Fighting Irish Beat Duke -- in Their Backyard!

How about that!!!

Notre Dame goes into Greensboro tonight in the ACC Semi-Finals and beats the #2 ranked Blue Devils -- FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS SEASON!

With the win -- Mike Brey continues to be the ONLY FORMER DUKE ASSISTANT to beat COACH K!

Folks, he's 3 - 1 in the matchups!!!

Also, the win places Mike Brey 2nd on Notre Dame's all-time career win list -- now 65 behind Digger Phelps.

NOW WE PLAY NORTH CAROLINA FOR A BANNER FOR PURCELL -- TOMORROW NIGHT!

LINK:  VIDEO REPLAY OF CONNAUGHTON'S BIG SHOT!

"Jekyl & Hyde" IRISH Find a Way to Win...

It was a tale of two halfs...

There was a first half when Notre Dame made almost every shot they took -- building an 18 point lead at the half -- shooting 62.5%

Then, it got ugly...  I don't have the words or the stomach for what we witnessed the the second half.  All I will say is thank goodness for Steve Vasturia...

HEY, it's the first ACC Tournament win in Notre Dame Men's Basketball history -- and we're playing on Friday!

LINK:  SHOT OF THE GAME!

LINK:  BOX SCORE

It's Notre Dame vs. Miami Tonight on ESPN

Tip-off is scheduled for just after 9 PM ET tonight -- when #11 Notre Dame takes on "The U" in the Quarter-finals of the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament in Greensboro, NC.

You can watch the game on ESPN.

Here's the latest coverage coming out of Greensboro as the Irish prepare for tonight's game:

LINK:  PAT CONNAUGHTON INTERVIEW

Jerian Grant Named USA Today All-American!

I haven't been reporting on the ALL ACC honors that Jerian Grant has been receiving over the past week -- because I've been waiting for the bigger honors...

Like ALL-AMERICAN!

USA Today just released their five-man All-American team and Jerian Grant is one of the two guards to receive this honor!

LINK:  USA TODAY ALL-AMERICAN

Golic Jr., Fox and Wood: NFL Veteran Combine

Former Notre Dame student-athletes Mike Golic Jr., Dan Fox (photo above) and Cierre Wood will be in Phoenix March 22nd trying to impress the assembled scouts from each of the NFL teams -- at the first ever NFL VETERANS COMBINE.

Here's the story:

LINK:  NFL VETERAN'S COMBINE

Domer Takes His "Ric Flair" to Jacksonville!

Former Notre Dame student-athlete Sergio Brown is apparently going to be signing a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars...

Sorry Colts fans!

LINK:  SERGIO HEADING TO JAX

Sporting News Ranks the Running Backs...

There is a Notre Dame student-athlete in the TOP 20...

LINK:  TOP RUNNING BACKS

Keivarae Russell -- Training for a Return to ND

Former Notre Dame student-athlete Keivarae Russell has been taking classes and working out as he hopes to return to South Bend to play for the Fighting Irish this Fall...

A few weeks ago he posted a video -- broad jumping 11' - 1" -- which would have placed him 3rd at last month's NFL Combine amongst defensive backs.

Well, the video he posted this past week (see below) shows him running "sub-4.4" 40 yard dashes -- which, would have also placed him 3rd at last month's NFL Combine amongst defensive backs.

LINK:  KEIVARAE'S 40 YARD DASH

PHOTO: Coolest SKI HELMET of All-Time!

Notre Dame's Football Equipment Manager Ryan Grooms -- tweeted this photo today...

Notre Dame Hockey Puts UMASS Away 7 - 0 !!!

The Fighting Irish, coming off a 5 OT loss on Friday night -- beat UMASS last night 5 - 3 -- and they just finished off the Minutemen tonight in grand style 7 - 0!

The win, gives Notre Dame the series win 2 -1 -- and advances the IRISH to the next round of the Hockey East Tournament against UMass-Lowell next Friday night.

GO IRISH!

LINK:  GAME STATS

The IRISH Dominate ACC All-Tournament Team!

Notre Dame's Jewell Loyd and Brianna Turner were named to the ACC Tournament First Team and Taya Reimer and Madison Cable were named to the Second Team...

How Lindsay Allen didn't get named to one of those two teams -- I'll never know.

Jewell received the ACC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player award -- see photo above.

ACC CHAMPS - TWO IN A ROW for the IRISH!

Muffet's Fighting Irish beat the Florida State Seminoles 71 - 58 to win BACK TO BACK ACC Tournament Championships -- in their first two years in this conference.

STAT OF THE DAY:  Florida State was the only team in all of college basketball (Men & Women) to outrebound every opponent this season -- until today!  The Fighting Irish outrebounded the Seminoles 40 - 27!

The IRISH are now 31 - 2 and a lock to get a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and I'm guessing the #2 seed overall, behind UCONN.

Jewell Loyd was named the ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Now, it's time to rest -- wait for next week's announcement on the NCAA Tournament.

LINK:  LOYD LAYUP

From Foster Care to the Fighting Irish...

Demetrius Jackson's life-story was told this week in Sports Illustrated...

LINK:  JACKSON

Domer Gray "Mayor" of St. Patrick's Day Parade

Former Notre Dame student-athlete and now Super Bowl Champion -- Jonas Gray -- was the MAYOR of yesterday's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Cape Cod, MA. 

See the story below:

LINK:  JONAS GRAY

Connaughton & Grant -- Go Out Victorious!

It was senior night at Purcell Pavilion yesterday as Pat Connaughton and Jerian Grant suited up for the last time in a home jersey for the Fighting Irish...

Notre Dame beat Clemson 81 - 67 -- giving the Irish a 26 - 5 regular season record and the MOST WINS IN THE REGULAR SEASON IN SCHOOL HISTORY!

Here's a few game highlights and Coach Brey after the game:

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Former ND Assistant's -- 2nd Spring at UCONN

Former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco -- met with the media yesterday after the UCONN Huskies' first Spring practice...

LINK:  DIACO

LINK:  DIACO #2

Notre Dame Plays FSU for ACC Title on ESPN

The #2 ranked Fighting Irish take on the #7 ranked Seminoles of Florida State today at 1 PM ET on ESPN for the ACC Tournament Championship trophy.

These two teams played back on January 2nd -- with the IRISH winning a close one 74 - 68 -- this is going to be a difficult test for Muffet's gang...

Here's the Florida State coach and players talking about today's game with ND:

LINK:  FLORIDA STATE

Notre Dame Helmet Design Concepts -- WOW!

A design team called Empire Graphics produced a couple of Notre Dame helmet concepts and put them out on Twitter...

Got to tell you -- I love them both.

Maybe we could convince Under Armour and Hydro Graphics to design a green helmet like this for the Shamrock Series game at Fenway Park against Boston College -- a "Green Monster" version...

What do you think?

Muffet's Irish on ESPNU Today at NOON ET

The #2 ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame take on the #16 Duke Blue Devils at NOON ET today in the ACC Tournament Semi-Finals.

The game will be televised on ESPNU.

To get you ready for today's game -- click on the link below:

LINK:  GAME PREVIEW

Muffet's Irish Avenge Only ACC Loss in History

The Fighting Irish are in Greensboro, NC this weekend playing in the ACC Tournament...

Yesterday afternoon Notre Dame beat Miami (highlights below) 77 - 61 to avenge their loss to the Hurricanes back on January 8th -- the only loss the IRISH have experienced in ACC play.

The win -- moves Notre Dame to the ACC Tourney Semi-Finals today at NOON ET against #16 Duke.  The game will be televised on ESPNU.

LINK:  ND BEATS MIAMI 

LINK:  POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE