Notre Dame Recruit -- Texas State Finals MVP!

Brianna Turner (with ball in photo above) finished her high school basketball career last night -- with a "double-double" (17 points and 17 rebounds), a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, a FINALS MVP (that's Brianna holding her award in the photo above), and a win over MaxPreps #1 ranked team in women's high school basketball -- who was on a 105 game winning streak...

Turner, considered by many the #1 incoming women's college basketball recruit, will be wearing a Notre Dame jersey this fall!

Here's the media reaction this morning to Manvel's 58 to 53 win over Duncanville in the Texas 5A State Championship Final:

LINK:  HOUSTON CHRONICLE

LINK:  DALLAS MORNING NEWS

LINK:  THE CHRON

Brianna Turner Leads Manvel To First State Title

Notre Dame's top women's basketball recruit Brianna Turner (Manvel High School) just led her team tonight to their first ever STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!  Beating two time defending Texas 5A State Champion and MAXPREPS #1 ranked team in the country -- Duncanville 58 - 53!!!

In the process they broke Duncanville High School's 105 game winning streak!!!

Brianna -- who many think is the #1 incoming recruit in the country -- led her team with a "double-double" scoring 17 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.  She was also named PLAYER OF THE GAME for the State Championship Final!

CONGRATULATIONS BRIANNA!

Key game stat: four of the five Duncanville starters fouled out in this game -- I'm sure the locals will not be happy about this!

LINK:  BOX SCORE

Eleven Notre Dame Teams Ranked in Top 25 !!!

Took a look at the national rankings of all of the Notre Dame sports teams that are currently in season -- pretty impressive!

ELEVEN NOTRE DAME TEAMS ARE RANKED IN THE TOP-25!!!

• Women's Basketball:  #2 in the country
• Men's Fencing:  #3 in the country
• Women's Fencing:  #4 in the country
• Men's Tennis:  #10 in the country
• Men's Indoor Track & Field:  #10 in the country
• Men's Lacrosse:  #11 in the country
• Women's Lacrosse:  #12 in the country
• Men's Hockey:  #14 in the country
• Women's Softball:  #24 in the country
• Women's Swimming:  #24 in the country
• Women's Tennis:  #25 in the country
• Men's Swimming:  #26 in the country

FALL SPORTS -- FINAL RANKINGS

• Men's Soccer:  NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! 
• Women's Rowing:  #13 in the country
• Women's Soccer:  #14 in the country
• Men's Cross Country:  #19 in the country
• Men's Football:  #20 in the country
• Women's Cross Country:  #23 in the country

Notre Dame's Men's Lacrosse Beats #2 UNC!

Kevin Corrigan's Fighting Irish traveled to Chapel Hill today to take on the #2 ranked North Carolina Tarheels -- and #11 Notre Dame beat them 11 - 10  !!!  The Irish were down 7 - 3 at halftime but rallied for the big win in their first ever ACC game!

Here are the highlights along with a link to photos of the game:

LINK:  ND BEATS UNC!

LINK:  PHOTO GALLERY -- ND vs. UNC

ND Hockey Beats #1 Boston College in OT!!!

Jeff Jackson's 14th ranked Fighting Irish traveled to Boston to take on the #1 team in college hockey tonight -- and they beat the Eagles of Boston College in OT 2 -1 !!!

It was a huge win for Notre Dame as they make a late run at a NCAA Tournament selection. 

The win also broke BC's nineteen game unbeaten streak!  Here's a replay of the winning goal and the game highlights:

LINK:  ND OT GAME WINNER

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Incoming ND Hoops Recruit -- McDonald's AA!

It's Notre Dame Women's Basketball day at the ND GO IRISH BLOG...

The second highest rated recruit in Muffet's 2014 recruiting class is Kathryn Westbeld from Fairmont, OH.  Westbeld was recently selected to play in the McDonald's All-American game along with fellow Irish commit Brianna Turner.

Here's a local Ohio TV station's news story on Kathryn's selection:

LINK:  A MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICAN!

Video of ND Women's Hoop Recruit's Back Flip!

Notre Dame women's basketball will welcome point guard Mychal Johnson to the Fighting Irish this August.  Johnson, in a recent ESPN interview, was filmed doing a standing BACK FLIP!  She's going to be a great addition to our women's basketball program!

LINK:  BACK FLIP

ND Football and Golf Team Visit YMCA

The folks at WNDU-TV caught up with Jaylon Smith and Greg Bryant as they joined some fellow student-athletes from the Notre Dame football and men's golf teams at the South Bend YMCA yesterday...

Here's a link to their interviews:

LINK:  SMITH AND BRYANT

Muffet's #1 Recruit Takes on Winning Streak!

Brianna Turner -- arguably the #1 women's high school basketball recruit in America -- has one more high school game tonight before she heads to the University of Notre Dame...

And, what a game it is.

Turner and her Manvel HS teammates are taking on Duncanville HS -- one of the top ranked high school girls team in the country on a 105 game winning streak -- at 8:30 PM in the Texas Class 5A State Championship game.

