Next Up for Notre Dame: Princeton Tigers

What we know about the IVY League Champions -- they are a dangerous opponent!

Starting Lineup:

• Devin Cannady (Guard) -- 6'-1"
• Myles Stephens (Guard) -- 6'-5"
• Stephen Cook (Forward) -- 6'-5"
• Spencer Weisz (Forward) -- 6'-4"
• Pete Miller (Forward) -- 6'-11"

Notes:

• Cannady played his high school ball at Marian HS (South Bend)
• Notre Dame will have the height advantage if they start Geben
• Princeton won the IVY League at 23 - 6
• They did not play a Top 25 team this season
• Balanced scoring -- 4 starters average in double-figures, led by Cannady at 13.7 per game 

NCAA Tournament history:

• Last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2011 -- lost in their first game to Kentucky 59 - 57  (Kentucky made the Elite Eight that year)

What Does the NCAA Committee Look At?

Here is how the ACC regular season standings factored into NCAA Tournament seeding this year:

• North Carolina:  14 - 4 -- #1 SEED
• Notre Dame:  12 - 6 -- #5 SEED
• Louisville:  12 - 6 -- #2 SEED
• Florida State:  12 - 6 -- #3 SEED
• Duke:  11 - 7 -- #2 SEED
• Virginia:  11 - 7 -- #5 SEED
• Virginia Tech:  10 - 8 -- #9 SEED
• Miami: 10 - 8 -- #8 SEED
• Wake Forest:  9 - 9 -- #11 SEED

ACC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

• Duke:  #2 SEED
• Notre Dame:  #5 SEED

LOST IN SEMI-FINALS:

• North Carolina:  #1  SEED
• Florida State:  #3 SEED

LOST IN QUARTERFINALS:

• Louisville:  #2 SEED
• Virginia:  #5 SEED
• Virginia Tech:  #9 SEED
• Miami:  #8 SEED

Here's what you can deduct from the NCAA Selection Committee giving Notre Dame a #5 Seed:

• They didn't look at the ACC regular season
• They didn't look at the ACC Tournament
• They looked at who ND played in November and December

 

Notre Dame is a #5 SEED in the West Region

The Fighting Irish will play Princeton in Buffalo, NY on Thursday afternoon -- 12:15 PM ET tip off...

I can not believe we received a FIVE SEED -- disrespect.

• We won FIVE games against teams seeded at #5 or higher! 
• We beat the #3 Seed in the West Region (Florida State) TWO TIMES!
• We finished in a three-way tie for 2nd in ACC -- the other two received a 2 & 3 SEEDS!

ACC / NCAA TOURNAMENT SEEEDS

EAST REGION:

• Duke -- 2 Seed
• Virginia -- 5 Seed
• Virginia Tech -- 5 Seed

MIDWEST REGION:

• Miami -- 8 Seed
• Louisville -- 2 Seed

SOUTH REGION:

• North Carolina -- 1 Seed
• Wake Forest -- 11 Seed

WEST REGION:

• Notre Dame -- 5 Seed
• Florida State -- 3 Seed

C.J. Prosise's "Touchdown Jesus" Cleats

These were created by the self-proclaimed "shoe genius" Brittish Kustoms for former Notre Dame running back -- turned Seattle Seahawk -- C.J. Prosise.

Just click on photo to enlarge.

ACC Player of the Year Voting -- Really ???

I just spent the last four nights watching the top teams and players in the Atlantic Coast Conference play in their annual year-end tournament...

There is not a single player in the ACC better than Bonzie Colson -- let alone two...

How does the "ACC Voting Panel" place Bonzie a DISTANT THIRD in the vote for Player of the Year -- really???


FINAL ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTING:                                         

• Justin Jackson, North Carolina -- 24 first place votes
• John Collins, Wake Forest -- 15 first place votes
• Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame -- 8 first place votes
• Luke Kennard, Duke -- 5 first place votes
• Donovan Mitchell, Louisville -- 1 first place vote

BONZIE'S ACC RESUME for Player of the Year:

• 17.9 points per game (10th in the ACC) -- Jackson: 18.1
• 10.2 rebounds per game (1st in the ACC) -- Jackson: 4.6
• 52% field goal shooting (4th in the ACC) -- Jackson: 44%
• 1.6 blocks per game (6th in the ACC) -- Jackson: 0.2
• Only player in the ACC to average a "double-double"

ACC TOURNEY RESULTS for the TOP 3 POY FINALISTS:

Justin Jackson (1 - 1)

• 14 points (average)
• 3 rebounds (average)
• 11 for 33 -- shot 33% for the tournament

John Collins (1 - 1)

• 17 points (average) 
• 11 rebounds (average)
• 11 for 20 -- shot 55% for the tournament

Bonzie Colson (2 - 1)

• 22.6 points (average)
• 8.3 rebounds (average)
• 25 - 48  -- shot 52% for the tournament

NCAA Selection Show: 5 PM ET on CBS

Well, we'll soon know what Notre Dame's path will be to an NCAA Championship -- CBS' Selection Sunday show begins at 5 PM ET today...

After watching the IRISH these past few days -- I believe we have another March run in us.

Notre Dame is seeded as high as a THREE and as low as a SIX -- in the "bracketology" predictions linked below:

LINK:  ESPN'S LUNARDI

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

LINK:  TEAM RANKINGS

Duke 75 - Notre Dame 69 -- ACC Tourney Final

An ACC Championship "Turned on an Ankle..."

Notre Dame led 58 - 55 (with 8 minutes left ) when Bonzie Colson twisted an ankle and left the game...

He only scored 3 points and grabbed one rebound the rest of the way.  He had 26 points and 8 boards over the first 32 minutes of the game.

We were so close...

LINK:  BONZIE FIGHTS THROUGH ANKLE INJURY

Notre Dame Hockey's -- Last Hockey East Run!

The hottest team in college hockey right now -- your Fighting Irish!

Notre Dame is 7 - 1 - 1 in their last nine games after this weekend's sweep over 10th ranked Providence in the Hockey East Quarterfinals!

The Irish move on to Boston's TD Gardens Friday night to play a "team to be named later today."

It all hinges on the outcome of today's UMass Lowell vs. New Hampshire game. Hockey East will re-seed the final four teams prior to Friday night's games:

• If UMass Lowell wins -- the Irish will play them.

• If New Hampshire wins -- the Irish will play Boston College.

This is Notre Dame's "swan-song" with Hockey East -- as we move on to the Big Ten (that is not a typo) to play hockey next year.  It should be noted, the Fighting Irish won the CCHA tournament in the last year we played in that hockey conference.

Stay tuned!

LINK:  HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT BRACKET