St. John’s big man, Dele Coker, to foul out. Coker played real physical against Luke but no one can stop the monster. He made some great shots and should still be way out in front of the Big East Player of the Year race.
Kyle McAlarney played pretty well and finished with 13 points on 9 shots. He made 5 of his 9 attempts, which includes 3 of 5 from behind the arc. He obviously didn’t shoot much but passed the ball well. Kyle also had two assists and two rebounds in the win.
Tory Jackson only had 4 points the entire game but contributed with a spectacular eight assists. He also had five rebounds, a steal, and a block in 34 minutes of play.
The other contributors were Zach Hillesland with 6 points, Luke Zeller with 5, and Ryan Ayers also had 5 points. Jonathan Peoples also played in the game and has three assists in only 10 minutes of playing time.
As a team, the Irish made 53.8% of their shots and had 19 assists on 28 made shots. However, the only finished with 25 rebounds, which is very low for them, but it was enough in the end. They only had three offensive rebounds and only made five shots from behind the arc. It wasn’t a typical Mike Brey offense kind of game but a win is a win.
The Red Storm was led by Anthony Mason Jr. who finished with 16 points and missed two slam dunks. He hit 4 of the teams 5 three-pointers and had 2 rebounds. Freshman D.J. Kennedy was the only other player in double digits for St. John’s with 11 points. Norm Roberts played 10 different players last night and they each played at least eight minutes. As a team, they made 41.1% of their shots and had 31 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Irish are in great position now heading into the post season. They have only lost 6 games the entire year and will finish with four times as many wins if they beat South Florida on Saturday. It should be another easy victory for Mike Brey’s team and could possibly put them in second place in the conference. I’ll have a preview for that game in the next couple of days and as always, Go Irish!
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5th Mar 2008
Rob Kurz is set to play his last game in the Joyce Center tonight at 7:30 against St. John’s. He is a captain and the only senior on this young Fighting Irish team and has played well in his four years for Mike Brey. Rob is coming off one of his biggest games in which he scored 21 points in the win over DePaul and will look to keep his team undefeated this season at home. A win tonight would be the second season in a row that the Irish won every game in the JACC, extending the winning streak to 37 games. The Red Storm come into South Bend battling for the final Big East tournament spot with their 11-17 (5-11) record. They are tied with Providence and DePaul and desperately need a win but the 22-6 (12-4) Irish are not going to let that happen. They clinched a bye in the conference tournament with their win over DePaul and are now just trying to get the best seed possible.
St. John’s is coming off a thrilling victory over Seton Hall and hope to upset the Irish at home. They only have two players who average more than 10 points per game and one of them is a freshman. Anthony Mason Jr. is the leading scorer as a 6′7″ junior and averages 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Justin Burrell is the 6′8″ freshman out of the Bronx who averages 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds. Burrell weighs approximately 20 pounds less than Harangody and will have a tough time guarding the soon-to-be Big East Player of the Year. Other contributors for the Red Storm are sophomore guard Larry Wright and senior guard Eugene Lawrence.
As a team in the Big East, St. John’s is dead last in scoring and rebounding, and second to last in field goal percentage and three-point percentage. So obviously they are not the greatest team if you base them on the numbers but they have some motivation coming into this game. They want to make the conference tournament and who wouldn’t want to upset the Irish at home. I’m sure the Red Storm will give tremendous effort the entire game but Notre Dame’s offense is just too much to handle.
Luke Harangody has been phenomenal all season and has put himself in great position to win the Big East Player of the Year. He is currently averaging a conference best 21.1 points as well as a second best 10.5 rebounds per game. Many are considering Luke in their top five for National Player of the Year but he most likely won’t win that with names like Michael Beasley and Tyler Hansbrough also on the list. He should have another big game tonight against the Red Storm because of their lack of height and strength. I expect at least 25 points and 10 rebounds from Harangody this evening and I hope he can give Kurz some open looks when getting doubled.
Kyle McAlarney hasn’t shot as well from behind the arc since he hit 9 in the game against Syracuse. He is 4 of 16 from three in his last two games, only 25%. Hopefully he can pick his game up tonight and have another big showing in the final game in the JACC this season.
Tory Jackson hasn’t played as well either since he went on a four game hot streak including two double-doubles. It would be great to see him shoot some more but he always does when it’s needed. Tory has made some key shots that have completely swung the momentum towards the Irish. I would love to see another big game out of him before tournament time.
Mike Brey and company should capture the 37th win in a row at the Joyce Center tonight. I’m really hoping that Rob Kurz can have a big game for all that he has done in his four years for the Irish. The game will be on at 7:30 ET on ESPN regionally. If you can’t get it, check out ESPN360.com for a live stream if your ISP provides it. I’ll have a post-game article so check back and as always, Go Irish!
