Russell Carter saw action for the first time in his career coming off the bench against Mount St. Mary's and recorded the first collegiate points of his career when he hit a three-pointer at the buzzer right before the end of the first half.
Series Record vs. Marquette:
The Irish lead the series 75-29 and this will be the 105th meeting between the two schools. No opponent has appeared more frequently on the Notre Dame schedule than Marquette. Last year's 92-71 victory at the Joyce Center snapped a two-game losing streak. Notre Dame has not played a game in Milwaukee. Wis., since dropping a 72-48 decision on November 21, 1997. Irish teams are 32-19 all-time against Marquette on the road.
Notre Dame vs. Conference USA:
Against teams from Conference USA, Notre Dame owns a 155-102 mark. The Irish were 2-0 against teams from Conference USA last season with victories over Marquette and DePaul.
The Captains:
For the first time in the 99-year history of the Notre Dame men's basketball program, four players will be serving as team captains. Seniors Torrian Jones and Tom Timmermans and juniors Jordan Cornette and Chris Thomas will serve as the Irish captains for the upcoming 2003-04 campaign.
Tough Ticket:
Notre Dame played host to 10 sellouts at the Joyce Center during the 2002-03 season - the most since the 1985-86 campaign when 14 of the team's 17 games drew a record capacity crowd. Three games last season - Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Syracuse - produced the largest crowds to ever witness a Notre Dame basketball game - 11,480. Already this season, seven games are already sold out - Indiana, Kentucky, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Seton Hall and Georgetown. Student tickets (2,800 to students, 400 to band and Notre Dame student-athletes) were sold out in 5-1/2 hours. Last season, student ticket packages were sold out in 36 hours.
Irish In November Under Brey:
Notre Dame played just two games in the month of November. Each of the past two campaigns, the Irish have played six games during the first month of the season. Notre Dame owns a 16-1 record during the month of November under head coach Mike Brey. In 2001-20, the Irish completed November with a perfect 6-0 slate. It marked the most wins ever by a Notre Dame team in the month of November. The only loss suffered by the Irish during the month of November under Brey was an 80-75 setback in the championship game of the Guardians Classic in Kansas City, Mo., last season.
Home Sweet Home:
Since the inaugural season (1968-69) at the Joyce Center, Notre Dame owns a 422-124 record all-time for a .773 winning percentage. The Irish are 37-10 (.787) at the Joyce Center during Mike Brey's three seasons, and since the 1996-97 campaign, they own an 87-29 mark for a .750 winning percentage. Notre Dame was 14-2 at home in 2002-03, winning 10-plus games for the sixth time in seven years. The Irish have won 18 of their last 20 games at home.
The Irish All-Time:
The 2003-04 campaign marks the 99th season of men's basketball at Notre Dame. Irish teams have posted a 1531-838 record for a .646 winning percentage.
Game Time Change:
Since the schedule was released, the Irish's home game against Central Michigan on Saturday, December 6 will tip-off at 9:00 p.m. instead of the original 8:00 p.m. start time.
New BIG EAST Look:
The BIG EAST Conference will play under a new league format in which every team will play each other at least once and three other schools twice during the regular season. Notre Dame is slated to play Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Syracuse twice as part of its 16-game conference slate.
The past three seasons have seen the 14-team league play under a two seven-team divisional format. Under the former system, the teams were broken down into the East and West divisions. Each school played 12 divisional contests on a home-and-home basis and crossover opponents against teams from the other divsion (two at home and two on the road), but did not face three schools from the opposite division.
In addition to its home-and-home series with the Huskies, Panthers and Orangemen, Notre Dame's conference home slate this season also includes matchups against Georgetown, Miami, Providence, Seton Hall and West Virginia. The Irish are scheduled for road games at Boston College, Rutgers, St. John's, Villanova and Virginia Tech.
Twelve teams will once again advance to the '04 BIG EAST Championship at Madison Square Garden, March 10-13, with the top four finishers during the regular season receiving a first-round bye.
