Articles of Interest

Pac-10 Threats are Empty

Posted on 3 December 2000:

OK, bad news everybody: the Bowl Championship Series is in trouble. All the controversy surrounding the selection process could mean that the BCS will not exist past 2006.

No, I am not talking about Florida State being ranked higher than Miami - a team that beat the Seminoles in the regular season. I am talking about a much more pressing concern.

The Pac-10 may not re-sign the BCS contract after it expires in 2006.

Yes, the Pac-10, the conference that sent 8-3 Stanford to the Rose Bowl last year is upset with the BCS system.

In a Los Angeles Times article Wednesday, Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said that if Oregon State were not chosen for the Fiesta Bowl, he would consider withdrawing the Pac-10 from the BCS.

"The Pac-10 may be better off going back to the Rose Bowl and forgetting the rest," Hansen said to the Los Angeles Times. "I wouldn't want to continually subject our teams to the anticipation of being selected and fairly considered when it just doesn't happen."

Hansen almost has a legitimate complaint this year. The Pac-10 has somehow managed to place three teams in the top 10 of the BCS.

Washington is ranked fourth and headed to the Rose Bowl as the Pac-10 champion. Oregon State is ranked sixth at 10-1 while Oregon is 10th with a 9-2 record.

Hansen is angry that Oregon State may not get a BCS bid despite being one of seven Div. 1-A teams with a 10-1 record. But look a little closer and you will see that Oregon State beat a couple of cupcakes, a few Twinkies and a cream puff this year.

There are three reasons why Oregon State does not deserve a BCS bid this year: 6-5 Eastern Washington, 3-8 San Diego State and 5-7 New Mexico.

Those were the three non-conference games that Oregon State chose to schedule. I'd call those three teams cupcakes but that would be an insult to the pastry. Scheduling those three teams is just pathetic. If you want to be a real football school, you have to schedule real opponents.

The Beavers don't have to stock their schedule with top 25 opponents. They just have to play opponents that at a very minimum might not be horrible this year. Rather than scheduling Eastern Washington, schedule Missouri. Missouri wasn't a good football team this year but at least the Tigers play in a real conference and had a chance to be good this year.

Scheduling 6-5 teams from the Big Sky conference does not help your bowl chances. It only pads your record with empty victories.

The Pac-10 schedule is no better. The only good team the Beavers played all year was Washington. And the Huskies beat the Beavers 33-30.

The rest of the Pac-10 teams on Oregon State's schedule were awful this year. USC was 5-7. Stanford was 5-6. Washington State was 4-7. California was 3-8. Arizona was 5-6.

Oregon State only played four teams with winning records and only three of those teams will be going to bowls - not even the insight.com bowl will select a 6-5 team from the Big Sky conference like Eastern Washington.

UCLA went 6-5 and is headed to the Sun Bowl. Washington is going to the Rose Bowl and Oregon finished 9-2 and will most likely head to the Aloha Bowl.

Oregon State's only quality win came against Oregon and Oregon is probably one of the softest 9-2 teams in the country. They beat 5-6 Big West power Idaho and Nevada who finished 2-10 in non-conference action but the Beavers also lost to Wisconsin. Although the Badgers are headed to the Sun Bowl this year, they are probably the most disappointing team in college football north of Alabama.

Oregon went on to tag Washington with its only defeat but other than the Huskies, the Ducks didn't beat anyone. Oregon only beat two other bowl teams: 6-5 UCLA and 6-5 Arizona State.

Not very impressive at all.

But Mr. Hansen, a 10-1 record is still a 10-1 record so maybe Oregon State deserves the Fiesta Bowl bid. So let's cut a deal.

Oregon State gets to go to the Fiesta Bowl this year, if you promise to decline your automatic bid for your conference champion when your conference champion is horrible - like last year when Stanford went the to Rose Bowl with an 8-3 record.

You don't think that is fair?

Fine. Quit the BCS. The BCS is better off without fraud teams from the Pac-10.

Supporting Notre Dame Fan in His Struggle Against Leukemia

Posted on 5 November 2000:

All of you that attended the Purdue pep rally last month had a chance to meet a special young man from San Diego, Calif., Scott Delgadillo. In my 25 years of coaching, I've been fortunate enough to meet some very remarkable people. None, however, has made a bigger impression on me than Scott.

Those of you who weren't at the pep rally missed a chance to meet a remarkable individual and witness this 14-year-old's courage and passion for life. Scott and his family were sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation for their trip to Notre Dame to experience the Purdue game weekend.

I'm saddened to say that we have received some unfortunate news about Scott. His leukemia has resurfaced in his bone marrow and he was admitted to the Children's Hospital of San Diego. His last round of chemotherapy treatments were harder to get through than others.

Scott's mother, Carmen, mentioned that Scott had received a copy of his talk at the pep rally and photos of him with the team, which inspired him to be strong through this most difficult time. Scott said to his mother, "This is like a football game; sometimes you get knocked down, but you just have to get back up and in the game."

Spread the Word

Posted on 9 October 2000:

Notre Dame suffered a loss last weekend greater than the one on the football field.

More than at any time in our collective memory, Notre Dame fans sold their loyalty last weekend. The sight of thousands upon thousands of Nebraska faithful filling every section of Notre Dame stadium was not only embarrassing, but truly disheartening to all loyal Notre Dame alumni and fans around the country. The sheer number of alumni who must have betrayed their school by selling out to the highest bidder is unparalleled in our history.

We realize that the events recent years have not made it easy to be a Notre Dame fan: an aimless athletic department; widely publicized scandals among students, coaches, and athletes; increasingly skeptical media coverage of Notre Dame's admissions policies.

But Notre Dame has come through similar challenges in the past. Critics railed against the "greed" of our television contract; the "tarnish" on our golden image; the "arrogance" of our decision not to join the Big Ten. But Notre Dame weathered these criticisms because of its knowledge that it was still committed to its core Catholic educational mission, its strong reputation, and most importantly, the unwavering support and dedication of its alumni (both academic and subway).

Sadly, this was not in evidence last weekend. The people and institutions which have until now been pillars of Irish tradition instead chose to take the money and run. They put green in their wallets instead of on their backs.

In a most egregious example, The Linebacker, one of the most popular Notre Dame off-campus hangouts, which generations of students and alumni have kept in business over the years, closed its doors to Irish faithful.

Instead, at the opening of the weekend, it chose to harbor a private party exclusively for Nebraska's entourage. For a hefty price, The Linebacker was willing to become the base of operations for the Big Red.

Rally sons of Notre Dame. Just not at The Linebacker.

Was it all some cruel trick? Some mistake by the bar's management? Certainly not. The Linebacker knew it was selling out. The welcome signs and decorations that we all saw on Route 23 and Edison prove that point amply enough.

The question now is this: will the Notre Dame community sit down and take it? Do we have enough pride in ourselves to refuse to associate with those who show no respect for our school? Or is we as much of a sellout as some in the media would like to brand us? Do we have any respect left for ourselves? Or will we continue to patronize the establishment that happens to be closest?

We still believe in Notre Dame pride. We have enough of it ourselves to resent this low point in Notre Dame spirit, and organize to make for ourselves a campus community of which we can all be proud. We call upon all ND students, faculty, staff, alumni, and all the other ND faithful, to imitate Notre Dame's recent efforts in rebuilding itself; Kevin White's energy; the basketball program's commitment; and the those football players whose courageous effort Saturday had all too few friendly witnesses.

We call upon the whole Notre Dame community to stop patronizing The Linebacker. Show no support to those who do not support us.

"Boycott the 'Backer."

LoVecchio Will Stay Cool: Coach

Posted on 1 October 2000:

Who is Matt LoVecchio?

All Notre Dame football fans know about the 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman quarterback is from the 16 lines about his high school successes in the Notre Dame media guide and a handful of plays from Saturday's loss to Michigan State.

According to Fred Stengel, there's much, much more that makes up the guy who will likely direct the Notre Dame offense against Stanford Oct. 7.

"Matt's the kind of guy who will keep his head when people all around him are losing theirs,'' said Stengel. "He's got ice water in his veins.''

Stengel should know. The past two falls, LoVecchio led Stengel's Bergen Catholic High School football team (in Oradell, N.J.) to the New Jersey state championship. LoVecchio was the key part of Bergen Catholic's intricate "West Coast offense,'' an attack that focused on the passing game.

LoVecchio's leadership not only paved the way for two state crowns, but it also convinced Stengel that his pupil was ready to take the step to Notre Dame.

"We researched the situation,'' Stengel said. "Not everybody can be recommended to be the quarterback at Notre Dame. Those are very difficult shoes to fill. I never had any qualms about Matt making that move because of his emotional makeup. He is so unassuming. When you see a grin come to his face, it's like any other guy on the field doing cartwheels.''

Stengel watched LoVecchio closely Saturday when the youngster was brought in against the Spartans in the second half. He saw LoVecchio change the fullback's alignment, he watched him call a timeout when the Irish were in the wrong formation. Stengel saw LoVecchio complete a 43-yard pass to Javin Hunter and also rush four times for 21 yards.

"Saturday night, Matt called my quarterbacks coach Joe Haemmerle,'' Stengel said. "Joe, who's like a guru to Matt, asked him what it was like out there. Matt said, 'It was like standing on the top of a tall building -- you don't look down.' Joe asked him if he was nervous about the first snap. He said, 'I took 30 snaps on the sidelines before I came in because there was no way I was going to fumble that thing.'

"Matt has the God-given ability to be able to focus on the task at hand. He might look nonchalant, but the fire's burning. He might not be the biggest, he might not be the strongest, or he might not be the fastest, but he's in the top 95 percent of all those. That's what makes a great quarterback.''

While in high school, LoVecchio's assignment was to throw the football. He rushed for 302 yards as a senior, but never had any exposure to the option until he came to Notre Dame. Stengel accompanied LoVecchio on a visit to Notre Dame and sat down with Irish offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers (who was raised about 40 miles from LoVecchio's hometown) to make sure the fit would be good.

"Kevin and I sat down for about three hours on a Friday night,'' Stengel recalled. "Kevin was at the chalkboard the whole time, showing me the offense and how Matt would fit in. There's no question that Matt can run the option as part of the offense. He's very suited to the mobility it takes. I don't have any fears about that at all.''

The main concern Stengel had was for LoVecchio to maintain the proper temperament to handle the hype and the criticism that goes along with the position.

"I've seen plenty of guys with lots of talent try and fail at being the quarterback at Notre Dame,'' Stengel said. "What Matt has going for him is that he's so even-keel. You never see him get flustered. I've heard all about the pressure and the fish-bowl atmosphere that the quarterback at Notre Dame has to deal with. Matt's ready for all that. He's not going into it naive.''

He also doesn't seem to be going into it unprepared. With Stengel's guidance, LoVecchio didn't get to Notre Dame by accident.

Fans react to ND-Nebraska
Ticket holders sold out to red

Posted on 19 September 2000:

Embarassed. Humiliated. Betrayed. No, I'm not feeling this way because Notre Dame lost to the University of Nebraska in football. In fact, I thought we played a decent game. I'm feeling this way thanks to certain people who call themselves "alumni" and "fans" of our University.

Consider this: 4,000 tickets were made available to Nebraska fans for the football game. Call me crazy, but I estimated - along with announcers during the game - around 30,000 red shirts in the stands. How do 4,000 tickets become 30,000 tickets? I'll tell you.

Two-faced alumni and fans. Those who sold out, literally, the very University they claim to love and support. Those who sold a game ticket for a few hundred dollars to a Nebraskan. Those who didn't care if they were wearing green with the rest of the Notre Dame faithful. The guy on the corner asking $500 for the pair; the old man holding up two tickets at the tailgater; the young woman with the Notre Dame hat and the look of greed on her face. They sold out.

Even selling to other Notre Dame alums or fans would have been better than selling to red shirts and Husker hats. They sold to the opponent just to make a few hundred bucks that will most likely go towards a new Lazy Susan they can show off at their next tailgate party. Was that worth it? Is this what we've come to? Making money at all costs?

Maybe it's me, but Notre Dame stands for something. It stands for more than just football Saturdays, tailgate parties and winning a Championship. It stands for truth. It stands for loyalty and honor. It stands for respect. It stands for the backbone of everything that is great about college academics and athletics.

