Irish Rout Huskies 33-7

By Michael Rubin, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
Game Recap



Notre Dame used a swarming defense, a five wide receiver look, and some trickery to dominate the Washington Huskies, 33-7, and improve to 5-2. The Irish, who were going up against former coach Tyrone Willingham, looked rusty on offense but played a relentless defense.

The Irish scored on their opening possession as Jimmy Clausen connected with Michael Floyd for a 51 yard touchdown reception to take a 7-0 lead. On Notre Dame's second possession, they went 65 yards on seven plays covering just over three minutes and capped it off with a 21 yard touchdown run by Golden Tate. Notre Dame took a 17-0 lead into the half and opened the third quarter with a five play 61 yard drive culminating with a James Aldridge four yard touchdown run to stretch the lead to 24-0. Aldridge scored his second touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter on a three yard run.

The Irish defense forced Washington to six three-and-outs and kept them off the scoreboard until the Huskies scored on a six yard touchdown pass with 2:56 to go in the 4th quarter.

Notre Dame dominated the Huskies in every statistical category. Notre Dame gained 459 total yards and held the Huskies to 124.

The defense continuously got into the Huskie backfield and sacked quarterback Ronnie Fouch four times.

Clausen finished the game a mediocre 14-26 for 206 yards an interception and one touchdown pass.

The majority of the Irish offense came on the ground as the Irish out gained Washington on the ground 252-26. Aldridge led the ground attack rushing for 84 yards on 13 carries. Armando Allen rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries and Jonas Gray ran the ball nine times for 61 yards.

Next week the 5-2 Irish take on the 5-2 Pittsburgh Panthers in South Bend. A victory over the Panthers makes the Irish bowl eligible.

2009 Recruiting Update: Part Two- Fullbacks

By Michael Rubin, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
2009 Recruiting


In part two of our series, we will take a look at who the Irish are looking to bring in next year to play the fullback position. Notre Dame currently has offers out to two of the nations top ranked fullbacks.

Fullbacks

• Toben Opurum is a 6'2 230lb fullback from Plano, Texas. Currently, Opurum holds offers from Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, LSU, Nebraska, Purdue, Texas and Notre Dame. He is considered a tweener by many recruiters. Florida, Kansas, Purdue, Texas Tech and Arkansas all view Opurum as a running back and Notre Dame and LSU view him as a fullback. Toben, a running back for Plano East, prefers to play running back in college, but is still considering the possibility of playing fullback. The Irish offered him a scholarship over the summer when he came to South Bend for a visit. Opurum wants to make a decision on his position and where he will attend school after his Plano East season is over. Recruiting Coordinator Rob Ianello and Charlie Weis have been in contact with Opurum and Ianello actually went to Plano East HS to visit him this past weekend. If Opurum decides that he wants to play fullback in college he would probably schedule another visit to Notre Dame in the winter but if he prefers running back, it appears he will not be visiting South Bend. Here is espn.com's scouting report on Opurum:

"Opurum is physically impressive as a running back prospect with his great size and above average straight-line speed. He is tall, well-built and still lean enough to add another 10-15 pounds of added bulk while retaining his current speed and quickness. Hands are soft and overall receiving skills are good making full or H-back a strong possibility. Has a knack for finding the soft spots in zone defenses, snags most balls with his hands, transitions quickly upfield and can make the first defender miss. As a runner, he shows some shiftiness through the hole and possesses adequate lateral quickness for his size to sidestep the initial traffic and bounce outside. Lacks good urgency out of his stance through the hole but can be a load at the high school level to bring down once he builds speed. Runs through arm tackles with his long, strong stride and thicker thighs. However, he displays very little burst through the hole and runs without good body-tilt. Will struggle retaining current yards after contact production at the next level and could expose his body to big hits. He is a big target out of the backfield as a pass catcher, but his long body often hinders his suddenness as an in-line runner. Marginal extra gear when he gets outside or finds a north-south seam. Overall, Opurum looks good on paper as a running back prospect but lacks good explosiveness as a downhill, in-line runner and the perimeter speed and quickness to hurt you outside. Tools to develop into an effective tailback but upside may be better as a tight end, full or H-back at a BCS level program."

