Aztec Curse To Help Irish in 08?

Call it what you want, but San Diego State's football team has been casting a spell over their BCS power conference opponents the past couple of seasons. Whether the opponent had a rather successful year or a dismal season like the Fighting Irish, the end results for that season when facing the Aztecs has become astounding. If the trend continues, Notre Dame could be in for one heck of a turnaround season.

Since 2005, San Diego State has faced six teams from the major BCS conferences (Ohio State, UCLA, Wisconsin, Washington State, Arizona State, and Cincinnati). With the exception of Washington State, due to several key injuries, all the teams bettered their previous season's record.

2005
UCLA (10-2): 6-6 in 2004
Ohio State (10-2): 8-4 in 2004

2006
Wisconsin (12-1): 10-3 in 2005

2007
Washington State (5-7): 6-6 in 2006
Arizona State (10-3): 7-6 in 2006
Cincinnati (10-3): 8-5 in 2006

That's a +2 game turnaround average from the previous season! And with the season Notre Dame had in 2007, we could possibly see the good fortunes of an Aztec spell of at least +5 game turnaround.

Another positive in facing San Diego State is that the Aztecs have had a hard time stopping the run. With the likes of Robert Hughes, Armando Allen, James Aldridge, and Company leading the charge, Notre Dame could be in for one of their highest rushing totals in the Charlie Weis era. In the three previous seasons, SDSU has given up an average of 228 yards on the ground to BCS power conference schools. Last season they gave up 287 yards rushing to Cincinnati!

It doesn't get better through the air either, as SDSU gave up an average of 233 yards to those six opponents. This could be a game where Jimmy Clausen can hang up some Brady-esque like numbers.

On average the Aztecs are giving up 36 points to their opponents, while only scoring less than two touchdowns (13.0) per contest.

Curse or no curse, Notre Dame has luck on their side; not to mention a little redemption for all the naysayer’s too!

Hansbrough Likes What He Sees With Irish Hoops

Ben Hansbrough's trip to South Bend was a memorable one as he looks for his right fit after transferring from Mississippi State. Hansbrough, a 6-foot-3 guard, started 28 games and was State's fourth-leading scorer (10.5) this past season as the Bulldogs advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and shot 36 percent from 3-point range. He also averaged 33.5 minutes per game, which was more than most Fighting Irish players averaged this season, except for Kyle McAlarney (35.7).

His brother, Tyler, is an All-American at North Carolina and this season's consensus player of the year. Gene Hansbrough confirmed that Ben had thought about leaving Mississippi State last season, but after this season felt like it was the right move.

There is no timetable for the decision.

"Ben loves Notre Dame," Gene Hansbrough said. "I think he wants to play in a competitive program and be able to excel as a team."

Don't be surprised if Psycho T's brother pulls the trigger and commits to the Irish this week. If Hansbrough does indeed sign with Notre Dame, he will have to sit out the upcoming 2008-09 season, and will have two years eligibility remaining for Mike Brey's squad.

IBB Weekly Motivator: Week 5

Not too much to say about John David Booty Scratcher except for congrats on that fabulous Wonderlic Score and your 5th round selection to the Vikings!

As for the poster, no explanation needed!

Are You Smarter Than an NFL Draftee?

Since the NFL Draft is a little over 24 hours away, I overlooked something when I wrote about Notre Dame's four draftee candidates, the WONDERLIC Test! Ah yes, the NFL's version of 2+2. So who did the Irish fare on the test?

John Carlson led the bunch with a score of 40, while John Sullivan had a 35, Trevor Laws 30, and Tom Zbikowski 29. Other notables of interest: Chad Henne 22, John David Booty 14, Jonathan Stewart 20, Rashard Mendenhall 23, Felix Jones 22, Vernon Gholston 21, Sedrick Ellis 15, and the kicker was Mario Manningham's results.

Before I give you Manningham's score, here's a little information about this IQ Test.

Charlie Wonderlic Jr., president of Wonderlic Inc., says, "A score of 10 is literacy, that's about all we can say."

Mario Manningham, a 6!!!! Yikes. It's evident of Michigan's "high" academic standards, and more proof of Stanford Cardinal Cocah Jim Harbaugh's theory. I guess the Wolverines with their new coach Dick Rod still have their "family values". Oh wait.....

Now if they can just get a quarterback and a coach who has a backup plan when a premadonna high school kid dumps him for the other "classy" institution in the Big 11!

I remember folks making fun of Heisman Trophy winner not knowing the word "restitution". Manninghan can't even read the word. How does that happen at the "Harvard of the West?"

I don't see Mario being asked to a contestant on Wheel of Fortune for NFL Week! Hey Mario if the NFL doesn't work out for ya, I sure bet Jeff Foxworthy would love to have you as one of his students on "Are You Smarter Than A Michigan Football Player?"

Spring Game Blues

The 79th Blue and Gold game came and went and left somewhat of a bad taste in a few fan's mouths. Even though the contest itself was intense as the Blue (offense) defeated the Gold (defense), 47-46 on a last second touchdown, my overall impression of the team was not too optimistic. A lot of factors played into that sentiment, but it leaves one wondering, did the Irish show or reveal much? To sum it up briefly, not really.

