Feb. 17, 2005
The University of Notre Dame official athletics site, www.und.com , continues its tribute today to the school’s celebration of 100 Season of Basketball. Spanning the entirety of the college basketball season, www.und.com, will update this section of the site every weekday 100 times in an effort to highlight Notre Dame’s 100th Basketball Season in 2004-05.
The updates will change between trivia questions, quick bios from Notre Dame’s all-century team, various “On this date in Notre Dame Basketball” elements and more.
Also available this season is the book 100 Seasons of Basketball, produced by the University of Notre Dame Sports Information Office and Notre Dame Sports Properties. The book is available exclusively through the Notre Dame Bookstore (call 800-647-4641 or to go www.ndcatalog.com).
#74 (Friday, Feb. 18, 2005)
Notre Dame Basketball Trivia
Can you guess the longest home court win streak for the Irish in the Joyce Center (or ACC)?
A. 28 games
B. 16 games
C. 32 games
D. 24 games
The answer is D. 24 games. Notre Dame began the streak with a 94-68 win over Xavier on Feb. 3, 1973 and in-state rival Indiana ended the streak with a 94-84 victory over the Irish on Dec. 11, 1974.
Also – on this date in Notre Dame Basketball history –
Feb. 18, 1950 – In a 68-58 loss to DePaul in Chicago Stadium, Kevin O’Shea becomes the Notre Dame’s first 1,000-point scorer. The four-time All-American would finish with 1,065 career points.
Feb. 18, 1971 – With more than 19,000 people in attendance in Madison Square Garden, #14 Notre Dame is upset by #18 Fordham, 94-88. First-year Rams coach Digger Phelps emerges as the nation’s hottest young coach as the 29-year-old turns Fordham into a 26-3 outfit after finishing 10-15 the previous year. Phelps will be introduced as Notre Dame’s new coach on May 4 of 1971.
NEXT UPDATE:
#75 (Monday, Feb. 21, 2005)
Legend of the Hardwood – John Paxson
#73 (Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005)
Washington, D.C. Connection
Beginning with Brian Keller (St. John’s High), the second-leading scorer on the 1965-66 Irish, Notre Dame had a pipeline of talent from the Catholic high schools in Washington, D.C., area through the 1980s and 1990s. The D.C. connection – which now includes fifth-year head coach Mike Brey (a 1977 graduate of DeMatha High School) – included a veritable Who’s Who of recent Irish basketball:
Bob Whitmore (DeMatha)
Austin Carr (Macklin)
Collis Jones (St. John’s)
Sid Catlett (DeMatha)
Chris Stevens (St. John’s)
Adrian Dantley (DeMatha)
Don Williams (Macklin)
Tracy Jackson (Paint Branch, Maryland)
Tom Sluby (Gonzaga)
Cecil Rucker (Macklin)
Monty Williams (Potomac High School in Forest Heights, Md.)
Eight Notre Dame alumni – including University President Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C. – are included in an almanac called “D.C. Sports Heroes,” a 49-page book that lists more than 400 outstanding athletes, coaches, administrators, promoters and teams from Washington, D.C. Malloy, who played basketball for the Irish from 1960-63 is joined in the book by six other former Irish players – Carr, Catlett, Dantley, Jones, Whitmore and Don Williams.
In addition, former Irish football player Joe Howard (1981-84) is also in the book (Howard appeared on the Irish basketball team as a walk on during his time at Notre Dame).
Also – on this date in Notre Dame Basketball history –
Feb. 17, 1943 – After conducting practice, Irish head coach George Keogan goes home, sits down to read the evening paper and dies from a massive heart attack at age 52. He is the third Irish coach in 12 years to die “in office,” joining football’s Knute Rockne (1931 plane crash) and track’s John Nicholson (1940 heart attack).
Feb. 17, 1990 – Digger Phelps breaks into a impromptu “Victory Skip” en route to shaking hands with Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim after Elmer Bennett’s three-point basket at the horn gives the Irish a 66-65 upset of #4 Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. That triumph keys Phelps’ 14th NCAA Tournament bid at Notre Dame.
#72 (Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005)
McDonald’s All-Americans
Notre Dame’s 2004-05 team features two McDonald’s High School All-Americans – Torin Francis and Chris Thomas – and 13 total in the program’s history. Francis, a freshman forward from Roslindale, Mass., is the most recent McDonald’s All-American, following Thomas who earned McDonald’s accolades in 2001.
Francis was a starter for the East squad in the All-America contest played at Madison Square Garden in April 2002 as he finished with seven points and six rebounds. He also was named the recipient of the Morgan Wootten Award as the McDonald’s National Boys Player of the Year.
Here is a list of Irish players who have earned McDonald’s All-American honors:
Tim Andree (1979-83)
Ken Barlow (1982-86)
LaPhonso Ellis (1988-92)
Ryan Humphrey (2000-02)
Tracy Jackson (1973-77)
Tim Kempton (1982-86)
Dan Miller (2001-03)
John Paxson (1979-83)
David Rivers (1984-88)
Keith Robinson (1986-90)
Tom Sluby (1980-84)
Barry Spencer (1980-84)
Chris Thomas (2001-present)
Torin Francis (2002-present)
Also – on this date in Notre Dame Basketball history –
Feb. 16, 1898 – Notre Dame posts its first “official” basketball victory, 16-13, versus Rush Medical.
Feb. 16, 1974 – Notre Dame’s streak busting continues with a 72-68 triumph at #14 South Carolina, snapping the Gamecocks’ 34-game winning streak at home. John Shumate scores 26 while Gary Brokaw snares a career-high 15 rebounds.
#71 (Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005)
Fantasy Fives – the 1970s
This team represents the glory years of Notre Dame Basketball – and you can put all five of these players on the court against any toher team’s best five of the 1970s, and the Irish would be in contention for the national title.
The backcourt:
Gary Brokaw (1972-74)
Austin Carr (1968-71)
The frontcourt:
Adrian Dantley (1973-76)
Collis Jones (1968-71)
John Shumate (1972-74)
This decade represents the lone 10-year period in Notre Dame history when all five players were first-round NBA selections. Furthermore, Brokaw and Dantley became first-rounders after their junior seasons.
Carr and Dantley are one and two on Notre Dame’s all-time scoring list, with Carr’s 34.6 career average second only to LSU’s Pete Maravich in NCAA annals.
Overshadowed by Carr, Jones still averaged 20.9 points and 12.8 rebounds his last two seasons.
First-team All-American Shumate and Brokaw combined with Dantley in 1973-74 to lead the Irish to a 24-2 regular-season finish and #3 final ranking in the UPI poll (highest ever final ranking in a wire poll).
#70 (Monday, Feb. 14, 2005)
Legend of the Hardwood – Kevin O’Shea
Kevin O’Shea came to Notre Dame from San Francisco as the West Coast’s top prospect in 1946. He ended his career as the school’s first four-time All-American and basketball all-time leading scorer.
Known as “Comet”, O’Shea led the Irish to a 69-27 record in his four seasons, averaging 11.7 points per game. He played a leading role in Notre Dame’s legendary wins over NYU and Kentucky in 1948 in addition to helping the Irish post a 38-game win streak at the old Fieldhouse.
In 1950, O’Shea became the program’s first NBA first-round pick. He played three seasons for the Minneapolis Lakers/Hawks and Baltimore Bullets.
Previous 100 Years in 100 Days updates:
Week Eight (#50-#54) ND – UCLA ’74