By selling your tickets to Husker fans, you robbed the University of the very tradition you claim to love and honor. You have decimated the true meaning of college athletics. And you have shown today's students that alumni at Notre Dame only care about the best way to make a buck. I am an alumnus. I am outraged. And I will not accept that attitude. And neither will any self-respecting student or graduate.

Take off your green hat, your Notre Dame shirt and put away the Irish flag. You have lost the right to call yourselves "alumni" and "fans." We lost to Nebraska. Maybe the number of red shirts was a factor. Maybe it wasn't. But one thing is certain. You embarassed me. You embarassed the team. You embarassed the students. And you embarassed the University of Notre Dame on national television.

I hope that few hundred dollars buys you something nice. You earned it.

Josh Quinn '96

I know that many of you are disappointed in the alumni and "sell-outs" that gave their tickets away to the loyal 'Husker fans drooling for their chance to witness a little piece of history. Anyone would be angered to see opposing colors outnumber the Blue-Gold. You need to realize that as a 'Husker fan, I was so embarassed that your fans kept our fans quiet! If you hadn't noticed, our fans were in awe of the tradition being brought before our eyes and those Irish fans that did attend the game, kept the 'Husker fans out of the game completely.

Jeff Guenin, junior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Last year, on a number of occasions, the alumni wrote to The Observer describing their contempt for the student body's lack of spirit and integrity. Last Saturday, the alumni who sold out their school showed the lack of spirit and integrity.

Lee Corso summed it all up the best when he said, "It was an embarrassment for Notre Dame to see their stadium in a sea of red. I can't believe it happened." Neither can we, Mr. Corso, neither can we.

And our hearts forever, love thee ... precious cash.

Robert Hutchison, Justin Szalanski, & Mike Siefring sophomores, Zahm Hall

On behalf of my fellow alumni, I would like to apologize to the football team and to all Notre Dame students, for the actions of a large portion of my fellow alumni (and, it would appear, season ticket holders) who scalped their tickets and contributed to the embarrassing sea of red which overwhelmed the campus. I was fortunate to have won three tickets to the game and was happy to have two of my three sons with me. I am sorry that the alumni failed to match the enthusiasm and school spirit expressed by the ND student body.

Stephen E. Hoey '81

Unfortunately, thousands of Irish fans who should have been in the stands giving the Nebraska offense fits were outside in parking lots or at home in their living rooms. Our alumni, most of whom are compensated quite nicely for their work at least partially because of their Notre Dame education and experience, opted to put green in their pockets instead of the stands. What a shame.

Greg Wright, junior, Morrissey Manor Tony Lusvardi, junior, Zahm Hall Brendan P. Harris, junior, Alumni Hall

Colleagues holding faculty/staff season football tickets who have, during either or both of this season's games, sold their tickets and particularly those who knowingly sold them to supporters of Texas A&M or Nebraska. I urge that each of them take just a few moments to write a short note to the team's student-athletes, student managers and coaching staff to acknowledge, in retrospect, their blatant lack of regard for each of the team member's daily efforts over the past months and moreover, their disregard for Notre Dame tradition.

In the longer term, this might also enable our Athletic Department to become aware of those individuals who may have violated the terms of the purchase agreement that such tickets are for "Faculty and Staff Use Only" and are "Not for Resale." Ultimately, the University may wish to decide whether such violations constitute grounds for revoking ticket privileges in future years.

A.L. Johnson, Professor of Physiology

Notre Dame fans are a lot less rare than tickets and I challenge any alum who won tickets to the Nebraska game to claim they couldn't find Domers or fans that would gladly use their tickets. It is obvious that some alumni were thinking a lot more about the money than they were about the Irish spirit when they sold their tickets to high-paying 'Huskers fans.

Theresa Higgins '98

Heading into Saturday's matchup against Nebraska, Notre Dame had lost seven consecutive games away from Notre Dame Stadium. Now they have lost eight.

The Nebraska fans embarrassed us on ESPN GameDay with their "'Husker, Home Game," chant. Notre Dame's reputation as a University is based largely on the perception that our students and alumni are rabidly loyal. In that respect, we took a major step backwards on Saturday.

Steven Reed, senior, Carroll Hall

God. Country. Cash. Notre Dame.

I hope you are happy, for you should be ashamed. You have taken the "house that Rockne built" and turned it into a den of thieves.

Patrick Grady '88

There has to be the technology to have a picture enlarged from film from the blimp to mark every red shirt in the stadium and relieve those ticket holders of their right to purchase tickets for at least five years if not longer.

This should never be allowed to happen again.

Patrick J. Foley, Illinois State University

Nun Wows Luncheon Crowd

Posted on 10 September 2000:

SOUTH BEND -- An unscheduled speaker stole the show Friday afternoon at Notre Dame's first Football Luncheon of the 2000 season.

A crowd of more than 1,000 that spilled over from the Joyce Center fieldhouse to the hockey arena stands was treated to a rousing motivational talk from a very unlikely source.

Sister Patricia Jean met Notre Dame coach Bob Davie recently when Davie and several Irish football players spoke to a gathering of about 150 Sisters of the Holy Cross.

Following the presentation, Sister Patricia Jean, a member of the order for 58 years, asked to address the entire team at a practice.

Her words so struck Davie that he asked her to come in front of Friday's crowd to be recognized. Rather than wave, Sister Patricia Jean ambled to the podium and ultimately brought the crowd to its feet.

She recounted the story she told to the team about her dealings with a young man who was about to make his first communion in 1964. A priest asked Sister Patricia Jean if she could see this young man. His name was Alan Page.

She talked of how Page, then a sophomore, was on the verge of being cut from the team by coach Ara Parseghian.

"We became very good friends," the nun said. "I think it was because all of the brownies I brought him over the years."

The friendship also may have been forged through the challenges she gave to Page as he vied for a spot on the team, let alone Irish history.

"One afternoon, we had a two-hour talk," she said. "I said to him, 'What is your problem? Do you realize that if you don't make that cut, you're throwing away your whole future? It's no skin off Parseghian's nose. He'll get somebody to replace you. But you are the one who has to decide.

'And it has to come from in here (touching her heart) if you're going to do it.'"

Sister Patricia Jean said she asked Page why he wasn't getting after the opposing players like Parseghian wanted him to do.

"He said, 'I'm afraid I'll hurt 'em,''' the nun said. "Hurt 'em?!' I said. He always turned around and helped them up. I said, 'You need to hit 'em so hard you have to help 'em up.' We got him a tutor and he made that cut."

Sister Patricia Jean recounted Page's honors both on the field at Notre Dame and now as a Superior Court Justice in Minnesota. Then, she compared his situation to that that faces the Irish now.

"I said to (the 2000 team), 'These coaches love you. They appreciate you. They care for you. They taught you everything you need to know," she said. "In the end, it has to come from you. You're going to go out there, and you're going to line up, and you're going to look eyeball to eyeball with the guy across from you, and I'm telling you, you're going to tell them, 'Boy, am I going to squash you!'"

Sister Patricia Jean brought the crowd to its feet with her sincere enthusiasm. She struck a chord with the crowd that the other speakers -- Davie, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and senior defensive end Grant Irons -- barely brushed.

She already put an exclamation point on today's season opener.

Posted on 10 September 2000:

It takes more than the average Joe to blow by All-American basketball player Troy Murphy.

Somebody like the 1998-99 NBA Rookie of the Year Vince Carter, for instance.

"I ended up covering him [Carter] in one of the scrimmages," Murphy said. "I've never felt so vulnerable in my life. It was kind of like pick your poison with him - he'll either pull up and shoot over you or go around you and dunk. Unfortunately he dunked on me a couple of times."

Murphy was one of 12 collegiate players picked to play on a U.S. Men's Select team that competed in Hawaii Saturday against the U.S. Olympic team.

The Olympic Dream Team III defeated the collegians squarely 111-74, leaving a big impression on its opponents.

Murphy, who scored four points and pulled down three rebounds in the exhibition game, found himself in awe of Carter's athleticism and Alonzo Mourning's size.

What impressed him even more was the NBA players' work ethic.

"These guys are making 14, 15 million dollars a year, and then at the end of practice they run sprints," Murphy said. "Ray Allen is making 8 million dollars a year and shooting jump shots at the end of practice. Alonzo Mourning is running sprints long after everybody else has gone home."

The constant dedication to improve and stay on top of their game struck Murphy as the biggest lesson of the trip.

"Those guys have made it," the junior power forward said. "Yet they continually want to get better. They're not satisfied. That sticks with me."

Dream Team III ran the gamut in its response to the NCAA players.

While some took time out of their schedule to pass on a few pointers to the collegians, others looked on it as their duty to put their younger counterparts in their places.

"Some of them kind of saw it as a rite of passage, to show us that they were still the guys that had to be beaten," Murphy said. "There were a couple guys, though, Ray Allen and Vin Baker, who went out of their way to get to know me and help me out."

Although guys like Murphy, Duke's Shane Battier and Jason Williams, Maryland's Terence Morris and Iowa State's Jamal Tinsley, all members of the Select team, are the elite among college players, they came in at a disadvantage.

Not only did they have less experience, they lacked time playing together to form a team and learn plays.

On the hardwood, the Select team couldn't compete with the NBA players yet. Off the court, the guys got to know each other and enjoy Hawaii at the same time.

"We went snorkeling one day," Murphy said. "But they gave us fish food to attract the fish, and we ended up throwing the fish food on each other instead of in the water. So that attracted the fish real close, and we didn't last too long."

Back on campus, Murphy values the chance to meet his childhood heroes face to face.

"It was great. I've got pictures up on my wall in my dorm room of those guys," Murphy said. "It's an experience that I'll cherish for a long, long time."

Wear green to the Nebraska game

As we all know, everyone has circled the Nebraska game as the most important game this season. A win against the Huskers will bring us back into the eye of the nation and vault us up the polls, where we rightfully belong.

As many of you also know, Husker fans travel very well and will be easy to spot in their bright red clothing. I have heard claims by Husker fans that they will "take over Notre Dame Stadium" or fill over 20,000 seats. While these claims are just the good natured ribbing of college football fans, we think that we should make a statement of our own.

We would like to push the idea for every Irish fan to wear green to the Nebraska game, and create a sea of green in the stands. We feel that green is the most logical color since "The Shirt" this year is green itself. A "green-out" would illustrate the love and support we have for our school.

While the idea is not all that complicated to create, the real challenge is getting as many fans in green as possible. This is why I am contacting everyone on this list. I am requesting your help in spreading the word throughout the Notre Dame family. Some of you may be able to provide e-mail addresses, while others may be in a position to help push the idea.

Whatever you can do would be greatly appreciated. We believe the best contact point will be alumni clubs across the nation. A simple blurb in the monthly newsletter could provide a notice for over 75% of fans that will attend the game.

We truly believe that flooding the stadium with ND fans clad in green apparel will bring the football team a big lift. At the very least it shows our unwavering support for ND athletics. At the very most it inspires the team to play at another level. Either way it would be a true success. In researching the idea for the green shirt, we found an old Irish poem that fits the idea perfectly (with a little tweaking for the NU game):

Wearin' the Green

"O Paddy dear, and did ye hear the news that's goin' round? The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground! Saint Patrick's Day no more we'll keep, his color can't be seen For there's a bloody law ag'in the Wearin' o' the Green."

I met with Knute Rockne, and he took me by the hand And he said, "How's poor old Notre Dame, and how does she stand?" "She's the most distressful school that ever you have seen For they're hanging men and women there for the Wearin' o' the Green."

"So if the color we must wear be Husker's cruel red Let it remind us of the blood that Irishmen have shed And pull the shamrock from your hat, and throw it on the sod But never fear, 'twill take root there, though underfoot 'tis trod.

When laws can stop the blades of grass from growin' as they grow And when the leaves in summer-time their color dare not show Then I will change the color too I wear in my caubeen But till that day, please God, I'll stick to the Wearin' o' the Green."

I appreciate any advice or help you can give us with this endeavor. Thank you very much & Go Irish!! Eric Reichle
Class of 2001

GO IRISH!!

A Man of Substance

Posted on 6 August 2000:

Cynics need not be concerned with searching for the slightest slip in the private and public persona of new Notre Dame men's basketball coach Mike Brey.

Whether guiding his players through another successful season and possible NCAA Tournament bid, recruiting tomorrow's stars or answering the college basketball critics that are all too common today, Brey brings a familiar package to his presentation.

"What you see is what you get," said former Duke standout Jay Bilas, who served alongside Brey as a Duke University assistant coach for three years. "There is no false pretense with him. There's no flash. He's a man of substance."

During his five years as head coach at the University of Delaware, Brey helped the Blue Hens become the class of the America East, both on and off the court. His players were respectful of others and always in line to do what was right away from the game. On the court, the Hens played hard and played together.

For America East commissioner Chris Monasch, it was a daily pleasure to be associated with Brey.

"It made it easy, to have our premier basketball program with a coach who does the right thing and can give guys a benchmark for the ideal situation," Monasch said. "He's an absolute class act from every possible point you could evaluate a college coach."

Monasch knows how uncommon it is to have the Mike Breys in today's world of college basketball. Some head coaches talk a good game and put on the happiest of faces in front of the cameras and microphones, only to turn into unforgiving tyrants behind closed doors.

That is not, and will not, be Brey.

"There's always a fine line between saying and doing the right thing," Monasch said. "But Mike is also sincere and that's what's so classy about him. He just has the whole package."

Area Irish fans have yet to experience what Brey brings to the table, in part because he has spent many of the 17 days out of town since he was hired as the program's 17th head coach.

Brey has been busy on the high school recruiting trails, where he has kept in contact with Jordan Cornette and Chris Thomas, two players who have verbally committed to Notre Dame for the 2001-02 season. Both have met with Brey and hope to visit campus with their respective families in the next few weeks where they will finalize their commitments.

Brey has found time to cut short his summer recruiting circuit and return to campus at least once a week. He recently had All-America power forward Troy Murphy round up teammates so Brey could join them for pizza.

"It was great to get my introduction to Grape Road," joked Brey, who drove past the University Park Mall marquee welcoming him and his family to the area. "Certainly the current players are the most important to the program."

Brey will end his July tour Monday when he returns to the Irish basketball offices. He hopes to have his basketball support staff in place before returning to the East Coast for his father's 70th birthday celebration this weekend.

The day he was hired, Brey indicated that he hoped to bring with him from Delaware two of his three assistants -- Sean Kearney and Tyrone Perry, a former Blue Hen player.

While Kearney has been with Brey as his top Irish assistant since Day One, Perry will not be at Notre Dame.

"He just needs a little more experience," Brey said of Perry, a college coach for only one season. "I thought Ty would be better-suited to stay at Delaware and if it works out, join us here in two or three years."

By the time he sells his home in Delaware, moves his wife, Tish, and children -- Kyle and Callie -- out to South Bend, the Notre Dame fall semester will be set to commence.

A chance for Brey to catch his breath may not arrive until well into 2001.

"My mindset is let's kick it into gear and here we go until April," Brey said. "You really don't need sleep when you're working from passion and excitement and just a lot of juice."

There will be plenty of all to go around for the 2000-01 basketball season. Next up will be individual meetings with players, conferences with school administrators and alumni. Guest speaking appearances around town. Honoring media requests. Trips to the dorm rooms to pump up the pulse of the student body. Expect Brey to handle all with equal ease and excitement.

"Mike is just as comfortable in a suit and tie sitting in a meeting as he is with shorts on at a summer camp," said Bilas, an attorney for a Charlotte, N.C. law firm and color commentator for ESPN. "He's not only really bright, but he's incredibly personable and gets to know people on multiple levels."

A qualified coach

Come Oct. 15, those close to the Notre Dame community will learn what type of basketball coach Brey is when official practice opens. Brey will assemble a veteran group that day led by Murphy and fellow juniors David Graves, Ryan Humphrey and Harold Swanagan along with senior point guard Martin Ingelsby.

Brey has told his team that they will be given a certain amount of freedom on the court. When they arrive at the Joyce Center each afternoon, the Irish know there is serious work to be done. And they'll know who will be in charge.

"He gets the most out of you in practices," said current Delaware sophomore Maurice Sessoms, who sat out Brey's final year in Newark after transferring from Wisconsin. "They're definitely hard practices. It's all structured and timed. They're intense."

On the odd occasion that a mental block will bounce Brey for a loop on the practice floor, he can return to his Joyce Center corner office and open the massive file folder from his days under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke.

Brey saved each one of Coach K's practice plans during his five years with the Blue Devils.

"He filed all them away so when he remembers something from say, 1990, when things weren't going so well for us, he can analogize from that, go back to the practice plan and get ideas," Bilas said. "Mike's always been not only a quick study but there's a depth to his understanding of the game."

And an understanding of the moment. Though he worked eight years for one of the premier college basketball programs of the last decade, where he helped bring six Final Four appearances two national championships to Duke, expect Brey to leave all references to his days with Coach K and company in the closet.

While at Delaware, players seldom heard what it was like to coach, to win, to work at Duke.

"He's from the Duke system, but he's his own man," said Delaware swingman Greg Miller, who will be a fifth-year senior for the Blue Hens this season. "He has his own beliefs and it was great to know that we were never second-class citizens. We were always his choice."

Notre Dame opens the regular season in mid-November with a home game against Sacred Heart (Conn.) College. When the house lights come on for real, what type of team will Irish fans see?

Again, it depends on the depth of athleticism and versatility Murphy and his mates display in preseason. But if Brey's past is an indication, expect Notre Dame to play plenty of man-to-man defense, a switch from last season's heavy reliance on a 2-3 zone.

"That's what Mike believes in," Bilas said.

A revolving door may be installed at the scorer's table since Brey likes to use plenty of different combinations. It helps keep a player's legs fresh for the postseason sprint come March.

Look for Notre Dame to run a little more, which will help the likes of Murphy, Swanagan and sophomore center Ivan Kartelo to get out and secure easy transition hoops. An emphasis will also be placed on halfcourt execution if the break is not available.

"We would run when we had to run but when it came down to it, we would set up and run our regular motion offense," said Miller. "He was never any real pattern type of person. He gave his players the freedom to do what they wanted, but there was always structure to it."

Brey will be Murphy's third coach in as many years. It's something that could prove a setback for someone seemingly destined for the NBA Lottery. But Brey has coached talented big men before while at Duke.

"He was Christian Laettner's coach for four years," Bilas said of the player selected third by the Minnesota Timberwolves following his senior season. "Mike's the guy that worked with Christian to improve his game. That will help Murphy a great deal."

No Irish will have absolute autonomy to take over a game, but Brey will make it clear - if the open shot is there, and is within one's range, it better be taken.

"He definitely is very open-minded and will utilize the strengths of his players," Miller said. "He's a player's coach."

Focus on family

Brey also will stress the importance of family at Notre Dame. At Delaware, it was as if Brey had adopted 13 sons from all parts of the United States. His young son and daughter, as well as his wife, were integral parts of the Delaware program.

Such will be the case in South Bend.

"We want them to become a part of our family," Tish Brey said. "I want my kids to know the guys here at Notre Dame, just as the guys at Delaware have become part of our family."

It was that focus on family that may have been a driving force toward Delaware's ability to win at least 20 games with two conference titles the last three years. When times got tough, the Blue Hens were able to draw strength from one another where other teams might have started pointing fingers.

Close games brought out the camaraderie within the players, who felt they could accomplish anything as a group.

"Our teams have always been special," Miller said. "We would always kind of will a win out and find a way."

"When you watched his players play together, the kind of bond they created with each other and the community in Delaware, it was fun to watch," said Monasch.

Watch for Brey, often a study in composure as he chomps his gum on the sideline during contests, to let loose with plenty of enthusiasm following a big Irish win. Those are cause for all to celebrate, a reward for the hard work and long hours his kids contribute.

"He's a rah-rah guy," Sessoms said. "He's a lot of energy."

There will also be games that the Irish should win but don't. There will be no blame assessed individually, no locker rooms eruptions. It is, Brey knows, part of a business where no team goes undefeated.

"He's not going to get down and start going off on a tirade on people," Sessoms said. "He never looks to put the blame on people. He'd be sad, but he'd move on and not dwell on it."

Brey's pre-Notre Dame experiences will again serve him well. Having played and coached under high school legend Morgan Wooten at DeMatha, coupled with his days at Duke, has helped Brey understand all aspects of winning and losing.

There's always tomorrow, where success can be achieved.

"Mike's a pretty passionate guy, but he also understands being in control and he always is," said Bilas. "He'll put his arm around a kid when things aren't going well and get him through it, but he's not beyond getting in your face to get you going.

"He remembers what it's like to be a player and what works."

A recruiting whiz

Brey made a name for himself at Duke by being able to recruit some of the top talent in the country to Durham. He helped the Blue Devils secure the likes of Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley and Laettner, all key pieces to the team's two national championships.

Brey's secret to his recruiting success? Simple. Just be the person that he is. No use trying to slither his way into the home of some prep hot-shot, only to sweet-talk him with a bunch of worthless facts that will eventually come back to hurt your reputation.

When Brey first paid a visit to Miller's home in New Jersey five years ago, the family was floored by Brey's preparation.

"He knows the answer to the question before you even ask," Miller said. "Coaches have their own list with their own questions to ask, but it never seemed like he was reading from a profile or off the computer screen.

"He's very personable and took a great interest in the people he was recruiting."

"He's not a good recruiter because he can sell ice up in the arctic," Bilas said. "He's a good recruiter because he's real."

With the commitments of Cornette and Thomas, Brey will have one additional scholarship to offer prospects for the 2001-02 season, two depending on Murphy's decision following this season. One player atop the Irish wish list is 6-foot-10, 240-pound center Jordan Collins from DeMatha.

Brey would like to re-establish a pipeline from the Washington area into Notre Dame. He also wants to get back into the Chicago Public League. Wherever he goes, Brey will be convincing.

"Anyone he meets, he can relate to them," said Sessoms, who chose to play for Brey rather than transfer to St. Bonaventure. "It doesn't matter where they're from, what country.

"Aliens, coach Brey could relate to them."

Is Brey as good as advertised? Many insist so and cannot find at least one fault with the head coach who insists Notre Dame is the final stop of his coaching career.

Surely there's got to be something he can improve upon, right?

"I don't think so," said Monasch. "He does all the right things and it is sincere. There are a lot of guys that I might say, 'He's going to say the right thing, but do I think he believes it?'

"Mike does. It's impossible not to like him."

Miller has seen every side of Brey the last four years, and there's not one day he would take back and do over if given the chance.

"I'm not in the position to call anyone perfect, but he's a great guy," Miller said. "I'm definitely jealous of Notre Dame. They're lucky to have him."

Montana's Magic Passing into Hall History

Posted on 13 August 2000:

Joe "The Comeback Kid" Montana will be presented at the Pro Football Hall of Fame this afternoon. In less than two weeks, Joe's Notre Dame teammate, Ross Browner, will be honored at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Joe and Ross were key players in Notre Dame's national championship year. Five years later, they were on opposing teams when San Francisco defeated Cincinnati in the Super Bowl.

But they will never be joined together in either Hall of Fame

Each earned his Hall of Fame credentials, but Joe will never make the college hall in South Bend and Ross won't make to Canton. Montana was a superstar with the '49ers and Browner was a rather-ordinary player with the Bengals.

Despite his accomplishments at Notre Dame such as three comeback victories as a sophomore in 1975, a national championship in 1977 as a junior and then the incredible "Ice Bowl" finale over Houston in the Cotton Bowl, Joe didn't make first team All-American, one of the required credentials of the college Hall.

Four Super Bowl victories, three MVP trophies in the Super Bowl, and the many comeback victories as a pro make Montana the class the year 2000 Pro Hall of Fame group.

His outstanding Notre Dame feats pale be comparison.

The other day a sports announcer thought it unbelievable that Montana had once been No. 3 on the Notre Dame depth chart.

No. 3?

Would you believe No. 6 or 7?

Montana came to Notre Dame from Donora, Pa., in 1974. He was just another quarterback because Gary Forystek, Ross Christensen and Drew Schuett also were in that class. And in junior varsity games as a freshman, Joe was better known for his punting, a 36.5 yard average than his "1-for-6 and 35-yards" passing statistics.

What I did see on the practice field in that fall of 1974 was a slim quarterback with an amazingly-quick, but slightly inaccurate delivery. There was no doubt of his skill, but in 1974, the Irish varsity had Tom Clements, a tough schedule and no need for a small freshman. The depth chart was quite fluid but Montana surely was no higher than No. 6.

When Clements graduated and new coach Dan Devine took over, Montana naturally moved up, but he was behind Rick Slager and Frank Allocco and probably Forystek.

Allocco dropped out of the picture by choice.

In the home opener against Northwestern, Slager suddenly suffered and injury and the call went out: "Montana!"

Joe rushed onto the field, but was sent back quickly. He was without a helmet and had to dash about madly trying to find it. He did settle down to direct a tying touchdown drive. The Irish eventually won handily, 31-7. Montana completed 6-of-11 passes, one for a touchdown and also scored one himself.

The 3-0 Irish then started Montana against Michigan State but the Spartans scored a late touchdown to win, 10-3. The next week, Slager was back as No. 1 at North Carolina.

The Tar Heels led 14-7 late in the game but Montana came in to lead a tying drive and then completed a short "out"' pass to Ted Burgmeier, who legged it 80 yards to win the game.

Joe obviously was better coming off the bench. The next week, he proved it again at Air Force, bringing the Irish back from a 30-10 deficit with three fourth-quarter touchdowns in the 31-30 victory.

USC and Pitt defeated the Irish in the last half of the season; for only the second time in six seasons, there was no bowl game.

A shoulder separation kept Montana sidelined in 1976. After two weeks and a 1-1 Irish record, Montana came in to relieve Rusty Lisch and Forystek in the Purdue game.

Presto!

Another Irish comeback and this time they went all the way, defeating Michigan State, USC and Clemson and took a 10-1 record against No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl. The 38-10 rout of the Longhorns vaulted Notre Dame over Alabama, Arkansas and Texas into the national championship.

There were just as many memories of the defense (Browner, Luther Bradley, Bob Golic. Willie Fry & Co.) but Montana, Vagas Ferguson, Jerome Heavens and the rest of the offense were outstanding.

Joe's senior year started slowly with successive losses to Missouri and Michigan. Only an official's decision robbed Montana of a great comeback at USC.

At 8-3, Montana had saved the best for last, coming off a 95-degree chilled body temperature for his greatest comeback of all, a rally from 34-12 in the last seven minutes for a 0:00 winning strike to Kris Haines and a 35-34 victory.

First team All-American honors just weren't there but the '49ers found the answers. Joe may have been ignored in the 1970s, but he was the player of the 1980s, and really one of Notre Dame's greats.

Players Believe Brey Will Run a Well-oiled Machine

Posted on 23 July 2000:

SOUTH BEND -- Leave it to Notre Dame junior power forward Troy Murphy, touted as one of the nation's top five talents this coming season, to hear the big news from his mechanic.

While word of head coach Mike Brey's hiring was being spread to his teammates, Murphy decided against checking his phone and e-mail messages after rolling out of bed early Friday morning.

Only after he arrived to have his Jeep Cherokee serviced was Murphy informed that Brey would be introduced as the 17th head coach in Notre Dame history later that afternoon.

"I didn't know too much (but) I tried to play it off like I knew," said Murphy. "I'm not all there."

Brey accepted a long-term contract offer from Irish athletic director Kevin White early Friday morning after a whirlwind chain of events in the last 72 hours.

Despite White's relentless road trip in search of a new coach, which included an overseas trip to Europe for a chat with P.J. Carlesimo, the Irish athletic director made every attempt to keep the team informed -- something that was not the case a year ago.

Notre Dame players had no idea who Matt Doherty was when he walked into the team's locker room March 30, 1999. This time, the Irish were not left in the dark.

Lou Nanni, a special assistant to university president Rev. Edward Malloy, C.S.C., made sure to keep the players up to speed on White's search. Nanni never mentioned any candidate by name, choosing instead to refer to them as Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

"We talked to Dr. White about the search when Coach Doherty left," said junior David Graves. "It was tough last year because we didn't know what was going on. We were really relieved when he said he wanted to keep us involved."

White would have it no other way. As obligated as he felt toward the university hierarchy to identify a successor, White felt a special bond with the Irish players.

"We have a terrific team," White said. "We had to get this thing back on track because we have an excellent program."

Brey met with the Irish for about an hour before he was officially introduced at Friday's press conference on the floor of the Joyce Center. Sophomore guard Matt Carroll, who toyed with the idea of transferring after Doherty's departure, felt Brey was the right fit.

"It just felt like a connection with him as soon as I met him," said Carroll, whose younger brother, Patrick, had been recruited by Delaware prior to Brey leaving for Notre Dame. "He seems very genuine and an easy guy to get along with. I'm definitely staying, and I think everyone else will."

That includes sophomore center Ivan Kartelo, a native of Croatia. Kartelo was the first player recruited and signed last summer by Doherty. But the loss of the head coach helped the soft-spoken Kartelo cement a bond with his teammates, one that he isn't in a hurry to break and bolt back home.

"Coaches come and leave but players stay," said Kartelo. "It's tough but you've got to move on. That's life. It's helpful we're together with team."

Brey will be the third coach in as many seasons for the team's three juniors -- Graves, Murphy and Harold Swanagan. Having dealt with the adversity has not only made the trio stronger but has strengthened the bond of each player on the team.

For much of the past seven days, the Irish have had only themselves to rely on for support. The group spent almost every waking hour together, whether it was playing pickup games, lifting weights, eating meals or going out about town.

"We have guys here that have been through a lot," said Murphy, who bypassed the NBA Draft to return this season. "Coach Brey is going to be very loyal and he wants to be here. That's what we need."

Even before Brey was officially hired by White, he kept tabs on his future players through the Internet. Brey was buoyed earlier this week when he read of how the Irish talked of being a good basketball team this season, no matter their coach. That type of mindset may just help propel Notre Dame into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1990.

"They circled the wagons and it's going to help them down the stretch," said Brey. "There's a heck of a basketball team here."

Kartelo indicated that he has spoken with fellow countryman Jere Macura, an Irish sophomore who has spent the summer playing for the Croatian national team. Many figured that without Doherty, instrumental in convincing Macura to come to America, the swingman would stay home to play professionally.

"Jere is coming back," Kartelo said. "I think we're going to have a great season."

Brey, All the Way

Posted on 23 July 2000:

Brey's bio sheet

NAME -- Mike Brey.

AGE -- 41.

EXPERIENCE -- Assistant coach at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., under Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten from 1982-87; assistant coach at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski from 1987-1995; head coach at Delaware 1995-2000, head coach at Notre Dame 2000.

HEAD COACHING RECORD -- 99-52 in five seasons at Delaware.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE -- Played at DeMatha High, three years at Northwestern Louisiana and a year at George Washington, where he was team captain and most valuable player for the Colonials.

FAMILY -- Wife, Tish, children, Kyle and Callie.

OTHER DETAILS -- A native of Rockville, Md. During Brey's tenure, every senior who has completed his eligibility at Delaware has graduated. America East co-coach of the year in 1998. Delaware had nine sellouts during the 1998-99 season and 12 sellouts during the 1999-2000 season.

SOUTH BEND -- Mike Brey still remembers his thoughts drifting toward the future as he headed out the back door of the Joyce Center years ago.

A former member of the Duke University coaching staff, Brey had just helped the Blue Devils to another victory. But as he boarded the team bus, Brey wondered what it might be like to one day be the head coach at the University of Notre Dame.

Early Friday evening, Brey found out.

The 41-year-old Brey was introduced as the 17th head coach in the history of the Irish program, and second in the last 17 months, during a press conference on the floor of the Joyce Center.

"All I can say is, 'Wow, we're here,'" said Brey, who entered the arena to a standing ovation offered by season-ticket holders, all of whom were extended offers by the university to attend. "You wonder, 'I wonder if I could ever be good enough to do it at a place like this.'"

Brey, who spent the five previous seasons as head coach of the University of Delaware, where he recently signed a contract extension through 2007, replaces Matt Doherty, who left Notre Dame three days earlier to coach the University of North Carolina.

Leaving Notre Dame for another school, Brey warned, will not be an option today, tomorrow or ever as he looks to lead the Irish back toward national prominence.

"I've been in love with two coaching jobs in my five years as a head coach, and that's Notre Dame twice," said Brey, who interviewed with former Irish athletic director Mike Wadsworth in March 1999 prior to Doherty's hiring. "I'll be very clear -- I'm happy here.

"This would be a place where I would love to come and do it for a long, long time."

How long? Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White reportedly signed Brey to a seven-year deal. Terms were not disclosed. It is against university policy to comment on such matters.

White, who spent the better part of the previous 72 hours fighting off sleep as he conducted an intense search for a new head coach, is confident he'll not have to hire another basketball coach for many years.

"We've contracted it that way; our contract with coach Brey is longer than a conventional contract," White said of the pact, which also includes a "penalty clause" if either side breaks the agreement. "We've got to do that to protect our interest, and really protect the welfare of our student-athletes."

White wasted little time in hiring Brey.

Long before Doherty's departure -- on July 5 -- White drafted a working list of possible successors knowing that "we might find ourselves in a position looking for a basketball coach."

For two days, White assembled a roster of 40-50 "college basketball experts," people he wished to speak with regarding a possible candidate. From there, White identified 10 coaches whom he felt were "strong prospects for this position."

During the final two days of Doherty's brief Notre Dame tenure, the wish list was trimmed to seven. By Wednesday, White had three finalists. Though White declined to identify them, they are believed to have been former Seton Hall and NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo, Oregon coach Ernie Kent and Brey, who won at least 20 games in each of his final three years with the Blue Hens. Each offseason, Brey's name would be linked to some opening somewhere around the country.

"He's been offered some pretty high-profile positions and has chosen to stay the course at Delaware," White said of Brey, who declined to pursue positions at Auburn, Georgia and Marshall the last few years. "He was looking for something real special and I think Notre Dame was at the top of that special list."

It was, but life in Delaware sure was sweet.

The Blue Hens won 99 games in Brey's five years and were a perennial power in the America East Conference.

The most recent contract Brey signed for school officials was structured to keep him around the program for the rest of his life. Following his days on the sideline, Brey figured he could move into a role as athletic director.

But would it ever answer the challenges that Brey craved in his life? Would working wonders at Delaware satisfy someone who helped coach the Blue Devils of Duke to six Final Four appearances with a pair of national championships?

Brey's wife, Tish, and their children, Callie and Kyle, listen to the new coach's introduction at the Joyce Center.

Brey and his wife, Tish, talked into many a late night about the future. Delaware was ideal, but if something truly special should come along...

Brey never dreamed that the one job he so coveted -- Notre Dame -- would open for the second time in just over a year. White would soon call Delaware officials asking permission to speak with Brey. Following an interview with Carlesimo, which was conducted in Rome, White met with Kent and Brey in Washington, D.C.

White brought the two head coaches to meet with a committee that consisted of university president Rev. Edward Malloy and his assistant, Lou Nanni, provost Dr. Nathan Hatch and Patrick McCarten, the new president of the school's Board of Trustees.

All were in the nation's capital as university president emeritus Rev. Theodore Hesburgh was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Thursday.

Long after he had chatted with Carlesimo and Kent, White was sold on Brey's vision of what he could accomplish at Notre Dame without looking over his shoulder for the next "dream" job.

Though reports have circulated that both Carlesimo and Kent turned down the job, White insists only one person was ever offered the chance to become Notre Dame's basketball coach -- the man who arrived in South Bend via charter plane early Friday afternoon with his wife and two children -- Kyle, 13, and Callie, 10.

"He accepted instantaneously," White said of Brey, hired shortly before 1 a.m. Friday. "It was a pretty short courtship."

Brey joked to White about the number of years he was willing to give Notre Dame.

"I said, 'I think I can give you 15 great years. After that, I'm going to have to re-evaluate,'" Brey said. "This is a long-term situation. The surface has only been scratched here with how we can do things, who we can recruit and how we can get it going."

Kent, an Oregon alum who recently completed his third year with the Ducks, told The Register-Guard of Eugene, Ore., that he declined to take the job because of poor timing.

"What I found out is that they need someone in place now," Kent said. "I have family considerations, I have university considerations and there are too many things involved for me to do something like this so quickly."