• The other fullback the Irish are targeting is 6'1 215lb Tyler Gaffney from San Diego, California. Gaffney has scholarship offers from San Diego State, USC, Stanford, UCLA, Utah and the Irish. A 4-star fullback according to Rivals.com, Gaffney recently narrowed his choices down to three schools. Stanford, USC, and Notre Dame all made the cut. USC likes him as a running back or fullback. Stanford sees him strictly as a tailback and the Irish want to use him purely at fullback. Gaffney will take an official visit to South Bend November 21 to watch the Irish take on Syracuse. It is said that Tyler grew up rooting for the Irish and loves the tradition. Through four games this season he has rushed for more than 600 yards and 14 touchdowns. Here is his evaluation from espn.com:

"Gaffney is a load of a back at the high school level with a good blend of size, speed and determination as an in-line runner. He is tall, thickly-built but does a job of running with proper shoulder lean and body-tilt. Shows deceptive lateral quickness and burst bouncing it outside and turning the corner but most production stems off tough, explosive, between the tackles runs. Hits the hole with good urgency and is quick to square up his shoulders out of his initial cut and head north south. Generates good speed and power quickly allowing him to run through arm tackles and bounce out of traffic; this kid finishes runs. Possesses a thick and powerful upper- and lower- body and runs low to the ground with great leg drive; difficult to wrap him up solidly. However, he currently lacks the vision, suddenness and feel for the cutback lane to project well as zone runner at the next level. Struggles picking and sliding through traffic, slipping through the small creases and making something out of nothing. A true north-south back that could continue to develop the size and strength necessary to wear down a defense as a college runner and occasionally break off a long run with his good top-end speed. Overall, Gaffney could be productive in the right downhill, power running system or potentially make a slide down to fullback or over to defense as an outside linebacker with his great size to speed measurables. Great athlete for his size and should be an asset on special teams as well."

2009 Recruiting Update: Part One- Running Backs

By Michael Rubin, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
2009 Recruiting



At 4-2 we know Notre Dame is having a good season on the field, but how are Charlie Weis and the Irish doing on the recruiting trail? As of right now, the Irish have 16 verbal commits with many more offers on the table. Here is a breakdown, by numbers, of the list of commits:

2 RB's (Wood, Riddick)
1 WR (Oliver)
2 TE's (Golic, Eifert)
3 OL (Bullard, Martin, Watt)
1 DL (Stockton)
2 LB's (Calabrese, Fox)
2 CB's (Banks, Pollard)
1 S (Motta)
1 K (Tausch)
1 P (Turk)

We are well into the thick of things on the recruiting trail with many offers on the table and recruits narrowing their choices and many making verbal commitments. Over the next week I will be breaking down each position and updating what recruits have verbally committed as well as where we stand with recruits in which we have offers on. I also plan to give updates on how the recruits are performing so far this season.

Running Backs

Dalton Hilliard, a 5'11 182 LB running back from Honolulu, Hawaii, recently returned from a visit to UCLA where he picked up an official offer. Hilliard, a 3-star recruit according to Rivals.com now has offers on the table from UCLA, Notre Dame, Washington, Colorado, UNLV, Nebraska, Arizona, Baylor, Stanford, Utah, Army, and his home town team Hawaii.

Hilliard said that UCLA has been recruiting him from the beginning of the process and that he was very happy when they finally offered him a scholarship on his visit last weekend to UCLA's homecoming game. Hilliard said he loved the coaching staff at UCLA and sees the program headed in the right direction with the addition of Norm Chow as offensive coordinator this year.

Hilliard, who has yet to officially visit Notre Dame, said that he "has always been a fan," of the Irish and grew up rooting for them. We will keep an eye on Dalton as he says he "wants to make a decision in the near future."

