Day One: Portsmouth Invitational Results

Former Notre Dame student-athletes Eric Atkins and Garrick Sherman are playing in the Portsmouth Invitational this weekend in front of general managers and scouts from every NBA team.  The sixty-year old tournament tipped off last night and runs through Saturday...

In Wednesday's opening round action, Garrick Sherman led his Portsmouth Sports Club team with 19 points and was second in rebounding with 11 in a 77 - 74 loss to Roger Brown's Restaurant.  And, Eric Atkins played 30 minutes for his K&D Rounds Landscaping team in their 71 - 66 losing effort to Norfolk Sports Club.  Atkins scored 5 points while dishing out 5 assists and making 3 steals...

Today at 3:15 PM ET -- Atkins and Sherman square off against each other in a game pitting the Portsmouth Sports Club vs. K&D Rounds Landscaping.  You can watch it LIVE ONLINE -- at the link below:

LINK:  SHERMAN vs. ATKINS -- LIVE RIGHT HERE!

LINK:  SHERMAN'S GAME -- BOX SCORE

LINK:  ATKIN'S GAME -- BOX SCORE

Indiana Fever's GM Talks Drafting Ochonwa

The Indiana Fever selected Notre Dame's Natalie Ochonwa with the ninth pick overall in Monday's WNBA Draft.  Ochonwa, who is scheduled to be operated on this Friday for a torn ACL, will miss the upcoming WNBA season.

You'll learn why the Fever still drafted Natalie -- in the article linked below:

LINK:  OCHONWA

Silver Stars Thrilled to Draft ND's Kayla McBride

Found this story today about Notre Dame's Kayla McBride and her third overall selection in this week's WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars.  I'm very happy for her!

LINK:  THRILLED TO DRAFT MCBRIDE

Matt Farrell Makes it Official with Notre Dame!

Mike Brey announced today that Point Pleasant Beach, NJ point guard Matt Farrell had signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  Farrell joins Bonzie Colson and Martin Geben as the high school seniors who will make up the incoming recruiting class for the Irish.

LINK:  COACH BREY TALKS FARRELL

"Inside Look" at Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game

The folks at Fighting Irish Digital Media just released this "inside" look at Saturday's 85th Annual Blue Gold Game.  Enjoy!

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME

Notre Dame's Class of 2018 -- Top of the Class!

The University of Notre Dame received almost 18,000 applications for what is expected will be a class of approximately 2,000 students who will make up its Class of 2018. 

Do you have what it takes to be a Notre Dame student?  Take a look at this article...

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S CLASS OF 2018

88 Notre Dame Students Receive ND Monogram

The University of Notre Dame passed on a 98 year-old tradition this evening -- the awarding of the MONOGRAM to its varsity student-athletes.

In the photo above (l to r), John Turner (Indianapolis, IN), Ronnie Stanley (Las Vegas, NV) and James Onwualu (St. Paul, MN) model their new look!

Atkins & Sherman Earn Invite to Portsmouth

Former Notre Dame basketball players; Eric Atkins and Garrick Sherman will join sixty-two of the top senior college basketball players in the country in New Hampshire tomorrow to play in the PORTSMOUTH INVITATIONAL in front of NBA scouts and general managers.

The sixty-four players have been divided into eight teams of eight players each -- the games start tomorrow run through Saturday.

Atkins is on a team called K&D Rounds Landscaping,  Sherman is on a team called the Portsmouth Sports Club.  Here's a link to their respective rosters:

LINK:  PORTSMOUTH INVITATIONAL

Five First Round WNBA Picks in Three Years!

Muffet's Notre Dame Fighting Irish can now claim five (5) first round WNBA Draft picks in the past three seasons!

• 2014:  (3) Kayla McBride, (9) Natalie Achonwa
• 2013:  (3) Skylar Diggins
• 2012:  (3) Devereaux Peters, (8) Natalie Novosel

The photo above shows the "five" WNBA Draft picks who were members of the 2012 Final Four Fighting Irish!

Natalie Achonwa Goes 9th Overall to Indiana!

Now, former Notre Dame women's basketball star Natalie Achonwa -- was just drafted ninth overall by the Indiana Fever in tonight's WNBA Draft!  Congratulations Natalie!

You have to be really happy for Natalie, who is awaiting ACL knee surgery...

LINK:  NATALIE ACHONWA GOES TO INDIANA!

Kayla McBride Goes 3rd Overall in WNBA Draft!

Now former Notre Dame All-American -- Kayla McBride, was just drafted third overall by the San Antonio Silver Stars in tonight's WNBA Draft.  Congratulations Kayla!

Kayla was joined by her Mom, Dad and Coach Muffet McGraw at the Draft.

LINK:  KAYLA GOES TO SAN ANTONIO!

WNBA Draft Tonight at 8 PM ET on ESPN2

Former Notre Dame women's basketball stars; Kayla McBride and Natalie Achonwa will find out this evening if they'll be playing in the WNBA this summer -- as their annual draft takes place on ESPN2 beginning at 8 PM ET.  

Here's a look at a MOCK DRAFT which has both players going in the first round -- sure hope that's the case for Natalie after her knee injury -- just click on the links below:

LINK:  NBA MOCK DRAFT

Media's Talkin' Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game

As we always do here at the ND GO IRISH BLOG -- I took a lap around the worldwide web to see what the media has to say about the 85th Annual Blue Gold Game at Notre Dame.  Just click on the links below:

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #1

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- ZAIRE INTERVIEW

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- JAYLON INTERVIEW

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

Stanford Fans Came Dressed as "Empty Seats"

This is the fan turnout in Palo Alto, CA today for Stanford's Spring Game -- looks like a "few hundred" friends and family members of the players...

ESPN Player Interviews After Blue Gold Game

 

ESPN's Matt Fortuna caught up with a couple of Notre Dame players after today's Blue Gold Game.  Just click on the links below to watch the interviews:

LINK:  KEIVARAE RUSSELL

LINK:  JOE SCHMIDT

Photo of the Day: Kyle Rudolph's Golf Grips

Minnesota Vikings' Kyle Rudolph is "reppin" his alma mater with these green and gold golf grips...

Notre Dame Football Players Back Home...

Notre Dame's Jack Nolan caught up with a number of the former Fighting Irish football players during today's Blue Gold Game:

LINK:  BACK HOME

Rockne is SMILING: ND's New Playing Surface

Folks, Notre Dame football (as far back as 80 years ago) was known for winning and for INNOVATION.  If synthetic playing surfaces had been around in Rockne's days -- Notre Dame would have been playing on it...

Well, that day has come.  After today's Blue Gold Game -- Notre Dame's Athletic Director announced that a synthetic playing surface would be installed in the "House that Rock Built."  Here's the announcement:

LINK:  NEW PLAYING SURFACE

LINK:  NBC'S INTERVIEW

LINK:  GOLSON ON FIELD TURF

LINK:  ESPN'S FORTUNA

Zaire Throws for 292 -- Offense Beats Defense

On a day when we learned that this was the last game in the 127 year history of Notre Dame football that the Fighting Irish would play on grass in South Bend -- Malik Zaire backed up his talk that he would be the starting QB come August 30th throwing 2 TD's and for almost 300 yards in the 85th Blue Gold Game.

LINK:  COACH KELLY POST GAME

LINK:  BLUE GOLD GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  OKWARA INTERVIEW

LINK:  RUSSELL INTERVIEW

LINK:  NBC SPORTS STORY

What to Watch For: ND's 85th Blue Gold Game

Took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the experts are saying about Notre Dame's Blue Gold Game -- here's what I found:

LINK:  IRISH CENTRAL -- NBC SPORTS

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE