Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/799191
10 APRIL 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME 3 Men's basketball players at Notre Dame this year who reached the 1,000-point milestone in career scoring: seniors V.J. Beachem and STEVE VASTURIA, plus junior Bonzie Colson. It marked the first time since 1992 — with seniors LaPhonso Ellis, Elmer Bennett and Daimon Sweet — that three Fighting Irish players reached 1,000 the same year. That raises the total to 61 in the program's history, with seven of them having played the past three seasons. 6 NCAA Tournament victories by Notre Dame the past two years while becom- ing the lone men's team in that time to reach the Elite Eight both seasons. They represented the most postseason wins by the Irish in two years. If Notre Dame advances to the Sweet 16 this month, it would be the first time ever the school won at least two games in the NCAA Tournament three consecutive years. 7 Verbal commits among the 11 for Notre Dame's 2018 football recruiting class who were ranked in Rivals250 updated release in late February: safety Derrik Allen (No. 40), quarterback Phil Jurkovec (No. 59), cornerback Kalon Gervin (No. 100), linebacker Bo Bauer (No. 111), wide receiver Micah Jones (No. 174), wide receiver Braden Lenzy (No. 203) and running back Markese Stepp (No. 214). The strong early start — six of the 11 were com- mitted prior to the start of the 2016 season — had Notre Dame ranked No. 3 by Rivals, behind only Penn State and Miami, as of March 14. 17-2-2 Combined record of Notre Dame's "Big Three" winter sports — women's basketball (7-0), men's basketball (5-1) and hockey (5-1-2) — during the month of February amidst a crucial and challenging stretch. With the late surge, the women clinched their fourth consecutive league championship, men's basketball tied for second in the ACC and hockey also tied for second in 12-team Hockey East. Next year hockey joins the Big Ten Conference, which currently has six teams playing the sport: Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The No. 3-ranked men's and women's fencing teams also captured the ACC titles at the end of February. 18 Weeks Notre Dame men's lacrosse has been ranked No. 1 in its history, most recently March 6 after defeating No. 1 Maryland 5-4 the day prior. In contention again to capture their first national title, head coach Kevin Corrigan's Fighting Irish were ranked No. 1 for nine weeks in 2016, four weeks in 2015, two weeks in 2013 and two weeks in 2011. 55-12 Combined record of the Notre Dame men's (25-9) and women's basketball teams (30-3) heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Irish women won their fourth straight ACC regular season and tournament crowns, while the men finished tied for second in the regular season with Florida State and Louisville and were runner-up to Duke in the ACC Tournament. The 15-team league is considered the nation's No. 1 conference for both teams. In the final regular season Associated Press poll, head coach Mike Brey's Irish were No. 14 while head coach Muffet McGraw's squad was No. 2. Only Duke (No. 7 for men and No. 9 for women with a total 54-13 mark) could match Notre Dame's No. 16 combined ranking as the nation's best. 241,500 Dollars received by Dan "Rudy" Ruettiger for his Notre Dame helmet and jersey that were auctioned off the day before Super Bowl LI in Houston, according to a report by the Associated Press. The former Fighting Irish walk-on whose story was made into the 1993 movie played two defensive snaps in the final home game of 1975, versus Georgia Tech, and he recorded a sack on the game's final play. Ruettiger's father had been storing the helmet and jersey since then. BY THE NUMBERS PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND