2007-08 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2007–08 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team represent the University of Notre Dame
in the college basketball
season of 2007-08
, competing in the Big East Conference
. The team is led by eighth-year head coach
, Mike Brey
, and play their home games in the Edmund P. Joyce Center
in Notre Dame, Indiana
.
The previous year's team finished with a 24–8 record and 11–5 record in Big East games. They competed in the 2007
Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
and received an at-large bid
in the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament
, where they lost their first game. The team graduated its two top-scorers between the seasons, but returned three starters
and added four recruits for 2007-08. They were picked to finish ninth in the Big East.
Notre Dame began the season playing an out of conference schedule that included the Paradise Jam Tournament
and reached their conference games with a 10–2 record. Currently the team is ranked
14th in the Associated Press (AP)
Poll and 15th in the Coaches Poll
, and has a 24–7 record overall. The 14–4 record in conference places the team tied in second in the conference, and is the most conference wins in the history of the school. Dating to 2006, the team won 37 consecutive home games, the second longest active winning streak in the nation.
and Colin Falls
, to graduation in 2007. In addition to Carter and Falls, freshman, Joe Harden, who played in only 14 games throughout the season, decided to transfer from Notre Dame. Kyle McAlarney, a junior, who was suspended for most of the 2006-07 season because of an arrest, was re-instated onto the team. With McAlarney's return, the team returned four former starters
.
In addition to the returning players, the Irish signed four recruits for their new class. Although the class was not highly ranked, it included two three–star athletes.
players and two walk-ons. Rob Kurz, the only senior on the team, was named team captain prior to the season. In the 2006-07 season, Tory Jackson took over the point guard
position after Kyle McAlarney was suspended. With McAlarney's return, Brey dissolved the position and both are listed as guards.
.
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!colspan=8| Big East Tournament
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!colspan=8| NCAA Tournament
. After beating the Hawks, they went on to lose in the semifinals to the Baylor Bears, and lose in the third place game
to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to leave the tournament with a 2–2 record. The Irish returned home for three games and went on to win against the Youngstown State Penguins, the Colgate Raiders, and the Eastern Michigan Eagles, to move to 5–2 on the season.
They next traveled to New York to face the Kansas State Wildcats in the Jimmy V. Classic, their first televised game of the season. After a close first half, Notre Dame pulled away to get the win. Returning home once again, they beat the Northern Illinois Huskies before taking two weeks off for final exams. After finals, they played three more home games, beating the San Francisco Dons, the Brown Bears, and the North Florida Ospreys, to finish their non-conference schedule with a 10–2 record.
Notre Dame next returned home to face the Providence Friars, and, although the Friars were 3–4 in conference play, the game stayed close and the Irish only won after an overtime
period. They continued at home and beat DePaul in the first of two games against the Blue Demons, to move into the rankings for the first time in the season. As the 21st-ranked team in the country, the team traveled to Seton Hall to face the Pirates. They got their second road win of the season, and returned home to face 16th-ranked Marquette once again. With a win over the Golden Eagles, they moved up to 18th in the rankings. They next traveled to Connecticut to face the 17th-ranked Huskies for the second time. Although the Irish led for much of the game, they lost in the end. Despite winning another road game later in the week against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, they dropped back to 21st in the rankings with a 19–5 record overall.
The Irish next returned home to face the Pittsburgh Panthers who had beaten them in five straight games. Although trailing at half-time
, Notre Dame came back and scored 52 points in the second half to win the game. The team stayed at home to play the Syracuse Orange and led the whole game to get another conference win, however lost another away game the same week at the 18th-ranked Louisville Cardinals. They next traveled to face DePaul, and with the win, swept the Blue Demons in the season. The Irish returned home for their final home game of the season, and, although were held to under 69 points for only the fifth time in the season, beat the St. John's Red Storm. For their final regular season game they traveled to South Florida and defeated the Bulls to win their fourteenth Big East game, a school record. With a 14–4 record in the Big East, Notre Dame finished the regular season tied in second in the conference with Louisville.
