The Irish Are Fighting Again! Notre Dame Beats No. 7 Louisville

Now this is the Notre Dame team we know and love! The Notre Dame men’s basketball team beat the No. 7-ranked Louisville Cardinals convincingly last night to break a seven-game skid that had the Domers and their fans frustrated and perplexed. But now, after the Louisville game, optimism is on the rise. If this performance is any indication of how the team will play during the stretch run of the year, we’re in for a treat.

In the 90-57 rout, the Irish were firing on all cylinders, and playing some inspired defense for the first time in a long time.  Luke Harangody was his usual dominant self in the post, notching 37 points and 17 rebounds. The Fighting Irish were actually hitting their threes, as well, going 10-18 from beyond the arch as a team. Ryan Ayers had a nice performance, as he shot 5-7 from three point land, and ended with 19 points.

Look for this win to carry over into the next game. The Irish are re-energized and ready to come back. They’re just 4-7 in conference, so there’s a lot of work to do. Next up: South Florida at home on Sunday.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 13, 2009 - Post a comment

ND Gets Do-Over Chance Tonight vs. Louisville

Notre Dame has a chance to change things tonight. It was seven games ago that the Irish played the Louisville Cardinals. The game went into overtime, where Louisville turned it on, and the Domers shut down on offense. That overtime loss to Louisville set off what Notre Dame coach Mike Brey has called “the biggest challenge in the history of the program,” a seven game losing streak, many to conference teams, that has the Irish reeling. Tonight, when they play Louisville, Notre Dame has a chance to win and start a new streak. Will they answer the call?

If you get tickets to the game, you’re probably going to see a very tough matchup for the Irish. Louisville is currently ranked seventh in the nation, and they’re one of the hottest teams in the conference right now, having won 11 of their last 12 games. They can score from all over, and Rick Pitino has the Cardinals playing strong defense. The Domers are at home, which might help them, though. They could sure use some support from the stands, so try to get out to the Joyce Center tonight.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 12, 2009 - Post a comment

Luke Winn on the Fighting Irish Woes

Luke Winn is getting to the bottom of the Notre Dame basketball team’s fall from grace. As he accurately points out in his blog, the Irish are dropping out of the national scene fast, having lost seven straight games after having been ranked as high as 12th in the nation, and after having held the nation’s longest home winning streak.

So what’s up with the Irish? Winn points to a quote Luke Harangody gave the Chicago Tribune that says the team is not putting the “fighting” in Fighting Irish. He also points to some lackluster perimeter defense, and the fact that teams are getting points by driving into the lane at an alarming rate. But we knew the defense needed work. One interesting point Luke Winn makes is that the Irish should try harder to get steals, and that they need to go to their bench more. I haven’t heard it said that the starting group might be tired, but that could be the case at this point in the year. Will coach Mike Brey implement these changes?  Will the Irish turn things around? Let’s see in the next Irish home game!

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 11, 2009 - Post a comment

Going Around the Horn with Irish Sports

Irish fans are a bit downtrodden these days due to the bad funk that the men’s basketball team is in right now. And yet there’s a lot to be excited about these days if you look beyond the men’s hoops team.  Let’s take a look at some of the cheerier subjects:

  • Women’s Basketball – The women are doing fantastic, as they’re ranked No. 19 in the latest AP Poll.  They won a close game versus a ranked DePaul program, and look like they’re headed for a birth in the Women’s NCAA Tournament.
  • Football – Charlie Weis grabbed another sparkling recruiting class when signing day came last week. Most experts say the Fighting Irish came away with a top 20 recruiting class, which could get better as time goes on.
  • Men’s Hockey – Their 12-game unbeaten streak on the road is over after a loss to Ohio State, but the hockey program is still one of the best in the country. Notre Dame is 21-5-3 overall and 15-4-3-3 in the CCHA, and ranked No. 2 in the nation.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 10, 2009 - Post a comment

UCLA Routs Notre Dame

The UCLA Bruins blew out the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this past Saturday, going ahead 46-30 at halftime and never looking back before winning 89-63. Luke Harangody had a rare off game thanks to the defense of the Bruins, specifically Alfred Aboya.  Troy Jackson led the Domers with 17 points and eight rebounds.  UCLA’s balanced offense was practically unstoppable, and the Irish never found any rhythm on their own end, and the result was an ugly game for anyone rooting for UND.

So where does this leave the Irish?  Right now they’ve lost seven straight, the most games they’ve dropped in a row in over a decade.  They’re 12-10 overall and 2-7 in the Big East. Although we thought that this matchup with the Bruins would be a tough one, we still kind of felt that they might make a statement- to the NCAA hoops world and themselves- by winning a tough one on the road. We will have to wait until later in the week. Next up: Notre Dame plays Louisville at home on Thursday night.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 9, 2009 - Post a comment

Weekend Matchup with UCLA, and Irish Football Recruiting

This Saturday the Irish will take on UCLA on the road in Los Angeles, so any Domer fans living in Southern California might want to head on over to StubHub to look for available tickets.  The game with UCLA could be the perfect platform for the Irish to begin their comeback. While UCLA is ranked No. 15 in the latest AP Poll, their schedule has been fairly weak, and it’s possible the Irish could catch them off guard. Enjoy the game this weekend, Irish fans!

