Wake Forest Week: Coach Kelly With Media

This is the last media session for Coach Kelly before Saturday afternoon's game with Wake Forest.  He reported it was nearly a "PERFECT PRACTICE" on Thursday -- so the IRISH should be ready to roll!  Here's a link to the media session:

LINK:  COACH KELLY WITH MEDIA

Muffet's Lady Irish Add More Size & Talent!

Playing in "back to back" National Championship Finals has its benefits.  One is recruiting, and Muffet McGraw landed (ONCE AGAIN) one of the top recruiting classes in the country!

How's this for some size;  6'-4", 6'-4" and 6'-3" -- then you throw in the starting point guard on Team USA's Gold Medal 17-Under team at this summer's World Championships for good measure. 

Here are the four student-athletes who committed to the Fighting Irish:

Taya Reimer -- (photo above) who's ranked as high as the #3 player in the country -- is a 6'-3" forward out of Fishers, IN.  Here is Taya's bio:

LINK:  TAYA REIMER

Lindsay Allen -- who's ranked as the #17 player in the country -- is a 5'-7" point guard out of Mitchelville, MD.  Here is Lindsay's bio:

LINK:  LINDSAY ALLEN

Kristina Nelson -- who's ranked as the #32 player in the country -- is a 6'4" power forward out of Buford, GA.  Here is Kristina's bio:

LINK:  KRISTINA NELSON

Diamond Thompson -- who's ranked as the #73 player in the country -- is a 6'4" power forward out of Wheaton, IL.  Here is Diamond's bio:

LINK:  DIAMOND THOMPSON


LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S OFFICIAL RELEASE

Off Topic: What's Flying Over Denver!

The folks at CNN broke a story today about an "un-identified" flying object that can only be seen if you video tape the skyline of DENVER (during lunch time) and then slow down the video. 

You're going to want to watch this!

LINK:  FLYING OVER DENVER

Four Top High School Hoops Stars Sign Today!

The NCAA's "early" signing period tipped off today and Mike Brey's Fightin' Irish landed four high school basketball stars!   

The class is ranked 10th in the nation -- we haven't seen a class as highly regarded as this in quite some time!

The class is led by a local product by the name of Demetrius Jackson (photo on the left) -- the Marian High School standout is one of the top point guards in the country -- ranked the #26 prospect overall.  He's a huge get for the IRISH.  Here's a link to his HIGHLIGHT VIDEO along with a link to an impressive DUNK:

LINK:  DEMETRIUS' DUNK

LINK:  DEMETRIUS JACKSON

The second highest ranked player also hails from the State of Indiana and that's V.J. Beachem who plays for New Haven High School (Fort Wayne, IN).  The 6'-6" small forward is ranked #64 in the country by Scout.com.  Here is V.J's highlight video:

LINK:  V.J. BEACHEM

The third Notre Dame recruit among the top 100 players in the country is Steve Vasturia -- a 6'-5" shooting guard out of St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia.  Vasturia is ranked #90 in the country by Scout.com.  Here is Philly news story about Steve's commitment to Notre Dame:

LINK:  STEVE VASTURIA

And the fourth player to commit to Notre Dame today is another local product -- his name is Austin Torres and he's a 6'-6" power forward from Mishawaka's Penn High School.  Torres and Jackson play on the same AAU team in the summer leagues.  Here is Austin's highlight video:

LINK:  AUSTIN TORRES


LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S OFFICIAL RELEASE

Must See: Kate Sullivan Interviews Manti Te'o

Notre Dame alum Kate Sullivan '98 (CBS Channel 2 -- Chicago) recently sat down with Manti Te'o for a special interview -- you'll enjoy this!

LINK:  MANTI TE'O -- THE INTERVIEW

Wake Forest Week: Coach Kelly With Media

As has become customary for Tuesday's during the football season -- Coach Kelly met with the media today to talk about his team and Saturday's opponent Wake Forest. 

This is the last home game for 26 seniors in the Notre Dame football program!

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S PRESS CONFERENCE

Manti Te'o's Notre Dame Farewell...

There will be many tears in the stands this Saturday night around 7:30 PM ET when #5 -- the "Hawaiian Hitman" -- takes a lap around Notre Dame Stadium for the very last time.

He's quite a young man.

THANK YOU TE'O FAMILY (photo above) FOR SHARING YOUR SON WITH NOTRE DAME!

LINK:  MANTI'S NOTRE DAME FAREWELL

LINK:  MANTI TE'O HIGHLIGHTS

"Echoes Awakened, Thunder Shaken"

I found this piece by Charles P. Pierce -- who writes for ESPN's Grantland -- to be quite fair and entertaining.

He's obviously not a fan of our Fightin' Irish -- but, he respects what's happening...

LINK:  CHEER, CHEER FOR OLD NOTRE DAME...

Saint Mary's Student Takes on Celine Song...

NBC's hit show THE VOICE has a Saint Mary's (Notre Dame, IN) student in their final 12.  Sylvia Yacoub -- who's on Christian Aguilera's team -- sang Celine Dion's mega hit "My Heart Will Go On" last night.  Here's a video of her performance:

LINK:  SYLVIA'S PERFORMANCE LAST NIGHT

Manti Te'o: The Making of a Legend

Folks, you have got to watch this -- it's a special that a local Hawaiian TV station is running on Notre Dame's Manti Te'o this week.

You're going to love this.

LINK:  THE MAKING OF A LEGEND

ND vs. Kansas State: Common Opponents

Here's a graphic we haven't seen on any television screen over the past couple of weeks -- and it has to do with COMMON OPPONENTS between the University of Notre Dame and Kansas State University.

We've played two common opponents:  Miami and Oklahoma -- here's the combined offensive and defensive points scored and allowed in those two games involving Kansas State and Notre Dame:

• Kansas State:  76 - 32  -- margin:  44 points
• Notre Dame:  71 - 16 -- margin:  55 points

Why haven't we seen this discussed?   Is it because it's not favorable to Kansas State?

#7 Notre Dame Scores with 37 Seconds Left...

To tie the game with #4 Georgetown to take the Big East Men's Soccer Championship Final into OVERTIME!

The IRISH then win it in the 2nd OT!  You're going to want to watch these highlights!

LINK:  BIG EAST CHAMPIONS!

The Stories Keep Coming: Does Notre Dame...

This will be the story over the next four weeks -- does an undefeated Notre Dame deserve to play for the National Championship?  Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde weighed in on that very subject as did ESPN's Adam Rittenberg -- take a read:

LINK:  SEC ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN...

LINK:  SEC WILL NEED HELP

Notre Dame Moves up to #3 in BCS Rankings

I will still hold out that our Fightin' Irish have played the most difficult schedule to date.  They've beaten THREE of the current Top 25 in the BCS Rankings -- two in the Top 15, which no other team in college football can claim.

Notre Dame is #1 in four computer polls / #2 in the other computer poll -- yet, ND is #3 in the human polls. 

I guess "humans" don't like DEFENSE...

LINK:  BCS RANKINGS

Notre Dame Student Wins National Math Prize!!!

You do not want to play "FLASH CARDS" with this woman!

Notre Dame senior MurphyKate Montee (Sturgeon Bay, WI) was awarded the 2013 Alice T. Schaefer Mathematics Prize -- which is awarded to only ONE UNDERGRADUATE WOMAN in America each year!

LINK: AMERICA'S BEST!

The "Mornin' After" Notre Dame Goes to 10 - 0 !

We should all be SMILING right now.  Our Notre Dame Fightin' Irish are undefeated -- ONE OF ONLY THREE TEAMS IN THE FBS that can say just that!!!

Here's what our friends in the media have to say about our IRISH in the wake of ND's 21 - 6 win over BC.

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD

LINK:  ESPN'S NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  BOSTON GLOBE

LINK:  THE SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  ESPN/ABC POST GAME VIDEO 

LINK:  USA TODAY

LINK:  ASSOCIATED PRESS

Notre Dame Locker Room's 10 - 0 Celebration !!!

After what our football program has been through over the past number of years -- I'm absolutely shocked at how many IRISH fans are disappointed this morning in HOW WE WON the past couple of weeks.

Folks, WE ARE UNDEFEATED!  Let's celebrate that fact and not worry about STYLE POINTS.

I've got a good feeling that much will happen these next three weeks of college football and WHEN we keep winning -- things will fall in place quite nicely for our IRISH.

Here's the post game celebration in Chestnut Hill after Notre Dame's FIFTH PRIME TIME WIN this season.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME LOCKER ROOM

Coach Kelly's Post Game Press Conference

Coach Kelly met with the media after last night's 21 - 6 win over Boston College in PRIME TIME!

LINK:  COACH KELLY PRESSER

Hey, We're 10 - 0 !!!!!!!!!!

Who cares about this made-up term called STYLE POINTS?

The Notre Dame Fightin' Irish are 10 - 0 and we're a lock for a BCS game (with an 11th win) -- looks like we'll be COMING UP ROSES -- at worst!

What must they be thinking in Ann Arbor and Columbus!

Here's a look at the media's quick reaction to Notre Dame's 21 - 6 victory over Boston College:

LINK:  ESPN'S NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

A Team With 2 Wins in Prime Time on ABC?

Only if you play Notre Dame...

Has there ever been a team with 2 wins -- this late in the season -- playing in front of a national TV audience in Prime Time?

NEVER.

Folks, if you run into BIG TEN, SEC, PAC 12, BIG 12 fans -- and they question the power of the Notre Dame brand -- just point them to this evening.  And ask them this -- if your team was playing an opponent with two wins, would that game be televised nationally?

Kick-off is set for 8:12 PM ET on ABC -- GO IRISH!