Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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14 APRIL 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME NOTRE DAME FOLLOWING CAMPAIGNS WITH DOUBLE-DIGIT WINS MOVING? Call us at 1-800-421-7751 Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom Maddie Howe — Lacrosse The freshman from Fairport, N.Y., posted a game-high and career- best four goals in the Notre Dame's 14-9 win over Louis- ville March 4. It marked her second career hat trick, with the first coming in the season opener when she tallied three goals against Boston College. Through seven games, Howe was tied for first on the team in assists (eight) plus was second in both goals (13) and points (21). Nick Podkul — Baseball The junior from Schererville, Ind., extended his on-base streak to 18 games — dating back to the 2017 campaign and the first 13 of this season — fol- lowing a 9-5 win at Miami on March 10. During the streak, he was hitting .408 (29 for 71) with seven doubles, two triples, one homer and 19 RBI. Through 13 games in 2018, he was batting a team-best .409 (18 for 44) with 12 runs scored, 14 RBI and five steals. John Sexton — Lacrosse The senior from Sudbury, Mass., was one of two Irish players (along with sophomore mid- fielder Bryan Costabile) and one of just three long-stick midfielders named to the watch list for the Tewaaraton Award, which is given annu- ally to the top player in the nation. Sexton was tabbed as a preseason first-team All-American by Inside Lacrosse after recording career highs in goals (four), points (five), caused turnovers (23) and ground balls (46) last year. Ali Wester — Softball The junior from Huntington Beach, Calif., helped lead Notre Dame to a 5-0 record over the weekend of March 3 at the Citrus Clas- sic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. She led all players in the tournament with 10 hits and seven runs scored. Through 19 contests, Wester was batting a team-high .421 (16 for 38) with 11 runs scored, six RBI and six steals. TOP OF THE CLASS ✦ GIMME FIVE In Notre Dame's late rally to win at Wake Forest Feb. 24, senior point guard Matt Farrell became the 62nd men's basketball player in school history to score at least 1,000 points during his career. The third-team All-ACC selec- tion this year achieved the feat despite seldom seeing action his first two seasons because of the likes of future NBA players Jerian Grant and Demetrius Jackson, plus Steve Vasturia, on the roster. Notable about the achievement is it put the Fighting Irish men's program among the top five schools with the most 1,000-point scorers in their history — even ahead of traditional "basketball schools" such as Syracuse (61), Kentucky (60) and Kansas (59). Part of that is because such schools now have a plethora of players who leave for the NBA after only one or two seasons, thereby not giving them the time to accumulate 1,000 career points. The first Fighting Irish player to eclipse the barrier was Kevin O'Shea, who tallied 1,065 points from 1946-50. Here are the top five schools with the most 1,000-point men: Rk. School 1,000-Point Scorers 1. North Carolina 76 2t. Louisville 67 2t. Duke 67 4. Villanova 63 5. Notre Dame 62 Getting To Know … NOTRE DAME 2019 DEFENSIVE TACKLE COMMIT JACOB LACEY Hometown: "Bowling Green, Ky." High School: "South Warren." Favorite Food: "Oh, that's tough. You can't go wrong with a steak, so I'll go with steak." Favorite Restaurant: "Smokey Bones." Favorite Movie: "Probably 'Interstellar.'" Favorite Music: "Definitely rap." Favorite Musician: "Bob Marley." Favorite TV Show: "'Blackish.'" Favorite Pro Sports Team: "In the NFL, the Cowboys. Basketball, the Cavs. My uncle lives in Ohio, so we've been going to Cavs games forever. I don't watch a lot of Major League Baseball, but I like the Reds." Best Part About Being Committed To Notre Dame: "I know I'm go- ing to get a great education and play some of the best football around against great schools. There's nowhere I'd rather be. I can't really explain how I feel. Just knowing that I'm so- lidified in this program, I just can't wait to get up there." CHARTING THE IRISH NOTRE DAME IS AIMING FOR BACK-TO-BACK 10-WIN SEASONS With its 21‑17 triumph over LSU in the Citrus Bowl Jan. 1, Notre Dame posted its 10th win of the 2017 season. It marked the program's 10th 10‑win campaign since 1977 and the second of the Brian Kelly era. However, it has been a quarter century since the Fighting Irish recorded back‑to‑back seasons with double‑digit victories. The last time it happened, Notre Dame went 10‑1‑1 in 1992 and then 11‑1 in 1993. The program has experienced four 10‑win seasons since that run, but has averaged just 5.3 wins in the following year with all but one (9‑4 in 2013) resulting in a losing record. Between 1977 and 1993, Notre Dame had six 10‑win seasons and fol‑ lowed those up with an average of 9.5 wins. That mark even includes a 6‑5‑1 record in 1994, which came on the heels of a No. 2 finish in 1993. Last 10 10-Win Seasons Next Season 2015 (10-3) 2016 (4-8) 2012 (12-1) 2013 (9-4) 2006 (10-3) 2007 (3-9) 2002 (10-3) 2003 (5-7) 1993 (11-1) 1994 (6-5-1) 1992 (10-1-1) 1993 (11-1) 1991 (10-3) 1992 (10-1-1) 1989 (12-1) 1990 (9-3) 1988 (12-0) 1989 (12-1) 1977 (11-1) 1978 (9-3) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13