Here is ESPN.com's scouting report on Hilliard:

"Hilliard is a well-rounded, elusive back, and a kid we feel is going to start gaining big momentum on the recruiting trail. He is tall, high-cut and well-defined; should blow up to 200-pounds once he attacks a college weight-training program. Hits the hole at full speed and is very shift through traffic while losing very little in transition when cutting. Shows great balance, loose hips and body control sliding through the small creases and eluding the initial trash with great stop-start quickness. Runs with good pad level and his initial burst through the hole allows him to occasional run through arm tackles. While he shows the perimeter speed needed to turn the corner he lacks a great second gear and is not overly explosive when he gets a seam. Top-end speed is good but he is not a burner in the openfield or a true homerun threat for a non-power back. Runs with square shoulder pads and will occasionally flash a strong stiff arm but he lacks the bulk and lower-body leg strength at this time to consistently break tackles and earn good yards after contact as an in-line college runner. With that said, Hilliard possesses excellent receiving skills and can line up and hurt a defense in a number of ways as an offensive skill player. Great upside to become a productive featured back with his room for physical development."

Cierre Wood, a 6'0 192lb running back from Santa Clara, California gave the Irish a verbal commitment back in early April. Wood, who attends Oxnard High School, was on campus October 4th as the Irish beat the Stanford Cardinal. A 5-star recruit according to Rivals.com, Wood led his Oxnard team to a 21-16 victory last weekend as he scored on a 58-yard catch and run with just over a minute to go in the 4th quarter.

Here is ESPN.com's evaluation of Wood:

"Wood is a terrific athlete with the physical tools to excel on either side of the ball at the next level. He has a tall, high-cut frame that has room for plenty of additional bulk. Has the speed, elusiveness and quickness to excel on offense, especially on the perimeter. Shows the great vision to set up his downfield cuts and has the loose hips to make defenders miss in space. Flashes good balance, body lean and leg drive. Has deceptive lower-body strength and can break through initial arm tackles. Displays good receiving skills out of the backfield and in the slot. Can find the soft spots in zone defenses. Has soft hands and good concentration. Knows how to high-point the ball. Has questionable skills as an in-line runner. Doesn't attack the line of scrimmage downhill, pick his way through traffic or pick up quality yards after contact. Has an elongated lower body that makes sharp cuts difficult. Sometimes lose something in transition. High-cut frame could expose his body to big hits between the tackles at the next level. Speed is good but not elite. Tends to build up to speed and lacks elite burst and acceleration. Wood has potential on offense, but his excellent range, leaping ability, ball skills and athleticism may be better suited to safety than running back. He figures to be one of the smoother, more versatile athletes in the class of 2009."

The Irish also received a verbal commitment from RB Theo Riddick (4-star recruit from Rivals.com) from Immaculata HS in Somerville, NJ. Riddick verbally committed to the Irish in the middle of April and was in South Bend for his official visit to see the Irish demolish the Michigan Wolverines back in September.

Rivals.com was able to see Riddick this past weekend as his team defeated Voorhees HS (NJ) 42-20 as Riddick ran for 46 yards and a td. Rivals scout Mike Farrell, who was at the game said that Riddick has "quick feet and is excellent in space. He's also physical and an active blocker, and has good hands out of the backfield." As far as weeknesses Farrell says that, "Riddick isn't that big and doesn't have the look of an every-down back at the next level. he runs a bit high and sometimes tries to do too much by reversing field." Riddick, who also had offers Penn State, Pittsburg, Rutgers, Virginia, West Virginia, Boston College and Maryland, said that he chose Notre Dame, because of the tradition as well as the high academic standards.

Irish Look for First Road Win of '08: Washington Preview

Nick Shepkowski, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Football
Game Preview


As we enter the second half of the 2008 regular season the Irish seem to be primed to make a bowl appearance, something that seems like somewhat of an accomplishment after last year. Game seven sends Notre Dame to the great northwest to try and conquer ole' Ty once again as the 4-2 Fighting Irish take on the 0-6 Washington Huskies in a primetime game this Saturday night on ESPN2.

When the 2008 schedule was put together years ago, Washington was in the midst of a run which included eight straight bowl appearances and a victory in the 2001 Rose Bowl over Purdue. Sadly for Washington fans, the Huskies have not returned to a bowl game since the Sun Bowl on New Years Eve in 2002, a loss to that same Purdue team.

