#22/20 Notre Dame Set For First-Ever Meeting With UMBC

Dec. 21, 2010

#22/20 Notre Dame vs. UMBC
Wednesday, Dec. 22 º 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center º Notre Dame, Ind.

Radio: (Broadcast also on UND.com)
Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
Jordan Cornette (analyst)

Complete Notes in PDF Format

Irish Set For First-Ever Meeting Against UMBC

• Notre Dame will wrap up its non-conference slate on Wednesday as the Fighting Irish play host to UMBC in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
• The Fighting Irish are coming off an 88-62 victory over Stony Brook on Sunday. Notre Dame is off to a 10-1 start for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign.
• Following the game against UMBC, Notre Dame will have a six-day layoff for Christmas before playing host to Georgetown on Dec. 29 in the BIG EAST opener.
• UMBC is 0-11 this season. The Retrievers fell at Morgan State 75-62 on Saturday. UMBC has played one other BIG EAST Conference foe this season. The Retrievers fell at Connecticut 94-61 on Dec. 3.
• UMBC is a member of the America East Conference. The Retrievers are one of three America East teams on Notre Dame’s 2010-11 slate. The Irish defeated America East foe Maine 97-72 on Nov. 22 and Stony Brook 88-62 on Sunday.
• The Irish are 13-0 against current teams from the America East Conference, including this season’s victories over Maine and Stony Brook.
• The Fighting Irish are ranked 20th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. That is Notre Dame’s highest ranking of the season. The Irish are 22nd in the Associated Press poll.

Irish On A Roll

• Notre Dame is 16-3 in its last 19 games dating back to last season. Following a double-overtime loss to Louisville (91-89) in Freedom Hall on Feb. 17, 2010, the Irish won their final four regular-season games in 2009-10 (Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Connecticut and Marquette) and won two games in the BIG EAST Tournament (Seton Hall and Pittsburgh) before losing to West Virginia in the conference championship semifinals and to Old Dominion in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Starting Strong

• Notre Dame is off to a 10-1 start for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign. That Irish squad opened the season with a 13-1 record. That also was the only season during Notre Dame’s BIG EAST era that the Irish suffered just one regular-season non-conference loss. That setback came in the second game of the season to Butler, 71-69.
• Notre Dame’s loss to Kentucky on Dec. 8 was the latest calendar date the Irish had suffered their first setback of the season since the 1979-80 campaign. Notre Dame started that season 7-0 before suffering its first loss to Kentucky (86-80) on Dec. 29, 1979.
• Notre Dame’s 8-0 start was the fifth in program history and the first since the 1973-74 campaign. That Irish squad opened 12-0. (see box on page 3 of this notes packet for detailed information on undefeated starts).
• Notre Dame’s 8-0 start was the best ever for the Irish under head coach Mike Brey and it also matched the longest win streak for an Irish team coached by him. Notre Dame’s last eight-game win streak came during Brey’s first season when his 2000-01 squad rattled off eight straight BIG EAST conference regular-season victories.

A Perfect Night For Scott

• Carleton Scott was a perfect 8-8 from the field, including 4-4 from three-point range, against Stony Brook on Sunday. The four made three-pointers were a career-high total. His previous high was three on four occasions. He also dished out a career-high five assists versus the Seawolves.
• Scott’s 8-8 performance ranks in a tie for third all-time in program history. John Shumate was 9-9 versus Louisville on March 20, 1973, in the second round of the NIT. Keith Robinson also went 9-9 against UCLA on Dec. 17, 1989. Torin Francis was 8-8 versus Maryland on Dec. 7, 2002. Matt Carroll owns the three-point perfection record as he went 6-6 against Tennessee-Chattanooga on Nov. 24, 2001.

Consistency From Carleton

• With his 20 points against Stony Brook on Sunday, Carleton Scott now has scored in double figures in the past nine games, which is the longest double-digit scoring streak on the team this season. It also is a career-best streak for Scott. He has reached double-digits 13 times in his career.
• Scott was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday for his performance against Stony Brook. It was his second-ever selection to the league’s honor roll.
• The 20-point effort against Stony Brook was Scott’s second straight game (and second of his career) with 20 or more points. He netted a career-high 23 points versus Gonzaga on Dec. 11.
• Scott is the third Irish player to score 20-plus points in a game this season. Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough are the others.
• Scott leads the team with three double-doubles this season.

A Passing Grade

• Notre Dame ranks second nationally with a 1.76 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Irish have registered 202 assists on its 284 made field goals this season (.711). The Fighting Irish have just 115 turnovers and they rank seventh in the country in fewest turnovers per game (10.5).
• Against Stony Brook on Sunday, Notre Dame eclipsed the 20-plus assist mark for the fifth time this season by dishing out 28 assists on 34 made field goals. The Irish had a season-high 29 assists (on 34 made field goals) versus Chicago State (Nov. 17).
• Senior guard Ben Hansbrough leads the Irish with 45 assists (4.1 apg). Freshman point guard Eric Atkins is second with 38 (3.5 apg). Atkins has a team-best 2.71 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 33rd nationally.

Hansbrough Staying Hot

• Senior guard Ben Hansbrough has scored in double-figures a team-best 10 times this season. He has led the team in scoring a team-high five times this season.
• He netted a career-high 24 points against Indiana State on Nov. 30 and followed that up with a team-high 21 points against Kentucky on Dec. 8.
• Hansbrough has scored 20-plus points four times this season and 11 times in his career (seven times at Notre Dame). Hansbrough has reached double-digits 59 times in his career, including 33 times with the Irish.
• He is first on the team with a 15.8 ppg. average this season. Hansbrough also has a team-best 45 assists (4.1 apg) and a team-high nine steals.
• Hansbrough currently ranks seventh nationally in three-point field goal percentage by shooting at a 51.7% clip (31-60) from beyond the arc.

Spreading The Wealth

• Four different Notre Dame players have led the team in scoring during a game this season. Ben Hansbrough has led the Irish in scoring a team-best five times, while Carleton Scott has done so three times, including one tie with Eric Atkins. Tim Abromaitis also has led the team in points three times.
• On seven occasions this season, Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in points in the same game. At least five players have reached double-digits in the same contest three times.
• Six Notre Dame players (Abromaitis, Nash, Scott, Hansbrough, Cooley, Martin) reached double figures in points against Maine. It marked the first time the Irish had six double-digit scorers since Jan. 14, 2003 (vs. DePaul).
• All five Notre Dame starters reached double-figures against Chicago State, Maine and Indiana State.

Veteran Presence

• Seniors Tim Abromaitis (F), Ben Hansbrough (G), Scott Martin (G), Tyrone Nash (F) and Carleton Scott (F) have started have started 10 of Notre Dame’s 11 games this season. The only game that quintet did not start was Chicago State (Nov. 17) when Martin was out with back spasms.

First Half Flurry

• Notre Dame opponents are averaging just 28.1 points in the first half this season. Notre Dame is averaging 39.8 points during the first stanza.
• The Fighting Irish have scored 40-plus points in the first half of play seven times this season.
• The Irish have trailed just once at halftime this season. Georgia led Notre Dame 37-25 at the intermission during the first round of the Old Spice Classic (Nov. 25). The Irish came back to win in double-overtime, 89-83.

Eclipsing 80

• Notre Dame has scored 80 or more points in a game seven times this season. The Irish rank 21st nationally by averaging 80.3 points per game.

Living Large At The Line

• The Fighting Irish have 63 more made free throws than their opponents have attempts from the charity stripe. The Fighting Irish are 226-308 (.734) from the free throw line this season, while their opponents are 113-163 (.693).
• During the Old Spice Classic, Notre Dame held a decisive free throw advantage in all three games. The Irish made 20 more free throws than both Georgia (30-10) and California (26-6). Notre Dame made 16 more free throws (20-4) than Wisconsin in the title game.
• Notre Dame went a combined 13-14 from the charity stripe during both overtime periods in the 89-83 triumph of Georgia. The Irish made a season-high 30 free throws, on 43 attempts, versus Georgia.
• Carleton Scott is shooting a team-best 85.7% (24-28) from the line, while Tim Abromaitis owns an 84.5% (49-58) average. Tyrone Nash owns team-high totals in makes (55) and attempts (76) from the line for a 72.4% average. Nash entered this season as a career 56.7% shooter from the charity stripe (110-194).
• Against Maine, Notre Dame shot a season-best 92.6% from the free throw line (25-27). The Fighting Irish also shot above 90% from the charity stripe against Stony Brook as they connected on 11 of 12 shots (91.7%).

Shooting Stars

• Notre Dame has shot over 50% from the field in three of its last four games. The Irish shot 54.0% (34-63) against Stony Brook on Sunday. That performance followed a 50.0% (24-48) shooting effort against Gonzaga. Notre Dame also surpassed 50% against Indiana State (Nov. 30) as the Irish shot 53.8% (28-52).
• The Fighting Irish shot a season-best 57.7% (30-52) from the field versus Maine on Nov. 22.

Hitting The Glass

• Notre Dame ranks 11th nationally in rebound margin (+9.2). The Fighting Irish have out-rebounded their opponents in 10 of 11 games this season. Kentucky was the only team to out-rebound the Irish as the Wildcats held a 42-34 edge in boards. Notre Dame owns a 453-352 advantage on the glass. That mark includes a 133-107 edge in offensive boards.
• Tim Abromaitis has a team-best 79 rebounds (7.2 rpg), while Carleton Scott is second with 78 (7.1 rpg). Tyrone Nash has a team-high 25 offensive rebounds.

Abro On Attack

• Tim Abromaitis has five games with 20-plus points this season, including a game-high 22-point effort against Stony Brook on Sunday. The five games with 20-plus points is a team-high total.
• His three-game stretch of 20-plus point efforts this season versus Chicago State (21), Maine (26) and Georgia (25) marked the first time that he’s hit for 20 or more points in three straight games during his Notre Dame career. He has 13 career games with 20 or more points.
• Abromaitis has scored in double figures in nine of 11 games this season. The only times he was held under 10 points were against California ( 7 pts.) and Kentucky (4 pts.). The senior forward has 37 career games in double figures.
• He is second among all Irish players with a 15.6 ppg. average this season. Abromaitis has a team-best 79 rebounds (7.2 rpg).

Rookie On The Rise

• Versus Gonzaga (Dec. 11), freshman point guard Eric Atkins matched a career-high total with 12 points in addition to hauling down a career-high seven rebounds. It was the third time that he’s netted 12 points in a game (Chicago State and Wisconsin were the other two occasions). Atkins has scored in double-figures four times this season.
• Against Chicago State on Nov. 17, Atkins became the first Irish freshman to start a game since Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson started against Winthrop in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
• By scoring 10 points against Liberty (Nov. 14) and 12 more versus Chicago State (Nov. 17), Atkins became the first Irish freshman to reach double figures in consecutive games since Harangody did so during the 2006-07 campaign.
• Atkins is averaging 7.0 points per game and he is second on the team with 38 assists (3.5 apg). He is averaging 27.9 minutes per game and boasts a team-best 2.71 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 33rd in the country.
• Atkins has registered five-plus assists in a game three times this season, including his five versus Stony Brook on Sunday.

Draining From Deep

• Notre Dame went 11-20 from three-point range against Gonzaga. That marked the fourth time this season the Irish have hit 10-plus treys in a game.
• The Irish drained 10 or more three pointers in three straight games earlier this season. Notre Dame went 10-28 from behind the arc against Liberty (Nov. 14) and followed that up with 12 treys, on 31 attempts, against Chicago State (Nov. 17). Notre Dame also hit 12 three-pointers, on 18 attempts, versus Maine on Nov. 22.
• Notre Dame went 8-11 from three-point range in the first half against Maine on Nov. 22. The eight made treys matched a season-high total for a half for the Irish. Notre Dame made eight three-pointers in the second half versus Chicago State.
• The Fighting Irish are 89-235 (.379) from three-point range this season.
• Ben Hansbrough currently ranks seventh nationally in three-point field goal percentage by shooting at a 51.7% clip (31-60) from beyond the arc. Dating back to last season, Hansbrough has made at least one three-pointer in a team-best 15 straight games. That is the longest such stretch for the Irish since Tim Abromaitis netted a trey in 29 consecutive games last season.

385 And Counting

• Heading into the UMBC contest, Notre Dame has made at least one three-pointer in 385 straight contests dating back to the 1998-99 campaign. The Fighting Irish have made at least one three pointer during every game of the Mike Brey era. The last time an Irish team failed to hit a three-pointer in a game was in a 101-70 loss to Connecticut at the Hartford Civic Center on Jan. 12, 1999. Notre Dame finished 0-7 from beyond the arc in that contest. In 2008-09, the Irish set a single-season three-point record with 319.

Block Party

• Senior forward Carleton Scott has a team-best 20 blocked shots this season (1.8 per game).
• Scott’s two blocked shots against Kentucky (Dec. 8) marked the seventh time this season he has blocked at least two shots in a game.
• Scott tied a career-high total with a season-high four blocked shots against Indiana State (Nov. 30).

Martin Makes An Impact

• Senior guard Scott Martin matched a season-high total with 15 points against Indiana State on Nov. 30. He also tallied 15 points versus Maine (Nov. 22). Those were his highest point outputs since he netted a career-high 17 points against Missouri State on Dec. 23, 2007, during his freshman season at Purdue.
• Martin did not play in 2008-09 due to NCAA transfer rules and he missed all of last season with an ACL injury.
• Martin reached double figures again with 11 points, to go along with six rebounds, against California (Nov. 26). He hauled down a season-high seven rebounds against Wisconsin (Nov. 28).

Tyrone Takes Control

• Senior forward Tyrone Nash netted a career-high 18 points versus Georgia on Nov. 25 during the first round of the Old Spice Classic. He followed that up with an 11-point effort against California (Nov. 26). That was his fifth straight game in double figures. It was the first time in his career that he reached double figures in five consecutive contests.
• Nash has two double-doubles this season. He registered 11 points and 10 rebounds, in addition to seven assists, versus Chicago State (Nov. 17) and followed that with 13 points and 11 boards against Maine (Nov. 22).
• Nash’s points-per-game total (10.5) ranks fourth among all Irish players. He is third on the team with 34 assists (3.1 apg) and 65 rebounds (5.9 rpg). Nash has a team-high 25 offensive rebounds.

Home Cooking

• Notre Dame opened the season by playing its first four games at home and will play eight of its 12 non-league opponents at home before opening up BIG EAST play on Wednesday, Dec. 29 against Georgetown.

Home Court Advantage

• Notre Dame has won 76 of its last 82 (.927) home games and is 31-5 (.861) in its last 36 BIG EAST regular-season home contests.

Old Spice Champions

• Notre Dame won the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. (Nov. 25-28) by capturing wins over Georgia (89-83 in 2ot), California (57-44) and Wisconsin (58-51). It marked the first three-game in-season tournament victory for the Fighting Irish since winning the 2001 Hawaii-Pacific Thanksgiving Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii as the Irish defeated Hawaii-Pacific (98-58), Tennessee-Chattanooga (97-84) and Monmouth (85-48). Notre Dame also won the 2002 BB&T Classic in Washington, DC with wins over Maryland (79-67) and Texas (98-92).
• Notre Dame has played in an in-season tournament in each of the past five seasons and eight times during the Mike Brey era. Notre Dame is 18-6 all-time under Brey in in-season tournaments.
• In the Old Spice Classic, the Irish held California and Wisconsin to five and 19 points, respectively, in the first half of play.
• Notre Dame held California (16-61) and Wisconsin (20-57) to a combined 36-118 (.305) from the field during the final two games of the Old Spice Classic.
• Notre Dame out-rebounded Wisconsin 43-28 in the title game of the tournament.
• Senior forward Tim Abromaitis was named the MVP of the Old Spice Classic as he averaged 14.0 ppg. and 8.7 rpg. during the three-game run. Fellow senior forward Carleton Scott also was named to the all-tournament team. Scott was the only Irish player to reach double figures in points during every game of the event.