in the first round of the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
. They played their opening game, as the third seed of the tournament, on March 13 at Madison Square Garden
. Marquette, the sixth seed in the tournament, defeated Seton Hall in the first round to advance and play the Irish in the second round. Despite leading scorer, Luke Harangody, only playing for seven minutes in the first half, the Irish held a six point lead at half-time. However, late in the second half Marquette took a 10 point lead, the largest of the game, and held on to the lead for the 89–79 win, dropping Notre Dame out of the tournament.
until Selection Sunday (March 16, 2008), multiple publications predicted before the selection that the Irish would receive an at-large bid
. The NCAA announced that the team would receive a five seed in the tournament and face the George Mason Patriots in Denver on March 20, whom they beat. The Irish went on to play Washington State
, to whom they lost.
. Top scorer, Luke Harangody, averages over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, a double-double. At the end of the regular season, he led the Big East in scoring. Additionally, he was second in the conference in rebounding
and led the league in each category during conference play. Besides Harangody, two other players average over 10 points per game, Kyle McAlarney and Rob Kurz. McAlarney also leads the conference in three-point field goal
percentage. Thirteen players have accumulated statistics in games for the Irish.
. With the win over St. John's on March 5, the Irish became the first Big East team to go undefeated at home in conference games in consecutive seasons.
. Additionally, Mike Brey was named conference Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. Harangody was also named to the 1st Team All Big East squad, along with Kyle McAlarney.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in the college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
season of 2007-08
2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 5, 2007 ended with the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 7, 2008 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.-Season headlines:...
, competing in the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. The team is led by eighth-year head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, Mike Brey
Mike Brey
Mike Brey is an American college basketball coach. He has been the men's head coach at the University of Notre Dame since July 14, 2000.-Early life and education:...
, and play their home games in the Edmund P. Joyce Center
Edmund P. Joyce Center
The Joyce Center is a 9,800-seat multi-purpose arena in Notre Dame, Indiana just north of South Bend, Indiana. The arena opened in 1968. It is home to the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball and volleyball teams...
in Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame is a census-designated place north of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States; it includes the campuses of three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College. Notre Dame is split between Clay and Portage Townships...
.
The previous year's team finished with a 24–8 record and 11–5 record in Big East games. They competed in the 2007
2007 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
-Games:*1st round: Wednesday, March 7Noon2PM7PM9PM*Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 8Noon2 PM7 PM9 PM*Semifinals: Friday, March 97 PM9 PM...
Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in men's basketball for the Big East Conference. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Since 1983, the tournament has been held in Madison Square...
and received an at-large bid
At-large bid
An at-large bid is a bid or berth in a sporting tournament granted by invitation, not right. This term is most commonly used in the United States to refer to berths that the NCAA grants in its annual Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, although at-large berths are granted in almost...
in the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
, where they lost their first game. The team graduated its two top-scorers between the seasons, but returned three starters
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
and added four recruits for 2007-08. They were picked to finish ninth in the Big East.
Notre Dame began the season playing an out of conference schedule that included the Paradise Jam Tournament
Paradise Jam Tournament
The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam is a preseason college basketball tournament that takes place in late November of each year, with the men usually playing the week before Thanksgiving and the women playing Thanksgiving week. It takes place in St. Thomas at the Sports and Fitness Center. The...
and reached their conference games with a 10–2 record. Currently the team is ranked
2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
Two human polls made up the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls.-Legend:-AP poll:...
14th in the Associated Press (AP)
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
Poll and 15th in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
, and has a 24–7 record overall. The 14–4 record in conference places the team tied in second in the conference, and is the most conference wins in the history of the school. Dating to 2006, the team won 37 consecutive home games, the second longest active winning streak in the nation.
Preseason
The 2006-07 Notre Dame team finished their season with a 24–8 record that included a loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Irish made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003 and the 24 wins tied the 1973-74 team for the most ever wins at Notre Dame. Because of the team's accomplishments, Mike Brey was named Big East Coach of the Year.Roster changes and recruiting
Notre Dame lost its two top scorers, Russell CarterRussell Carter (basketball)
Russell Demetrius Carter is an American former college basketball player for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.-Personal:Born in Frankfurt, Germany to Russell and Tina Carter, Russell moved to Paulsboro, New Jersey in the United States as an infant. He has two younger siblings...
and Colin Falls
Colin Falls
Colin Falls is an American basketball player who spent the 2007–08 season with Orlandina Basket of Italy...