Here is the IBB report card for the Irish after the game:

Quarterback
Jimmy Clausen definitely is 100% healthy and it showed with some zip! Clausen's numbers weren't stellar, 10-of-27 for 183 yards and 1 Touchdown and 1 interception. He definitely would have better numbers if it weren't for a few drops here and there. One trend that will have to be straightened out before the start of the season will be Clausen's ability to not "Lock" on a receiver too soon. He didn't look off any receivers and it showed on several throws, including the 22-yard interception return by Harrison Smith.

Overall Jimmy is improving and will only get better!

Grade: B

Running Back
The Blue rushing attack started and ended with offensive MVP Robert Hughes. Hughes picked up where he left off last season by gaining 100 yards on 22 carries, including the first touchdown of the game. He put in a workmanlike effort and was rewarded for his output.

Armando Allen gave a good change up for the bruising Hughes with 11 rushes for 53 yards. Just like last season, Allen was a tackle or two away from breaking a big one!

James Aldridge saw limited amount of carries, which makes me wonder if A) he's not fully 100% healthy, or B) he's slipping down the depth chart. Either case, Aldridge didn't provide much spark when he did carry (3.0 average per carry).

The Barry Gallup Jr. experiment at running back turned into just that, an experiment. Even though he got almost as many carries as Aldridge, Gallup Jr. is probably not going to get much time on the field next season unless the injury bug hits either the backs or receivers.

Grade: B

Full Back
Asaph Schwapp didn't touch the ball at all, which might not be a bad thing. He did a so-so job of lead blocking or protecting Clausen on a few pass plays. Not too much to go off of for Schwapp's evaluation.

Grade: Incomplete

Receivers
This was a unit I felt showed a bit of everything on Saturday. It had its ups of great catches (Ragone's spectacular 23-yard reception; Tate's 57 yarder to set up the game winner, and Kamara's jump ball TD) and its downs with several dropped passes.

When it did matter, the receivers stepped up against the best unit on the Irish squad (secondary). New captain David Grimes will spearhead this group in the right direction, as incoming freshman Michael Floyd will add more depth and star power to the Irish's arsenal.

Grade: B+

Offensive Line
I think I was more dumbfounded than anything with the o-line's performance on Saturday. First off, all that you hear and read about Sam Young's poor play was pretty much on the mark. Mental mistakes of false starts, holding calls, and allowing a few missed assignments, didn't bode well for a player that wants to be a leader of this team.

With that said, there were signs of life from the offensive line, especially when the little skirmish broke out. Eric Olsen has a little, Jeff Faine, mean streak about him that is much needed. Chris Stewart looked fairly decent, but still the offensive line gave up four sacks to a defense that is missing some valuable parts.

Help is on the way, but will it be enough? Time will tell.

Grade: C-

Defensive Line
The defensive front was the hardest hit from graduation (Trevor Laws), suspension (Patrick Kuntz), and injury (Darrell Hand); however they had a pretty good outing. End Morrice Richardson and tackle Justin Brown led the charge with 12 tackles, including one and a half sacks, respectively. Incoming freshman Sean Cwynar and Freshman All-American, Ian Williams, had three and two stops as well.

They clogged up the middle and put some pressure on Clausen, which means the arrow is definitely pointing up on this unit, especially with the return of Kuntz in the fall.

Grade: B+

Linebackers
It was all Smith, all the time for the linebacking corps, as Harrison Smith shored up the game's defensive MVP honors after returning an interception for a touchdown. Jon Tenuta's placement of Harrison Smith as a linebacker proved to be genius as he was everywhere on the field for five tackles.

Scott Smith led the group with six tackles, while Brian Smith (3 tackles) headed the charge with two sacks and Toryan Smith added three stops.

The non-Smiths, Kevin Washington had four tackles, and both Kerry Neal and Maurice Crum each had two stops apiece.

Grade: A-

Secondary
This was Notre Dame's strength last season and should be the pillar once again. Kyle McCarthy will fill in nicely for Tom Zbikowski at safety, while David Bruton should be on a few preseason honor lists. Depth will also be a valuable weapon for this unit, as Ray Herring, Raeshon McNeil, Jashaad Gaines, Sergio Brown, and Gary Gray, will be battling more this fall for playing minutes.

The hit of the day went to senior Terrail Lambert. Armando Allen ran into the brick wall of Lambert to stop the Blue from scoring. That hit definitely woke up the crowd from its early slumber! The only knock of this group was that it let up at the end for the Blue to escape with the win and the Steak dinner.

Overall this unit is going to be solid and will improve on last year's numbers!

Grade: B

Special Teams
Brandon Walker looked a lot better than last season, which isn't saying much, and Eric Maust had some good punts and some not so good punts. If Walker didn't hit the upright of his 46 yard field goal, this unit would have had a better day.

Grade: C+

Overall I'm not sure if the Irish showed a lot because of adjusting to new personnel assignments (Mike Haywood calling the plays) and lack of depth problems. There were signs of improvement at several positions, but was it enough? We shall see in 136 days!

IBB Weekly Motivator: Week 4

Don't you miss John L. Smith? He was such a classy person, especially when he was upset at his players for not planting their flag on the 50-yard line at Notre Dame Stadium three years ago. Too bad you're not in East Lansing anymore, or I'd bitch slap you too!

Michigan Copycating Off of ND's "The Shirt"

The more the University of Michigan wants to be like us, the more lame they get. In their latest installment of being the Notre Dame of the North, Michigan unveiled their verison of "The Shirt" today (pictured above). First it is bad enough that they switched apparel from Nike and to Adidas; but now stealing our project and revealing it today when the University and Mike Golic are doing the same later.

You'd think that the fine folks in Ann Arbor would be smarter than that. I guess they truly are the "VICTORS" of being completely and utterly stupid!

USC the Next Ivy League School?

Southern Cal has toughened their admissions process to get the best students in the World!

Draft Day Looms Large for Irish Quad

With the upcoming NFL Draft just 11 days away, several Notre Dame Players have been visiting teams for that right fit. According to numerous draft experts, Trevor Laws, John Carlson, Tom Zbikowski, and John Sullivan, are in the top five of their respective positions.

Laws (4th best DE)
Carlson (3rd best TE)
Zibikowski (4th best SS)
Sullivan (3rd best C)

Overall, Laws is the highest rated Fighting Irish Player in the Draft at 45, while Carlson is 70, Zibikowski 91, and Sullivan 98. Trevor is a lock for the 2nd round, while the others could go as high as the 3rd round, but are more looking towards the middle rounds of the second day of the draft.

According to Scott Wright, editor of NFL Draft Countdown sees both Laws (42nd, Broncos) and Carlson (56th, Packers) going in the 2nd round. Below are Wright’s evaluations of the four major Notre Dame draftees:


Trevor Laws according to Wright: “The type who will never be a star and projects as more of a backup in the NFL but could play in the league for a long time and coaches will adore him.”

Strengths:
Has a non-stop motor…Great strength…Technically sound and really understands leverage…Is real quick and a decent athlete…Outstanding tackler…Can penetrate and make plays in the backfield…Versatile and has played multiple positions in two different schemes…Has a ton of experience against top competition…Really smart and hard worker…Active hands…Productive…Great senior year…A LEADER.

Weaknesses:
Doesn’t have the height that you look for…Can be too aggressive at times…Is not overly stout at the point of attack…Has a limited pass rush repertoire and basically relies on hustle…Not very powerful…Bit of a ‘tweener…Doesn’t have much upside.

Ok, I had to laugh a little bit because Wright says that Trevor has great strength, but is not very powerful, and then goes on to say that he doesn’t have much of an upside, yet he’s very versatile and has played multiple positions in two different schemes. Really Scott?

One would think you would consider a person who doesn’t have an upside to regress during your collegiate career. As for Laws, he pretty much doubled his output every season:
2004 17 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack
2005 33 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks
2006 62 tackles, 9 TFL, 3.5 sacks
2007 112 tackles, 8 TFL, 4 sacks

Yeah, no upside to Laws whatsoever!

John Carlson according to Wright: “Will not be confused for Antonio Gates any time soon but he is a great all-around tight end who should be a NFL starter.

Strengths:
Terrific natural athlete…Has very good size and a big frame with long arms…Runs excellent routes and know how to get open…Has soft, reliable hands…Has shown the ability to stretch the field vertically…Runs well after the catch…Good ball skills and body control…Above average blocker…Very smart…A hard worker and LEADER.

Weaknesses:
Timed speed is relatively average and he lacks a burst…Needs to get stronger…Is not overly elusive or much of a big play threat…Could stand to show more power and use better leverage as a blocker…Is coming off of a sub par senior campaign.

So how is it Scott that Carlson runs excellent routes, gets open, has reliable hands, runs well after the catch, and can stretch the field vertically, but is not elusive or much a big play threat? He had a sub par senior year, wow, thanks for the very observant eye! If Mr. Wright didn’t figure out why Carlson was used mainly as an extra blocker for a sieve offensive line, than I don’t know what to tell him. John’s number tailed off yes, but he still had 40 receptions and three touchdown receptions after coming back from a knee injury.

John Sullivan according to Scott Wright: “Does not have all the physical tools but he gets the job done…A potential starter if he can regain the form he showed earlier in his career.”

Strengths:
Adequate size and bulk…Really understands leverage and positioning…Excellent strength…Stout at the point…Smart with decent awareness…Intense and a hard worker with a non-stop motor…Tons of experience…A LEADER with top intangibles.

Weaknesses: Isn’t a great athlete…Poor balance…Is not a natural knee bender…Needs to do a better job of finishing his blocks…Not very mobile…Doesn’t get a great push…Had some issues with the shotgun snap…Is not very powerful…Struggled as a senior.

How can a person have excellent strength, but not be very powerful? Is Scott Wright just trying to fill in some lines for his site? I don’t know either. If there was one Notre Dame Player that’s going to be punished for a 3-9 season, it was going to be Sullivan. You can explain the horrible offensive production, but when it comes to bad snaps and missed blocks, that’s all on you Sully!

Tom Zbikowski according to Scott Wright: “Probably a little overrated and is certainly not the pro prospect his press clippings would lead you to believe but he should at the very least be a good backup and special teamer.”