Duncanville has won back-to-back state championships.

The two teams played earlier this season and Manvel lost to Duncanville 56 - 50 after leading 32 - 18 at halftime.  Should be a great game on the campus of the University of Texas!

Here's the media coverage:

LINK:  A FIRST FOR MANVEL

LINK:  DUNCANVILLE GOES FOR THREE-PEAT

LINK:  PREVIOUS MEETING

LINK:  HOUSTON TV STATION

Winter Workouts -- Notre Dame Football Style!

The Fighting Irish have been training this off-season (outdoors and indoors) as they get ready for the 2014 season opener against Rice -- 182 days from today!

Watch it right here!

LINK:  WINTER CONDITIONING

Coach Kelly's Spring Practice Press Conference

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media, this morning, for the first time since National Signing Day to talk about the upcoming Spring Practice schedule and some position changes...

Here's a link to the replay:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY PRESSER

Muffet McGraw Coaches Game #1,000 Tonight!

Notre Dame's Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw coached her 1,000th game tonight as her Fighting Irish "hung a hundred" on the Tarheels from North Carolina!  Final score:  #2 Notre Dame 100 -- #15 North Carolina 75. 

This was the eighth win this season for Notre Dame against a ranked opponent!  Notre Dame is now 28 - 0 on the season and have won 51 straight regular season games!!!

Muffet's career record:  742 - 258 -- with 654 of those wins coming during her 27 seasons at Notre Dame!

Here's what the media has to say about tonight's win:

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  ASSOCIATED PRESS

Didn't Take NFL Long to Discover Louis Nix III

Former Notre Dame nose tackle Louis Nix III has been featured a number of times the past few days in stories created by the NFL Network...

LINK:  JOB INTERVIEW

Notre Dame's Campus Crossroads Project...

Here is a Notre Dame Law School alum's perspective of the University's plans to incorporate academic and student focused space into the footprint of Notre Dame Stadium.

The University of Notre Dame's VP, Office of Public Affairs & Communications -- Paul Browne, authored this VIEWPOINT in today's Observer (Notre Dame's student run daily newspaper).  I thought you'd enjoy reading this.

LINK:  CAMPUS CROSSROADS PROJECT

Coach Brey Wins Game #300 at Notre Dame!

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech tonight by the score of 65 - 62 as the "Wrambling Wreck" missed a flurry of three pointers in the closing seconds!

The win put Coach Brey's career record at Notre Dame to 300 wins and 156 losses in his 14th season in South Bend.  Here's how Coach Brey stacks up on the all-time win list at ND:

1. Digger Phelps:  393 - 197
2. George Keogan:  327 - 97
3. Mike Brey:  300 - 156

If you missed the game -- click on the link below to the full game replay:

LINK:  GAME REPLAY

Notre Dame Players -- NFL Combine Results

The 2014 NFL Scouting Combine came to an end this afternoon in Indianapolis with the defensive backs going through their paces.  Here's a look back at the work product of the nine former Notre Dame football players at the Combine -- overall it was quite outstanding!

Just click on the player's name to see the details of their performance at the NFL SCOUTING COMBINE -- please note that Chris Watt did not run a 40 yard dash in Indy this past weekend.  However, they have a "phantom" time for him on his profile.  Just goes to prove you can't trust the internet!!!  :)

LINK:  GEORGE ATKINSON III

LINK:  ZACK MARTIN

LINK:  BENNETT JACKSON

LINK:  T.J. JONES

LINK:  TROY NIKLAS

LINK:  LOUIS NIX III

LINK:  PRINCE SHEMBO

LINK:  STEPHON TUITT

LINK:  CHRIS WATT

Replay of Nix's 40 Yard Dash -- NFL Combine

"Irish Chocolate" strutted his stuff today in front of NFL scouts in Indianapolis.  Here is the NFL Network's replay of Louis' 40 yard dash.  His official time was 5.42 seconds.

LINK:  LOUIS NIX'S 40

Louis Nix's Broad Jump Replay -- NFL Combine

Louis will never hear the end of this from his buddies at Notre Dame and I'm sure his future NFL teammates...  Click on the link below:

LINK:  REPLAY OF BROAD JUMP

Louis Nix III Meets With the NFL Media Today

Irish Chocolate met with the assembled media today at the NFL SCOUTING COMBINE.  You're going to want to watch this...

LINK:  IRISH CHOCOLATE GOES NFL

40 Yard Times: ND Players at NFL Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine rolls on this morning from Indianapolis with the offensive lineman running their 40 yard dash times.  You'll find all the 40 times for the nine former Notre Dame student-athletes updated below -- as they run them over the next few days:

• Zack Martin:  did not run
• Chris Watt:  did not run
• Troy Niklas:  did not run
• Prince Shembo:  4.71 seconds
• T.J. Jones:  4.48 seconds
• George Atkinson III:  4.48 seconds (T-6th fastest at position)
• Bennett Jackson:  4.51 seconds
• Louis Nix:  5.42 seconds
• Stephon Tuitt:  did not run