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3rd Mar 2008
Luke Harangody was named Big East Player of the Week today for the third time this season. This was by far his most impressive week with the 40 point game. He averaged 32.0 points in the loss to Louisville and win over DePaul while shooting an impressive 58.7%. His 40 points against the Cardinals is the highest on the season for any Big East player and was incredible to watch. Luke also averaged 10.5 rebounds in the two games and leads the Big East in that category for conference games. He’s averaging 23.6 points and 11.8 boards in Big East games while 21.1 and 10.5 in all contests.
It’s pretty safe to say that Harangody has locked up the race for Big East Player of the Year. He is only a sophomore and can score 20+ points against anyone while being undersized. The 6′8″, 250 pound forward has dominated seven-footers and has recently discovered a jump shot. He has been making some long range jump shots and even hit his first three pointers of his career. I’m not saying he should take those shots often, but if they are there, Luke can hit them. He has a very bright future and I hope that he will stay all four years under Mike Brey.
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2nd Mar 2008
Notre Dame 98
DePaul 91
The Fighting Irish recorded their 12th Big East victory today, a school record. This is the first time Notre Dame has won 12 games in the Big East, a very impressive number. They also clinched a bye in the conference tournament with the win and improved their record to 22-6 (12-4). That keeps them tied for third place in the Big East. DePaul on the other hand are battling to make the tournament and are now tied for the last spot (12th) with Providence and St. Johns. The Blue Demons stand at 10-18 (5-11) and need to win their last two games for a decent change of making the Big East tournament.
Luke Harangody once again led Notre Dame in scoring and rebounding but was not able to get another double-double. He had 24 points and 9 rebounds in the win and will still most likely be named Big East Player of the Week for the third time this season. He played well after his 40 point game against Louisville and did enough for Mike Brey today. Harangody is going to win Big East Player of the Year and his teammates helped him today unlike the game against the Cardinals. Luke also had three blocks on defense.
Lone senior and captain Rob Kurz had a great game this afternoon with 21 points. That’s his second highest this season, two points shy of matching his game against North Florida early in the year. He hit four of his five shots from beyond the arc and also grabbed 7 boards while playing outstanding defense. He had three of the teams seven blocks as well as two assists.
Another big man who stepped up today was 6′10″ junior Luke Zeller. He had 13 points, making 5 of his 6 shot attempts, including a trio of threes. Kyle McAlarney started off slow but finished with 13 points and three threes as well as four rebounds and three assists. Three other Irish players had 9 points, Tory Jackson, Zach Hillesland, and Ryan Ayers. Jackson played much better and had 7 rebounds and six assists. Hillesland also had six assists as well as three rebounds and a block. Ayers made all three of his attempts from beyond the arc and didn’t score anywhere else. Lastly, Jonathan Peoples has zero points but contributed with four assists.
As a team, Notre Dame shot incredibly well making 38 of their 68 attempts. That’s 55.9% on the afternoon and it’s largely due to their three-point shooting where the Irish made 13 of their 23 attempts (56.5%). They had a lot of assists, 24 total, and had two less rebounds than DePaul with 33.
DePaul’s freshman dominated on Senior Day and were responsible for the comeback attempt. Dar Tucker led the way with 28 points which includes six baskets from beyond the arc on nine attempts. He made big shots, got the crowd into the game, and has a really bright future. The other freshman is 6′10″ center Mac Koshwal, or Big Mac, who had 23 points and 10 rebounds. He is a captain in his first season and also has a very promising future. Other major contributors were Will Walker with 11 points and Jabari Currie with 10.
Notre Dame shut down the Blue Demons leading scorer, Draelon Burns, and held him to 9 points in his last game at the Allstate Arena. He only made 2 of his 10 shot attempts. As a team, DePaul made 46.5% of their shots and were down by as much as 28 points in the game. They are going to have a tough time making the Big East tournament now with games at Cincinnati and Pittsburgh remaining.
This was an important win for the Irish now that they have clinched a Big East bye. The record is also a nice accomplishment and should be extended to 14 games with two the conferences worst teams remaining. St. Johns is next on Wednesday and than South Florida on Satruday, the 8th. I’ll have a preview for the St. John’s game during the week and as always, Go Irish!
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2nd Mar 2008
Notre Dame will be facing the Blue Demons of DePaul for the second time this season at 1:00 PM ET today. The Irish will be hoping to bounce back from a five point loss to Louisville and get their record-breaking 12th Big East victory. A win over DePaul would give this team the Notre Dame record for most Big East wins in a regular season. The Blue Demons are hoping that they can snap their four game losing streak and get revenge on the Irish. DePaul is 10-17 (5-10) on the year while #17 Notre Dame is at 21-6 (11-4).
These two teams last faced one another exactly a month ago, February 2nd. Notre Dame won that game in the Joyce Center 89-80 thanks to Luke Harangody’s 29 points. Kyle McAlarney and Zach Hillesland were the only other Irish players in double-digits with 17 and 10. The Blue Demons stayed in the game with their three-point shooting, making 11 total in the game while the Irish only had 8. Dar Tucker led the way for DePaul in that game with 19 points coming off the bench, while Mac Koshwal had 18 and Draelon Burns had 17. Those three players still lead their team in scoring.
Heading into today’s game, Luke Harangody averages 21.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He is coming off of his Big East Player of the Year performance with 40 points and will try to continue this play against the Blue Demons. He dominated the last time these teams played and should be able to do that again at 1:00 to beat DePaul. He should have another big game, at least 20 points, in a relatively easy win for Mike Brey’s squad.
The game is at DePaul which may make it a closer game than I anticipate but in the end Notre Dame should come away with a victory. A loss would most certainly drop the Irish out of the rankings and possibly prevent them from getting a bye in the Big East tournament. With only three games left, Notre Dame needs to win every one to guarantee a bye as well as a decent seed in the NCAA tournament.
DePaul guard Draelon Burns is coming off of 31 point game in their loss to West Virginia. He made 7 of his 9 three-point attempts in that game and should be a major threat to the Irish today. ND has to prevent him from getting open looks from beyond the arc if they want to pull away in this game. He is a very talented leader of the team and could keep it close today.
Kyle McAlarney is coming off of one of his worst three-point shooting games. He only made 1 against Louisville and had only 7 points the entire night. If he is able to bounce back and make some shots, I guarantee a Notre Dame victory. Tory Jackson is also going to play better and score more than 3 points. He didn’t take many shots against the Cardinals and needs to get his confidence back up. Also, Ryan Ayers had a great game with 17 points and would be a big help if he can make his shots coming off of the bench.
This game will be televised on ESPN regionally this afternoon, so if you can, make sure to watch it. A strong performance would keep the Irish around #17 in the rankings because of the loss on Thursday. Let’s go beat DePaul and get another conference win. As always, Go Irish!
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29th Feb 2008
Louisville 90
Notre Dame 85
The Irish lost last night in Freedom Hall for their fourth conference loss on the season. They made a strong attempt at a comeback after being down by double digits nearly the entire game. But in the end, the Cardinals pulled through thanks to the leadership of David Padgett who guided the team the whole night. With the win, Louisville remains tied for first place in the Big East with their 23-6 (13-3) record. The Irish remain in third but are again tied with Connecticut with three conference games remaining. ND is currently 21-6 (11-4) and should finish the regular season with an additional three wins over DePaul, St. Johns, and South Florida.
Luke Harangody had the best game of his career and solidified the Big East Player of the Year award. He put in 40 points, a career high, while grabbing 12 rebounds for the Irish. That’s his 17th double-double this season and 25th game in a row with over ten points. He is such an incredible player and competitor. He made three, three-pointers at the end of the game, the firsts of his career, sparking Notre Dame’s comeback attempt. Luke played with unbelievable energy and will and kept Notre Dame within 20 points throughout the night. It was one of, if not the most impressive performance by a Notre Dame basketball player that I have ever seen. He is a great example of how the game should be played and will lead the Irish to great things.
The only other Irish player who played well is Ryan Ayers who came off of the bench and scored 17 points. He played 27 minutes and shot the ball extremely well with five threes on six attempts. Ryan also grabbed five rebounds in the loss and provided the only assistance for Luke Harangody.
Kyle McAlarney had possibly the worst game of his career with only 7 points while taking 14 shot attempts. He was 1 of 8 from beyond the arc and turned the ball over five times. Tory Jackson also had five turnovers, ten total for Notre Dame’s starting guards. As a team, the Irish turned the ball over 16 times, but it seemed like much more.
Louisville’s fullcourt press and aggressive defense rattled Mike Brey’s offense as soon as the game began. The Cardinals jumped out to a big lead very early in the game and kept it nearly the entire night. Notre Dame didn’t start making it’s run until there was less than four minutes left, but it was too late by than.
David Padgett got his team out front and kept them there with a team high 26 points. He also had six rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes of play. David was the focal point of the Cardinals offense, standing near the free throw line making the right passes and taking good shots. Other contributors for Louisville were Terrence Williams and Earl Clark with 14 points each and Andre McGee and Edgar Sosa with 10 a piece.