Strengths:
Hard worker and team LEADER with excellent intangibles…Very strong is tough as nails…Smart and has terrific instincts…Does a great job versus the run…Good hands and ball skills…Quick with a burst…Likes to hit and is a reliable tackler…Well built with a very solid frame…A playmaker who can make something happen when he gets the ball…Fiery and intense…Has extensive experience as a punt returner.

Weaknesses:
Shorter than you would prefer…Does not have great timed speed…Is not a great athlete…Can be too aggressive at times…Does not have fluid hips and could be a liability in coverage…Is prone to biting on fakes…Will need to work on his tackling fundamentals…Might be one dimensional in-the-box type…Has a limited upside.

This one made me laugh a lot. Zibby is a reliable tackler, but needs to work on his tackling fundamentals; I can see that. “Is not a great athlete”, wait a minute; stop the presses on this one. Here are a few things that will contradict that statement, 1) Tommy is a nationally-ranked boxer with a 60-13 overall amateur record and 3-Time Silver Gloves national finalist, 2) A highly regarded option quarterback out of high school that was recruited heavily by Nebraska, and 3) Some of the best athletes on the team are returners, period! Maybe Scott and Mario Manningham have been hanging out together? Whatever the case, Scott needs to lay off the wacky tobacky; it’s clouding his mind and thought process.

One consistent that Wright has about these four Irish standouts is that they are all LEADERS. You can knock their talents and weaknesses, but in the end, no one can take away one’s heart and desire. That’s a true testament of a leader and a Notre Dame man!

IBB Weekly Motivator: Week 3

Just in time for the anticipated build up of Saturday's Blue and Gold Game, I felt it was my duty and obligation to post this motivator! Here's to you Steve Urkel, err, I mean Mark May, to your bold and brash predictions of the Irish. What will it be this year Mark, -1 and 12?

He went so far to predict that we will lose on Saturday. I just can't wait for September to roll and around for the Irish to start their Shock and Awe campaign on College Football!

Insane in the Membrane

Puff, puff, give! Puff, puff, give! Don't mess up the rotation.

Fighting Irish Do It Again: 60 Minutes Away from First National Championship

Notre Dame continues it magical ride with a 5-4 overtime win over favored Michigan. At 5:44 of overtime, Dan Venard’s shot was stopped by Hogan, but he left a big rebound for Calle Ridderwall, who beat the Michigan goaltender low-stick.

The fourth line and third set of “D” come through for the Irish, who will play Boston College on Saturday for all the marbles. This will be the first all-private school matchup in the championship since 1985, when RPI played Providence in Detroit. It will be the 10th all-private school matchup overall. This will also be the first all-Catholic school matchup in the NCAA hockey final, and Notre Dame’s first appearance in the national championship game.

By the Numbers:

Jeff Jackson is now 6-1 in the Frozen Four as a coach. Jackson has never lost a semifinal game at the Frozen Four.

“I’m just fortunate that we’ve had the opportunity,” said Jackson. “You try to get your team prepared to peak at the right time. I can’t say that happened this year, but we turned the corner and we’re back on the rise again, and there’s no easy way to bottle peaking. The biggest thing is getting your team to believe in something.”

Turnaround Season Not Impossible

Coming off a 3-9 season doesn't give much hope to Irish fans that Notre Dame can turn their 2007 misfortunes into GOLD in 2008. Is it impossible for the Irish to get at least six wins this upcoming season, no! Is the schedule more difficult, on paper, than last year's, no again. So why are fans so leery of this year's team? Do they not think a turnaround season is possible? Here are a few teams that turned around their records after a dismal season the year before.

South Carolina
1999 - (0-11); 6 (Top 25 teams played); 84-48 (opp. record); .636 (opp. win %)
2000 - (8-4); 5 (Top 25 teams played); 71-69 (opp. record); .507 (opp. win %)
Total: 7.5 turnaround

Penn State
2004 - (4-7); 3 (Top 25 teams played); 70-59 (opp. record); .542 (opp. win %)
2005 - (11-1); 3 (Top 25 teams played); 77-64 (opp. record); .546 (opp. win %)
Total: 6.5 turnaround

Central Florida
2004 - (0-11); 1 (Top 25 team played); 63-64 (opp. record); .496 (opp. win %)
2005 - (8-5); 1 (Top 25 team played); 74-77 (opp. record); .490 (opp. win %)
Total: 6.5 turnaround

Tulsa
2002 - (1-11); 2 (Top 25 teams played); 73-79 (opp. record); .480 (opp. win %)
2003 - (8-5); 2 (Top 25 teams played); 78-85 (opp. record); .478 (opp. win %)
Total: 6.5 turnaround

UTEP
2003 - (2-11); 1 (Top 25 team played); 78-83 (opp. record); .484 (opp. win %)
2004 - (8-4); 3 (Top 25 teams played); 76-68 (opp. record); .527 (opp. win %)
Total: 6.5 turnaround

Those are just a few examples of teams bouncing back after having a miserable season the year before. Mississippi State (8-5) righted the ship last season with a 4.5 turnaround from their 2006 season (3-9). So it's definitely not of the question whatsoever for the Irish.

Last year Notre Dame faced 10 bowl teams that combined for 90-65 record (.586). Not exactly a murder's row schedule, but definitely tougher than the majority of Division I schools. Gone from the schedule are Penn St., Georgia Tech, UCLA, Air Force, and Duke; while San Diego St., North Carolina, Washington, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse, are added to the list in 2008. Basically the Irish are replacing teams that combined for .500 winning percentage with others that finished last season 19-42 (.311)!

A refocused group, a much easier season opener, and Tenacious T roaming the defensive sidelines, will make 2008 a year to remember for Irish fans!

University of Michigan: The Leaders of Harsh Punishments for their Star Football Players!

Michigan Tuition: $0
New Lincoln Navigator: $ 48,745
Bag of Pot Smoked at UM: $60
Punishment: 1 game suspension (Eastern Michigan)
UM Administration and Athletic Department: PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!

Editor's Note: Click on the title to get the link of Manningham's story!

Laws and Carlson Named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the members of the 2008 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. Seniors Trevor Laws and John Carlson were the Notre Dame recepients of the Honor Society.

Qualifications for membership in the inaugural NFF National Honor Society include:

1) Being a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university;

2) Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and

3) Meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's current National Scholar-Athlete program, greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year and further strengthening its leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes who play football at the more than 700 college and universities with football programs.

Carlson, a history major in the College of Arts and Letters, graduated with his Bachelors Degree last spring with a 3.633 cumulative grade point average. He was enrolled in graduate studies this past year.

Laws, a 2007 graduate from the Mendoza College of Business with a degree in marketing and sociology, posted a 3.220 cumulative grade point average. He was also enrolled in graduate studies this past year.

Both Laws and Carlson are a true testiment to the term Student-Athlete. They are true NOTRE DAME men and will be sorely missed for the upcoming football season.

As always GO IRISH!

Child Actors Gone Bad: Steve Urkel

In yet another sad story of a former child actor turned bad, this saga takes the cake! Steve Urkel of ABC's Family Matters, the second-longest running U.S. comedy with a predominantly African-American cast, was mainly the focus of the show. After their series finale on July 17, 1998, Steve Urkel went down a spiraling path that he has yet to recover from.

For the past several years, Urkel has been seen on ESPN's College GameDay and other college football telecasts under the alias Mark May. Mr. May has the penchant of giving asinine predictions and showing his hatred towards the University of Notre Dame and their former coach Lou Holtz.

One has to wonder, what happened to Steve Urkel for him to snap? Was it a bad childhood? Or was it that he got wait-listed or rejected by Notre Dame? Or maybe was it that his long time childhood friend, Tyberius Willingham, got fired as the Fighting Irish football coach? Whatever the case may be, Steve Urkel has turned into this uncontrollable blob of nothing that will go out of his way to hate on the Irish!

When will the madness end? Below is a little clip of Mark May, err, I mean Steve Urkel in his hay day on Family Matters.

Fighting Irish End Year Inside the Top 20

After the final buzzer was sounded last night in San Antonio, so too was the college basketball season for 2007-2008. Although things didn't end up where most Irish fans would have liked, Notre Dame finished the year inside the Top 20 at 19 in the final ESPN/USAToday Coaches Poll. Not too many, including myself, would have predicted the Irish to finish in the Top 20 at the end of the season or have an All-American in Luke Harangody. They did, and will have some big epectations to fill for the 2008-2009 season!

For the season, Notre Dame ended up near the top in most NCAA categories as a team and individually:

Scoring Offense - 20th (79.0)
Scoring Margin - 29th (9.4)
FG % Defense - 50th (41.1)
3pt. FG's per game - 35th (8.3)
3pt. FG % - 7th (40.5)
Free Throw % - 38th (73.8)
Rebound Margin - 23rd (5.7)
Assists per game - 1st (18.4)
Won/Loss % - 26th (75.8)
Personal Fouls per game - 8th (15.1)
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio - 4th (1.42)

Points per game - 30th Harangody (20.4)
3pt. FG per game - 23rd Kyle McAlarney (3.3)
3pt. FG % - 21st McAlarney (44.1)
Free Throw % - 39th Rob Kurz (85.3)
Rebounds per game - 12th Harangody (10.6)
Assists per game - 25th Tory Jackson (5.8)

1. Kansas 37-3
2. Memphis 38-2
3. North Carolina 36-3
4. UCLA 35-4
5. Texas 31-7
6. Louisville 27-9
7. Tennessee 31-5
8. Xavier 30-7
9. Davidson 29-7
10. Wisconsin 31-5
11. Stanford 28-8
12. Georgetown 28-6
13. Michigan State
14. Butler 30-4
15. Washington State 26-9
16. Duke 28-6
17. West Virginia 26-11
18. Pittsburgh 27-10
19. Notre Dame 25-8
20. Purdue 25-9
21. Marquette 25-10
22. Western Kentucky 29-7
23. Drake 28-5
24. Villanova 22-13
25. Vanderbilt 26-8

With four starters returning, including Big East Player of the Year Harangody, and fellow First Team All-Big East McAlarney, the Irish could be a possible preseason Top 10! Notre Dame will be tested early and often with some possible big time matchups at the EA Sports Maui Invitational in November and another tough Big East conference slate.