, to graduation in 2007. In addition to Carter and Falls, freshman, Joe Harden, who played in only 14 games throughout the season, decided to transfer from Notre Dame. Kyle McAlarney, a junior, who was suspended for most of the 2006-07 season because of an arrest, was re-instated onto the team. With McAlarney's return, the team returned four former starters
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
.
In addition to the returning players, the Irish signed four recruits for their new class. Although the class was not highly ranked, it included two three–star athletes.
Pre-season outlook
With three former starters that had experience in the NCAA Tournament, the Irish hoped to have another run to the tournament. However, with only five returning upperclassmen, including only one senior, the Big East's coaches picked the team to finish ninth in the conference. Even so, the team entered the season with a 20 home game winning streak, dating to the end of the 2005-06 season.Roster
Notre Dame began the season with 12 scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
players and two walk-ons. Rob Kurz, the only senior on the team, was named team captain prior to the season. In the 2006-07 season, Tory Jackson took over the point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
position after Kyle McAlarney was suspended. With McAlarney's return, Brey dissolved the position and both are listed as guards.
| Name | Number | Position | Year | Hometown |
| Tim Abromaitis | 21 | F | Freshman | Farmington, CT |
| Tim Andree | 41 | F | Sophomore | Colts Neck, NJ |
| Ryan Ayers | 42 | F/G | Junior | Blue Bell, PA |
| Luke Harangody Luke Harangody Luke Harangody is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Harangody completed his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2010. He is the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds... |
44 | F | Sophomore | Schererville, IN |
| Zach Hillesland | 33 | F | Junior | Toledo, OH |
| Tory Jackson | 2 | G | Sophomore | Saginaw, MI |
| Tom Kopko | 5 | G | Freshman | Chicago, IL |
| Rob Kurz Rob Kurz Robert Karl Kurz is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Spanish club CB Murcia in Spain's highest league, the ACB.... |
31 | F | Senior | Lower Gwynedd Township, PA |
| Kyle McAlarney | 23 | G | Junior | Staten Island, NY |
| Tyrone Nash | 1 | G | Freshman | Queens, NY |
| Jonathan Peoples | 20 | G | Sophomore | Bellwood, IL |
| Ty Proffitt | 13 | G | Freshman | London, KY |
| Carleton Scott | 34 | F | Freshman | San Antonio, TX |
| Luke Zeller | 40 | F/C | Junior | Washington, IN |
Coaches
Notre Dame was coached by Mike Brey and his staff. In his eighth-year at the position, Brey accumulated a 142–78 (.646) record at Notre Dame before the season.| Name | Type | College | Year |
| Mike Brey Mike Brey Mike Brey is an American college basketball coach. He has been the men's head coach at the University of Notre Dame since July 14, 2000.-Early life and education:... |
Head coach | George Washington George Washington University The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States... |
1982 |
| Sean Kearney | Associate head coach | Scranton University of Scranton The University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a... |
1981 |
| Rod Balanis | Assistant coach | Georgia Tech Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States... |
1993 |
| Gene Cross | Assistant coach | Illinois | 1994 |
| Martin Ingelsby | Coordinator of basketball operations | Notre Dame | 2001 |
Schedule
Notre Dame's schedule was announced on September 5, 2007. The Big East expanded all of its teams' schedules from 16 games to 18 games in conference so that all of the teams would play each other. Notre Dame added 12 games out of conference to precede them. Notre Dame plays 17 home games, eight away games, and four games on a neutral court, prior to the Big East TournamentBig East Men's Basketball Tournament
The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in men's basketball for the Big East Conference. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Since 1983, the tournament has been held in Madison Square...
.
|-
!colspan=8| Big East Tournament
2008 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, a part of the 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place from March 12–March 15, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Its winner received the Big East Conference's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Tournament...
|-
!colspan=8| NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
| 2007-08 Big East Conference Standings | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | |Overall | ||||||
| W | L | GB | W | L | |||
| #9 Georgetown | 15 | 3 | |||||
| 27 | 5 | ||||||
| #14 Notre Dame | 14 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 7 | ||
| #13 Louisville | 14 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 8 | ||
| #15 Connecticut | 13 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 8 | ||
| #24 Marquette | 11 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 9 | ||
| West Virginia | 11 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 10 | ||
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 8 | 5 | 26 | 9 | ||
| Villanova | 9 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 12 | ||
| Syracuse | 9 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 13 | ||
| Cincinnati | 8 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 18 | ||
| Seton Hall | 7 | 10 | 7.5 | 17 | 14 | ||
| Providence | 6 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 16 | ||
| DePaul | 6 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 19 | ||
| St. John's | 5 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 19 | ||
| South Florida | 3 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 19 | ||
| Rutgers | 3 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 20 | ||
- Rankings reflect Coaches Poll as of March 3, 2008
Out of conference games
Notre Dame opened the season with a win at home against the Long Island Blackbirds. They next traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands to face the Monmouth Hawks in the first round of the Paradise Jam TournamentParadise Jam Tournament
The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam is a preseason college basketball tournament that takes place in late November of each year, with the men usually playing the week before Thanksgiving and the women playing Thanksgiving week. It takes place in St. Thomas at the Sports and Fitness Center. The...
. After beating the Hawks, they went on to lose in the semifinals to the Baylor Bears, and lose in the third place game
Third place playoff
The third place playoff is a single match that is included in many sporting knockout tournaments to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. The teams that compete in the third place playoffs are usually the two losing semi-finalists in a particular...
to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to leave the tournament with a 2–2 record. The Irish returned home for three games and went on to win against the Youngstown State Penguins, the Colgate Raiders, and the Eastern Michigan Eagles, to move to 5–2 on the season.
They next traveled to New York to face the Kansas State Wildcats in the Jimmy V. Classic, their first televised game of the season. After a close first half, Notre Dame pulled away to get the win. Returning home once again, they beat the Northern Illinois Huskies before taking two weeks off for final exams. After finals, they played three more home games, beating the San Francisco Dons, the Brown Bears, and the North Florida Ospreys, to finish their non-conference schedule with a 10–2 record.
Big East games
Notre Dame began their conference play with two home games before the students returned from Christmas break. With wins over the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Connecticut Huskies, they began conference play with a 2–0 record. They next traveled to face the 16th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles for their first true road game of the season, however they lost by 26 points to give Mike Brey his worst loss as Notre Dame coach. The team returned home to beat the Cincinnati Bearcats, before once again losing on the road against the sixth-ranked Georgetown Hoyas. They finally got their first road win a week later against the 18th-ranked Villanova Wildcats to move to 4–2 in the Big East with a 14–4 overall record.Notre Dame next returned home to face the Providence Friars, and, although the Friars were 3–4 in conference play, the game stayed close and the Irish only won after an overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
period. They continued at home and beat DePaul in the first of two games against the Blue Demons, to move into the rankings for the first time in the season. As the 21st-ranked team in the country, the team traveled to Seton Hall to face the Pirates. They got their second road win of the season, and returned home to face 16th-ranked Marquette once again. With a win over the Golden Eagles, they moved up to 18th in the rankings. They next traveled to Connecticut to face the 17th-ranked Huskies for the second time. Although the Irish led for much of the game, they lost in the end. Despite winning another road game later in the week against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, they dropped back to 21st in the rankings with a 19–5 record overall.
The Irish next returned home to face the Pittsburgh Panthers who had beaten them in five straight games. Although trailing at half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
, Notre Dame came back and scored 52 points in the second half to win the game. The team stayed at home to play the Syracuse Orange and led the whole game to get another conference win, however lost another away game the same week at the 18th-ranked Louisville Cardinals. They next traveled to face DePaul, and with the win, swept the Blue Demons in the season. The Irish returned home for their final home game of the season, and, although were held to under 69 points for only the fifth time in the season, beat the St. John's Red Storm. For their final regular season game they traveled to South Florida and defeated the Bulls to win their fourteenth Big East game, a school record. With a 14–4 record in the Big East, Notre Dame finished the regular season tied in second in the conference with Louisville.
