2008–09 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2008-09 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team represents the University of Notre Dame
in the 2008-09 college basketball season
, competing in the Big East Conference
. The team is led by ninth-year head coach
, Mike Brey
, and plays their home games in the Edmund P. Joyce Center
in Notre Dame, Indiana
.
Notre Dame did not sign any recruits from high school for the 2008-09 class.
, the Irish were picked to finish fourth in the Big East conference by the Big East coach's poll. Harangody was also a unanimous first-team all-Big East selection and was picked to repeat as player of the year. Senior point guard Kyle McAlarney also made first-team all-Big East selection. Notre Dame is also looking to keep its 37 consecutive home game win streak alive.
Notre Dame was selected as the pre-season No. 9 team in the country in the USAToday/ESPN preseason coaches poll, the program's highest ever preseason ranking in that poll. The Irish also debuted at No. 9 in the AP preseason poll, the fifth time Notre Dame has been ranked in the top 10 of that poll and its first top 10 ranking since the 1980-81 season.
!colspan=8| Big East Tournament
|-
!colspan=9| 2009 NIT Tournament
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in the 2008-09 college basketball season
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, competing in the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. The team is led by ninth-year head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, Mike Brey
Mike Brey
Mike Brey is an American college basketball coach. He has been the men's head coach at the University of Notre Dame since July 14, 2000.-Early life and education:...
, and plays their home games in the Edmund P. Joyce Center
Edmund P. Joyce Center
The Joyce Center is a 9,800-seat multi-purpose arena in Notre Dame, Indiana just north of South Bend, Indiana. The arena opened in 1968. It is home to the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball and volleyball teams...
in Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame is a census-designated place north of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States; it includes the campuses of three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College. Notre Dame is split between Clay and Portage Townships...
.
Roster changes and recruiting
Notre Dame lost senior forward and team captain Rob Kurz to graduation. Freshman guard Ty Proffit left Notre Dame and transferred to another school Notre Dame had two players transfer in and they will sit out this season per NCAA rules for transfer students.- Scott Martin, a 6-8 swingmanSwingmanA Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
, transferred after his freshman season at PurduePurdue Boilermakers men's basketballThe Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
. Playing mainly off the bench, he averaged 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. He has three years of eligibility remaining. - Ben HansbroughBen HansbroughBen Hansbrough is an American basketball player who played guard for the University of Notre Dame. He was a fifth-year senior for the Fighting Irish, Hansbrough transferred from Mississippi State after his sophomore year...
, a 6-3 guard, transferred after his sophomore season at Mississippi StateMississippi State BulldogsThe Mississippi State Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Mississippi State University. They participate in NCAA's Division I in the competitive 12-member Southeastern Conference under the mascot Bulldogs and the school colors of maroon and white...
, and will have two years of eligibility remaining. The younger brother of North CarolinaNorth Carolina Tar Heels men's basketballThe North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
superstar Tyler HansbroughTyler HansbroughAndrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA...
, he comes off a sophomore season in which he averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as a regular starter.
Notre Dame did not sign any recruits from high school for the 2008-09 class.
Preseason outlook
With returning Big East Player of The Year Luke HarangodyLuke Harangody
Luke Harangody is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Harangody completed his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2010. He is the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds...
, the Irish were picked to finish fourth in the Big East conference by the Big East coach's poll. Harangody was also a unanimous first-team all-Big East selection and was picked to repeat as player of the year. Senior point guard Kyle McAlarney also made first-team all-Big East selection. Notre Dame is also looking to keep its 37 consecutive home game win streak alive.
Notre Dame was selected as the pre-season No. 9 team in the country in the USAToday/ESPN preseason coaches poll, the program's highest ever preseason ranking in that poll. The Irish also debuted at No. 9 in the AP preseason poll, the fifth time Notre Dame has been ranked in the top 10 of that poll and its first top 10 ranking since the 1980-81 season.
Roster
| Name | Number | Position | Year | Home Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Abromaitis | 21 | F | Sophomore | Farmington, CT |
| Tim Andree | 41 | F | Junior | Colts Neck, NJ |
| Ryan Ayers | 42 | F/G | Senior | Blue Bell, PA |
| Ben Hansbrough Ben Hansbrough Ben Hansbrough is an American basketball player who played guard for the University of Notre Dame. He was a fifth-year senior for the Fighting Irish, Hansbrough transferred from Mississippi State after his sophomore year... |
22 | G | Junior | Poplar Bluff, MO |
| Luke Harangody Luke Harangody Luke Harangody is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Harangody completed his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2010. He is the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds... |
44 | F | Junior | Schererville, IN |
| Zach Hillesland | 33 | F | Senior | Toledo, OH |
| Tory Jackson | 2 | G | Junior | Saginaw, MI |
| Tom Kopko | 5 | G | Sophomore | Chicago, IL |
| Scott Martin | 14 | G | Sophomore | Valparaiso, IN |
| Kyle McAlarney | 23 | G | Senior | Staten Island, NY |
| Tyrone Nash | 1 | G/F | Sophomore | Queens, NY |
| Jonathan Peoples | 20 | G | Junior | Bellwood, IL |
| Carleton Scott | 34 | F | Sophomore | San Antonio, TX |
| Luke Zeller | 40 | F/C | Senior | Washington, IN |
| Notre Dame !! Alma Mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... (Year) |
||||
| Mike Brey Mike Brey Mike Brey is an American college basketball coach. He has been the men's head coach at the University of Notre Dame since July 14, 2000.-Early life and education:... |
Head coach | 9th | George Washington George Washington University The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States... (1982) |
|
| Sean Kearney | Assistant head coach | 9th | Scranton University of Scranton The University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a... (1981) |
|
| Rod Balanis | Assistant coach | 9th | Georgia Tech Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States... (1993) |
|
| Anthony Solomon | Assistant coach | 4th |
Virginia University of Virginia The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson... (1987) |
|
| Martin Ingelsby | Coordinator of basketball operations | 4th | Notre Dame (2001) | |
Schedule and results
|-!colspan=8| Big East Tournament
2009 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
- Championship Game :- Syracuse vs. Connecticut :The quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 12 between Syracuse and Connecticut lasted for six overtime periods, the second-longest game in NCAA Division I Men's Basketball history...
|-
!colspan=9| 2009 NIT Tournament
2009 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:...
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Wk 17 | Wk 18 | Wk 19 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 13 | ||||||||||||
| Coaches | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 13 |