2008-2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Basketball Preview:
The Fighting Irish are highly touted as able to make a deep push this season. Many publications have ranked the school prior to the start of the season, and plenty of those expectations are generated from outside the program as well as from within. The Irish are returning four of their five starters from last season and head coach Mike Brey couldn't be happier. Though the Irish boasted a successful 2007-08 season, the Irish could not hold on for the conference title. This year, Brey will take advantage of the depth of the team, and will have a shot to outdo the 25-8 record from last season.
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH TEAM FACTS
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Stadium: Joyce Center
Conference: Big East
Rivals: UCLA Bruins,
Purdue Boilermakers
The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish is a highly successful program. The team has earned over 1,600 wins and have appeared in 29 NCAA Tournaments, making them one of the deepest teams in college basketball. Like Notre Dame's football team, Irish basketball has dealt several upsets to number one ranked teams, including the halt of UCLA's 88 game winning streak in 1974. The Fighting Irish hold two national championships of their own, and reached another Final Four in 1978. The Fighting Irish are the first Big East team to remain undefeated at home two straight seasons.
Notre Dame plays basketball at the Edmund P. Joyce Center in Notre Dame, Indiana. The arena, opened in 1968, seats 11,418 fans and is host to both the Notre Dame basketball and volleyball teams. The center will undergo a $24.6 million renovation and will be renamed the Purcell Center after the Notre Dame alumnus and trustee Phillip J. Purcell.
See Also:
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Big East Tournament tickets
Notre Dame Fighting Irish NCAA Tournament tickets
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Final Four tickets
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football tickets