In 2008 it is safe to say the 0-6 Huskies will be waiting until at least 2009 to make a return trip the postseason. What is it exactly that has caused the problems for Washington this year? All one needs to do is look at the "points allowed" column to see that the Huskies give up 40.6 PPG. Give them credit in scheduling the big dogs like Oklahoma and BYU as well as Notre Dame in the non-conference slate, especially when you compare their schedule to the likes of the Arizona's and Washington State's of the Pac-10.

The biggest worry for Huskies fans going into this Saturday is the fact that Jake Locker will not be under center, due to a broken thumb. Locker not only was the quarterback of this team, but also leads the Huskies in rushing yards as well. Needless to say, losing him has made a bad team even that much more horrendous this season.

Not only has the defense been a dark spot for Washington, but the offense hasn't exactly 'lit up the joint' either. The offense has put together 17.6 ppg on average, not great but not terrible...until you look at the fact that exactly 20% of their points this season have been scored while trailing by thirty or more points.

This Washington team is shaping up to be just what the doctor ordered to stop the Notre Dame traveling blues. With Locker out, Ronnie Fouch will be left with the quarterback duties for Washington. Fouch, a sophomore, has thrown for 782 yards and three scores this season, completing 50% of his passes and throwing four interceptions. Don't blame Fouch or Locker for any of this, but the Huskies just do not have the talent on offense to be putting up many points a game.

David Freeman leads the Huskies in rushing yards (136) outside of the versatile Locker, but has not played since their matchup with Stanford on September 27th. Freshman Terrance Dailey has emerged on the scene as a capable back, running for a 59 yard touchdown against Oregon State last week. The bad news with Dailey - his other 21 carries this season have gone for just 61 total yards. Brandon Johnson has seen the ball the most times for Washington, but his touches have diminished in recent weeks. Johnson has had 32 carries for 63 yards, but only had two carries a week ago against the Beavers. As you can tell by the numbers, this shouldn't be a team who can run all over Notre Dame. Then again, the Irish run defense has been far from great. But, expect to see improvement in that aspect this week.

D'Andre Goodwin is the weapon of choice of the wideouts for Washington, pulling in 32 receptions for 451 yards (14.1 per). Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar have each compiled over 200 yards receiving, but Kearse has the only two touchdowns of the three names mentioned. As implied throughout, this is a weak offense all around and the receivers are just another example of that. Defensively, expect Notre Dame to have many successes against this Washington team.

The Huskies enter Saturday with the 115th best run defense in the nation, giving up 232.8 yards a contest alone on the ground. At 98th best, the pass defense looks that much better as they allow 250 more yards a game. Daniel Te'o-Nesheim leads the Huskies as he has come up with their only three sacks in 2008 from his defensive tackle position. Mason Foster leads the defense with 50 tackles, good for second most in the Pac-10. Nate Williams has added 43, good for 7th in the conference as well. The defense has only forced two turnovers all season long, both being interceptions.

Notre Dame is headed west this Saturday and look to make it 5-2 on the season. Washington has been a program that has hit the ruts under Ty Willingham's watch and many Irish fans would like to see nothing more than Notre Dame clobber their old coach and keep him 0-'08 another week. With the two products that will be out on the field Saturday, Notre Dame's will offer a much better brand of football. Vegas says Notre Dame by 11, we here at Domer Sports Report say:

Nick (5-1): Notre Dame 44 Washington 17
Mark (6-0): Notre Dame 42 Washington 20

Makes you just long for the days, doesn't it?

Expanded Recruiting Coverage - Coming Soon!

We, at Domer Sports Report, are happy to announce that we will be expanding our recruiting coverage in the near future. We are serious about the site and we are serious about our love for the Fighting Irish. So, we decided to elevate our recruiting coverage to another level. We really believe this coverage will be the best of any free site out there.

Here is what you can expect from our coverage of Notre Dame recruiting coverage by Nick Shepkowski and Michael Rubin:

• Verbal commitments - who has committed to us.
• Offers - what prospects have we offered?
• Prospects - who are we looking at?
• How our commitments are doing at their respective high schools - how have our commitments done on the field? What are their statistics?

