Thank You Skylar for FOUR GREAT YEARS!

It wasn't the ending she had worked for -- or, the ending we had hoped for...

Yet, I wake up this morning SMILING!  Smiling for the efforts of a TEAM that no one expected could go this far.  Smiling for a "leader" who willed her team to win after win this season and many during her career.  And, smiling for a program that is "excellence" personified.

Thank you Skylar Diggins for sharing your talent with Notre Dame.  You will never be forgotten.


LINK:  POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Photo of Fighting Irish Leaving Hotel for Arena!

This photo was just "tweeted" by @ndwbb -- shows the Lady Irish leaving their hotel for Final Four game tonight with UCONN.

Photo of the Day! Condoleezza Rice at Masters

It's the greatest week in golf -- played at what I believe to be the greatest golf course in the world.

Notre Dame alum and Augusta National member Condoleezza Rice '75, is seen here in a golf car wearing the famous member's green jacket!

Samardzija Strikes Out Thirteen: Leads MLB!

Former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver Jeff Samardzija made his second start of the season for the Chicago Cubs today and he lasted 5 2/3 innings -- STRIKING OUT THIRTEEN in the process.

After two starts -- Jeff Samardzija leads all of Major League Baseball with 22 strikeouts in 13.2 innings pitched!

Unfortunately, he gave up a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth to the Atlanta Braves before being pulled out of the game.   The Cubs lost the game 5 - 1.

LINK:  BOX SCORE

LINK:  MAJOR LEAGUE STRIKEOUT LEADERS

Skylar Diggins' ESPN Blog -- FINAL FOUR

The University of Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins is authoring a BLOG during the NCAA Tournament for ESPNW.  Here is her latest blog post along with an ESPN interview she gave on stage at the Final Four Salute Dinner:

LINK:  SKYLAR'S BLOG POST

12 Hours to Notre Dame vs. UCONN IV

Will our IRISH beat Notre Dame beat UCONN for the fourth time this season and eighth time in their last nine meetings?  It's going to be fun!

Here's the media coverage this morning -- this will keep you occupied til' game time -- can't wait to watch this game!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S DAY THREE

LINK:  ESPN #1

LINK:  ESPN #2

LINK:  ESPN #3

LINK:  ESPN #4

LINK:  ESPN #5

LINK:  HARTFORD COURANT #1

LINK:  HARTFORD COURANT #2

LINK:  HARTFORD COURANT #3

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #1

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  GAME PREVIEW

LINK:  TIMES PICAYUNE

OT: Brain Cancer Patient Goes 69 Yards for TD!

Jack Hoffman has brain cancer and he's only 7 years-old...

Yet it didn't stop him today from taking a hand-off and racing 69 yards for a TD in Nebraska's Spring Football game.

Hoffman led the Cornhuskers in rushing.


LINK:   A TOUCHDOWN RUN TO REMEMBER

Photo of the Day: Public Practice @ Final Four

This photo was "tweeted" by @ndwbb of the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH at their public practice this afternoon.

Coach Brian Kelly Post Practice Presser Today

Notre Dame football is two weeks away from the 83rd Annual Blue Gold Game -- and after today's practice, Coach Kelly met with the media:

LINK:  COACH KELLY

Final Four Press Conference For Notre Dame

Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw, Skylar Diggins and Kayla McBride met with the media today -- 30 hours prior to its PRIME TIME matchup with UCONN tomorrow night:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Vegas Pickin' UCONN Over Our Irish Tomorrow

It's as if Notre Dame's three wins this year over UCONN never happened -- two took place on the road in the State of Connecticut...

Oh well, -- UCONN was favored in the previous three IRISH WINS!

Our Lady Irish spent their first full day in New Orleans yesterday at the FINAL FOUR -- with some practice, some interviews and a dress up "Welcome Party" for all of the teams.  Our friends at Fighting Irish Digital Media were in attendance -- take a look:


LINK:  NOTRE DAME AT FINAL FOUR

A New Access Road to Notre Dame in August

The University of Notre Dame has begun construction this week on a new road -- and the closing of a section of a current road (Douglas Road) -- that will be completed by mid-August.