On A Run

• Notre Dame used several key runs during the Old Spice Classic to secure the tournament title.
• After falling behind Georgia 38-25 early in the second half, Notre Dame erased the deficit by going on a 27-10 run to claim a four-point lead with 7:22 left in regulation. The Irish wound up winning 89-83 in double-overtime.
• After surrendering the game’s first basket to California, the Irish went on to hold a 21-5 halftime advantage over the Golden Bears. The Irish defeated Cal 57-44.
• In the championship game, Notre Dame trailed Wisconsin 43-32 with 9:21 left in regulation. The Fighting Irish finished the game on a 26-8 run to claim the 58-51 victory. Included in that stretch was a 15-0 run for the Irish.

BIG EAST Teams Find Success In Preseason Tournaments

• Notre Dame won the Old Spice Classic and was one of six BIG EAST teams to come away with an in-season tournament title during the month of November.
• Champions
  Connecticut – EA Sports Maui Invitational
  Pittsburgh – 2K Sports Classic
  Notre Dame – Old Spice Classic
  Syracuse – Legends Classic
  Georgetown – Charleston Classic
  St. John’s – Great Alaska Shootout
  Runner-Up
  Villanova – Preseason NIT Tip-Off
  West Virginia – Puerto Rico Tip-Off

Double-Double Times Three

• Tim Abromaitis, Tyrone Nash and Carleton Scott all notched a double-double in the win over Chicago State on Nov. 17. It marked the first time three Irish players all recorded a double-double in the same game since Jan. 23, 2010, versus DePaul when Luke Harangody Ben Hansbrough and Nash accomplished the feat.

Hansbrough Hits 1,000 Career Points

• Senior guard Ben Hansbrough posted 20 points in the season opener against Georgia Southern (Nov. 12). With his 12th point of the contest, Hansbrough reached the 1,000th point mark for his career that spans two playing seasons at Mississippi State (2006-08) and one at Notre Dame (2009-10).

Ironmen

• Tim Abromaitis, Ben Hansbrough and Tyrone Nash all have played in the past 46 contests. Nash and Hansbrough both have started all 46 of those contests. Overall, Nash has played in a team-best 61 straight contests. The last game he did not play in was at Cincinnati on Feb. 4, 2009.

Jack Attack

• Sophomore forward Jack Cooley scored a career-high 13 points on 6-7 shooting from the field against Maine on Nov. 22. It was the second double-digit scoring output this season for Cooley, who netted a then career-high 11 points versus Georgia Southern in the season opener. Cooley is 21-33 (.636) from the field this season.

Impressive Opening Debut

• With its 98-61 win over Georgia Southern, Notre Dame now is 88-18 (.830) in season openers and 37-6 (.860) all-time in openers at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
• Irish teams now are 11-0 all-time in season openers under head coach Mike Brey.
• The 98 points put up by the Irish were the highest point total in a season opener since a 99-53 victory over New Hampshire to start the 2001-02 season.
• The 37-point margin of victory was the largest in a season opener since a 43-point win (92-49) against IPFW to start the 2006-07 campaign.
• The 62 points scored by the Irish in the first half en route to a 62-23 halftime lead matched the most ever by Notre Dame team under head coach Mike Brey. Previously, Notre Dame had 62 points in the first half against Loyola-Chicago on Nov. 22, 2000.

Novembers To Remember

• Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey never has lost a home game in November during his 10-plus seasons with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is 35-0 all-time at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center in November under Brey.
• Notre Dame teams traditionally have played well under Brey during the month of November. In his 11 seasons on the Irish bench, Brey’s teams have compiled a 49-7 (.875) record.

Tom Knight Gets Into The Act

• After sitting out all of last season, sophomore forward Tom Knight scored the first points of his career in the season opener against Georgia Southern as he finished with seven points and four rebounds in nine minutes of action.

Irish Take Shot At Fifth Straight 20-Win Campaign

• Notre Dame will be aiming for its fifth consecutive 20-win campaign and eighth in the last 11 seasons under head coach Mike Brey. The last time Irish teams reached the 20-win mark in five straight campaigns was from 1983-89 when those Notre Dame squads under Digger Phelps strung together six consecutive 20-win seasons.

Postseason Stretch

• Notre Dame has earned appearances in the postseason in each of the last 11 years, which marks the longest stretch in school history. The Irish have been to the NCAA Tournament on six occasions and the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) five times during this current stretch. Under head coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame has played in the NCAAs six times and NIT four times.

BIG EAST Formula For Success

• Since his arrival at Notre Dame, head coach Mike Brey has led the Irish to a 98-68 (.590) record in BIG EAST regular-season games and a 6-10 mark in tournament play for an overall record of 104-78 (.571) against league foes. Brey’s Irish teams have won 10 or more conference regular-season games in six of his 10 seasons. Prior to his arrival at Notre Dame, Irish teams had just a 35-53 (.398) regular-season record from 1995-2000.

BIG EAST Turnaround

• During head coach Mike Brey’s tenure, Irish teams have only had two losing seasons in BIG EAST play – 6-10 in 2005-06 and 8-10 in 2008-09. Since the 2005-06 campaign when the Irish finished 6-10 after beginning the BIG EAST regular-season with a 1-8 record, Notre Dame has gone 48-29 (.623) over the last 77 regular-season contests. In addition to Notre Dame, only four other BIG EAST teams have had records of .500 or better eight or more times – Pittsburgh and Syracuse (nine times) and Notre Dame, Connecticut and Villanova (eight times).

BIG EAST Repeats

• For the fourth consecutive season, Notre Dame will meet Connecticut in a home-and-home series during the 2010-11 BIG EAST regular season. In addition to the Huskies, the Irish also are slated to play Marquette and St. John’s twice this season. This will be the fourth year since the expansion to 16 teams that the Conference will employ an 18-game regular-season slate with all team playing each other once and three opponents twice in a home-and-away format. Notre Dame’s single-game home opponents will be Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Villanova. The road slate also will feature visits to DePaul, Pittsburgh, Providence, USF, Syracuse and West Virginia.

Irish To Appear On Three BIG Monday Broadcasts

• As part of its 18-game national television slate in 2010-11, Notre Dame will be part of three ESPN Big Monday broadcasts. The first appearance for the Fighting Irish will be when head coach Mike Brey’s squad travels to the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis., to take on Marquette at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Jan. 10 in a game that will be shown on ESPN2. Notre Dame’s matchup at Pittsburgh on Jan. 24 at 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Petersen Events Center will be shown on ESPN. The ESPN Big Monday cameras will make their only appearance at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Feb. 28 when the Irish take on Villanova.

Lights, Camera, Action

• More than half of the 144 regular-season BIG EAST Conference men’s basketball games will be seen on national television during the 2010-11 season, once again giving BIG EAST teams unprecedented exposure on the nation’s leading television outlets. In total, 73 of the regular-season contests will be on national television – either on CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. This will mark the fourth straight season in which all 144 regular-season league games will be televised.

106 Years Young

• The 2010-11 campaign marks the 106th season of basketball at Notre Dame and the 16th season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. Notre Dame teams have posted a 1684-921 record for a .646 winning percentage. In 15 seasons as a member of the BIG EAST, the Irish own a 133-121 (.523) record all-time in conference regular-season play.

The Captains

• Seniors Tim Abromaitis, Ben Hansbrough, Tyrone Nash and Carleton Scott will serve as captains during the 2010-11 season. All four are captains for the first time in their careers.

Elder Statesman

• Mike Brey is in his 11th season along the Irish sidelines and is the third-longest tenured coach in the BIG EAST, behind only Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Jim Calhoun of Connecticut. Brey stands sixth all-time in the BIG EAST with 100 victories (104-78 overall that includes regular-season and tournament contests). He is the sixth coach in BIG EAST history to record 100 conference wins.