White made it clear when his search commenced that he wanted a new coach in place as soon as possible. The summer evaluation period for college coaches opened seven days ago.

A thought would tug at White's emotions as he would proceed in his hiring -- was he moving too fast? Should he slow down? Before he could stop to think, he'd remember the looks on the faces of Irish players Matt Carroll, David Graves and Troy Murphy, who were back on the Notre Dame campus with no coach to call their own.

"Our biggest responsibility is to these guys here," White said of the Irish. "These guys are in limbo and they're fragile and they're brokenhearted. I felt a huge responsibility to do what we can do for our players as quick as possible but not carelessly."

As his search for a coach was expedited earlier this week, White contacted Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to serve as an adviser. Krzyzewski applauded his former assistant's decision to move on to Notre Dame.

"What a perfect fit!" Krzyzewski said through a Notre Dame press release. "Mike has the background which is totally suited for the level of success that Notre Dame wants and deserves."

Brey graduated from George Washington University in 1982 with a degree in physical education. Prior to his college coaching stints at Delaware and Duke, Brey spent five years at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., his alma mater. There he learned the game from Morgan Wooten, who has won more games than anyone in high school boys basketball history.

Brey coached the junior varsity and assisted Wooten's varsity for five years. He also taught history and monitored two study halls.

Wooten agrees. DeMatha not only helped Brey refine his coaching style, but taught him how to teach, educate, to relate to kids he wanted to see succeed.

"Mike Brey is a brilliant selection," Wooten said. "He is one of the great young head coaches in America. Mike is a winner in every respect."

Brey plans to bring his top assistant at Delaware -- Sean Kearney -- with him to South Bend. While Brey was introduced as the Irish head coach, Kearney was busy on the recruiting trail at a summer tournament in Las Vegas.

"He's a natural here," Brey said of Kearney, who has also worked with Rick Pitino at Providence, Bill Foster at Northwestern and is close friends with Irish women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw. "We've been pretty darn good together the last couple years."

Brey plans to hire one of his former players at Delaware -- Tyrone Perry -- as his No. 3 assistant. The final coaching vacancy, along with a director of basketball operations, will be filled sometime in August.

Brey hopes to speak soon with incoming freshmen Torrian Jones, Chris Markwood and Tom Timmermans.

High school seniors-to-be Jordan Cornette and Chris Thomas, both of whom committed to the previous Irish coaching staff, will also be contacted. Brey cannot publicly comment on recruits who have yet to sign binding letters of intent.

N.D.-Bound Thomas Impresses

Far from the central Indiana gymnasiums where he's expected to break down defenses and get teammates involved, Chris Thomas still operates with a point guard's mentality.

Thomas, who will be a senior at Indianapolis Pike High School this fall, verbally committed in mid-May to sign with Notre Dame come the first week of November. During Wednesday's exhibition basketball game at LaPorte High School between Indiana's Junior and Senior All-Stars, Thomas scored 24 points, including 16 in the first half.

His team ultimately ran out of steam in a 118-86 loss to a deeper, more talented group of seniors. But it was off the court, in the days leading up to the contest, where Thomas may have been even more impressive.

"He's a leader," said Andrean boys basketball coach Clint Swan, who directed the Junior squad through two exhibition games. "He's constantly talking and that's so unusual for a high school kid. To get him to communicate the way he does, it's really phenomenal."

Recently afforded some down time in their practice schedule, Thomas and his teammates spent the idle hours at the home of Jeffersonville head coach Mike Broughton. There, they played video games, gulped sodas and watched television. When it was time to head to the gym, Thomas made sure his teammates pitched in to clean up rather than leave a mess for the Broughton family.

"He got everybody rounded up and working," Swan said.

Prior to Wednesday's contest, Swan was shouldered with a dilemma. One of his players, Warren Central center Will Caudle, had no way to get to the game. Knowing he needed Caudle's size to offset the interior dominance of seniors Jared Jeffries and Zach Randolph, Swan called Thomas to see if he could help.

"He says, 'Coach, don't worry about it. I've got his phone number right here. I'll take care of it,'" Swan recalled. "It just makes my job so much easier when you have somebody like that."

Those leadership skills carried over to the basketball court Wednesday. Even when the Junior team's deficit climbed toward 30 points, Thomas remained calm and cool in offering encouragement and not getting worked up over certain situations that might have caused an emotional outburst in others.

"I like the way he plays," said Purdue-bound point guard Brandon McKnight, a senior at LaSalle this fall. "He's unselfish. He doesn't force his shots and he gets everybody into the game."

All-Star games often serve as opportunities for players to flash their offensive wares. Score more points, make magical moves, anything to wow the crowd. Thomas remained quietly efficient Wednesday, working within the offense to perfection. If a scoring chance was there, he pounced. If it wasn't, he passed.

"It's not difficult because it's my natural instinct to take the role of being a leader, to bring everyone together," said Thomas, who averaged 24.3 points per game at Pike last season. "I've grown to like people more when they do the little things, the nice things for me. So why not do the same for them?"

Such qualities made Thomas the top recruiting priority for Notre Dame head coach Matt Doherty. Because of NCAA regulations, Doherty and his coaching staff were prohibited from attending Wednesday's game. But Thomas is spreading the Notre Dame word.

"I've talked with other people about my choice, coach Doherty, the system," Thomas said. "It's been a lot of help to other players. They've asked about what it feels like, the factors. I think it's been a real positive influence on them."

The commitment also has been a boost for Thomas. A year ago, he would get so worked up about worrying what college coach was grading his game that his play would suffer. Hustling through pre-game warmups on Wednesday, Thomas made sure to enjoy himself. He offered fans a glimpse of his dunking ability, with hops that would rival Notre Dame junior jumping-jack Ryan Humphrey.

"I'm real relaxed," said Thomas. "I've just been having fun working on my game."

Thomas plans to attend the NIKE camp in his hometown early next month. The rest of the summer circuit, an ideal recruiting time for college coaches, will press on without him.

"I'm going to work on my game rather than go to all the tournaments and try to prove myself," Thomas said. "I'll try to limit basketball as much as possible."

As Swan has watched Thomas, he is reminded of Arizona point guard Jason Gardner, an Indianapolis native.

"Whatever is called upon for him to do and wherever he's at, he does an excellent job," Swan said. "He's one of the best guards you're going to see in the state. He's going to be a great Division I player some day. He has all the tools."

Cornette Picks Irish; Kline to I.U.?

Posted on 8 June 2000:

There was no reason to wait another minute, not even until the conclusion of his younger brother's grade school graduation ceremony.

While his family shared the special moment Wednesday evening, St. Xavier junior forward Jordan Cornette wandered outside and, amid chiming church bells in Cincinnati, phoned Notre Dame head coach Matt Doherty.

Doherty, in North Carolina for a charity golf tournament, listened as the 6-foot-8, 200-pound Cornette verbally committed to play for the Irish beginning in 2001-02.

"Notre Dame was an option that I couldn't pass up," said Cornette, who averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots his junior season as St. Xavier captured a state championship. "It was the best fit."

Cornette's commitment snatches any suspense from today's Sean Kline press conference, where the Huntington North High School power forward was expected to choose between Notre Dame and Indiana. With Cornette and Indianapolis Pike point guard Chris Thomas set to sign with the Irish in early November, Doherty does not have any remaining

scholarships to offer current high school juniors.

"Sean Kline has a bigger reputation right now, but Cornette has more of an upside to his game," said recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons of All-Star Sports. "Kline is very, very good, but Cornette has Troy Murphy potential."

Cornette fell in love with the campus when he first toured Notre Dame the weekend of April 29. He kept reminding himself that it was his first college experience, and that other visits should follow. Cornette returned to South Bend the weekend of May 19, where a scholarship was extended by Doherty.

"From the first time I went up there, I really liked the campus, the coaches and the school," said Cornette, who later toured Michigan State, but canceled a trip to Ohio State. "Notre Dame was a team that I could see myself playing for."

Cornette said that Doherty and the Irish coaching staff were consistently up front and honest about their recruiting plans. They explained that they were recruiting a power forward (Kline) who had given Notre Dame a June 2 deadline -- today -- to reveal his college choice. But if Cornette wanted to commit prior to Kline, so be it.

"They said they would give (the scholarship) to whoever decided first that they wanted to go to Notre Dame," Cornette said. "It finally hit me this week that I didn't want to wait and see what Sean decided."

Doherty apparently accepted Cornette's commitment with no knowledge of Kline's thinking. According to a source close to Notre Dame, Kline, as of late Thursday afternoon, had yet to phone the Irish basketball offices.

Cornette has grown over eight inches since his freshman year in high school. He may push toward 6-11 before his collegiate career concludes. His versatility may offer the Irish a chance to work at three positions -- small forward, power forward and center.

Thomas Opens Door for Irish in Indiana

Having devoted his life toward tracking the sometimes crazy world of college basketball recruiting, analyst Bob Gibbons of All-Star Sports in Lenoir, N.C., thought he had seen it all.

Chris Thomas then penned a new paragraph under verbal commitments.

Thomas, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Indianapolis Pike High, declined scholarship offers from two established programs (Stanford and Michigan State) and committed Monday to a school that has not earned an NCAA Tournament bid in 10 years.

It all fell into place for a Notre Dame basketball program that saw its share of top-ranked prep players -- Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Elton Brand, Jason Collier and Raef LaFrentz to name a few -- flirt with the idea of attending college in South Bend only to look elsewhere.

"This is the big-time basketball recruit that the Irish have been looking for since the Digger Phelps era," Gibbons said of Thomas' decision to play for coach Matt Doherty and Notre Dame beginning in 2001.

Gibbons believes that Thomas' choice of Notre Dame sends overdue wake-up calls to the college basketball programs in Bloomington and West Lafayette.

"This is tremendous for Notre Dame's recruiting in Indiana," Gibbons said. "Matt Doherty is being blessed by the gods of recruiting. They have shined down upon him from the heavens. This will only open the door for more in-state players to follow."

Notre Dame has one scholarship remaining to offer the current high school junior class, and could land another of the state's top talents.

Huntington North power forward Sean Kline, an AAU teammate of Thomas, will soon decide between Indiana and Notre Dame.

"Sean's got to do what's best for him," said Huntington coach Eric Foister. "He may have a decision (this) week. He would like to have it done before Memorial Day."

By no means is the Notre Dame coaching staff sitting still while Kline decides. This weekend another current high school junior -- Jordan Cornette from St. Xavier High in Cincinnati -- is on campus for a second unofficial visit in a month.

Cornette, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward, averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots for a St. X state championship team that finished 25-2. An older brother, Joel, will be a sophomore forward at Butler University this fall.

Cornette, tabbed a "jack-of-all-trades in a recent Cincinnati Enquirer story, may visit Michigan State and Ohio State. He also lists Dayton and Virginia among his college choices. He first visited Notre Dame the weekend of April 29.

In Thomas, Gibbons guessed that not since the signing of LaPhonso Ellis has Notre Dame made such a national recruiting splash. Troy Murphy, now everyone's All-American, was a solid prospect coming out of high school, though not considered among the nation's elite.

Thomas, like Ellis during his prep days in East St. Louis, Ill., is ranked by Gibbons among the 10 best juniors in the nation. Should Thomas set the summer-league circuit on fire the next three months, there's a good chance Notre Dame will have landed the country's top high school senior when the 2000-01 recruiting season cranks into high gear this fall.

"I can't recall Notre Dame ever getting an early recruit of this magnitude," Gibbons said. "He would certainly be the most athletically-gifted point guard for Notre Dame since David Rivers."

An analysis of Thomas' overall game, where he averaged 24.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season, brought Gibbons to compare him to a former Indiana University standout.

"He has the offensive explosion of an Isiah Thomas," Gibbons said of the player who already holds the Pike school record with 336 career assists. "He has the ability to penetrate and put tremendous pressure on you defensively."

Say for argument's sake, Murphy returns for his senior year to play one season with Thomas. It would give the Irish a core of Matt Carroll, David Graves, Ryan Humphrey, Torrian Jones, Jere Macura, Murphy, Thomas and Harold Swanagan. Could that cast bump Notre Dame back among the nation's elite?

"That sounds like a Final Four team," Gibbons said. "This is an unprecedented era for Notre Dame basketball."

Whasssup? Try N.D. Basketball

Holding one phone was Notre Dame coach Matt Doherty. On the other end was Indianapolis Pike star guard Chris Thomas. Thomas remembers the exact dialogue.

"Whasssssssup?!"

"Whasssssup?!!!"

"Whaassssssuppp?!"

"Whassuuupppppppp?"

Before you start sending Doherty Miss Manners' Guide to Phone Etiquette, realize that this was not a real conversation. This was a picture.

Doherty had superimposed his and Thomas' faces in the famous Budweiser advertisement --masking out any mention of the beer distributor on the page -- and sent Thomas the spoof to playfully illustrate how comfortably the coach talks to his players.

They should give Doherty an honorary Ph.D in pop-culture at Sunday's Notre Dame graduation.

"He's got a great sense of humor ... There was another one he sent that had a guy pointing in the stands with his face and (the caption) said, 'I see you dog,' " said Thomas, who had every reason to smile Monday.

His surprise verbal commitment to Notre Dame represented perhaps the most significant Irish recruiting news since the Digger Phelps Era.

This was not a project picking Notre Dame over Hofstra, West Virginia and Siena. This was an elite McDonald's All-American caliber guard saying yes to Notre Dame and saying no to Final Four-caliber programs Michigan State, Stanford, Duke and Purdue.

This was stealing a prospect out of someone else's backyard the way the Irish football program used to.

This was a homegrown state product with every reason to pursue I.U. 40 miles away or explore a well-padded pipeline to Purdue. Especially given that Thomas' high school coach, Alan Darner, had a son, Linc, play for the Boilermakers.

Usually when you talk about a Pike product this big, it sounds like a typical fish story. But this is no exaggeration. The 6-foot-1-inch Thomas puts Notre Dame back on the Indiana recruiting map and someday just could put the Irish back in the Final Four.

Whasssup? Notre Dame basketball, that's what.

How interesting that while the Indiana University program outlined a basketball future of zero-tolerance Monday only a few miles away the Notre Dame program envisioned a future with zero limits.

The common thread? In each case the respective coaches created the stir.

"Coach Doherty's enthusiasm and love for the game sold me," Thomas said.

That and enough overnight letters to give the FedEx truck bald tires.

Every day for the last three months, Thomas estimates, at least one correspondence arrived from Doherty or another member of the Irish coaching staff. Some days it was five or six letters. One day, the deliveryman left eight.

"He would send letters and notes to my parents, my sisters, Brea and Paige, and to my little brother Kyle," Thomas said.

The letter to 6-year-old Kyle invited him to be a Notre Dame mascot next season, which should make the leprechaun a little nervous.

"Chris has bags and bags of mail from Notre Dame," said Tammy Thomas, Chris' mother.

Yet as personal and persuasive as the written words were, nothing touched Mrs. Thomas deeper than the words spoken by Doherty after the family's campus visit last week.

The No. 30 jersey with Thomas' name on it and the banners hanging from the fifth floor of a dormitory made a big enough impression, but Doherty left the biggest with what he told the Thomases as he walked them to their car.

"He looked me right in the eye and said, 'I know this is a very exciting time for you and I want you to know that you can trust me with

your son,' " Mrs. Thomas said. "He's a parent himself, so when he says he will take care of our son, he looked like he meant it."

Sincerity has helped Doherty succeed during his first year as a college head coach every bit as much as Troy Murphy. In a profession full of Formica, Doherty remains solid as oak, a quality that helped distinguish him to the Thomas family.

"Recruiting is such a big business that you can see that part of it with so many coaches, but coach Doherty just seemed more real than the others to me," Mrs. Thomas said. "By the time we visited, I knew everything about Matt Doherty but not the university."

A major concern of Mrs. Thomas' revolved around the touchy subject of religion. How would a non-Catholic but practicing Christian like her son fit into a college culture immersed so deeply in Catholicism?

"It was important to me and my parents, so when we went up there, coach had gotten a list of all the Christian churches so we would know where I could go to church," Chris said. "That helped a lot. That answered one of my mom's biggest questions."

It left the Thomases with fewer doubts. And it left Irish basketball fans with fewer doubting Thomases.

Can Matt Doherty recruit, some of them wondered? Seems like a silly question now.

Davie Denies Latest Rumors About Job

SOUTH BEND--June 1 has come and gone. The sky didn't fall and Bob Davie is still the head football coach at Notre Dame.

Contrary to the rumors that he would agree to a buyout and step down June 1, Davie said Thursday all the speculation fueled by Internet and talk radio reports has been completely false.

When asked if he intended to remain as the Irish head coach, Davie said, "There's absolutely no question I will remain.''

Davie refused to elaborate on any specifics of the rumor or his emotions regarding it.

"I don't even want to comment on it," Davie said. "If I commented on every rumor, that's all I would be doing."

Notre Dame sports information director John Heisler reiterated that several conversations he had with athletic director Kevin White confirmed that no part of the rumor had any foundation.

Davie on the way out?

Vermin,

Some of you may already have read this. The email is floating around very quickly. We can't back it up or confirm anything. The Bend is hush hush. Just read.....

***************************************************

Even if this one isn't true, it's value as fiction is still worth the read:

OK -- there's a guy I work with at Goldman here in Chicago who graduated a few years ahead of us and who has been feeding me information through his friend throughout this whole process. Not only does this guy have great connections, but the source of most of his info has been 100% accurate to date.

Roll your eyes if you will, but here's his track record (McKay/Doug/Walsh/Howie can all attest to this):

• he told me that Wadsworth was out a week ahead of time, and that what would prompt it was the Board of Trustees meeting in Florida. At that meeting, a letter to the Board signed by some 30 prominent alumni was to be presented to Malloy calling for new leadership at coach, AD, and the AD's boss (Fr. Beauchamp). I've got a copy of the letter if anyone wants one. Some of you have already seen it. I only have it in hardcopy, though, so I'll fax it to anyone who wants one. The result, obviously, was Wadsworth's removal. Who wrote the letter?

  This guy's source.

• he told me that some guy named Kevin White from ASU was going to be named the new AD the next day and gave me his bio for the press release ahead of time

• he told me the other week that on that Friday Davie's last champion in the administration, Fr. Beauchamp, would be pushed aside to make way for Frs. Scully, Mescamble, or Poorman to take over as Monk's #2 man....Scully was announced that Friday

So I took Doug's rumor to my ND co-worker, he expressed the same disbelief that I did, and called his guy. Here's the info he got, in no particular order:

Davie's contract is being renegotiated "quietly" right now, and he has 2 options:

1) on or by June 1st, resign, leave on his own terms, cite a change in leadership and in the direction of the program, and get paid out over the next 3 yrs. at only slightly less than the face value of his contract, or

2) stay.....but if he loses 4 or more games (hell, that could happen by game 5), he will be fired with no further pay at the end of the year

Meanwhile -- despite all textbook denials:

• Tom Coughlin is actively after the job
• Coughlin had a lawyer present at the Board of Trustees meeting
• money has already been discussed
• Coughlin or someone affiliated with him was the anonymous NFL source in the NFL article stating something to the effect of Sweet Bobby D "can't coach worth a sh-t."

The hope is that Davie takes the attitude that he's young, can bow out without getting canned, has a lot more coaching ahead of him (Akron?), and will take the money and run. The reason ND does not want to fire him is precisely b/c of things like the SI article, Kim Dunbar, etc. We don't want the additional negative press of ousting a coach, particularly at this time of the year. He gets the free option out of South Bend, we suddenly need a coach, and.....hey look, Tom Coughlin just raised his hand.

Other comments: supposedly Bobby D. has a ranch down near Houston (very close to College Station, for those not familiar with Texas geography) and tons of friends there. Coincidentally, he normally gets 50 tickets for home games that he allocates to friends/ND people/charity. It seems that all of that block of tickets is going to a mass of Texas A&M higher-ups for our season opener this year, thanks to Aggie boy. The rumor, of course, is that he wants to head back there and ingratiate himself with the Gig-em types. How does this "source" supposedly know this? He normally sits in that group of tickets.

So there you have it. If this proves to be a big, intricate headfake, don't come after me. I'm choosing to remain pessimistic and would rather be pleasantly surprised. Then again, this guy's track record gets me thinking...........

Coughlin and Doherty.....Doherty and Coughlin. Two New York Catholic disciplinarians who "get it", as we all like to say. If you all will excuse me, I think I need a little time alone, thanks........

Heilman Has Eye on Future

Posted on 14 May 2000:

Nobody tell Notre Dame pitcher Aaron Heilman how much his 6-foot-5, 210-pound born-to-toe-the-rubber body or his crystal blue eyes make him resemble Chicago Cubs phenom Kerry Wood, even before seeing the way his fastball pops dust from the catcher's mitt.

Nobody point out to Heilman that his favorite boyhood team, Wood's Cubs, owns the third pick in next month's amateur draft and that he just happens to be the third-rated college prospect by Baseball America.

Nobody remind him that Cubs general manager Ed Lynch found the confines at Eck Stadium friendlier last Saturday than at home in Wrigley Field, all because Heilman was pitching. Nobody ask Heilman if he would mind Steve Stone's cigar smoke during taping of the Leadoff Man.

And nobody mention that none of the first 18 players drafted in 1999 signed for less than a $1.59 million signing bonus.

No need to mention a thing to Heilman, really.

He knows all this after a spring of hearing draft talk drone on longer than "Take Me Out To The Ballgame.''

"It's hard not to think about (the draft),'' the Irish junior admitted after a workout in preparation for this weekend's Big East showdown series against Rutgers. Heilman, 10-1 with a 2.21 ERA and a slider that turns hitters' knees into noodles, pitches at noon Saturday.

"The draft stuff is there all the time but I try not to think about it,'' he added. "The whole process is erratic so I don't read too much into what people say. You can't worry about it.''

But ...

"I think I'm ready to make that next step,'' Heilman declared, "whoever the organization is.''

Do not expect Notre Dame coach Paul Mainieri to make a pitch to keep his pitcher. He just feels lucky to have had an ace up his sleeve for this long.

"I think he's ready to make the jump to the majors right now,'' Mainieri said. "I've never seen the kid flustered in three years here. He's just unique.''

Mainieri first got that impression after watching Heilman in an Indiana Bulls game in Muncie, Ind., during the summer of 1997.

He had driven three hours to scout a team of 17-year-old unsigned prospects so when a schedule glitch brought a team full of 18-year-old players committed to colleges, Mainieri planned to head home. Until he found out Heilman was starting the 18-year-old game, giving the coach his first look at the future star in a game situation.

Seven innings later, Mainieri couldn't get to his car fast enough.

"I just had to call (pitching coach) Brian O'Connor right away to say, 'Hey, Brian, I think we've got something special here,' '' Mainieri recalled.

A few months later, Mainieri knew for sure, and it had nothing to do with Heilman's 95 mph fastball.

Heilman's control and location during that first fall mini-season, in fact, stunk. He started to pitch like the kid who once hit so many batters in Logansport's Little League that he earned the nickname "Wild Thing.'' The phenom began to look a phony.

"He was hit hard,'' Mainieri acknowledged.

But Heilman was hit even harder off the mound.

His dad underwent quintuple bypass surgery back home in Logansport, Ind., shortly after Heilman's freshman year started and spent a month in the hospital recovering. It's hard to put your own heart into something while worrying so much about someone else's. "It was a rough fall,'' Heilman said.

So rough that Mainieri offered to let Aaron skip practice and drive home whenever he wanted. Heilman stayed.

"How he handled that whole scenario,'' Mainieri said, "more than anything that happened on the mound, showed us that we had a different kind of kid here.''

As Mr. Heilman began to recover, that different kind of kid committed himself to developing into a different kind of pitcher.

That fall Heilman, with O'Connor's help, worked on a slider that could be thrown with the same release as his fastball, but had a sharper break than his curve.

"I finally got to the point where I could throw a slider instead of a slurve,'' Heilman said.

He first tested the new pitch on college hitters in the first game of his freshman season against Florida State. Notre Dame led 10-1 -- mop-up time -- and Mainieri thought the last inning represented a harmless time to debut his promising, young fireballer.

"The ball started exploding out of the mitt and we were like, 'uhhhhh,' '' Mainieri said, dropping his mouth to demonstrate his awe. "We thought we'd bring him along slowly, but not after that.''