Next season could be the year for the Irish to make a serious tournament run. Brey's boys could bring some more Cheer, Cheer, for Old Notre Dame!

Frozen Four Send Off

Come out to the Joyce Center on today at 5:00pm to give this history making Irish Hockey Team a proper send off.

The team is the first Irish Hockey team in history to make it to the Forzen Four, and we want to give them a lively send-off.

Get to the Joyce Center at by 5:00pm to watch the Irish wrap up their final practice before heading to Denver! You'll hear from Coach Jackson, the Notre Dame Band, and select members of the Irish Hockey team.

Third Time is a Charm for Irish Icers: Frozen Four Preview

As the Irish and Wolverines face off for the third time this season, here is the skinny on the second national semifinal contest in Denver:

What You Need to Know:
The Wolverines have simply been the best team in the nation all season long and enter this championship weekend as the prohibitive favorite. It's been 10 years since the Wolverines last won a national championship (1998 in Boston), which was also the last time they won a game at the Frozen Four. They were bounced in the semifinals of three straight Frozen Fours in 2001, 2002, and 2003.

By now, you all know the Fighting Irish are the new kids on the Frozen Four block. How new? Well, this is Notre Dame's first Frozen Four appearance ever. By comparison, the three other teams in this year's field — Boston College, Michigan, and North Dakota — have combined for 62 trips to the Frozen Four. And 2008 marked the school's third NCAA tournament appearance, compared to a combined 82 national playoff appearances for the Eagles, Wolverines, and Fighting Sioux.

Edge: Michigan

Gamebreaker:
Chad Kolarik is one of two senior leaders among the forwards for Michigan and is a perfect sidekick for Kevin Porter on Michigan's top line. He has big-game ability, evidenced by a pair of four-goal performances this season at Western Michigan and home against Lake Superior State. He started Michigan's postseason run with a hat trick in the CCHA quarterfinals against Nebraska-Omaha and then had five assists on five Wolverine goals in the NCAA Regional win over Niagara.

Would you believe the Fighting Irish player who may make the biggest impact is a senior defenseman who’s scored 32 points in 159 career games? You should, because whenever the opposition rolls its top line out for a shift, there's a strong chance they’ll have to deal with Brock Sheahan. The Lethbridge, Alberta native wasn’t among the three finalists for CCHA Defensive Defenseman of the Year, but he should’ve been. Plus-minus numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt, for sure, but Sheahan leads the Irish at plus-23; he was plus-14 in conference games. He was named to the All-NCAA West Regional team for his efforts in Colorado Springs, including an assist and a plus-3 showing against New Hampshire.

Edge: Notre Dame

Achilles Heel:
An observation uttered during the most recent game was that "Michigan is the only team in the tournament without an Achilles Heel" and it's absolutely true. Skeptics at one point would have pointed at inconsistent goaltending in big games through the first two years of Billy Sauer's career but he's answered all questions this season with 30 wins and a 10-3-2 record in games against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

Perhaps that heading should read Achilles Knee, because a knee injury is what's kept junior forward Erik Condra, Notre Dame's leading scorer in each of the last three seasons, on the shelf since a 2-1 win over Ferris State in the rubber match of the Fighting Irish's best-of-three CCHA quarterfinal series March 16. Though Notre Dame emerged from its scoring slump in the NCAA West Regional two weekends ago, Condra's playmaking skill — as the right wing on a line with sophomores Kevin Deeth and Ryan Thang, he racked up a team-high 23 assists — and power-play prowess will be missed.

Edge: Michigan

Overachiever:
It's probably not the traditional view, to name the nation's best player as an overachiever, but it's meant as an absolutely huge compliment to Kevin Porter. The likely Hobey Baker winner gets the most out of his natural ability. He's not blessed with blazing speed, intimidating size and strength, or drop-your-jaw skill. He makes up for it with hockey sense, hard work, and outstanding two-way play.

As the team captain with 97 career points to his credit, Mark Van Guilder has done more than find his way into the lineup, his goal upon joining the Fighting Irish program as a walk-on in 2004-05. After a serviceable three-goal, eight-point effort in 38 games as a freshman, Van Guilder blossomed, scoring 26 points as a sophomore and 34 points (including 18 goals) as a junior. His output has dipped to 29 points this season, but the Roseville, Minn., product had arguably the best weekend of his college career in Colorado Springs two weekends ago, earning NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player honors after scoring a goal and three assists in wins against New Hampshire and Michigan State. Rarely, if ever, is Van Guilder the most talented player on the ice, but also rare are the occasions in which he's outworked or outsmarted.

Edge: Even

Secret Weapon:
Michigan's defense corps is led by junior Mark Mitera, an All-America candidate and INCH's Defenseman of the Year. The rest of the group is comprised of freshmen and sophomores and they have done a nice job of limiting scoring chances against and playing a simple game that includes moving the puck out of its end quickly and clearing rebounds in front of goalie Billy Sauer.

