Notre Dame-UAB Game Preview

The first round of the NIT is tonight, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are slated to play the UAB Blazers. Not surprisingly, fans are hoping that the “luck of the Irish” is with the team as they prepare to earn a postseason championship. On this, the most luckiest of Irish days, St. Patrick’s Day, we think our team has the edge. But just in case you need a more thorough, more fact-driven argument about why Notre Dame will win tonight (knock on clover), you can look through the very detailed pregame article at UND.com.

Or, if you’re a fan of doing your own pre-game research and team scouting, there’s always Kenpom.com, whose basketball stats will be all too valuable as the NCAA Tournament brackets get filled out. Here’s the page on the UAB Blazers. As you can see, this is a solid team, with some real strengths, especially perimeter defense.  UAB beat Arizona in the beginning of the year and then went on a tear in their C-USA schedule, winning six straight in the second half of the season.  They come into the NIT a bit wobbly, though, having lost three of their last six games.

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

Permalink - Posted in General on March 17, 2009 - Post a comment

Notre Dame a No. 2 Seed in the NIT

While the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee might have passed up Notre Dame when they were picking who would get at-large bids into their tournament, the Irish were fortunate that the NIT, the National Invitational Tournament picked them up. Notre Dame was selected as a No. 2 seed in the NIT, which is comprised of 32 teams. You can look at the entire bracket right here.

One of the best things about the NIT is that the games are played at the higher seed’s home gym. So although I previously said that the last regular season home game was probably the last time you’d get to see the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on their home floor this year, I was completely mistaken. Now, you’ll have at leas this Tuesday’s game.  Notre Dame will play UAB, a 7-seed, in the opening round of the tournament tomorrow at the Joyce Center. Get your tickets now!

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

Permalink - Posted in General on March 16, 2009 - Post a comment

Cheer Up Irish Fans, Big Luke Gets All-American Honors

Both the Sporting News and Fox Sports have selected Notre Dame junior basketball player Luke Harangody as an All-American. You can read the full story here at UND.com. Basically, sports writers, magazines, websites and other publications come up with lists of the best players in the nation. To be named an All-American is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations, Luke! We all hope you stick around for one more year of basketball in South Bend.

So that was the good news, ladies and gentlemen. The bad news is that the Big Easy Tournament went on without the Irish last night. Wouldn’t it have been grand if it were the Fighting Irish upsetting Pitt for a chance to move on, instead of WVU, the team that beat Notre Dame the night previous? Well, we have the NIT to give us hoops fans some solace. Look out for Notre Dame to get an invitation to the NIT, and then come to StubHub for tickets.

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

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

Notre Dame Eliminated from Big East by UVW

West Virginia, led by the 25-point effort of Alex Rouff, has eliminated the Notre Dame men’s basketball team from the Big East Tournament.  The game last night, which UVW won 74-62, will mark the end of the road for Notre Dame, so far as the Big East Tourney s concerned. The chances of the Irish going to the NCAA Tournament are slim to none. And slim just left town.  Hopefully Notre Dame can get into the NIT, where fans will be able to see them succeed in a playoff format. Our hats are off to UVW. Predictably they played some excellent defense, and held the Irish to just 18 first half points.

So where does this leave Irish basketball fans?  Well, you need not worry.  There will be more Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball tickets available sometime soon, when Notre Dame gets into one of the postseason tournaments. Which one will they end up at?  This blogger seems to think they’ll make the NIT.  Stay tuned.

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

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

Notre Dame Beats Rutgers, Advances to Play WVU in 2nd Round Tonight!

This time of the year things move quickly in the college basketball world. Seasons are extended and ended in a matter of moments, careers are made and broken, dreams are realized and crushed. The Fighting Irish just got one step closer to achieving their ultimate goal- a trip to the NCAA Tournament. They beat Rutgers last night in their first round game in the Big East Tournament 50-61. It wasn’t the prettiest game they’ve played, but it still advances them in the bracket. UND will play West Virginia in the second round tonight at 7:00 Eastern at Madison Square Garden. Get tickets. Get on a plane, and go to this awesome game. West Virginia is no pushover. The Mountaineers play arguably the best defense in the conference. However, if the Irish can find their shooting touch, they could move on to face Pitt tomorrow. Knock on wood.

You can check out the Big East scoreboard right here. As of this posting, DePaul and Providence are in the middle of their second round game. The second half just started, and the game’s as close as can be, even though Providence came in with a much higher seed and an opening round bye. Fatigue doesn’t seem to be affecting DePaul. Let’s hope it doesn’t affect the Irish tonight.

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

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

Notre Dame – Rutgers in Big East Opening Round Tonight

Notre Dame is about to begin the Big East Tournament. Do you have your tickets?  StubHub still has some great seats available for the Big East Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament, a series of games that could completely turn around the Fighting Irish’s season.  Will they win out, get the conference title and land a bid to the Dance?  First they have to deal with Rutgers at 7:00 PM Eastern tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The opening round of this tournament is played between the lowest ranked teams in the conference, and Notre Dame will draw Rutgers, who finished second to last in the Big East standings with a conference record of 2-16 and an overall record of 11-20. Rutgers can play a little defense, but the Irish should overpower the Scarlet Knights with their powerful offense. Rutgers comes into the game after having lost 17 of their last 19 games (although they won their season finale against USF). Get out there and support Notre Dame tonight! If they win, UND will play West Virginia tomorrow.

To get Big East Tournament basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

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

Notre Dame Calms Red Storm

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball team ended the regular season with a bang, routing the St. John’s Red Storm 74-55 on Friday night.  Luke Harangody netted 31 points and 12 rebounds, a typical night for Big Luke. Ryan Ayers, who came on strong at the tail end of the season, added 15 points. For the Red Storm Justin Burrell led with 17 points.

So where does this leave the Irish?  Well, we now know their final resting point in the Big East standings, as they will finish in 10th with an overall record of 17-13, and a Big East record of 8-10. Considering the monumental meltdown Notre Dame had halfway through the conference portion of the schedule, this isn’t such a bad regular season. It’s only disappointing when you compare it to the lavish expectations that were given to this team.

Where do we go from here? Well, Notre Dame will play Rutgers on Tuesday night for their first game in the Big East Tournament. Confidence booster? Check! Now it’s time for the Domers to make believer of the rest of the nation.

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

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

Notre Dame to Play St. John’s at Joyce Center

As you’re probably aware the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to play the St. John’s Red Storm tonight at the Joyce Center on the Notre Dame campus.  For a team full of seniors, this game takes on special meaning, as it’s the last time they’ll compete before the home crowd at the gym that’s been their home for the past four years. Ryan Ayers, Zach Hillesland, Kyle McAlarney and Luke Zeller were the senior captains of the team this year. A special ceremony will honor their achievements. When you check out the pregame page at UND.com, you’ll see that this class has been highly successful, having achieved a record of 81-43 (.653) overall, and 38-29 (.567) in the Big East. They’ve been to the NCAA Tournament three years in a row, and could make it a fourth if they can win the Big East Tournament.

The game tonight should be a good one, and as we’ve mentioned before it’s the last time this season you’ll get to see the men’s basketball team play at home. We expect a big turnout, so you might want to check with StubHub when the Joyce Center sells out. Go Irish!

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

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

Who Is St. John?

Saint John could refer to a number of important figures in Christianity, including Saint John the Apostle, or John the Baptist, or John the Evangelist. We haven’t bothered to look up who, exactly St. John’s University is named after because we’re too interested in getting you hoops fans the latest low-down on what to expect when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the St. John’s Red Storm in what should be a thrilling regular season-ending battle.

For a good breakdown about the Red Storm, we turned to the college hoops stats hero of our generation, Kenpom.com. While the Red Storm started out as a Category Five, they’ve been downgraded to a Tropical Depression in the last couple of months. At one point in late December they’d rattled off a 9-1 record, but now with one game to go they’re 15-15 overall and 6-11 in the Big East. If they lose, they’ll have a sub-.500 record.

One of the biggest wins the Red Storm captured was over Notre Dame back in early January, when they won 71-65 at home in New York. They’re also coming off a particularly good win over Georgetown, a 59-56 overtime victory at home. However, the Storm have been just as bad at home as they have been good, losing to bottom-tier Big East teams like Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.

The strengths of this team appear to be in the paint, as they’re one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the game. However, guard play is down, as they’re not so hot at shooting threes or free throws, and they don’t hold onto the ball very well.

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

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

All Is Not Lost – Big East Tourney Awaits

We all know that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball team lost a huge home game to Villanova recently. We know that the loss probably means the Irish won’t have a chance at getting an at-large bid to the tournament, because they won’t have a winning conference record. But why all the tears, Irish fans? This is the month of March, the month of Miracles and Madness. The fact is, there’s a perfectly reasonable way for the Irish to get back to the NCAA Tournament this year—by winning the Big East Tournament.

The Irish can star by beating the St. John’s Red Storm in their last regular season game. Then, the Irish will have to win out through the Big East Tournament to seal the auto bid from arguably the best conference in college basketball. Sounds difficult, but then difficult too was the task before one fictional NASCAR legend Ricky Bobby. Needless to say, difficulty doesn’t mean impossibility. Let’s get out to the Big East Tourney to support the Irish!

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

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


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