Heilman quickly assumed the role of closer and saved nine games, won seven more and posted an NCAA-leading 1.61 ERA. He followed that up with a dominating 11-victory season as a sophomore before continuing his imitation of idol Nolan Ryan this year with 102 strikeouts in 85 innings.

Sometimes even Heilman gets a kick out his Ks.

"One of the greatest things as a pitcher is on an 0-2 or 1-2 count if you really cross him up and throw something he's not expecting, he just takes it and he knows he's out and just walks back to the dugout,'' Heilman said. "There aren't many things more satisfying than that.''

One thing will be: When Heilman finds time to finish the two semesters he needs to earn his degree in Management Information Systems and Philosophy.

The possibility of becoming the first Notre Dame athlete since Rick Mirer in 1993 to go in the first five picks of a professional draft has not hoodwinked Heilman into forgetting that every pitcher is only one fastball away from needing that education.

"My degree is one thing I definitely want,'' Heilman said, "and I'll get.''

Nobody needs to tell Heilman how easy the commute from Wrigleyville would be.

Doherty Scores Big with Students in Bookstore Basketball

Posted on 19 April 2000:

At most universities around the country, big time college basketball has come to a close for another year.

But Notre Dame is not most universities. Bookstore Basket-ball, the largest five-on-five basketball tournament in the world, tipped off for the 29th time earlier this week.

In the first two days of this year's tourney, the game that generated the most interest saw Shocker square off against Who's the Animal, complete with ESPN cameras rolling.

Why all the fuss over a first round game between two teams with pretty tame names, at least by Bookstore standards?

Taking the floor for Shocker was Notre Dame men's basketball coach Matt Doherty, making this the second straight year that he has suited up for the tournament.

As my elementary school soccer coach used to say, he came "dressed to sweat", wearing shorts and short sleeves despite the cold temperatures.

Coach D and his team looked to get rolling early against Who's the Animal, a club comprised of five ladies decked out in silver reflective shirts and wind pants with one leg rolled up, a la L.L. Cool J.

"That really caused them to disrupt their offense," said the coach, referring to his three blocked shots in the early going, with one sailing into the crowd on the sidelines.

But despite the tough inside play of Doherty early, the crowd, which probably would have been a sellout if the game had not been outdoors, quickly showed they were pulling for underdog Who's the Animal.

While Shocker players jogged back down the court after a basket pushed their lead to 8-1, a Powerade bottle was thrown onto their defensive end of the floor.

A laughing Doherty picked the bottle up and tossed it back to its owner under the backboard, temporarily getting the crowd behind his team.

That didn't last long, as a shot that missed everything a few possessions later at 9-1 brought back out the "air ball" chant that was heard earlier at 7-1.

That's the first time I've ever heard an "air ball" chant at an outdoor game.

The biggest reactions from the spectators, including many of Doherty's players, were still to come, though.

Trying to win over the tough audience, Coach D found himself in the open floor with chance to bring them all over to the Shocker side.

A few onlookers shouted "Dunk it," as he dribbled inside the three-point line, and it was clear that that was what he had in mind.

Unfortunately for Doherty and Shocker, the plan didn't work out quite the way he hoped, and the ball bounced off the rim.

Some members of the varsity basketball squad were laughing at their coach, but he just laughed himself.

Just to be safe, though, for their sake and mine, I'm not giving out any names.

Shocker went into the half leading 11-2. Who's the Animal played tough in the second half, matching their opponents almost basket for basket in the early going.

But Shocker went on a 4-0 run to end the game, with Doherty avenging some earlier near-misses by rattling home a dunk.

Even with all the excitement on the pavement, one of the best parts of this game came after the playing was done.

Both teams congratulated each other on a good game, and every player came away with a pretty awesome memory of their first round game in 2000.

Pictures were taken with the coach and everyone laughed with everyone else about some of the lighter moments from the past half hour.

At the end, ten players came off the court having had a great time playing a game of basketball.

Nine were students and one was a former national champion and the head coach of the NIT runners-up.

It was hard to tell who was who, though, because the best player on the floor just looked happy to be there.

Former Irish Quarterback Rice Seeks First Title

Posted on 16 April 2000:

In 1988, Tony Rice led Lou Holtz's Irish to a national championship.

Now, 12 years later, he's back on campus looking for another title, one that narrowly eluded him when he was a student - a Bookstore Basketball title.

Rice teamed up with Matt McKenna, Jeff Joseph, Steve Recepero and Jason Garza to form Four Chumps and a National Champion in the first day of Bookstore action Monday.

"Matt invited me and I had some free time so I thought it would be fun," said Rice. "I thought we did well. It was our first time playing together. It takes a total team effort and these guys were great. I guess they wanted an old guy like me out here, you know, it's just great to be playing."

McKenna followed Rice's career when Rice was a student at Notre Dame and thought it would be fun to team up with the former Irish quarterback. After running into him in an airport earlier this year, McKenna figured he'd go out on a limb and ask him to be part of the team.

"I just emailed him out of the blue," said McKenna. "I followed him as a football player and knew he was good at basketball too, so I thought I'd take a chance and see if he wanted to play with us."

Four Chumps and a National Champion easily advanced with a 21-11 win over Who Shot the Couch, with Brian Travers, Gregg Murray, Paul Stinson, Joe Loscudo and Dave Zachry.

Bookstore basketball success is nothing new to Rice - his teams finished in second place two years in a row when he was a student. But winning isn't the reason why Rice is back on the court.

"Bookstore is all about having a good time," said Rice. "If you can't play with a smile on your face then you might as well not be playing."

Having a good time was the focus of many games Monday, and the game featuring the Mushroom Tip Ins and the Hookers was no exception.

Led by its pimp Brick Maier, who doubled as a coach, the Hookers, with Julie Reising, Alison Healy, Jean Lantz, Stephanie Newcom and Molly O'Rourke tested its moves against the Mushroom Tip Ins' Brian Kolle, Dan Henn, Tim Keller, Joe Smith and Jim MacInerney.

"It was a hotly contested game," said Kolle. "It got real physical near the end."

The Hookers led for most of the game with cheap moves, but the Mushroom Tip Ins came from behind at the end for the preliminary-round win.

"We may play down and dirty," said O'Rourke. "But that's what we're paid for."

In more serious Bookstore action, Next Time bring Your Sister, You Hump with seniors Andy Meirose, Dave Whelan, Rich Bein, Sean Smith and Greg Eich just edged out Porter's Five Forces in a close 21-19 contest on the Stepan courts.

The two teams battled against each other, as neither team could come up with a substantial lead in the hour-long contest. Porter's Five Forces led 11-8 at the half, but clutch plays by Bien and Meirose gave Next Time bring Your Sister, You Hump the edge when it counted. Meirose came up with a key stuff and a steal when his team led 20-18 and Bien came up with a double-teamed lay up to secure the preliminary-round win.

Tournament action continues today as Irish men's head basketball coach Matt Doherty suits up for the 29th-ranked team Shocker at 6:15 p.m. on the McGlinn courts.

Murphy Expected to Stay at N.D.

Posted on 10 April 2000:

SOUTH BEND -- By day's end, Notre Dame sophomore power forward Troy Murphy will remain a college coed or be one step closer toward a multi-million dollar professional basketball contract.

Murphy, who led the Irish in scoring and rebounding each of his first two years, will hold a press conference today at the Joyce Center to announce whether to return for another year or enter his name into the June 28 NBA Draft.

Several sources close to Murphy indicated he will return for his junior season, but Murphy would not disclose his decision.

"I've made my decision and I'll definitely let everyone know (today)," Murphy said when contacted Thursday evening. "It's something that I feel really good about."

Murphy, who spent most of the evening answering a steady stream of phone calls to his dorm room, is ready to have this process end, and as soon as possible.

"I want to get it over with so people will stop calling, stop asking, stop wondering what I'm going to do," he said. "I want to be able to go on with my life."

Will Murphy have second thoughts once he reveals his plans?

"Nope," he said. "I made the decision that I'm going to stick with. I'm just going to show up when they tell me and where they tell me, and that's going to be the end of that."

Notre Dame head coach Matt Doherty, reached Thursday evening while on the road recruiting, declined comment on his star player's impending announcement.

Not knowing when the press conference would be held, Doherty was unsure whether he would be able to return to campus in time the announcement.

Since the curtain closed on Notre Dame's season eight days ago, Murphy has met with his parents, Jim and Christine, his AAU coach, Tony Sagona, and Doherty to discuss the dilemma of turning pro, where he would likely be a first-round pick, or return to a team that won 22 games en route to an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament championship game.

It is believed that all four stressed that 19-year-old Murphy should stay in school for at least another year.

In the last 48 hours, Doherty has put Murphy in contact with NBA legend Michael Jordan. The former college teammate of Doherty's, who left school following his junior year at North Carolina, spoke with Murphy by telephone for some 15 minutes.

Murphy chose not to reveal the nature of the conversation he had with Jordan.

Notre Dame's first consensus first-team Associated Press All-America since Adrian Dantley in 1976, Murphy was the first player in Big East history to lead the league in scoring and rebounding this year.

Murphy scored 839 points this season, the fifth-highest in school history. His 1,358 career points rank 16th among Notre Dame's all-time scorers. The 6-foot-10, 237-pound native of Sparta, N.J., is more than halfway home toward breaking the all-time Irish scoring mark of 2,560, set by former Notre Dame standout Austin Carr.

In his first two years on campus, Murphy has scored in double figures in 63 of 64 games. Following a freshman season in which he earned Big East Rookie of the Year honors, Murphy tallied 20 double-doubles in points and rebounds while earning league Player of the Year honors as a sophomore.

Had Murphy decided to leave school early, he would have been the first Notre Dame basketball player to bypass his remaining eligibility since Dantley was a first-round pick of the Buffalo Braves following his junior year in 1976.

Will He Stay or Will He Go? Murphy's Time Frame Expands

Posted on 10 April 2000:

SOUTH BEND -- They stood amid the late-evening chill, chatting in a Joyce Center parking lot with the future of Notre Dame basketball likely hanging on every word.

As Irish sophomore power forward Troy Murphy made his way from the annual men's basketball banquet, where he was honored with six different awards Tuesday, he was accompanied to his late-model Jeep Cherokee by head coach Matt Doherty.

The two quietly talked as they walked, then stopped alongside Murphy's vehicle, possibly outlining the next steps in what could be the most important decision of Murphy's life, and the immediate future of the Irish program.

Go or stay?

Stay or go?

Seven days prior, after the Irish fell to Wake Forest in the National Invitation Tournament championship game, Murphy indicated that he wanted a quick decision, maybe even by the end of this week.

Now there is no timetable as Murphy tries to listen to his heart, and listen to the advice of those closest to him.

"It could be done in two days, it could be done in two weeks, it could be done in a month," said Murphy, who has until May 14 if he plants to file for the June 28 NBA Draft. "I don't know. I'm open."

Murphy has met with his parents --- his mom, Christine, arrived from her Scottsdale, Ariz., home for the banquet -- his AAU coach, Tony Sagona, and Doherty for advice. Doherty is out of town on a recruiting trip until early next week.

It's believed that all four advised Murphy to remain at Notre Dame at least another year, not only to continue work toward his degree, but to mature as a person and as a basketball player.

"You can't condemn a kid for leaving early," Doherty said. "That's America. You get that opportunity and want to take advantage of it. Is it good for college basketball? By no means."

Should Murphy decide to turn pro, he would be the first Irish basketball player to leave school early since Adrian Dantley was a first-round pick of the Buffalo Braves following his junior year.

Dantley was the sixth pick in the 1976 draft. Murphy has been projected anywhere from the fourth selection (Vancouver) to the mid-first round.

"In the end, it doesn't matter where you (are chosen)," he said. "It's how you play. There are guys that go in the second round that play real well, they're just not guaranteed the money.

"Once you get there you (just) have to work hard."

Murphy hopes to soon contact for advice the likes of Michael Jordan, a college teammate of Doherty's and Denver Nuggets forward Raef LaFrentz, who stayed all four years at Kansas, where he was recruited by Doherty.

"Coach is going to have me talk to some people this week," Murphy said. "I've spent a lot of time weighing options both ways and we'll see what happens."