It's hard to think of a guy who ranks sixth in the nation with a 1.95 goals against average and someone who's just the fourth goaltender in school history to record 20 wins in a season as a secret weapon. But while you've heard chatter about the veteran (Lamoureux), the rookie (Muse), and the breakout goalie (Sauer), you don't hear many people talking about junior Jordan Pearce. His statistics in his first season as starter are indeed impressive — he's 22-14-4 with a .917 save percentage — but it's his play over the last two months that is even more remarkable. In 17 straight starts since Jan. 25, the Anchorage native is 8-6-3 with a 1.86 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. The Fighting Irish averaged a shade better than two goals per contest during that span.

Edge: Notre Dame

Speed:
It's no longer a surprise for Michigan to see some of its players leave the team for a few weeks in the middle of the season to play at the World Junior Championship tournament, but it is surprising when a player laces up the skates for Sweden at that event. Left wing Carl Hagelin was that player this season, and earned a silver medal for that team at the event. In the college ranks, the speedster has 20 points on 10 goals and 10 assists.

The Fighting Irish aren’t known for their wheels, but they do boast a roster full of quick learners, namely freshman forward Ben Ryan and rookie blueliner Ian Cole. Ryan, who grew up about 15 minutes from Ann Arbor in Brighton, Mich., has been Notre Dame’s steadiest offensive performer as of late, scoring at least one point in seven of the team’s last eight games. Cole, an Ann Arbor native, leads Fighting Irish defensemen with eight goals. He’s scored 12 of his 18 points in Notre Dame’s last 16 games.

Edge: Notre Dame

Skill:
Aaron Palushaj is one of Michigan's very talented freshman forwards and finds himself on the top power-play unit. He's got great hands, great vision, and makes the passes that set up great scoring chances for the likes of Porter, Kolarik, and Max Pacioretty. At even strength, he plays on an all-freshman line with Matt Rust and Carl Hagelin. Pacioretty is another very skilled player. Don't be fooled by his big frame and constant residence in front of the net. His hands are excellent, and a big reason for his 15 goals this year.

After enduring a mid-season slump during which he scored just one goal and two points in 13 games between Dec. 8-Feb. 9, sophomore defenseman Kyle Lawson has played the style of hockey lately that makes him one of the most versatile rearguards in the nation and Notre Dame’s most dangerous scoring threat from the blue line. Lawson, an assistant captain on the U.S. team that won a bronze medal at the 2007 World Junior Championship, is finishing the year in much the same way he started — he scored 14 points in his first 19 games, and has nine points in his last 11 appearances.

Edge: Michigan

Grit:
Freshman forward Matt Rust plays an in-your-face style and is one of the toughest players on the ice for the Wolverines. His 69 penalty minutes leads Michigan, but that's not what makes him gritty. He broke a bone in his leg late in the season and only missed one weekend, the CCHA quarterfinal series versus Nebraska-Omaha.

Is it possible for a tandem from a Catholic university to be considered gritty if one of the guys is named Christian? That question aside, the point is that going up against forwards Garrett Regan and Christian Hanson is like climbing a barbed-wire fence — you might make it to the other side, but you’ll have a few souvenirs to remember the trip. Hanson is a behemoth at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds who’s good in the tight spaces around the cage as evidenced by his 13 goals, four of which have come in Notre Dame’s last three games. Regan, who scored 26 points last season but has just 13 points this year, is a feisty, 5-foot-11, 200-pound fireplug.

Edge: Notre Dame

Prediction:
Of its nine national championships, Michigan won six in Colorado Springs and one in Denver. Of course, Colorado was still a territory back then.

The Fighting Irish have won four CCHA and NCAA playoff games in the last three weeks after winning a total of six games over the final two months of the regular season. Notre Dame will keep their current streak alive as the Irish take down the #1 overall seed Michigan out of the National Championship game.

ND 4 UM 2

IBB Weekly Motivator: Week 2

That's What I'm Talking About!

Even though this video may not be suitable for work or children, it's definitely suitable from a fan's standpoint!

Tenuta is what the Irish needed. Can't wait for the Blue and Gold game. T-minus 14 days!

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

Delusional, punk ass, wannabe quarterbacks, that won't let it go! Yes, I'm taking about Demetrius Jones. The same one that walked out on his teammates before the Michigan game, only to be seen hours later in the stands at DeKalb, Illinois, for a Northern Illinois Huskie football game. Jones is definitely a TEAM PLAYER!

In his latest installment, Jones says that he had nothing but the utmost respect for Notre Dame and Coach Weis, “We’re still cool,” Jones said Tuesday on the first day of spring practice at the University of Cincinnati. “It’s just a business. I don’t take it personal. I never bash him. He’s still a great coach and he’s still a great person. It’s just like having a real good girl friend. You have one and now you’re with another. That’s the way you have to look at it.”

Well Demetrius must have split personalities or something because his rosy outlook turns a 180 and he shows his true colors.

“I’m not stupid,” Jones said. “I’ve never seen a quarterback lose a position in a quarter. It don’t take me much to read between the lines to see that that was (Clausen’s) position even before he came there and I was just in an unfortunate situation. As a man, I’m able to look clear cut at that. That was basically the plan, for that to be his position.”

I hate to break it to you Demetrius, but a MAN would have let this go a long time ago and move one with his life! Also, real men don't make excuses. So after his first go around with the Bearcats during spring ball, Jones gave his excuse of why he wasn't successful at Notre Dame. He had a shoulder problem that turned out to be a torn labrum.

