Online Now 1554

Irish 3-Point Play

Pretty Good Purcell Pavilion
Notre Dame improved to 12-1 this season (10-0 at home) after Friday’s 89-67 victory over Niagara. The Fighting Irish are on a 10-game win streak after slipping up in overtime against St. Joseph’s in Brooklyn back on Nov. 16. It’s the longest win streak for the Irish since they won 10 straight games during the 2007-08 season (Nov. 24-Jan. 5) and the third win streak of at least 10 games in head coach Mike Brey’s 13-year tenure in South Bend.

Mike Brey

Notre Dame is 110-7 in its last 117 home games and 45-1 in the last 46 home contests, with 16 straight home wins dating back to last season. The Irish have won 28 consecutive non-conference home games and are 69-1 in their last 70 non-league home contests. For what it’s worth, Notre Dame lists average attendance as 7,656. The actual figure is probably closer to 6,000 people per game so far this season.

Heating Up
Notre Dame shot a season-best 62.0 percent (31-for-50) from the floor against Niagara after a previous season-high 61.5 percent (32-for-52) on Wednesday against Kennesaw State. The Irish have shot higher 60 percent only three times this year, the other coming against Chicago State (61 percent). The effort Friday was the highest shooting percentage for the Irish since a 62.1-percent (36-for-58) effort in a 108-62 win over Northern Illinois on Dec. 8, 2007. The Irish shot 75.0% (18-24) from the field in the second half Friday.

Things have gotten considerably better at the foul line to close out December and the nonconference schedule. Notre Dame shot 86.4 percent (19-for-22) from the free throw line against the Purple Eagles Friday and is 32-for-37 (86.5 percent) at the stripe in the last two games.

Though he’s attempted far fewer foul shots than most of the squad’s starters, freshman forward Cameron Biedscheid has made
17 of 20 free throws for a team-best .850 shooting percentage. There’s a reason, Brey said, Biedscheid was chosen to go to the line when Purdue was called for a technical on Dec. 15 in Indianapolis.

Bounce Around The Big East
Notre Dame is one of five Big East Conference programs ranked among the Associated Press top 25. The 22nd-ranked Fighting Irish are joined by No. 3 Syracuse (10-0), No. 5. Louisville (10-1), No. 11 Cincinnati (11-0) and No. 15 Georgetown.

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim celebrated his 900th career victory Monday when the Orange beat Detroit 72-68. Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (936) former Indiana and Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight (902) are the only other men's Division I coaches to win that many games.

Notre Dame is second in the league in shooting percentage (.510) behind Pittsburgh (.525) and leads the Big East in 3-point percentage (.387). The Irish are also second in defensive rebounds (30.8 per game) behind Pitt (25.3) and in assists per game (19.5) behind the Panthers (19.8).

Wes Morgan

    • It is amazing what ND has been able to accomplish at home. It should get talked about more by the national media.

      edd1066

    • It is a shame that nthe Irish do not draw better during the nonconference portion of their schedule.Hopefully when Big East play begins the crowds will get larger and louder.

      frase

    • frase said...

      It is a shame that nthe Irish do not draw better during the nonconference portion of their schedule.Hopefully when Big East play begins the crowds will get larger and louder.

      My theory on why the men don't endure themselves to the community like the womens team is......1) Muffet has the mentality that her teams will play anybody, anytime, anywhere, while coach brey baby's his teams in non-conference thus producing a weak minded tournamount team year in and year out. 2) Muffet makes her team available to the fans and makes the human connections. I'm not saying that coach brey and the team aren't great guys.... they just dont make the added effort to mingle with fans like the women do. 3) ticket prices are affordable for the women for ALL of their games. The men tickets are family friendly for one or two over matched opponents during breaks. The men treat it like a business while the women have fun with the community. Not saying what the men do is bad.....just the reasons why the women's team is embraced by the community.

      sportsfansb ●

    • There's a big difference between women's nonconference play and men's nonconference play. You can't go schedule a bunch of top-ranked teams if you're Mike Brey, because you have to survive the grind that is league play. The women don't have nearly as many tests throughout the year (there just aren't that many great women's teams), so they can get away with scheduling a harder slate earlier in the season.

      I'm not sure how accurate it is to say that the women engage more with fans, but I know the men have a lot more commitments, especially with the media. There's only so much time between basketball and school.

      I think ticket prices for men's games are ridiculous. I was hoping to take my young son to a game this year, but I'm not sure I can spend $50 for a 3 year old to go to the game.

      Wes Morgan

    • Wes Morgan said...

      There's a big difference between women's nonconference play and men's nonconference play. You can't go schedule a bunch of top-ranked teams if you're Mike Brey, because you have to survive the grind that is league play. The women don't have nearly as many tests throughout the year (there just aren't that many great women's teams), so they can get away with scheduling a harder slate earlier in the season.

      I'm not sure how accurate it is to say that the women engage more with fans, but I know the men have a lot more commitments, especially with the media. There's only so much time between basketball and school.

      I think ticket prices for men's games are ridiculous. I was hoping to take my young son to a game this year, but I'm not sure I can spend $50 for a 3 year old to go to the game.

      Wes, why are tickets for mens bb games so ridiculous? Do you think the media requests are that different between men and women? I would think so at a place like Indiana but ND? As far as your comment regarding scheduling.......it seems to me that the teams that consistantly compete for going to the final four do not fear sprinkling in a tough game or two early in their schedule.....ie kanas at ohio state. Tom izzo has done it for years. The top programs do not fear a couple of tough games early. Whatever mike brey is thinking ......his methods arent working come tournament time nor is ND filling their house for the games!

      This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by sportsfansb on 12/24/2012 at 3:02 AM

      sportsfansb ●

    • Some of the men's non conference games are not appealing

      ndlaw83

Already have an account? Sign In

Add a comment
Want to be involved in the discussion? Start Free Trial
Notre Dame
247Sports
Features
Resources
Connect

247Sports In partnership with CBS Sports