Murphy has wondered what life might be like should he remain at Notre Dame not one year but the next two. That way, he and fellow classmates David Graves and Harold Swanagan, the three of whom made a personal pact to return Irish basketball to national glory, could try to cap their careers in a similar way as the seniors at Michigan State.

Murphy watched Monday as Mateen Cleaves, A.J. Granger and Morris Peterson brought the Spartans a national tittle with a win over Florida. Cleaves, considered a premier guard as a sophomore, remains a likely first-round pick this summer. Peterson, a relative unknown two years ago, also is a probable top selection following a special senior season.

"You see how somebody like Mateen Cleaves helps himself and Morris Peterson helps himself by staying," Murphy said. "It really worked out for them and it's what was best for them.

"I just have to figure out what's best for myself and my family."

However long that may take.

Determined Dillon

He tied a school record with 214 assists this past season, but the one "pass" senior point guard Jimmy Dillon secures this summer will be the most important of his college career.

A sociology major who has earned enough credits to participate in graduation exercises this May, Dillon will fall one class requirement short of officially securing his diploma. He plans to take a three-credit correspondence Spanish course back home in Philadelphia this summer to conclude his undergraduate work.

"You could make up all the excuses you want -- a lot of traveling, a lot of focus on finishing your career," Dillon said. "I needed 12 credit hours (this semester) to graduate and I got the 12. It's just the extra requirement that I need."

According to the team media guide, of the 104 varsity basketball players who have stayed at Notre Dame their entire career, all 104 have earned their degrees.

Dillon is determined to keep the streak intact.

" It's a huge priority," he said.

Murphy Should Stay for Last Two Years: Odom

Posted on 3 April 2000:

NEW YORK -- Strong emotions often stir within college coaches when asked if the players they nurture are ready for professional basketball before they exhaust four years of eligibility.

Pose the question to Wake Forest coach Dave Odom, who endured an annual guessing game as to the plans of former Demon Deacons All-American Tim Duncan, and watch out.

Duncan stayed all four years in Winston-Salem, N.C., received his undergraduate degree and still was the first selection three years ago in the NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.

On Wednesday, as Odom wrapped up a media session in preparation for tonight's National Invitation Tournament Championship against Notre Dame, he was asked what he thought of Irish super sophomore Troy Murphy.

Murphy, the Big East Player of the Year and first team Associated Press All-American, has been dogged during his Manhattan stay with questions about his future.

If Odom had his say, there'd be no debate when it comes to Murphy.

"Troy Murphy should stay not one more year but two more years," said Odom. "He'll be better prepared for the basketball part of the NBA, but he'll be also better prepared socially, mentally."

Odom drew a bleak picture of what early NBA entries face during their daily lives in the pros. Traveling some 45 nights a year with veteran players, some of them 10 years older, offers little opportunity to build the types of rock-solid relationships one could enjoy in college.

"You get a 19-year-old hot-shot rookie, who wants to hang out with him?" wondered Odom. "That's the hard part that nobody knows. It's tough. It gets my ire up."

As do sports agents, who often whisper to pro prospects about reaping the rewards of NBA riches. College standouts like Murphy are forced then to make a snap decision, worried that they better get as much money as they can while they can.

"The agents and everybody else just scare these kids to death," Odom said. "It's a bunch of bunk. Troy Murphy should stay, and I'm glad I don't have to play (Notre Dame) but one time."

While constantly quizzed about his future, Murphy has not wavered in his plans. Following tonight's final game of the Notre Dame season, Murphy wants to finish out the spring semester then return home to Sparta, N.J. He will meet with his parents and his AAU coach, Tony Sagona, to discuss his future before heading back to the Notre Dame campus, where he will consult with Irish coach Matt Doherty, sort out his options then come to a decision.

Discovering There is a 'Notre Dame Family'

Posted on 3 April 2000:

There are a lot of reasons to complain about Notre Dame. We can start with the reigning queen of complaints, parietals, and throw in single sex dorms, lack of diversity, ultra conservatism, gender relations in general, an administration that treats us like children, poor dining hall food and a lack luster football season.

Complaints like these appear in the opinions section of the Observer on a daily basis. They are things that I gripe about, too. Things that need to be changed. Things that may change in time. But, I complain less these days.

Lately, I love Notre Dame. I always liked the school, from when I got here freshman year - the beautiful campus, nice people, fun, if not always successful, football season. But now I can say, with all honesty, that I love it.

Along with the torturous forced interaction of freshman orientation, new students are bombarded with somewhat cheesy talk about the "Notre Dame family" and the "spirit of Notre Dame." To me, (I am, perhaps, a bit on the cynical side), this talk seemed rather hollow. That's nice that the administration wants us to feel welcome, I thought, but it's just a school. I had not yet been enveloped in the "spirit", as it was called. I would not be for almost two years, until three weeks ago, when we learned that my good friend Conor Murphy (a Zahm Hall resident) has leukemia.

Although my realization of the Notre Dame family is just one of many latent effects of this horrible news, it is an important and a comforting one. At home in Cleveland over spring break, I was able to visit Conor in the hospital and witness first hand the strength he draws from his connection to Notre Dame.

Letters and cards, many of them from people somehow connected with Notre Dame, brighten the walls of Conor's room. There are the obvious ones from those who are close to Conor: roommates, friends, his rector. But the ones that make me smile the most are from people that hardly know him: a former TA, Coach Doherty, among many, many others. There is even one from the mother of another sophomore. She writes that her daughter (who, herself, barely knows Conor) called to tell her about the terrible news. She sent along an inspirational tape that helped her when she fought her own battle with cancer.

Father Scully talks to Conor on the phone on a regular basis, has been to visit him and will go again. During his last visit, he relayed information from the doctor that Notre Dame arranged to give a second opinion for Conor's situation. Father Jim Lies, rector of Zahm Hall, has also made the trip to Cleveland several times. He says mass for Conor's family in his hospital room. Other priests whom Conor barely knows, call and give him advice and spiritual guidance. Even the student body, with attendance at the 24-hour grotto vigil held before break, messages in journals and banners and prayers, give Conor extra strength and support.

A friend of mine and Conor's, who attends the University of Virginia, remarked over break that, at times, she regrets not attending a Catholic school. She said, through all of this, she realized that Notre Dame has such community, such a bond of faith and common purpose. Realistically, she is probably much happier at UVa than she would be as a Notre Dame student. There are other aspects to a school, other reasons to attend, some benefits from diversity rather than the homogeneity here at Notre Dame. But, this community, this "spirit", has become an aspect that I value highly. An aspect from which I, too, can draw strength in hard times.

I realize that some people see my thoughts as hollow or cheesy. Once I mentioned the Notre Dame family, many people probably zoned out, moved onto the horoscopes or the goofy cartoons that poke fun at our school. But, coming from a borderline cynic, someone who used to roll her eyes at phrases like "spirit of Notre Dame", there is a sense of community and family at our school that is hard to find elsewhere. I hope you don't have to go through hard times to appreciate it. Maybe you will never find it. But know it's out there - if you ever need it.

Katie Sanders
Sophomore, Farley Hall

Stay With Us Troy Murphy

Posted on 27 March 2000:

Don't leave Murph

Somewhere David Haugh is laughing

And somewhere anti-Irish fans shout

But there is little joy at Notre Dame

For the Irish were left out

Rather than just pick the team whose credentials were the best

They chose a team that beat Princeton, but was in the Mountain West

So Cinderella's left at home, no Invite to the Dance

But fear not, Domers, next year is another chance

Don't wallow in your sorrow. Don't shed a single tear

Just dream of Murphy, Graves, and Humphrey and what may be next year

Of course before next year begins there's a battle to be fought

Will Murphy leave and go pro - or will he stay, as he ought?

So here's a little letter, some advice I hope you'll take

About the choice fans all hope that you decide to make

Stay in school Murphy, and shun instant fortune and fame

Make no mistake you should come back

to good ol'Notre Dame.

Dear Mr. Murphy,

Players of your caliber are rare, especially at schools where football mediocrity often outranks basketball success. It's been a pleasure for we who had to endure the MacLeod years to watch you play and return respect to a basketball program that sorely lacked it only two years ago.

As adept as your skill is though, it's the almost childlike love for the game that you display on the court that makes you enjoyable to watch. You capture the spirit of college basketball.

I know that you've never explicitly said that you're considering leaving us for the NBA after this season, but you have commented that it's not out of the question. I sincerely hope that you rid yourself of any consideration for your teammates, your fans, your school, the thousands of Domer kids that hope to be Troy Murphy some day and for Troy Murphy. Stay for yourself. You're one of the best players in the entire country right now. You're a front-runner for next year's awards. You potentially can achieve what only three players have previously in Big East history, winning player-of-the-year two years in a row.

You can establish yourself as one of the greats in Big East history.

Aside from simply personal achievement, you appear to have so much fun playing, a joy that's a rarity in the money-driven NBA. Ask Corey Maggette if he regrets giving up a chance to be the best player at Duke and enjoying March Madness for being a bench player in Orlando and enduring a losing season.

You can't go back to college. The NBA will be around for years to come. You could cost yourself millions. The rookie salary scale increases in value as your draft position becomes higher. While this year you look to be a mid-first-round pick, next year you could be a high-lottery pick. Thus, the riches of the NBA may be greater the longer you wait.

You certainly could succeed in the NBA. That doesn't take away the fact that you simply aren't ready. Another year of college will help you increase your size and strength, preventing opponents from brutalizing you on defense. Is it a coincidence that your worst games were against teams that had big, physical post players that could assault you each trip down the court?

Learn this lesson in college and still dominate the game or learn it inthe pros and try to shake the disappointment label. Would you rather be Antawn Jamison, who has become a good player only after struggling for a year, or Tim Duncan who immediately made an impact?

Stay for your teammates. You once said that one of the reasons you came here was because you and David Graves wanted to build something together. You've begun to do that. But just as an architect doesn't abandon his design in mid-form, you shouldn't abandon your program. Don't leave your teammates on the cusp of respectability.

Stay for the selection committee that shunned us. Give them no reason to be able to do so next year. Earn some redemption.

Stay for Ryan Humphrey who waited an entire year to play with you in hopes of alleviating the triple teams you draw. Stay for the Domer basketball fans who can smell the successes that our fathers enjoyed and now want to taste it.

Stay for Notre Dame. We haven't had a basketball player leave early for the draft since Adrian Dantly over 25 years ago. That's something that even Duke can't say anymore. We take pride in ourselves here for doing things the right way. Don't open the doors for future players to leave early.

Most importantly, stay for those kids that bounce in their chairs dreaming of being you. I can remember the despair I felt after Rocket Ismail announced he was leaving early for the draft. I urge you not to make anyone feel the same. Let the Dome continue to gleam brightly for kids, as a symbol of what should be, not what always is.

I know the risk of injury is great. Take out an insurance clause if you're too worried. Don't let fear make the decision for you. Decide what's best for Troy Murphy next year. And what's best for Troy Murphy is to stay in school.

Abuse of Power Shatters Public Trust

Posted on March 27, 2000:

Before I open up the floor to shameless name calling and finger wagging, let me be sure I've got this straight.

More than three weeks ago four black Notre Dame students were arrested by two white security guards at the local Denny's after much hullabaloo both inside and outside of the restaurant. The charges against them were dropped, but shortly thereafter the students understandably cried race. And now some knuckleheads ... um, Roseland Town Council members ... want to see the charges reinstated?

Did I miss something?

Not likely. After all, Denny's did find that the two arresting officers crossed the line in bringing the students into custody. According to restaurant managers, the "jailhouse four" as well as their five friends (all of whom are black) should have never been approached, let alone handcuffed and manhandled.

Notre Dame administrators rallied behind the students. Father Mark Poorman, University Vice President for Student Affairs, called the situation "a serious injustice." Poorman told The Observer earlier this month, "We all know this is more than an isolated incident. It is symptomatic of a problem that pervades our society and our community." Apparently he can smell a rat - or two.

So can local authorities. St. Joseph County Prosecutor Chris Toth concluded that the Terrible Two were well out of order. After reviewing arrest reports and surveillance tape of the incident, Toth said the arrests were "clearly unjustified."

To their credit, Denny's was quick in giving the officers the boot.

And now area newspapers and broadcasters are reporting that it wasn't the first time