The Madness Starts Now!

The Big East Tournament is not until the 8th of March, but for all of us who can't get enough of the madness, it starts today. Let's get ready to Dribble.

From Sout Bend Tribune:

Big South

The final is Saturday (ESPN, 2 p.m. EST). The league will get at least one NCAA bid. Winthrop was unbeaten in league play and won the regular-season crown by three games. The Eagles will host every game they play, and a Winthrop loss would be the biggest in league-tourney play this season. Winthrop (25-4) has an outside shot at an at-large bid if it loses in the tourney final. The Eagles are going for their seventh title in nine seasons. PROJECTED WINNER: Winthrop.

Horizon

The final is March 6 (ESPN, 9 p.m.). The league will get at least one bid. Butler (26-5) and Wright State (21-9) tied for the regular-season crown, but Wright State is the No. 1 seed by virtue of sweeping No. 3 Loyola (Ill.). Regardless, both get byes into the semifinals. Wright State hosts the semifinals and also would host the final. Butler has a solid RPI (35th going into play Monday) and owns victories over, among others, Gonzaga, Indiana, Notre Dame and Tennessee. In other words, the Bulldogs -- who faded a bit down the stretch (3-3) -- look good for an at-large bid; they're the only league team with at-large hopes. Also keep an eye on Loyola (18-10), which has the league's best player (G Blake Schilb), split with Butler and won seven of its past eight. PROJECTED WINNER: Loyola (Ill.)

Hoop Dreams

NO NIT -- (SBT)

Keep Your Eye On the Bye -- (ND Womens Hoops)-- (SBT)

Rookie of the Week -- (BE.ORG)

Notre Dame, Six Seed -- (ESPN)

I wrote this on Feb. 8th and it looks like we may be sitting very nice come tourney time.Are We Dancing? -- (IU)

101 Things to Do on Football Saturday

Note the futility of an airplane hauling a banner for the Showgirls strip club above a stadium filled with priests, nuns, brothers, seminarians and a uniformly pious laity.

I know there are over 190 days until the first Notre Dame home game, but that just gives us a little more time to be prepared.

older article, but still has relevance

Read 101 Things to do -- (ND Magazine)

Why Choose Notre Dame?

After a day in the snow on Monday and another day of snow mixed with Ice, I wondered why Recruits would choose Notre Dame over other programs. The weather is 10 degrees and with the wind chill, it is Below Zero. We had an Ice storm last night and trees are folding like Cheap imitation Louis Vuitton Purse. The weather here is very cold for a South Florida Boy. Oh, by the way, I live in Cincinnati. South Bend is even Colder.

Growing up in South Florida, we had our weather related issues. Hurricanes, Tornadoes and of course heat. The heat is one of the reasons I don't live down there now. You can't get used to the heat, just like you can't get used to the cold. I remember watching TV in my childhood days and thinking, "What the hell are those people doing, living in that weather", everytime we saw news of the weather up north. Now I live in it.

So last night I am driving home from The Home Depot, getting Salt, and in the distance I see an explosion. I look up and the high tension wire is falling to the ground. I get home, no electricity, no phone, no Satelite and of course No Internet. Not the worst way to spend with the family, but with a 11 month old and two boys (7 & 4), playing games only gets you so far.

As we put everyone to bed in the candlelight, I started wondering "What the hell am I doing living in this weather"?

So back to the recruiting angle. Armando Allen, Sam Young, and Nwankwo all chose ND over other schools. Why, I ask myself? You can play football in warm weather just as well as cold, sometimes better. The girls all look better in shorts and t-shirts than they do in parkas and muck mucks. So, why choose ND.

There has to be something special about a place where for more than a couple of months, the weather looks like This:

Charlie Has travelled well this season and gotten commits from many different areas. The list is impressive when you think about where these kids are coming from. Getting a kid from Chicago or Ohio is not a big stetch, but bringing a kid 1100 miles from Hialeah Florida, to South Bend is very commendable. The average temperature in South Bend ranges from 16 for a low in the winter to 83 for a high in the summer.

For a lot of the guys, this won't make much of a difference. But for some, South Bend is a half a world away and a place where Global Warming has not hit yet.... Take a look at the guys in this years class, where they come from and see what Charlie is building. He is building a tradition that had lost its way. A tradition that is coming back strong. The boys in this list want to be at ND and have come a long way to show us all just how much.

Grass Valley, CA -- Taylor Dever, OT, to Notre Dame (1,823.89 mi). Average temperature in Grass Valley ranges from 31 degrees for a low in the winter and 87 for a high in the summer. From the mountains of NoCal to the Michigan/Indiana Border. He saw something that opened his eyes. Maybe the NFL. That is a long way to come, but I am guessing he couldn't wait to leave that town and travel. With the Irish Schedule, he will see a lot of the country in the next four years and will have 5 dates to play in Cali and one in Washington State.

Westlake Village, CA -- Jimmy Clausen, QB, to Notre Dame (1,836.49 mi). Average temperature in Westlake Village ranges from 40 degrees for a low in the winter and 96 for a high in the summer. Learned from his brothers and decided to travel across the country to learn from the great one. Eventhough the show at the Hall of Fame would have us guessing differently, he is a great kid with no attitude.

Altamonte Springs, FL -- Ian Williams, DT, to Notre Dame (940.09 mi). Average temperature in Altamonte Springs ranges from 47 degrees in the winter to 92 in the summer. He got it backwards. You're supposed to say, "I am going to Disney World, not I am going to South Bend". Leaving Florida for the wicked north is not easy. Playing time and some very strong academics got him to make the move. Chose ND over Auburn, Clemson, Florida and Mississippi. All southern schools. HMMM.

Miramar, FL -- Emeka Nwankwo, OT, to Notre Dame (1,136.56 mi). Average temperature in Miramar Florida ranges from 62 degrees in the winter to 92 in the summer. Not the greatest place in the world to live, but still South Florida. A neighboring community to where I grew up and very good football area. He attended Chaminade, a private school with great tradition. I think he saw Sam Young survive and do well, decided to commit to ND over Auburn, Florida, FSU, UGA and UVA.

Opa-locka, FL -- Armando Allen, RB, to Notre Dame (1,141.93 mi). Average temperature in Opa-Locka ranges from 62 in the winter to 92 in the summer. Another not so great place to live. Armando went to Hialeah Miami-Lakes HS and played some of the best football teams in the state. Lakes has been at the top or near it for a very long time. I left in 1981 and they were a top tier team then, and still are now. Education played a factor in his decision, plus he has the confidence that he can play NOW! Chose ND over Duke, UF, FSU and UT. A great pipeline has been started by Charlie into the SoFla scene.

Chicago, IL -- Robert Hughes, RB, to Notre Dame (73.52 mi). Average temperature in Chicago ranges from 18 in the winter to 84 in the summer. Not a big stretch weather wise, but moving to a small mid-western town from the big city will take some time to adjust. Close to home and important to family. Coolest thing yet was his mom putting the ND hat on the same time as Robert at the announcement. Can't wait to see him play. Big get by Corwin and Charlie. Chose ND over OSU, UM, MSU, Illinois and many others.

Lemont, IL -- Aaron Nagel, LB, to Notre Dame (91.11 mi). Average Temperatures in Lemont range from 14 degrees in the winter to 87 in the summer. Another small town boy moving to a small town. Weather was not a factor. Decision based on Academics, location and tradition. Typical ND type player. One of my favorites at this point. Chose Notre Dame over Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern, MSU, IU.

Overland Park, KS -- Brian Smith, ILB, to Notre Dame (481.36 mi). Average temperature in Overland Park range from 20 in the winter to 89 in the summer. Having a dad play at ND doesn't hurt. Was high on ND and never got the offer. Thankfully didn't take the weather into account. Oh, yea, his other offer was Iowa. South Bend is like South Beach compared to Iowa. Over KSU, Iowa, MSU, Nebraska, and others.

Bunn, NC -- Kerry Neal, DE, to Notre Dame (583.23 mi). Average temperature in Bunn ranges from 25 in the winter to 90 in the summer. Committed a year ago and stuck to his choice. Bunn is 28 miles from Raleigh and a world away from South Bend. He saw the opportunity to play and took full advantage. Doesn't look like weather will play a factor for him. Chose ND over UNC, Wake, ECU. Committed very early and did not get the looks he should have.

Cherry Hill, NJ -- Mike Ragone, TE, to Notre Dame (597.19 mi). Average temperature in Cherry Hill ranges from 23 in the winter to 88 in the summer. Weather not a factor for this type of player. Typical TE with hands like Ken MacAfee. Will be a difference maker and a typical "What Exit" Jersey Boy. I like it. ND beat out OSU, USC, PSU, FSU. Nice to beat out the Three letter schools.

Hoboken, NJ -- Duval Kamara, WR, to Notre Dame (636.12 mi). Average temperature in Hoboken ranges from 23 in the winter to 83 in the summer. Second half of the Jersey Connection. No nonsense, quiet and has all the tools. Weather not a factor, just needs to know what exit is South Bend. Will pair nicely with Ragone to split defenses down the middle. RU, USC, UMiami, UConn, PSU

Findlay, OH -- Brandon Walker, K, to Notre Dame (141.21 mi). Average temperature in Findlay ranges from 17 in the winter to 83 in the summer. Not a big stretch from Findlay to South Bend. Both small towns, and my god, this kid got a ride to Notre Dame. Didn't take him long to drop the Louisville ride. Did it? Chose the Irish over MSU, Louisvill, Pitt and Cincinnati.

Tulsa, OK -- Matt Romine, OT, to Notre Dame (648.00 mi). Average temperature in Tulsa ranges from 26 in the winter to 94 in the summer. To get a kid to leave Oklahoma is hard enough. But to get a kid to leave with the caliber of Romine is nothing short of amazing. The only guy at the AAA game that stuck to his guns and stayed with us. UF, UMiami, UMich, Oklahoma. This pull is as big for Charlie and Company as any other. Oklahoma kids don't leave the area is what they said. They don't know ND.

Allison Park, PA -- Stephen Paskorz, RB/LB, to Notre Dame (335.45 mi). Average temperature in Allison Park ranges from 17 degrees in the winter to 83 in the summer. A Pennsylvania Blue Collar type player that will be a great asset to the team. Hard working, family values drive him. UMich, Pitt, UVA, WVU.

Columbia, SC -- Gary Gray, CB, to Notre Dame (601.64 mi). Average temperature in Columbia ranges from 36 in the winter to 95 in the summer. One of the kids that didn't look at weather, but looked at tradition, playing time and academics. Committed early and didn't change his mind. Ready to come in and play. Early enrollee to ND and Is getting tested well right now as we speak with the weather in South Bend. Aub, GT, Lou, Maryland, UT, and pulled him away from the Ole' Ball Coach at South Carolina. That is always a plus.

Hendersonville, TN -- Golden Tate, WR, to Notre Dame (372.72 mi). Average temperature in Hendersonville is between 28 degrees in the winter and 89 in the summer. Not much to say. With a name like Golden, where else could he have gone. Picked the pocket of the southeast and the kid is coming north for the winter (spring and fall). Great addition to the family. Alabama, South Carolina, Vandy.

Knoxville, TN -- Harrison Smith, S, to Notre Dame (414.91 mi). Average temperature in Knoxville is between 30 in the winter and 88 in the summer. Picked the pocket of UT from their own backyard. The kid can play and will make a difference. UT, BC, Aub, Clemson, VT, Stanford.

Ashburn, VA --Andrew Nuss, OT, to Notre Dame (494.64 mi). Average temperature in Ashburn is between 19 in the winter and 87 in the summer. Another kid that was recruited close to home and in warmer climates, but chose ND. Can see himself playing a couple different positions, but doesn't care. Just wants to make things happen at ND. BC, Maryland, UGA, UVA.

One thing for sure is that Charlie Weis is making a difference in the kids lives. Notre Dame has always had the disadvantage of recruiting in other peoples states and this has hurt the program and the institution the past ten years.

The kids coming in this season and the years with Charlie are different. They possess an attitude that is Notre Dame. They want to be here and will thrive in any weather. They chose ND over warmer climate schools because a facade is just that, nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Notre Dame is on the road back and the other schools better take note. WE ARE Notre Dame.

Who Controls the Remote?

This has to be Dodds best article. Normally I turn red and need to throw something, but this time I actually agree with most of the article.

CBS

2.12.07

AOL Fanhouse

Myles Brand is Pissed

Carroll Not Backing Down

Chicago Sun-Times

Big 10 is slow

UND

Schedule

Fantasy Camp

Observer

ND Hockey

Flip Floppin Away

Promises Promises --- (SI.COM)

ND snags LB and Kicker--- (SI.COM)

News 02-01-2007

Suspension recalls past cases, raises questions-- (Observer)

Smith Switch-- (Blue Gray Sky)

One Page-- (Rock Report)

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions... -- (IE)

Bringin' Em In-- (Robot Charlie)

Charlie in Paris?

Charlie Weis has been travelling quite a bit recently, but this has everyone puzzled. Paris Texas star athlete STephen Good has been offered by ND. The junior is a giant of a kid and will solidify an already good looking OL next season. If he chooses to sign with the Irish, he could be a first year player in the mold of Sam Young.

Stephen Good can’t get enough of tradition. So when Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis called Paris High School yesterday, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive tackle listened. The Texas junior received an offer from Weis, peaking his interest to check out college football outside the Big 12.

Here are some clips of him playing. A lot of the film is obviously of the skilled positions, but you can see him destroying some D Lineman. He is number 72 and always up the field and on his feet. The clips are long, but some good football being played down in Paris Texas:

CLIP 1

CLIP 2

Weis versus Willingham. Is there a difference?

A lot of chatter on the message boards about Weis not stepping up recruiting. Especially on the Defensive side of the ball. Some guys are comparing Charlies class this season with Ty's class of seniors in 2007.

TY had 15 recruits at this point in the class of 2003. Charlie has 18. TY got 2 commits in February to bring the class to 17. I am sure Charlie will get 2-5 signees by Feb 6th.

Willingham had 10 Defensive players and 7 offensive players.

Weis has 6 defensive players and 12 offensive players so far. Two of the OL recruits will be moving to the defensive side of the ball.

Willinghams class rank for this year was 30th. He had 0 top 100 players and 0 five star players and only 3 four star players. Average rank according to Scout.com was 2.94 out of 5. We also know that more than half of this class is no longer with the team for various reasons.

Weis' class rank for this year is 8th right now and probably moving up. He had 6 top 100 players and 1 five star players and 13 four star players. Average rank according to Scout.com is 3.83 out of 5.

So, what do we see from this example? Charlie is a very good recruiter and a coach that is learning the game of college football. TY was not a good recruiter and a worse coach.

Thankfully Weis has 9 guys apply for 5th years. They are not hte greatest players, but a team without seniors is a team that CANNOT win.

2006-07 Notre Dame men's basketball statistics

These stats do not include today's game versus Villanova. The boys did it again, they won at home. This was an important win, up until now, probably the most important of the season.

You see, the Mens basketball team has trouble on the road. And the next three games are, you guessed it, ON THE ROAD!

STATS

J 30 @ Syracuse

F 03 @ South Florida

F 08 @ DePaul

Revenge is such sweet.....something

SCOUT.COMThe stakes will be high on Saturday afternoon. No. 21 Notre Dame hosts Villanova (14-5, 3-3) at 4 PM and ESPN will have the television coverage. The Irish are 4-3 in the Big East, tied for sixth, with league play almost half over. Another loss, coupled with three straight road contests after Saturday, would make it difficult to get back to the top. Notre Dame is well aware of the importance.