Francis, Thomas On Wooden Watch List; Thomas Listed Among Naismith Candidates:
Chris Thomas and Torin Francis are one of 50 candidates named to the 2003-04 John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-America Team. The 50 candidates were announced in early August and selected by the Wooden Award Preseason All-America Committee.
The Irish tandem is among 11 BIG EAST players named to the team, the most of any conference. Only three other teams - Connecticut (Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor) and Syracuse (Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick) -also placed two players on the list.
Thomas, an honorable mention Associated Press All-America selection, and second-team all-BIGEAST honoree as a sophomore, was among the top-30 candidates last year for the Wooden Award and also was a finalist for the Naismith and USBWA/Oscar Robertson player-of-the-year awards. Francis was a member of the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.
The other BIG EAST players selected as candidates were: Andre Barrett (Seton Hall), Ryan Gomes (Providence), Julius Page (Pittsburgh), Darius Rice (Miami) and Craig Smith (Boston College).
The 10-player Wooden Award All-America Team will be announced on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 and one member from that squad will be awarded the Wooden Award Trophy, symbolic of the nation's "Most Outstanding Collegiate Basketball Player of Year." That announcement will be made on Saturday, April 10 and CBS Sports will televise the event live from The Los Angeles Athletic Club. Thomas also is listed among the top 30 candidates for the Naismith Player of the Year honor.
Looking To Make It Four-In-A-Row:
The Irish will be bidding for their fourth straight NCAA tournament bid in 2004. That would be a first since Notre Dame made six consecutive appearances from 1985-90. The most consecutive NCAA tournament appearances made by Notre Dame teams was eight - from 1975-81.
The 20-Win Mark:
Notre Dame's 24 wins a year ago marked the 30th time in the program's 98-year history that an Irish team reached the 20-win mark. It marked the fourth consecutive 20-win campaign and first time since 1985-89 that Irish teams posted four consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins.
Notre Dame All-Time In The BIG EAST:
In eight seasons as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, Notre Dame owns a 66-70 record all-time in conference regular-season play for a .485 winning percentage. In their first five years, Irish teams were 35-53 (.398), but since Mike Brey took over the program, Notre Dame has compiled a 31-17 (.646) mark in regular-season play.
BIG EAST 10:
Notre Dame is the only BIG EAST team to win 10-plus conference games during each of the last three regular-season campaigns. The Irish finished 11-5 in 2000-01 and produced 10-6 marks in both 2001-02 and 2002-03. Notre Dame is the only BIG EAST team to make the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons.
Brey Has The Formula For BIG EAST Success At Notre Dame:
Since his arrival at Notre Dame, Mike Brey has led Notre Dame to a 31-17 record in BIG EAST regular-season games for a 64.6 winning percentage and 1-3 mark in tournament play for an overall record of 32-20 (.615) against league foes. The Irish won the BIG EAST West Division title by fashioning an 11-5 record (the most conference wins in its six previous seaons in the league). Under Brey, Notre Dame is the only BIG EAST school to win 10-plus league games each of the last three seasons. Prior to Brey's arrival at Notre Dame, Irish teams had a 35-53 (39.8 percent) regular-season record in its conference games since 1995-96.
Brey Versus Ranked Opponents:
As a head coach at both Notre Dame and Delaware, Mike Brey has coached in 33 games against ranked opponents and owns a 12-21 record in those matchups. In three seasons at Notre Dame, he has faced ranked opponents on 27 occasions and his teams are 12-15 in those contests. Last season, his team was 5-6 versus ranked teams. The Irish were 3-6 and 4-3 during the 2001-02 and 2000-01 campaigns, respectively.
Brey And The Irish In Overtime Games:
Notre Dame is 3-0 in overtime games (two on the road and one at home) under head coach Mike Brey. The Irish did not play an overtime game in Brey's first season. The first overtime game played by Notre Dame under Brey (during the 2001-02 campaign) was the epic four-overtime classic in 2002 against Georgetown at the MCI Center in which the Irish defeated the Hoyas 116-111. The Irish played two overtime contests in '02-'03 - at Boston College (101-96) and at home against Georgetown (93-92 in double overtime).
Over The Century Mark:
Notre Dame has scored 100-plus points five points during the Mike Brey era. The Irish went over the century mark twice last season - a 102-71 victory over DePaul (December 14, 2002) and 101-96 overtime against Boston College (January 25, 2003).
Elite Company:
Notre Dame is one of just nine schools - Arizona, Duke, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland Misouri and Stanford - that has advanced past the final round each of the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years.
Home Stripe Advantage:
Notre Dame was particularly successful from the free-throw line in home games last season as the Irish were 286-373 (.767) compared to 177-257 (.689) for their opponents. In the last 11 home games of '02-'03, Notre Dame finished 224-279 (.803) from the line as the Irish made an average of 20.4 free thores on 25.4 attempts and averaged just 5.0 misses per game. Notre Dame shot a season-best 95.7 percent from the line against Rutgers (Jan. 14, 2003) as the Irish converted 22 of their 23 attempts. This season, Notre Dame has outscored their opponents 40-15 from the line and attempted 28 more free throws. As a team, the Irish have converted on 81.6 percent of their attempts. Notre Dame was 19-20 from the line against Mount St. Mary's on Saturday.
Where Charity Begins:
The Irish used free throw shooting as a weapon last season averaging nearly 17 free throws made per game. Notre Dame outscored their opponents 575-389 and attempted 190 more free throws (756-566). The Irish converted 76.1 percent of those attempts, while their opponents hit on 68.7 percent.
The 500 Club:
Chris Thomas heads into tonight's contest with Marquette needing just two assists to become the fifth player in Notre Dame history to dish off 500 or more assists. In 69 career games, he has dished off 498 assists for a career assist average of 7.2. Thomas needs just 89 assists to become the school's career assist leader.
Block Party:
Notre Dame's 189 blocked shots in 2002-03 set a new single-season team record with a per game average of 5.59. The former mark of 178 was set during the 2000-01 season in which Notre Dame averaged 5.93 blocks. The Irish finished the 2001-02 campaign with 163 blocks for an average of 4.94 per game. Notre Dame's block totals each of the last three seasons rank as the top three all-time. Notre Dame already has 18 blocks in 2003-04.
The "Quinn"-Essential Player:
Sophomore guard Chris Quinn has made the most of his opportunity as a starter in the Irish lineup. He is averaging 16.5 points and is shooting 64.7 percent from the field (11-17) and 50.0 percent from three-point range (5-10). He also leads the team in minutes played (34.5). In his first career start in the season opener against Northern Illinois, he scored a career-high 18 points and had a personal best six steals. Quinn, who averaged 15.3 minutes off the bench as a rookie last season, hit 7-10 from the field and was 3-5 from three-point range in the contest.
Double Dose Of "Chris" Give Irish "1"-"2" Punch:
Notre Dame's backcourt tandem of junior Chris Thomas and sophomore Chris Quinn will certainly provide Irish opponents with some headaches this season. The two have combined for 72 of the team's 152 points (47.4 percent) and taken 46 of the team's 109 total shots (42.2 percent) in the first two games.
In The Spirit Of Giving:
Chris Thomas' unselfish play is one of the reasons why the Irish have been successful while he has been in the Notre Dame backcourt. In the 69 games he has directed Mike Brey's teams, Thomas has helped the Irish compile a 48-21 record for a .696 winning percentage As a freshman, he averaged 7.64 assists to rank fifth nationally in that category, and dished off 6.9 assists (eighth in the nation), as a sophomore. Thomas is the only player in Notre Dame history to dish off 200-plus assists in consecutive seasons. He has dished off 10-plus assists in 15 games during his career.
Double The Pleasure:
Torin Francis recorded the 11th double double of his career in the Northern Illinois game. His scoring (24 points) and rebounding (19 rebounds) totals were the second-highest of his career. Dating back to the Syracuse game (March 4, 2003), Francis has registered four double doubles in the last eight games dating back to last season and in three of the Irish's last five outings. He has scored in double figures 21 times during his career and grabbed 10 or more rebounds on 13 occasions.
Facing The Defending National Champions:
Notre Dame will meet defending national champion Syracuse twice during the 2003-04 season. It will mark the second straight year the Irish will play the NCAA champion from the previous season. Notre Dame's matchup last season with Maryland on December 7, 2002 in the first round of the BB&T Classic at the MCI Center marked the 31st time and Irish team had played a team that had won the NCAA crown the previous year. With than victory, Notre Dame owns an 8-23 mark versus those teams, but has been victorious three of the last four times it has gone up against a team which had won the national championship the previous season. The 1999-00 Irish squad beat Connecticut twice - 75-70 at the Hartford Civic Center and 68-66 at the Joyce Center - the season after the Huskies claimed the '99 NCAA title.
Keeping It Close:
In the 31 losses suffered by Irish teams in Mike Brey's three seasons, only eight have been by 10 or more points and have been by a combined 228 points for an average of 7.35 points. Notre Dame's two 17-point losses (at Pittsburgh and against Arizona in the semifinals of the West Regional) were the two worst by an Irish team under Brey. Prior to those two losses, the worst setback was a 16-point decision at Connecticut during Brey's first season. Notre Dame's 11 losses during the 2001-02 season were by a combined 49 points for an average margin of defeat of 4.45 points. Only one loss (versus Georgetown 83-73) was by double figures, while eight of those setbacks were by five points or less.
149 And Counting:
Heading into tonight's game against Marquette, Notre Dame has hit at least one three-pointer in 149 straight games, a mark that dates back to the 1998-99 campaign. The last time and Irish team failed to hit a three-pointer was in a 101-70 loss to Connecticut in the Hartford Civic Center (January 12, 1999) as Notre Dame finished 0-7 in the contest.
Irish Ink Rob Kurz In Early Signing Period:
Rob Kurz, a 6-8, 225-pound forward from Gwynedd, Pa., has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2004 it was announced today by Irish head basketball coach Mike Brey.
Kurz has starred the last two years for William Penn Charter High School in Philadelphia, Pa. As a junior in 2002-03, he averaged 18.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in leading his prep team to a 26-4 record overall and garnering first-team all-league honors. He earned first-team all-city honors after helping William Penn Charter capture the Philadelphia Inter-Academic League crown with a perfect 10-0 league mark that also included two victories in the postseason.
As a sophomore, he netted 19.0 points per game and guided his team to a 16-9 overall record. However, he was unable to compete in league play that season after transferring to William Penn Charter at the beginning of the 2001-02 school year.
Kurz attended the Nike All-America camp each of the past two summers ('02 and '03) and will serve as one of the team's co-captains during the 2003-04 campaign. Kurz' sister, Laura, also a high school senior, will attend Duke University and play basketball for the Blue Devils.
Bosl Joins Irish Roster:
Junior Greg Bosl, a 6-3, 191-pound guard out of Syosset, N.Y., has joined the Irish team as a walk-on. He played prep basketball at St. Dominic High School and averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds as a senior. He captained St. Dominic's during his final prep season and helped his team to a No. 3 ranking in the New York metro area. Bosl's brother Mike played basketball for one year (1998-99) at Villanova and his sister Christine is a 1999 Notre Dame graduate. He is enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business and is majoring in finance.
Notre Dame Wins USA Today/NCAA Academic Achievement Award in 2003:
Notre Dame compiled the nation's highest overall graduation rate for Division I-A student-athletes to take top honors in the 2003 USA Today/NCAA Academic Achievement Awards.
Ninety-two percent of the Fighting Irish student-athletes who enrolled in 1996 earned a degree from the University. The award included a $20,000 prize and was based on federally compiled figures submitted by the NCAA member institutions.
The NCAA bases graduation rates on the raw percentage of student-athletes who entered an institution and graduated within six years. Students who leave or transfer, regardless of academic standing, are considered non-graduates. Notre Dame's graduation rate for student-athletes who complete all fours of athletic eligibility is 99 percent.