As mentioned, our coverage will be thorough. But, the best part is - it's free! However, there are things that you, the viewer, can do for us - and, it won't cost you a thing! Things you can do to help:

• Click on any advertisement you see on the home page. There is no cost to do this. So, whether it is a google ad or a yardbarker ad, for example, please click.
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Thanks for your consideration. We hope to see you on our message board! We also know you will love our free coverage of Notre Dame football and basketball recruiting. As always, Go Irish!

Weis and Willingham: 4 Years Later

Four years ago two programs with very proud traditions chose opposite routes to try and re-discover football gold. Notre Dame fired Tyrone Willingham and hired New England Patriots offensive coordinator and owner of three Super Bowl rings in that time, Charlie Weis. The Washington Huskies in turn hired Willingham to replace Keith Gilbertson and try and return the Huskies to Pac-10 relevance. Four years later, we look back on what has changed for the better, for the worse, and the future of both coaches.

Since Willingham's firing the Fighting Irish have gone a combined 26-17 while the Huskies have gone a mind-boggling 11-30, a record that is unheard of for Washington football and even Tyrone Willingham who previous to taking the Washington job was a combined 65-52 as a head coach, including his 21-16 record in South Bend.

The first two Fighting Irish teams coached by Weis went to BCS games, combining for a record of 19-6 in Charlie's first two seasons. As Irish fans know, 2007 took a turn for the worst in a 3-9 campaign that included a pair of 38-0 losses against Michigan and USC and also featured a home loss against the Naval Academy. Things have gotten better in '08 for the Irish who after sneaking by San Diego State in week one, have totaled a 4-2 record and seemed primed for a bowl appearance which is saying a lot considering where the team was a year ago.

Willingham stumbled out of the gate in '05 for Washington, going just 2-9 while defeating only Arizona in Pac-10 play. In '06 things seemed to be getting better as the Huskies reached five in the win total. Sadly, that's as good as things have gotten under Willingham's watch, the Huskies went 4-9 in '07 and are yet to find the win column in '08, so far totaling an 0-5 record.

The biggest difference between the two coaches likely comes from events that do not necessarily start on the field of play. I'm talking about recruiting, something Willingham does not seem to grasp the concept of. Part of the reason Willingham was fired from Notre Dame was because of the position he was setting the Irish up to be in, in coming years. After a great class which included the likes of Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, and Tom Zbikowski in 2002, Willingham's classes in '04 and '05 ranked 32nd and 40th respectively.

While in Washington Willingham has recruited the 35th, 36th, and 24th ranked classes in his three full classes, 2006-08 respectively. Talent has yet to be shown with these classes now as his first full class was rated 35th in the nation and the Huskies remain winless, despite this class being juniors now. Although early, Willingham's Huskies are only 91st in the nation while ranking verbal commitments so far.

Weis has severely outdone what Willingham has in the same amount of time, twice bringing in the eighth ranked class while also having the number two class in recruiting a year ago. With his first full class now juniors we are catching a glimpse of what Weis' Irish will be able to do in the coming years. as this team has improved on a weekly basis.

It is safe to say that Notre Dame is not having the type of year that most fans are used to and like to see. However, compared to where this program was in where it was in great danger of heading it is clear to me that Notre Dame made the right choice in firing Tyrone Willingham. If Ty would have been permitted to stay longer its tough to imagine that Notre Dame would have only had one 3-9 season, the Irish were likely headed on a path straight towards bowl berths suddenly becoming a "great accomplishment".

Say what you want about Charlie Weis, about the University of Notre Dame, and about the racism the Irish showed. The fact of the matter is that Notre Dame football is under better guidance today than it was exactly four years ago and nobody can argue that.

Many want to argue that Notre Dame was unjust in allowing Weis to continue after a struggling third year as they fired Willingham after a very average third campaign. However, look where the programs are headed now, Ty Willingham's worst case scenario with the Irish played out the way we feared it may, Charlie Weis' was a result of Ty's with the best days of the Weis era still ahead of the Fighting Irish

Four years later, Notre Dame's decision to fire Willingham remains the right move.

Expectations Are High For Experienced Irish

By Mark Allen, Domer Sports Report

Notre Dame Men's Basketball
Season Preview

Expectations for the 2008-2009 edition of the Notre Dame men’s basketball team are sky high. But, unlike past seasons, the expectations are not only from within the program, but also on the outside. Many publications and websites have the Irish ranked high going into the season. For example, rivals.com, in their rundown of the top teams, has the Irish coming in at #5. ESPN has Notre Dame as their #11 team.

