Archive for the ‘Notre Dame Basketball’ Category

The men’s bball team took care of business again tonight with a 81-49 win over Savannah State.  The win was the 43rd in a row at the Joyce Center for Notre Dame and improves their record on the season to 9-2.  Here are some notes from the victory.

• Kyle McAlarney’s 8 points give him 1,002 career points making him the 49th player in Notre Dame history to eclipse 1,000 career points.
• Luke Harangody shot just 5 of 14 from the field but hit 13 of 14 free throws and led Notre Dame with 23 points and  13 rebounds.
• Tory Jackson and Ryan Ayers were the only other Notre Dame players in double figures with 10 points each.
• Tyrone Nash played just 14 minutes, but scored 9 points and collected 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.  Nash has been very productive in limited minutes this year and will hopefully continue to see more minutes.
• Notre Dame shot 34% in the first half as a team, but rebounded by hitting 67% from the field in the second half.
• Notre Dame committed just 6 fouls as a team in the game.
• The Irish held a 44-21 rebounding edge led by Harangody’s 13.
• Savannah State had just one player in double figures - Chris Linton with 14 points.
• This was the last non-conference game before Notre Dame open’s its Big East schedule against DePaul on New Year’s Eve.

Notre Dame’s hot streak shooting three’s came to an arupt end on Saturday in a 67-62 loss in Indianapolis.  Luke Harangody played (and played well) after missing the last two games with pneumonia. Here are some notes from the loss.

• Notre Dame hit just 7 of 19 three pointers in the game.
• Kyle McAlarney’s hot streak came to an end Saturday.  Despite playing all 40 minutes, McAlarney scored just 6 points and was 3 for 11 from the field (0 for 6 from 3 point range).
• Luke Harangody returned and led Notre Dame with 25 points and 16 rebounds.  Harangody did show some signs of rust though with 10 for 25 shooting from the field.
• Notre Dame recorded just 11 assists while turning the ball over 12 times.  This was the first time this year the Irish had more turnovers than assists.  The 11 assists were a season low and the 12 turnovers tied for the second most this season.
• Tory Jackson hit 3 of 5 three pointers and was the only other double digit scorer with 13 points.
• Notre Dame got just 5 points from the bench - all from Luke Zeller.
• The Irish had some troubles at the free throw line again.  Notre Dame was just 7 for 13 from the line.
• This was a tough loss for the Irish because they shot so poorly.  Despite the struggles shooting the ball, this was a one point game at one point in the final minute.
• A win would have looked very nice on a NCAA Tournament resume come seeding time.
• Here are some photos from the game from the official site.
• And here is a link to the box score.
• Notre Dame is off for a week with the next game coming Saturday, Dec 13 against Boston.  The Irish will look for consecutive home win #41.

According to Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune Mike Brey said that Luke Harangody is doubtful for Saturday’s showdown with Ohio State in Indianapolis.

“He’s improved,” Irish coach Mike Brey said during a teleconference Thursday. “(Wednesday) he lifted weights, shot a little bit, he’ll probably do a little bit of the same today. Maybe — maybe — he practices little bit (Friday) down there (in Indianapolis). We’re kind of going on with our preparation like we’re not going to have him. If something jumps up and surprises us in the next 48 hours, we’ll deal with it that way.”

Considering Harangody was diagnosed pneumonia just last week, a return for Saturday was always a bit optimistic.  It’s also probably wise for Brey to be extra cautious with playing him so that he does not suffer any setbacks and is 100% for the Big East schedule.  A win over Ohio State would look great on an NCAA Tournament resume, but that resume will look even better if we have a completely healthy Harangody come Big East schedule time.

Notre Dame made it 40 in a row in Joyce Center tonight with an easy win over South Dakota.  Here’s some notes from the win.

• Notre Dame is now 2-0 this year without Luke Harangody who remains out with pneumonia.
• Ryan Ayers dropped a career high 35 on South Dakota with some ridiculous three point shooting.  Ayers finished 9 of 14 from beyond the arc.  He added 6 boards and 3 assists too.
• Kyle McAlarney continues to shoot the lights out as well.  McAlarney was 7 of 13 from three point range and finished with 27 points - just missing out on a 3rd consecutive 30 point game.
• Tyrone Nash played 17 minutes and did very well.  He ended up with 9 points and 8 rebounds with 3 steals.  Give the kid more playing time and get him ready to contribute during the Big East schedule.
• Notre Dame set a school record with 19 three pointers.
• Zach Hillesland filled out his stat sheet tonight - 6 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals.
• Tory Jackson had a cold night shooting (0-6) but has 10 assists and 3 rebounds.  Jackson’s shooting has been up and down this year.  If he can develop a consistent jumper he’d be a truly elite point guard.
• Notre Dame spread the ball around extremely well again with 28 assists to just 12 turnovers.
• The Irish jumped out to a 60-30 lead at half time before letting up a bit in the second half.
• Next up for Notre Dame is Ohio State on Saturday.  The Buckeyes upset #22 Miami 73-68 on Tuesday night.

Kyle McAlarney has put on a shooting clinic over the past two games with 19 three pointers against North Carolina and Furman. His efforts have earned him a spot on this week’s Big East Honor Roll.

McAlarney recorded back-to-back 30-plus point outings for the first time since Troy Murphy in 2000. He had a career-high 39 points as he connected on 12-26 shots from the field and made a career-high and school record 10 three-point field goals in 18 attempts. Four nights later, McAlarney tallied 32 points, the fifth 30-plus point outing of his career, as he finished 11-20 from the field that included a 9-17 shooting performance from three-point range.

McAlarney almost single handily brought Notre Dame back into the North Carolina game.  With Luke Harangody not 100%, McAlarney picked up the slack with his career high 39 outburst against the Heels and played all but two minutes of the three game tournament.  His three point barrage against North Carolina was nothing short of ridiculous as he fired away from all over the court and made 3’s from very long range.

With Harangody out for at least another game and possibly more, look for McAlarney to continue to carry the scoring load for the Irish including tonight when the Irish host South Dakota.  Notre Dame will be looking for its 40th consecutive home win against the Coyotes.

The Men’s Basketball team improved to 7th in both the AP and Coach’s Polls this week after a strong showing at last week’s Maui Invitational.  Notre Dame beat then #7 ranked Texas before losing to #1 ranked UNC.  In the loss to the Tar Heels, however, the Irish were without a 100% healthy Luke Harangody who played but wasn’t himself.

The Big East is more than well represented in this week’s poll.  For the first time ever, the Big East has 8 teams in the AP Top 25 - #2 Connecticut, #3 Pittsburgh, #7 Notre Dame, #11 Louisville, #16 Syracuse, #17 Villanova, #20 Georgetown and #25 Marquette. This means that just under 1/3 of the top 25 basketball teams in the country are members of the 16 team Big East Conference.

This isn’t just the a first for the Big East either.  It’s a first for any conference.  Ever.

The Big East Tournament might be more entertaining than the actual NCAA Tournament this year.

Anyway, congrats to the hoops team for moving up a notch in both polls and look for them to be action again tonight against South Dakota in a tune game before Saturday’s showdown with Ohio State.

According to Brian Hamilton’s Chicago Tribune Blog, Notre Dame center Luke Harangody might be back in time for this month’s showdown with Ohio State in Indianapolis.

Irish coach Mike Brey said Saturday afternoon that Harangody’s pneumonia was diagnosed at an early enough stage that the junior almost certainly will return for a Dec. 13 game against Boston University. And there remains an outside chance that Harangody will be available for a critical non-conference matchup with Ohio State on Dec. 6 at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium.

“I think you just kind of take it day to day,” Brey said in a phone interview. “Certainly, certainly, he won’t be able to play in these two games (Sunday vs. Furman and Tuesday vs. South Dakota). Is there a possibility he could play against Ohio State – yeah, but we’re not going to push it. We’ll reevaluate it Wednesday, Thursday and see where he’s at.