Big East Tournament
With Marquette's loss to Georgetown on March 1, and Notre Dame's win over DePaul on March 2, the Irish clinched a byeBye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
in the first round of the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in men's basketball for the Big East Conference. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Since 1983, the tournament has been held in Madison Square...
. They played their opening game, as the third seed of the tournament, on March 13 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Marquette, the sixth seed in the tournament, defeated Seton Hall in the first round to advance and play the Irish in the second round. Despite leading scorer, Luke Harangody, only playing for seven minutes in the first half, the Irish held a six point lead at half-time. However, late in the second half Marquette took a 10 point lead, the largest of the game, and held on to the lead for the 89–79 win, dropping Notre Dame out of the tournament.
NCAA Tournament
Although teams are not officially invited to the NCAA TournamentNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
until Selection Sunday (March 16, 2008), multiple publications predicted before the selection that the Irish would receive an at-large bid
At-large bid
An at-large bid is a bid or berth in a sporting tournament granted by invitation, not right. This term is most commonly used in the United States to refer to berths that the NCAA grants in its annual Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, although at-large berths are granted in almost...
. The NCAA announced that the team would receive a five seed in the tournament and face the George Mason Patriots in Denver on March 20, whom they beat. The Irish went on to play Washington State
Washington State Cougars men's basketball
The Washington State Cougars Men's Basketball team represents Washington State University and competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I...
, to whom they lost.
Statistics
As a team, Notre Dame averages over 80 points per game and have a 45.9% field goal percentageField goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
. Top scorer, Luke Harangody, averages over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, a double-double. At the end of the regular season, he led the Big East in scoring. Additionally, he was second in the conference in rebounding
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
and led the league in each category during conference play. Besides Harangody, two other players average over 10 points per game, Kyle McAlarney and Rob Kurz. McAlarney also leads the conference in three-point field goal
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
percentage. Thirteen players have accumulated statistics in games for the Irish.
| Player | GP | Min | Avg | FGM | FGA | FG Pct | 3FGM | 3FGA | 3FG Pct | FTM | FTA | FT Pct | Pts | Avg | Off Reb | Def Reb | Total Reb | Avg | PF | Asst | TO | Blk | Stl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harangody | 31 | 891 | 28.7 | 248 | 482 | 51.5 | 3 | 8 | 37.5 | 145 | 189 | 76.7 | 644 | 20.8 | 103 | 212 | 315 | 10.2 | 80 | 53 | 70 | 28 | 25 |
| McAlarney | 31 | 1103 | 35.6 | 158 | 362 | 43.6 | 103 | 230 | 44.8 | 51 | 62 | 82.3 | 470 | 15.2 | 7 | 56 | 62 | 2.0 | 31 | 110 | 60 | 1 | 26 |
| Kurz | 31 | 888 | 28.6 | 120 | 264 | 45.5 | 37 | 93 | 39.8 | 120 | 141 | 85.1 | 397 | 12.8 | 61 | 170 | 231 | 7.5 | 91 | 61 | 64 | 43 | 20 |
| Jackson | 31 | 1016 | 32.8 | 93 | 238 | 39.1 | 17 | 59 | 28.8 | 49 | 96 | 51.0 | 252 | 8.1 | 54 | 102 | 156 | 5.0 | 74 | 189 | 101 | 8 | 58 |
| Ayers | 31 | 785 | 25.3 | 81 | 174 | 46.6 | 53 | 114 | 46.5 | 30 | 40 | 75.0 | 245 | 7.9 | 22 | 80 | 102 | 3.3 | 40 | 38 | 22 | 15 | 24 |
| Hillesland | 30 | 659 | 22.0 | 69 | 138 | 50.0 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 48 | 70 | 68.6 | 187 | 6.2 | 43 | 109 | 152 | 5.1 | 72 | 74 | 50 | 13 | 21 |
| Zeller | 31 | 375 | 12.1 | 54 | 125 | 43.2 | 31 | 80 | 38.8 | 7 | 13 | 53.8 | 146 | 4.7 | 27 | 43 | 70 | 2.3 | 42 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Peoples | 31 | 369 | 11.9 | 34 | 77 | 44.2 | 13 | 36 | 36.1 | 25 | 30 | 83.3 | 106 | 3.4 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 1.7 | 21 | 37 | 21 | 1 | 7 |
| Abromaitis | 10 | 38 | 3.8 | 5 | 19 | 26.3 | 1 | 8 | 12.5 | 7 | 7 | 100.0 | 18 | 1.8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0.9 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Proffitt | 6 | 20 | 3.3 | 3 | 7 | 42.9 | 2 | 5 | 40.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 1.3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Andree | 5 | 13 | 2.6 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 6 | 1.2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nash | 13 | 57 | 4.4 | 6 | 13 | 46.2 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 3 | 11 | 27.3 | 15 | 1.2 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 1.5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Kopko | 5 | 11 | 2.2 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 5 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 31 | — | — | 875 | 1905 | 45.9 | 262 | 639 | 41.0 | 487 | 662 | 73.6 | 2499 | 80.6 | 413 | 878 | 1291 | 41.6 | 465 | 587 | 403 | 117 | 198 |
| GP: Games played | Min: Minutes played | Avg: Average |
| FGA: Field goals attempted | FGM: Field goals made | FG Pct: Field Goal Percentage |
| 3FGA: 3 point field goals attempted | 3FGM: 3 point field goals made | 3FG Pct: 3 point field goals percentage |
| FTA: Free throws attempted | FTM: Free throws made | FT Pct: Free throw percentage |
| Pts: Points | Off Reb: Offensive rebounds | Def Reb: Defensive rebounds |
| Total Reb: Total rebounds | PF: Personal fouls | Asst: Assists |
| TO: Turnovers | Blk: Blocks | Stl: Steals |
Legacy
Dating to February 2006, the Irish have won 37 consecutive home games and 18 Big East home games. The 18 wins is the second longest streak in conference history, while the 36 total wins is the second longest current streak in the country behind the BYU CougarsBYU Cougars men's basketball
The BYU Cougars men's basketball team represents Brigham Young University in NCAA Division I basketball play. Established in 1902, the team has won 30 conference championships and 2 NIT Tournaments , and competed in 26 NCAA Tournaments. It currently competes in the West Coast Conference...
. With the win over St. John's on March 5, the Irish became the first Big East team to go undefeated at home in conference games in consecutive seasons.
Award winners
After the season ended, Luke Harangody was named the conference Player of the YearBig East Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award is given to the men's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top performer by the conference coaches. The 16 head coaches of the league's teams submit their votes following the end of the regular season and before...
. Additionally, Mike Brey was named conference Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. Harangody was also named to the 1st Team All Big East squad, along with Kyle McAlarney.
Transfers
Notre Dame had two players transfer in following the season. Both will sit out the 2008-09 season per NCAA rules for transfer students.- Scott Martin, a 6-8 swingmanSwingmanA Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
, transferred after his freshman season at PurduePurdue Boilermakers men's basketballThe Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
. Playing mainly off the bench, he averaged 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. He has three years of eligibility remaining. - Ben HansbroughBen HansbroughBen Hansbrough is an American basketball player who played guard for the University of Notre Dame. He was a fifth-year senior for the Fighting Irish, Hansbrough transferred from Mississippi State after his sophomore year...
, a 6-3 guard, transferred after his sophomore season at Mississippi StateMississippi State BulldogsThe Mississippi State Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Mississippi State University. They participate in NCAA's Division I in the competitive 12-member Southeastern Conference under the mascot Bulldogs and the school colors of maroon and white...
, and will have two years of eligibility at Notre Dame. The younger brother of North CarolinaNorth Carolina Tar Heels men's basketballThe North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
superstar Tyler HansbroughTyler HansbroughAndrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA...
, he comes off a sophomore season in which he averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as a regular starter.