In other news, Notre Dame football fans are sure to like the latest signing day class Notre Dame pulled in this week. Most experts believe the Irish landed a few very valuable players, and some have ranked the Notre Dame class of 2009 in the top 20 in the nation.  CBS Sports, via MaxPreps and Tom Lemming, ranks Notre Dame’s recruiting class the 16th best in the country. A few of the players who signed on to play in South Bend are: linebacker Manti Te’o, running back Cierre Wood, versatile lineman Chris Watt and wide receiver Shaquelle Evans.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish football tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 6, 2009 - Post a comment

Cincinnati Overcomes Irish 93-83

Tied at halftime, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were unable to out-score their opponents, the Cincinnati Bearcats last night, and lost 93-83 on the road in Cincy.  For this Irish, this marks a low point not just in the season, but in the past decade, as it is the first time since the ’93-’94 season that Notre Dame has lost six games in a row.

Perhaps some fans were optimistic about the Cincinnati game, because for the first time in five games it was a chance for the Irish to play a team not currently ranked in the AP Top 25. However, Cincinnati (15-8 overall, 5-5 in the Big East) proved they could maintain a strong offensive performance. Luke Harangody again led the Irish with amazing numbers, snagging 14 rebounds and scoring 28 points. But alas, it was not enough.
All is not lost, though, Irish fans. There’s still time and opportunity for this team to turn things around. Let’s hope this team finds what it’s missing before the Big East Tournament.  Remember to get out there and support the team, because they need your help now more than ever!

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 5, 2009 - Post a comment

Notre Dame Faces Tough Matchup vs. Cincinnati Tonight

Notre Dame is sliding downward at an alarming rate, but tonight they will get a chance to grab hold of an exposed root amid the tumbling pebbles and dust. Will they grasp the lifeline and stop the slide? Only time will tell. The Fighting Irish go on the road to face Cincinnati, a tough Big East opponent, tonight. What troubles some Irish fans is the idea that the team is now desperate. According to the South Bend Tribune, via the Sports Xchange, Guard Kyle McAlarney had this to say even before the team’s latest loss to Pittsburgh over the weekend.

“Yeah, I mean, worried, angry, disappointed. When you look at the rankings and see the standings, you definitely get worried, because we don’t have anything right now, we don’t have the next NCAA bid, but we’re fighting for that right now. When you see the standings and you see our record, you know, you definitely feel a sense of worry.”

But let us cast all this doubt and worry aside. Tonight you all need to get some tickets to the game, come out and support the Irish. There’s still room for comebacks. There always is. As fans of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, you ought to be well aware of this fact my now. Haven’t you ever seen the movie Rudy? Clearly this hasn’t gotten to that point, but nonetheless the Irish need your support now more than ever.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 4, 2009 - Post a comment

Notre Dame’s Pivotal Upcoming Schedule

There’s precious little time for Notre Dame to turn up the heat in the home stretch of the regular season.  The Domers are on a real skid- having lost their last five games.  Not even their vaunted home court advantage is working for their favor anymore. So let’s look at some of the remaining games and see where the Irish need to focus in order to win in the last month and change of the year.

  • Feb 4    @Cincinnati – Winnable, should be close
  • Feb 7    @UCLA – Ouch! Hold back your bets
  • Feb 12    Louisville – Rematch of overtime loss
  • Feb 15    South Florida – A must/ought to win
  • Feb 18    @West Virginia – One of the tougher remaining
  • Feb 21    @Providence – Another toss up
  • Feb 25    Rutgers – Expect a ND win
  • Feb 28    @Connecticut – UConn looks unstoppable
  • Mar 2    Villanova – Irish have a shot
  • Mar 6    St. John´s – Expect a win at their last home game

So if we look at the schedule, the Irish have only about three guaranteed wins, four games that should be close, and three that they’re expected to lose. Will they end on a 5-5 record, or will the Irish turn it up and take the close ones, finishing 7-3?  Get some tickets to cheer for the blue and gold.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 3, 2009 - Post a comment

Notre Dame Falls to Highly Ranked Pittsburgh

Even though Notre Dame went with a taller lineup and lead at halftime, the Irish still wound up falling to Pittsburgh on the road over the weekend, 80-93. DeJuan Blair, a center for the Panthers, recorded 23 points and 22 rebounds, one of the most impressive rebounding performances in his school’s history.  Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody ended with an impressive 27 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Panthers down, as the Irish dropped their fifth straight game.

The Pitt loss puts Notre Dame at 12-8 overall, but what’s worse, they fell to 3-6 in the Big East, meaning that only four other teams, Seton Hall, South Florida, Rutgers and DePaul, have a worse conference record. The recent skid for the Irish is troubling, and there is precious little time to right the ship. What will Notre Dame do to get back on track? We’ll have to see in the next four weeks.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 2, 2009 - Post a comment


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