Dec. 13, 2004
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).
#25 (Friday, Dec. 17, 2004)
Notre Dame Basketball Trivia
Who holds the Notre Dame career record for free throws made?
A. Troy Murphy
B. Adrian Dantley
C. Austin Carr
D. John Shumate
If you answered one of the first three, you have solid Notre Dame Basketball knowledge, as all three are ranked in the top four for free throws made. The answer is B. Adrian Dantley (pictured on the right) who converted 615 free throws from 1973-76. Murphy is next with 587, followed by David Rivers (583) and Austin Carr. Shumate ranks 25th with 258.
Also – on this date in Notre Dame Basketball history (which also includes dates that fall over the upcoming weekend) –
Dec. 18, 1971 – With the top seven players from the previous year graduated or disabled, sophomore John Shumate sidelined for the season with a blood clot and Johnny Dee recruits Gary Brokaw and Dwight Clay unable to suit up for the varsity squad because of NCAA freshman eligibility rules, the Irish suffer their worst defeat ever, 94-29, at Indiana. The Irish commit as many turnovers as they score points and shoot eight of 61 from the floor (13.1 percent) and 13 of 27 (48.1 percent) from the foul line.
Notre Dame would avenge the loss just two years later in Bloomington, ending a 19-game home court winning streak for the Hoosiers.
NEXT UPDATE:
#26 (Monday, Dec. 20, 2004)
The Hawk
#24 (Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004)
A basketball tie?
Basketball games are not supposed to end in ties, but on New Years Eve in 1935 Notre Dame and Northwestern played a game that ended with the score deadlocked.
Notre Dame was down 20-14 with less than 10 minutes left and its comeback attempt had apparently fallen one point short at the end of the game. Both the Notre Dame and Northwestern scorekeepers and the gym scoreboard had the score at 20-19.
The scorekeepers had forgotten, however, to record a free throw made by Ray Meyer near the end of the game and before the mistake could be corrected both teams were showering and there was no way to get them to finish the game.
After failing to set up a date to finish the game, the two schools finally decided to put it in the books as a 20-20 tie.
Also – on this date in Notre Dame Basketball history –
December, 1912 – To aid the budget, Jesse Harper is hired as athletics director and head coach of all four varsity sports (football, basketball, baseball and track) during this month in ’12. Harper finishes 34-5-1 in football, 44-20 in basketball and 68-21 in baseball during his 1913-17 stint.
#23 (Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004)
Fantasy Fives – The 1930s
As part of 100 Seasons of Basketball, produced by the University of Notre Dame Sports Information Department, `Fantasy Fives’ were developed for each decade of Irish basketball. Today, we look back at the `Fantasy Five’ for the 1930s.
Backcourt:
Earl Brown (1937-39)
George Ireland (1934-36)
Frontcourt:
Ed “Moose” Krause (1931-34) – Led Irish in scoring all three years (7.7 as a sophomore, 10.1 as a junior and 8.5 as a senior) … earned three letters in football as the starting left tackle in 1932 and 1933 … spent 32 years as Notre Dame athletic director from 1948-80.
Johnny Moir (1935-38) – Averaged 11.2 as a sophomore, 13.2 as a junior and 10.5 as a senior … scored 25 points in a 43-27 win over Pittsburgh and also had 24 vs. Syracuse … never played basketball until he enrolled at Notre Dame.
Paul Nowak (1935-38) – Averaged 7.0 as a sophomore, 7.2 as a junior and 7.5 as a senior … helped Notre Dame to a 62-6 record in his three seasons.
Through 2004, college basketball had 18 three-time consensus All-Americans. Krause, Moir and Nowak were three of them. Krause is enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Moir was named National Player of the Year as a sophomore and teamed with Nowak to lead the Irish to the 1936 Helms Foundation national title.
The head coach of the 1963 NCAA Tournament champion Loyola (Ill.), three-year starter Ireland provided senior leadership for the ’36 Helms Foundation champions.
Brown succeeded Ireland at guard and was a three-year starter for teams that finished 55-12.
Also – on this date in Notre Dame Basketball history –
Dec. 15, 1917 – Obligated to be at a football conference, head basketball coach Jesse Harper can’t attend the basketball season opener at Purdue, so he sends his football assistant, Knute Rockne, as acting coach. Rockne’s future football coaching excellence does not show on this day, however, as Notre Dame trails 37-2 at halftime en route to a 48-12 loss.
#22 (Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2004)
2002 – Irish & Hoyas Battle for Four OTs
Notre Dame’s four-overtime thriller against Georgetown at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2002, marked the longest game in Notre Dame and BIG EAST Conference history.
The 116-111 Notre Dame victory was replayed as an `Instant Classic’ on ESPN less than a week later.
The contest produced some staggering numbers and took nearly three hours to complete. Freshman PG Chris Thomas played the entire 60 minutes of the contest and finished with 22 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. His basket with 1:56 remaining in the fourth overtime gave Notre Dame the lead for good. Matt Carroll finished with a career-best 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 55 minutes of action. Ryan Humphrey scored 23 points with 14 rebounds, while Harold Swanagan was the fourth Irish played to record a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
#21 (Monday, Dec. 13, 2004)
Diamond in the Rough – Pat Garrity
The season records were15-12, 9-18, 16-14 and 13-14. Pat Garrity arrived on campus in 1994 a year before the Irish joined the BIG EAST Conference and with the program struggling through its lowest phase in school history. Garrity felt the sting of all 58 losses (against 53 wins) as he started and played in all 111 games during his four years in the Joyce Center.
One of the most underrated players in Notre Dame basketball history, Garrity’s named appears all over the Irish record books. Third-best scorer (2,085 points). Top 25 in rebounds (776), assists (222), blocks (64) and steals (84). One of the most accurate shooters from any spot on the floor. A first-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Bucks (19th overall).
Garrity also was the perfect example of a Notre Dame student-athlete, earning a post-graduate scholarship from the NCAA and the first to earn a NACDA scholarship. He also was a perennial CoSIDA Academic All-American and earned Notre Dame’s first BIG EAST Player of the Year award in 1997.
History will perhaps show that Garrity’s decision to come to Notre Dame during its darkest time and his eventual outstanding success might have laid the true foundation for the re-emergence of the Irish program in the late 90’s and into the new millennium.
Also – on this date in Notre Dame Basketball History –
Dec. 13, 1937 – Disgusted with his team’s performance and his won motivational skills, Notre Dame head coach George Keogan turns the squad over to injured captain Ray Meyer at halftime when the Irish trail Wisconsin. Keogan watches the rest of the game from the stands and sees the Meyer-led unit rally for a 33-31 victory.