Notre Dame Partners With College Sports Television:
College Sports Television (CSTV) and Notre Dame are in a multi-year, multi-sport agreement by which CSTV is the year-round home of Fighting Irish athletics. CSTV airs a Notre Dame programming block every Sunday night called "Notre Dame Primetime," featuring live and classic Fighting Irish events as wll as programming. In addition, CSTV has the rights to televise several Irish Olympic sporting events throughout the year.
Mike Brey Radio Show:
For the second consecutive year, Mike Brey will host a 30-minute radio show live on Tuesday evenings (beginning on December 9) from 7:30-8:00 p.m. at Logan's Roadhouse on Main Street in Mishawaka. The show will air from December 9, 2003-March 2, 2004 (no shows on December 23, January 20 and February 24) and will broadcast live on 92.9-FM (U93 in South Bend).
Web Site (www.und.com):
Notre Dame's official athletic department web site can be found at www.und.com. with the extensive offerings including live audio for all Irish women's basketball games (home and away), as well as real-time statistics for all Notre Dame home games.
ESPN 1000 To Carry Men's Basketball Game Broadcasts:
ESPN Radio 1000 (WMVP-AM) in Chicago will carry 17 regular-season Notre Dame men's basketball games live in 2003-04 and another seven on delayed basis, as part of a multi-year agreement that will make ESPN 1000 the home for Irish men's basketball in that market.
As part of the agreement ESPN 1000 for the first time this coming season will handle all production for the Notre Dame Basketball Network, which is under the auspices of Notre Dame Sports Properties (NDSP).
Notre Dame All Over The Big Screen In '03-'04:
Notre Dame will make more national television appearances -13 - than any other BIG EAST team this season. The Irish will be appear on CBS four times, ESPN five times and ESPN2 on four occasions. It will mark the most single-season national television appearances ever by a Notre Dame basketball team. Connecticut will appear on 11 national broadcasts (excluding the Preseason NIT) during the regular season.
Irish in Barbados:
Notre Dame spent its fall break (Oct. 18-25) in Barbados and played three games. The Irish finished with a 2-1 record on its foreign tour. Notre Dame became the first-ever college team to play a game in Barbados. Coach Mike Brey and his team got a head start on the season with the first of its 10 practices (allowed by the NCAA before a tour) on September 4. ESPN Magazine followed the Irish on their seven-day trip and is featured in this week's edition of the magazine. The Irish played the Milton Keynes Lions, a member of the British Basketball League, twice, and face off against the Barbados National Team in its other contest.
Game 1 (Notre Dame 93, Milton Keynes Lions 67):
Chris Thomas scored 20 points and Chris Quinn added 18 to lead the Irish to a 26-point victory in its first contest in the opening round of the BWIA Hoops Challenge at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex. The Notre Dame backcourt duo led five players in double figures. Jordan Cornette and Colin Falls each added 12 points, while Torrian Jones tossed in 10 points. Jones and Tom Timmermans led the Irish with seven rebounds each, while Torin Francis and Cornette grabbed six and five boards, respectively. Timmermans also finished with eight points, while Rick Cornett netted six points and Russell Carter added five.
Game 2 (Notre Dame 112, Barbados National Team 65):
Chris Thomas and Torrian Jones scored 20 points each to lead six Notre Dame players in double figures as the Irish recorded a 47-point win. Jordan Cornette added 18 points, while Rick Cornett came off the bench to score 12 points and grab 11 rebounds. Torin Francis also finished with a double double as he netted 11 points and hauled in 11 rebounds. Chris Quinn ended the game with 11 points to round out the double-figure scoring for the Irish.
Game 3 (Milton Keynes Lions 77, Notre Dame 74):
Just three days after recording a 26-point victory over Milton Keynes, the Irish saw its second-half rally fall short with a three-point loss. Notre Dame battled back from an eight-point deficit, but had to fight the affects of playing on consecutive nights and the heat and humidity of the gym. Chris Thomas led the Irish with 23 points and six assists, while Torin Francis finished with 17 points and four rebounds. Jordan Cornette was the only other Irish player in double figures as he finished with 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