Possibly having Harangody back in time for Ohio State is absolutely great news.  Ohio State hasn’t been tested yet this year, but they are a pretty formidable opponent and are currently just outside both the AP and Coach’s polls right now.  The OSU game is in 5 days with a tune up against South Dakota State in between.

Playing a top 25 caliber team without our leading scorer and rebounder is not something any Irish fan is looking forward to so let’s hope Brey isn’t just being overly optimistic.  A win over Ohio State would look nice on Notre Dame’s resume come March though.

Luke Harangody didn’t look himself in Wednesday’s loss to #1 UNC and for good reason.  The junior player of the year candidate was diagnosed with pneumonia according to an ESPN.com report.

Harangody, the Big East player of the year last season, became ill after scoring 29 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in No. 8 Notre Dame’s 81-80 victory over Texas (No. 7 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) on Tuesday in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.

Despite feeling ill, he had 13 points and seven rebounds in a 102-87 loss to top-ranked North Carolina in the championship game on Wednesday.

The official website also had an update on Luke Saturday night:

“There’s no timetable set right now in terms of when Luke is going to be able to play in a game,” Irish head coach Mike Brey said. “We’re going to be very careful and cautious with his illness. Our immediate concern is Luke and is health.”

So, yeah that sucks.  With the football team in the middle of yet another disappointing season the basketball team was ranked in the top 10 and looking like a legit contender in the Big East.  Luckily the next few games for Notre Dame should be winable without Harangody.  Furman and South Dakota State are the next two games for the Irish before a tough game against Ohio State in Indianapolis.  Boston U, Delaware State, and Savanagh State round out the out of conference schedule.  Without Harangody the Irish should still be able to get through that stretch and into the Big East schedule which starts in January 5-1.

Hopefully Harangody will be able to be back in time for the Big East schedule.  Here’s hoping for a speedy and full recovery for Luke.

Kyle McAlarney and Luke Harangody were named to the 2008 Maui Invitational All Tournament team after the Irish advanced to the tournament finals against North Carolina.  The Irish came up short in a 102-87 loss, but the two Irish stars were at the top of their games in the tourney.

McAlarney played all but two minutes of the entire tournament, but still had the energy to put on one of the best three point shooting displays I have ever seen Wednesday night.  McAlarney hit 10 of 18 three pointers against the Tar Heels and scored a career high 39 points.  He averaged 25.3 points and 3.7 assists in the tournament.  He also made 21 of 38 three pointers.

Harangody didn’t end his tournament the way he would have hoped, but still had a strong showing.  Harangody came down with a stomach flu and had to take 2 IV’s just to play Wednesday night.  Against UNC he totaled just 13 points and 7 rebounds, but averaged 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the tournament.  In the last two games he also recorded his first five blocks of the season.

Congrats to both Kyle and Luke.  Hopefully this is just the first of many accolades for these two and the Irish basketball team this year.

The Notre Dame men’s basketball team has a chance to do something tonight that the football team hasn’t done in 15 years and something they themselves havent done in 21 years - beat the #1 team in the country.  Last night’s win over #7 Texas has given the Irish a showdown with the #1 ranked Tar Heels.  The game will be live on ESPN tonight at 10pm and we’ll have a full recap on the homepage as well as game notes on the blog.

Tonight’s game represents a real opportunity for this program.  Mike Brey has done wonders with this team and has Notre Dame back into the national equation.  A win tonight would be enormous for the program and would be a real shot in the arm to Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts on the hardwood.  An upset of the Tar Heels would also look mighty impressive on an NCAA Tournament resume come seeding time this March.

Head on over to our Basketball Board to discuss the Irish hoops team as they embark on what could be one of the more exciting seasons in recent Notre Dame men’s bball history.  Also make sure to say hello to our new moderator over there, Jabbadoody5.

I’ll be in the UHND Chat Room during the game to talk about the game if anyone cares to join.

Go Irish and an early Happy Thanksgiving to you all!