Jones knew it, too. In fact, he had struggled with pain his right shoulder during his entire two years at Notre Dame.

“I didn’t play in the 2006 (U.S. Army All-American Bowl) because this injury happened during my senior season,” he said. “The whole time I was there it was diagnosed as tendonitis, so I knew I had the problem.”

Here's some concerning questions ND fans have to ask themselves: 1) why didn't Demetrius say something from the get-go when this happened in HS? I could be mistaken (which I'm not on this), but wasn't Jones in South Bend for an entire year watching Brady Quinn's senior season on the sidelines? You mean he couldn't tell the team physicians about his "severe" shoulder pain? Obviously it wasn't bad enough because I'll bring up my second point;

2) ND's team physicians, most of them working for South Bend Orthopedics (SBO), are some of the best doctors around. No friggin' way are they going to misdiagnose this as tendonitis. In my time of following Notre Dame Football, I have never once heard of the Irish's team physicians ever misdiagnosing an injury. Something doesn't add up, and here's the 411 on this issue.

You're probably asking yourself how I know. It's called intramural basketball! A little birdy (a certain Director of Intramurals and Club Sports at Notre Dame)told me that one night last summer, that Mr. Jones was playing a pick-up game where he was undercut and fell hard to the floor on his shoulder. Emergency folks were called in to take a look at Demetrius, and that is that!

So now, everything is fine and dandy in Jones' make believe world.

“Everything worked out for the good,” Jones said, “because if I never would have transferred I probably would have kept thinking it was tendonitis, taking pills and getting treatments for it. I never would have been able to find out.”

Jones says he has no regrets about leaving Notre Dame the way he did.

“People call it immature or walking out on your team,” Jones said. “But if I didn’t leave we wouldn’t be having this conversation and I wouldn’t have my shoulder fixed. It was just a situation I had to get out for the benefit of my future.

“In college football, only one guy can play. If it’s not in the coach’s plan to have you as the starter, if he just wants to use you to build somebody else, that’s just not a good situation.”

You know what I call it? Sour grapes! The kid had an ego the size of Texas. He was all about himself and never thought about his TEAM or SCHOOL! Good luck Brian Kelly and the rest of the University of Cincinnati community, you don't have a clue of what type of person you have in Demetrius Jones.

Character is everything, and you, Demetrius Jones, have none whatsoever!

Chicago Tribune Lays the Smack Down on NDNation.com

Chicago Tribune columnist Brian Hamilton kept his pimp hand strong by bitch slapping NDNation in their April Fools joke about Mike Brey and the Indiana University coaching vacancy.

Click on the title for the Chicago Tribune's article about NDNation.com's failed attempt at humor!

IBB Weekly Motivator

I felt I would add something new to Irish Band of Brothers. So here's my first installment of the IBB Weekly Motivator. I thought I would start this one off right with a tribute to IBB's most loyal fan, Mark Allen. You can get all the latest of Mark's man crushes, naked twister contests, and kissy face games, at Mark Allen of Granger is Fat and Gay (http://markallenofgrangerisfatandgay.blogspot.com).

Notre Dame 411 on the Frozen Four

NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH

* Coach: Jeff Jackson (third year, 71-41-11).

* Record: 26-15-4.

* How they got here: The Irish beat top-seeded New Hampshire 7-3 in the first round of the West Regional, then beat Michigan State 3-1 in the regional final.

* Key players: F Ryan Thang, So., (17 goals, 13 assists); F Mark Van Guilder, Sr., (12 goals, 17 assists); G Jordan Pearce, Jr., (22-14-4 record, .917 saves percentage, 1.95 goals- against average).

Slap shots

Ryan Thang played our word- association game

Joe Sakic . . . The shots

Altitude . . . Very thin air

Win one for the Gipper . . . Big wins in hard times

Michigan . . . Tradition and powerhouse

The Frozen Four . . . A dream come true

Denver . . . Mountains, tradition of Avalanche

In the crease

Junior goalie Jordan Pearce, on why he started playing the position:

"I have an older brother, he's about 21/2 years older than me. When I was really young, like 2 years old, he would throw me in the net for street hockey or knee hockey or ice hockey. He was always older than me, so he always made me play goalie whenever we were messing around in the street. So it's always been second nature to me. When I started playing hockey myself, that's where I saw myself and enjoyed myself the most - in net. I've been a goalie ever since then."

In the box

Coach Jeff Jackson, on Notre Dame's defining moment of the season

"They've had such a tough second half with some of the things that have happened to them. I give them a lot of credit for their resiliency. But that's kind of the spirit of Notre Dame, too. They're kind of bred that way while they're there. They have a tough academic schedule. They have a real tough, demanding coach who's a pain in the rear. They're resilient because they have a tough life Monday through Sunday, basically."

Jackson, on Notre Dame's moment of concern:

"The Northern Michigan game (on March 22, a 2-1 loss in the league's third-place game). . . . I didn't tell the guys, but I was told we were better off losing. And I still pulled the goalie with two minutes left to try and win the game. A tie would have definitely hurt us, but I wouldn't want any other coach to do that to me if I was hanging on by a thread of making the NCAA tournament. We were playing to win that game. It was disappointing, to say the least."