Back on January 17th, the Irish went to Philadelphia to face a Wildcats team in desperate need of a win. Villanova was 1-3 in the league going into the game while Notre Dame was 3-1. The Wildcats played with a sense of urgency in pounding the Irish 102-87. Villanova shot 56 percent in the contest and the 102 points scored were the most allowed ever under Brey in a regulation game. Since then, the Wildcats have rolled off two more wins and they’re playing with a lot of confidence heading into the Joyce Center on Saturday

Notre Dame will have the advantage of playing at home. The Irish are 14-0 at the Joyce Center this season and riding a 16-game winning streak in South Bend. The top scoring offense in the Big East, they’re even better at home. Notre Dame has scored 79 points or more in 13 of 14 contests. They’re led by Russell Carter, who is second in the conference in scoring at 18.7 PPG. Brey hopes the crowd will be pumped up and ready to make Villanova’s experience at the Joyce Center a loud one.

“It should be a great atmosphere,’ Brey said. “I think it’s close to being sold out or already sold out. I think it’s two good Big East teams. We need that Alabama atmosphere back in here on Saturday afternoon. I hope we can capture some of that.”

A day in the Life

From the Robot Charlie Blog

Being Corwin Brown

Big East Contenders. ND Hoops

From Scout.Com Insider. Great information at a reasonable price. Normally I would exerpt the info., but this is very good for all hoops fans.

The Big East Conference basketball season is almost half over. Pittsburgh is the leader in the clubhouse at 6-1 while Marquette is hot on their heels a game back at 5-2. With most teams having nine or ten contests remaining, a lot can happen in the topsy turvy league. Here’s a look at the top seven contenders in the Big East.

*Pittsburgh (18-3, 6-1): A 67-51 win at Cincinnati on Wednesday kept them at the top of the standings. The ninth ranked Panthers were led by Levance Field’s six three-pointers as they bounced back from a 77-74 home overtime loss to Marquette this past Sunday. The long distance shot is a big weapon for Pittsburgh. They were second in the conference in three point percentage heading into Wednesday’s game, right behind leader Notre Dame. The schedule down the stretch is not a cakewalk. Pittsburgh has to still go on the road to Villanova, West Virginia, Georgetown and Marquette. They will need a consistent effort from big man Aaron Gray (15 PPG, 10 RPG) while continuing to play unselfish basketball. The Panthers are first in the league in assists per contest.

*Marquette (18-4, 5-2): No one is playing better in the Big East than the Golden Eagles. In addition to winning five consecutive games in conference play after a 0-2 start, they added another victory on Wednesday over Seton Hall 89-76 in Milwaukee. Despite getting just 11 points from superstar guard Dominic James, fellow sophomores Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews scored 22 against the Pirates. No. 20 Marquette has got the job done at home and on the road. They’ve won at Connecticut, at Louisville and at Pittsburgh. It starts with James and his 16.9 PPG average heading into Wednesday but don’t sleep on McNeal. The 6-3 sophomore averages 14 PPG and four assists and rebounds each a contest. The final two games of the year will determine the Golden Eagles’ own fate. They’re on the road to No. 21 Notre Dame and end the season at home against Pittsburgh.

*Syracuse (15-5, 4-2): It’s tough to get a read on the Orange. After winning four in a row in league action, they lost to St. John’s last Sunday. Yes, it’s difficult on the road but the Red Storm had lost six of seven prior games. Demetris Nichols is tied with the Irish’s Russell Carter in scoring at 18.7 PPG while the Orange are second in the Big East in field goal percentage defense. Eric Devendorf leads the offense at the point guard position and averages 13 PPG while big man Terrence Roberts is fifth in the league in rebounding at eight a contest. After a week off, a lot will be found out about this team when they travel to Louisville this weekend. The Cardinals have the friendly confines of Freedom Hall and the winner will have a leg up. They have no road games left against ranked teams and the biggie should be at the Carrier Dome on January 30th against No. 21 Notre Dame.