It wasn’t a fun game to watch as a Notre Dame fan, but it showed that they have the will to comeback when down by double digits. I’m positive the Irish have the ability to beat Louisville if they play again, but will need McAlarney and Jackson to perform much better. They could meet again in the Big East tournament, but for now, Mike Brey needs to focus on the last three games. DePaul is up next on Sunday at 1:00, so I will have a preview sometime before that. Incredible game Luke Harangody and as always, Go Irish!
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27th Feb 2008
Mike Brey and the Fighting Irish (#17) will be heading to Kentucky tomorrow night to take on the Cardinals of Louisville (#13/18). The game will start at 7:00 and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The Cardinals have a 1/2 game lead on the Irish in the Big East with their record of 22-6 (12-3). Notre Dame has won three games in a row and is currently third in the Big East at 21-5 (11-3). Both teams have lost three times in the conference and will battle for the top spot.
Louisville is currently tied for first with Georgetown who plays tonight. The Hoyas will be facing a St. John’s team that has lost four games in a row, so it shouldn’t be a difficult task. But if they do lose, the Cardinals will be solely in first and the Irish in second. Don’t count on that happening. So if Georgetown wins and Notre Dame wins, the Irish will still be 1/2 game behind first place.
It’s going to be a tough one for Mike Brey considering the Cardinals have won seven games in a row. They have only lost two at home this season, to Dayton and Cincinnati by a combined total of six points. So obviously it’s going to be a bit difficult.
Louisville last played on Sunday and barely escaped Pittsburgh. The Panthers lost by two at home in a very close game. I was hoping that Pitt would be able to pull through and snap the Cardinals winning streak, but now the Irish have the opportunity to do so.
Notre Dame is currently on a three game winning streak after losing at Connecticut. Before that they were on a five game winning streak. So that’s 8-2 in the last ten games for Mike Brey and the Fighting Irish. With a win tomorrow night, the Irish will be in excellent position heading into the tournaments.
Louisville averages 72.3 points per game while Notre Dame leads the Big East with 80.8. The Irish are still the top rebounding team with 43.1 per contest and the Cardinals are not far behind with an average of 38.1. Mike Brey’s team is number one is assists as well with 18.6 and Rick Pitino’s squad averages 14.9. The Irish also lead the Big East in free-throw percentage (73.9%) and three-point percentage (40.9%). The one thing that Louisville does better is on defense where they only allow 60.5 points per game while Notre Dame gives up an average of 69.3.
Rick Pitino’s Cardinals are another one of those teams that doesn’t have a single superstar. They win with balance on the offensive side of the ball. They have four players averaging over 10 points and zero over 12. Forward Terrence Williams leads the team with 11.3 and F/C David Padgett is second with 11.2. Padgett is a big kid at 6′11″, 250 pounds who will play real physical against Harangody. The other important players for Louisville are Jerry Smith, Earl Clark, and Edgar Sosa. They are a big experienced team who will be tough to beat.
Luke Harangody still leads the conference in points per game with 20.2 and is still in second in rebounds with 10.5. Kyle McAlarney will be looking to repeat his performance against Syracuse in which he scored 30 points. Both of these players have won Big East Player of the Week honors and should help the Irish win this game. Tory Jackson is coming off a slower game and if he plays well, Notre Dame will leave Kentucky victorious.
This game is a true test for Mike Brey and his team to prove to the country that they deserve a good seed. A win would be a huge confidence booster for the Irish as the tournaments approach. Make sure to check the game out tomorrow night at 7:00 ET on ESPN and as always, Go Irish!
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25th Feb 2008
Notre Dame guard Kyle McAlarney was named Big East Player of the Week for the second time this season. He had an average of 22.5 points in his last two games against Pittsburgh (15) and Syracuse (30). This was the highest average for any player in the Big East this week thanks to his 9 three-pointers against Syracuse. Kyle hit 9 of his 11 attempts beyond the arc against the Orangemen and only 3 of 10 in the win over the Panthers. The 9 three-pointers is a Notre Dame record for the most in a game.
He played all but 6 minutes combined in the victories and also contributed with 5 assists total for the games. McAlarney is just one of the many threats for the Irish which makes the team so great. Kyle McAlarney, Luke Harangody, Tory Jackson, and possibly others have the ability to step up at any time if others are having a rough game. Opponents often only focus on shutting down Luke Harangody and when that happens, McAlarney and/or Jackson picks their game up and leads the team. This is why Notre Dame will go far in the tournaments and upset some great teams. Congrats Kyle McAlarney and as always, Go Irish!
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