BIG EAST All-Time Winningest Coaches By Victories
(Includes conference regular-season and championship games)

Basketball Bloodlines

• This year’s Notre Dame roster features several players with some strong basketball bloodlines:
• • Tim Abromaitis – His father, Jim, played basketball at the University of Connecticut (1975-80) and was drafted by the New Jersey Nets. His brother, Jason, played basketball at Yale (2003-07).
  • Mike Broghammer – His uncle, Christian Laettner, played professional basketball for 13 seasons and was a member of the 1992 gold medal Dream Team. He played for Duke University (1988-92) and led the Blue Devils to national championships in 1991 and 1992.
  • Joey Brooks – His father, Lott J. Brooks, III, played college basketball at Eckerd College (1974-78).
  • Jerian Grant – His father, Harvey, played basketball at the University of Oklahoma (1986-88), and was the 12th pick overall in the 1988 NBA Draft and played from 1988-99 in the NBA. His uncle, Horace Grant, played at Clemson, and was the 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He is the owner of four NBA championship rings. His older brother, Jerai, is a senior on the Clemson basketball team, while a younger brother, Jerami is a junior on the DeMatha basketball team.
  • Ben Hansbrough – His brother, Tyler, played basketball at the University of North Carolina (2005-09). A three-time All-American, he was the 2008 National Player of the Year and led the Tar Heels to the 2009 national championship. Currently, he is in his second season with the Indiana Pacers, and was the 13th pick overall in the 2009 NBA Draft.
  • Tom Knight – His father, Karl, played basketball at Bowdoin (1976-80).

DeMatha Connection

• Jerian Grant is the first Irish basketball player from DeMatha High School to attend Notre Dame during the Mike Brey era. Brey played and coached at DeMatha and also is the alma mater of assistant coach Rod Balanis. Former Irish players who also played at DeMatha include Bob Whitmore (1967-69), Sid Catlett (1969-71) and Adrian Dantley (1974-76).

Irish Ink One For 2011s

• Pat Connaughton, a 6-5, 195-pound swingman from Arlington, Mass., was the lone early-November 2011 signee for head coach Mike Brey.
• A four-year starter at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Mass., Connaughton averaged 24.0 points and 17.9 rebounds in 2009-10 as he led St. John’s to one of the best seasons in program history as the squad finished with a 21-3 mark that included a 15-game win streak during the season. In addition, his squad won the Catholic Conference championship and finished the regular season with a 7-1 league record. His team was ranked seventh in the final Massachusetts state poll after making the school’s first appearance since 1974 in the Division 1 state finals.
• Connaughton was the only junior selected to the Boston Globe Super Team and the Boston Herald High Dream Team. He was selected as Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Catholic Conference and was named to the Catholic Conference All-Star Team. In addition, he was selected as his team’s MVP and served as team captain.
• He is ranked 73rd nationally by Scout.com and 100th by ESPNU.

Brey Serving as Chairman of NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee

• Mike Brey was elected chair of the 2010-11 NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee in May 2010 and is serving his fourth year on the rules committee.

Adidas And Notre Dame Unveil Lightest, Most Technologically Advanced College Basketball Uniforms

• At the start of the 2010-11 basketball season, adidas and the University of Notre Dame basketball teams unveiled the lightest and most technologically advanced college basketball uniforms ever. Designed and developed by adidas, the uniforms are 30 percent lighter and dry twice as fast as previous uniforms to help enhance the Fighting Irish’s performance by keeping players cooler, drier and more comfortable on the court.
• The new Notre Dame uniforms, made from 60 percent recycled materials, feature adidas’ Formotion technology, which reduces seams, decreases friction between the garment and the player’s skin and optimizes the player’s natural movement through specially constructed material. adidas reduced uniform weight and increased player comfort by switching front and back numbers from heavier, dense materials to a more breathable mesh.
• The new Notre Dame uniform absorbs moisture in less than three seconds as a result of adidas CLIMACOOL fabrics. The jersey moves heat and sweat away from the body through a combination of moisture management materials, ventilation channels and three dimensional garments, helping the uniform dry twice as quickly.
• Along with Notre Dame, 10 other schools will debut the new uniforms this season, including Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Tennessee, UCLA and Wisconsin.
• In addition to the NCAA teams wearing the new uniforms, all 30 NBA teams will wear Revolution 30 jerseys this season featuring similar adidas technology.