*Georgetown (14-5, 4-2): The Hoyas moved into a tie for third place with a 66-52 victory over DePaul on Wednesday. After an even first half, Georgetown outscored the Demon Deacons 36-22 in the second half. Jeff Green scored 19 points to lead the Hoyas. Georgetown knows their identity. They slow it down, are patient on offense and play outstanding defense. This explains them being first in the Big East in scoring defense and first in field goal percentage. 7-2 Roy Hibbert and his 11 PPG average is a big presence down low while Green provides a little bit of everything. A team effort and balance explains six players averaging seven PPG or more on the season. The Hoyas have both Pittsburgh and Marquette coming to Washington, D.C. later in the year while the toughest road test will be at Syracuse on February 26th.

*Louisville (14-6, 4-2): After a 16-point loss at Notre Dame to start conference play, the Cardinals have won four of five to push into a tie for third place. On Monday, they downed a struggling Connecticut team 68-54 to set up a weekend showdown at home with Syracuse, also at 4-2 in the league. Louisville doesn’t do anything special. They’re 10th in scoring offense and eighth in scoring defense. But wins keep coming. Terrence Williams, a 6-6 sophomore, leads the team in scoring at 13 PPG and rebounding at 7.8 boards a contest. Also watch out for junior forward Juan Palacios, who is averaging 18.5 PPG in the last two outings. The schedule does them no favors. Louisville still has road games against Villanova, Pittsburgh and Marquette. A late road date with a young Connecticut team on February 26th could trip them up as well.

*Notre Dame (16-4, 4-3): The 21st ranked Irish are unbeatable at home. They’re 14-0 at the Joyce Center this season. But Notre Dame cannot find its way on the road. The Irish have lost all three true road games this year, including a heartbreaking 71-68 defeat at St. John’s on Tuesday. The Red Storm’s Larry Wright nailed the game-winning three-point shot with just under 10 seconds remaining to continue the Notre Dame road weariness. They’re led by Russell Carter, who is now tied for the league lead in scoring at 18.7 PPG. The senior guard has broken his career-high in points three times this season. The best was against St. John’s, where he went off for 32 points. Junior forward Rob Kurz is the main man down low, pulling down eight rebounds a contest to go along with 14 PPG. The Irish are first in the Big East in scoring but fourth to last in scoring defense. The news that sophomore point guard Kyle McAlarney won’t be with the team for the rest of the year makes Saturday’s home contest with surging Villanova a biggie. Notre Dame has five road games left, including one at Syracuse. A February 24th home date with Marquette also remains.

*West Virginia (15-4, 4-3): The Mountaineers won an in-state bragging rights game on Wednesday, besting Marshall 77-63. West Virginia has been an up-and-down team lately. The past four contests have gone like this: loss, win, loss and win. After starting out 3-0 in the league, they’ve lost three of the past four games. The one that hurts was a 96-83 overtime defeat at Cincinnati last Saturday. The Bearcats had lost four in a row, all by double digits, but earned their only Big East win of the season against the Mountaineers. West Virginia does bring the defense, ranking second in scoring defense in the Big East. Senior forward Frank Young leads the team in scoring at 14 PPG and is first in the conference in three-pointers made. Schedule wise, the Mountaineers have a home-and-home left with Pittsburgh and a game in Morgantown against No. 2 UCLA.

*The rest of the Big East:

Villanova 14-5, 3-3


Providence 13-6, 3-3


St. John’s 12-8, 3-4


Seton Hall 11-8, 3-4


DePaul 12-9, 3-4


Connecticut 13-6, 2-4


South Florida 2-5, 11-10


Cincinnati 10-9, 1-4


Rutgers 8-12, 1-6