What are the reasons for such optimism? A good start is that the Irish return 4 of their 5 starters from last season. They lose only Rob Kurz (12.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg), who graduated after last season. They also return 7 of their top 8 players and 11 of 12 monogram winners.

Notre Dame’s cause and hopes are bolstered by the fact that two of their starters are also Big East Conference first teamers. The two players are senior Kyle McAlarney and junior Luke Harangody. Harangody also garnered Big East Player of the Year honors.

Head Coach Mike Brey
The Irish, of course, are coached by Mike Brey. Brey is entering his ninth season with Notre Dame in 2008-09. He is a 2-time Big East Coach of the Year winner, which says a lot. His record at Notre Dame is 167-86 (.661). In 13 years as a head coach, Brey is 266-138 (.658), which includes a 5-year stint at Delaware. Prior to Delaware, Brey was a top assistant at Duke, where he was a great recruiter.

Brief Review of 2007-08

Last season can be considered successful. How it ended, can be considered frustrating. The Irish finished the 2007-08 season with a very good, 25-8, record. They were tied for second in the Big East Conference with a 14-4 record. The Irish, though, lost to Marquette in the conference quarterfinals. They made it to the second round of the NCAA’s where they were blown out by Washington, 61-41.

Backcourt
Projected Starters: Tory Jackson, Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers
Off the Bench: Jonathan Peoples

The Irish return one of the Big East’s most dynamic backcourt duos in Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson. They are also vastly underrated, nationally. Notre Dame played 33 games last season and both guards started all of them. Talk about experience!

Jackson (Junior, 8.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.8 apg) will be running the point. He is ultra-quick and is a very good ballhandler. Last season, he led the conference in assists. He can penetrate with his quickness. The Irish will need him to do so in order to feed the big men for close in shots or to have them kick it back out for open threes.

On a team that has to emphasize better defense if it wants to go deep into season-ending tournaments, Jackson is Notre Dame’s best defender. He was first on the team in steals (58) and ranked sixth in the Big East.

Look for Jackson to improve on his downside. That downside is in the area of shooting. From the floor, he shot 38.6 percents and from beyond the arc, he was 30.2 percent. Point guards are usually very good free-throw shooters. Jackson shot only 52 percent last season. Ideally, he needs to get into the mid-60s on free-throws and mid-40s from the field.

Kyle McAlarney (Senior, 15.1 ppg) just might be the nation’s premier 3-point shooter. His range is almost to midcourt. As a matter of fact, McAlarney led the Big East in 3-point shooting (46.3 percent in the Big East and 44.1, overall).

McAlarney is the perfect compliment to Jackson. He is a catch-and-shoot player. However, he is more. Underrated is the way he can drive the lane and score on the floater. With his reputation as a long range bomber, teams might cover him outside. In that case, look for more drives this season from McAlarney.

McAlarney is also a very good free-throw shooter. Last season, he shot 82.1 percent from the line.

The Big East first teamer will be an important cog in this year’s team. With people doubling and tripling down on Luke Harangody, he might actually become the leading scorer on the team.

Notre Dame will go with a three guard lineup. The third guard is Ryan Ayers. Ayers played in all 33 games last season, starting 17 of them.

Ayers is another excellent long range shooter for the Irish. He was second on the team in 3-pointers attempted (122) and made (55) for an excellent percentage of 45.1. He is important as far as being a safety valve when teams concentrate on Harangody and McAlarney in their game plans.

Look for Ayers’ role to increase in his senior season. In Ireland, Ayers was on fire. He also seemed to take more of an active leadership role.

Ayers is also important for his defense. Much like Jordan Cornette, from a few season’s back, he is long. That really helps on defense, whether the Irish are in a zone or in man-to-man. Many times, coach Brey will put Ayers on the opposition’s best player.