The new access road to campus will sit right straight across from the intersection of the Indiana Toll Road (Exit 77) entrance/exit and 933 (Michigan Avenue).  The new road will begin here and will wind its way to the western edge of Warren Golf Course - where it will reconnect to Douglas Road.

The South Bend Tribune ran this story today:

LINK:  THE CLOSING OF DOUGLAS ROAD

"The Doubters" -- There Are Many @ Final Four

Seems like every media story I read has UCONN beating our Fightin' Irish on Sunday night in the National Semi-Final game...

They conveniently "throw away" the previous three wins this season by Notre Dame over Geno's team in this manner -- "if only for a missed shot here or...  UCONN would have won these three previous meetings..."

The IRISH, on a 31 game winning streak -- THREE of them against UCONN -- are obviously wearing the Rodney Dangerfield masks on Bourbon Street this week...

I LOVE IT!


LINK:  UCONN TO WIN NATIONAL TITLE

LINK:  ESPNW PODCAST

First Video of Lady Irish Arriving @ Final Four

Here's the Fightin' Irish arriving at the Final Four in New Orleans this evening.  Click on photos to make them larger!


LINK:  VIDEO COVERAGE

LINK:  TIMES PICAYUNE -- NEW ORLEANS

Two National Awards for Lady Irish Hoops!

It was announced today that Muffet McGraw was named National Coach of the Year!  And, Jewell Loyd was named National Freshman of the Year! 

WOW!

The Irish left for New Orleans and the Final Four today at 5 PM ET -- here's a video report:

LINK:  FINAL FOUR BOUND!

Let the Talk Begin: ND vs. UCONN in Final Four

It's unfortunate that this game isn't on Tuesday night for all of the marbles...

It's also a shame that the three wins already against UCONN this season -- don't mean anything if we don't beat them for a FOURTH TIME -- something I'm sure has never happened to a Geno Auriemma team in his tenure in Storrs.

So -- the media's pickin' UCONN over our IRISH -- big surprise.

LINK:  ESPN -- KATE FAGAN

LINK:  ESPN -- EXPERTS PICK THE WINNER

LINK:  ESPN -- MICHELLE SMITH

LINK:  ESPN -- ND vs. UCONN IV

LINK:  HARTFORD COURANT

LINK:  HARTFORD COURANT #2

Notre Dame Football: Back at Practice Today

Here's the video from today's Spring Practice "inside" the Loftus Sports Center at the University of Notre Dame:

LINK:  SPRING PRACTICE VIDEO

The Future of ND Basketball Tonight on ESPN

The future of Notre Dame men's and women's basketball will be on display tonight in Chicago...

At 7 PM ET the McDonald's All-American Girls Game will be televised on ESPNU -- and it will feature two high school stars headed to South Bend to play for Muffet this fall;

• #12 -- Taya Reimer;  6'-3" Forward playing for the East Team
• #15 -- Lindsay Allan;  5'-8" Point Guard playing for the East Team

At 9:30 PM ET the McDonald's All-American Boys Game will be televised on ESPN -- and it will feature a high school star headed to South Bend to play for Mike Brey this fall:

• #11 -- Demetrius Jackson; 6'-1" Point Guard playing for the East Team

That's Demetrius Jackson -- to the far right in the photo above -- holding his Skills Competition trophy.

The Mornin' After the Irish are Final Four Bound

As is the custom here at the ND GO IRISH BLOG -- we take a romp around the worldwide web to see what the media has to say about our Fightin' Irish the morning after a big win. 

Here's the buzz after last night's victory over Duke to advance to a third straight FINAL FOUR:


LINK:  DUKE CHRONICLE

LINK:  DUKE CHRONICLE #2

LINK:  RALEIGH NEWS OBSERVER

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

THERE IS ONE MORE NET TO CUT DOWN...

Skylar Diggins just might be the greatest LEADER to ever wear a Notre Dame jersey -- in any sport.