Frontcourt
Projected Starters: Luke Harangody, Zach Hillesland
Off the Bench: Luke Zeller, Ty Nash, Carlton Scott

The heart and soul of the Fighting Irish is Luke Harangody. He is the anti-Brey in terms of outward intensity. If Brey is “ice”, then Harangody is “fire” in terms of showing emotion. For the most part, that is a plus. However, Harangody has said that, for the 2008-09 season, he is going to try to get more under control. Many times, he allowed bad calls to get to him.

Harangody is the returning Big East Player of the Year. He averaged a double-double for the season (20.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg). In conference play, he led the league in scoring (23.3 ppg) and was second in rebounding (11.3 rpg). He had 17 double-doubles and scored in double figures in 32 of Notre Dame’s 33 games.

Harangody might have been a big surprise during last season. He certainly will be no surprise for this one. What does he do to counteract that lack of surprise? He became known for his little flip shot that was a combination of a hook and shot-put. Most of the time that was done with his right hand. Look for him to use his left hand more.

There are two other ways in which Harangody will look to make his game complete. First, as evidenced against Louisville last season, he will shoot some from the 3-point arc to 15 feet. He definitely has the range to do it. Also, since he will no longer be a surprise, teams will double and triple team him as soon as he gets the ball. Look for Harangody to kick the ball out much better to open long range bombers like Ayers, McAlarney and Zeller.

The second frontcourt starter for the Irish, likely, will be Zach Hillesland (6.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg). Hillesland, at 6-9, is a decent ballhandler. He also shot 50 percent from the floor last season.

Hillesland is one of those role player that has to step up in his senior season for the Irish to reach their high goal. Two things he has to do, offensively, to improve. First, many times he drives the lane and appears out-of-control. He has to pull up on those drives. Secondly, he has to start shooting the mid-range jumper. If he can shoot it from about 10 feet, the Irish will be better for it.

Rob Kurz was the only loss to graduation. One question asked about the Irish basketball team is where will Kurz’s minutes be divided and who will do the things that he could do (play defense, take charges, get garbage baskets, etc). The answer will, most likely, come from the next three frontcourt players.

Luke Zeller (4.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg) is a former McDonald’s All American and Player of the Year in Indiana. He is the tallest player on the Irish roster at 6-11. Many think that Zeller has not lived up to his early hype. This is the season for him to step up.

There is no doubt that Zeller is an excellent offensive player. He can shoot from the outside. He was 32-of-84 from 3-point land (38.1 percent). But, in his senior season, Zeller needs to do more. He will be counted on to rebound and also play defense. How he does will go a long way in determining the success of the 2008-09 season.

Mike Brey is notorious for having a short bench. The Irish, for this season will have a solid rotation of 7 players. There is room for two more if they earn it. Those two players are Ty Nash and Carlton Scott.

Ty Nash (1.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg) appeared in 15 games for the Irish in his freshman season. At times he appeared very good. He is very athletic with a muscular build. In short, he has a “Big East” body. Will he get increased minutes in the upcoming season? The best chance will be doing it the “Kurz” way. He must do things such as rebounding, playing defense and diving for loose balls.

Many are anxiously awaiting the introduction of Carlton Scott. Scott was redshirted last season. Brey redshirted him in order for him to get stronger. Scott has a basketball body. He is long and can jump out of the gym. In practice, he has shown that he can dunk spectacularly and also has a 3-point range. Many think he will get more of a chance this season than Nash. Regardless, both players have a great upside in terms of talent.

Sophomore Tim Abromaitis might end up being the odd man out for this season. However, he does have talent. The former Connecticut Player of the Year runnerup can shoot the ball. If Brey, somehow, expands playing time, look for Abromaitis to play.

The Schedule
Notre Dame, in 2008-2009, just may be playing one of the toughest schedules in their history. That includes both, conference and non-conference games.

Last season, many complained about Notre Dame’s out-of-conference schedule. The RPI index of the opponents were low and provided no benefit to the Irish in terms of schedule strength, many believed. That is not so for the upcoming season. The Irish will “dive right in” (where have we heard that phrase before?) this season.

Notre Dame will travel to Hawaii to participate in the Maui Invitational. They will face rival Indiana in the opener. After that, possible opponents could be Alabama, Texas and North Carolina. In early December, the Irish will face Ohio State in Indianapolis. Then, in the middle of the rugged Big East portion of the schedule, Notre Dame takes a “break” and faces UCLA, in Los Angeles, in February.

Predictably, the Big East Conference leaders rewarded Notre Dame’s finish last season with a brutal schedule for this season. The Fighting Irish will face Connecticut and Louisville, no less than twice, this season. Both of those teams have been picked in the national top 5 by many publications and websites. Trips to Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Syracuse figure to be tough, too.

Outlook
Expectations are very high for this edition of the Fighting Irish men’s basketball team. The players and coaches have been downplaying it during the offseason, saying they haven’t earned anything. But, you know it is in the back of their mind that this could be something special.

In order for the Irish to reach their high goals, a few things have to happen. First, as a team, they have to find a way to score 80 points a game. That should be no problem, given the firepower they have. On the opposite end, Notre Dame must improve defensively. The Irish ranked 12th in the Big Eat in scoring defense. The goal should be to, at least, move up to middle-of-the-pack.

Notre Dame needs to replace the hustle factor of Rob Kurz. No one person can do it. It has to be done by committee. So, key players in this endeavor will by Luke Zeller, Ryan Ayers, Zach Hillesland and the combo of Ty Nash and Carlton Scott. Point production would be nice, but diving for loose balls, playing defense and rebounding are more important.

Luke Harangody is no lone a surprise, as mentioned. Neither is Kyle McAlarney. But, each can help the other. When Harangody has no room, kick it out to McAlarney. When McAlarney is covered, get the ball to Harangody. If this happens as well as Tory Jackson driving and dishing, offensively, at least, the sky is the limit.

The Irish have been working very hard in the offseason on all of the aspects mentioned. Look for Notre Dame to have a very successful season – perhaps, their best since 1978 (Final Four season). A Big East championship, whether a regular season or a tournament one, is not out of the question. Neither is a deep run into the Big Dance. With the chips falling right, a run to the Elite 8 – or beyond – is possible.

Roster
01 Ty Nash, F, 6-8, 220, Sophomore, Queens, NY
02 Tory Jackson, G, 5-11, 193,Junior, Saginaw, MI
05 Tom Kopko, G, 6-2, 184, Sophomore, Chicago, IL
14 Scott Martin, G, 6-8, 200, Sophomore, Valparaiso, IN
20 Jonathan Peoples, G, 6-3, 215, Junior, Bellwood, IL
21 Tim Abromaitis, F, 6-8, 232, Sophomore, Unionville, CT
22 Ben Hansbrough, G, 6-3, 206, Junior, Poplar Bluff, MO
23 Kyle McAlarney, G, 6-0, 195, Senior, Staten Island, NY
33 Zach Hillesland, F, 6-9, 228, Senior, Toledo, OH
34 Carlton Scott, F, 6-7, 215, Sophomore, San Antonio, TX
40 Luke Zeller, F/C, 6-11, 245, Senior, Washington, IN
41 Tim Andree, F, 6-8, 213, Junior, Colts Neck, NJ
42 Ryan Ayers, G, 6-7, 210, Senior, Blue Bell, PA
44 Luke Harangody, F, 6-8, 255, Junior, Schererville, IN

Coaches
Head coach - Mike Brey (George Washington, 1982)
Associate Head Coach - Sean Kearney (Scranton, 1981)
Assistant Coach - Anthony Solomon (Virginia, 1987)
Assistant Coach - Rod Balanis (Georgia Tech, 1993)
Coordinator of Basketball Operations - Martin Ingelsby (Notre Dame, 2001)

20th Anniversary

It was the "greatest game ever played in Notre Dame Stadium" according to a poll conducted by the University a few years back. It was October 15, 1988, eleven years before I would ever be lucky enough to see Notre Dame Stadium in person for the first time. Maybe this article won't be filled with a whole lot of punch, but why not take a look back at what happened twenty years ago today and hear a few stories from the great afternoon...

The Final Moments...9 Minutes Worth

The Rocket on The Brawl in the Tunnel

It must have been something to watch live or watch in person, I was lucky enough to be there exactly seventeen years later, needless to say I did not leave the stadium as happy as a fellow writer of DSR did in 1988.