Tag: Mike Brey

Notre Dame Basketball: Pflueger & Mooney Money in Win at Clemson

It was Pflueger who was out of sorts in a good way who helped paved the way

In an absolute “got to have it” game for Notre Dame basketball Sunday night, veterans John Mooney and Rex Pflueger and John Mooney were nails in the 61-57 Fighting Irish victory.

Mooney did what Mooney does, scoring 16 and pulling down 11 boards en-route to his 19th double-double on the year.

It was Pflueger who was out of sorts in a good way who helped paved the way. The fifth year guard had a season high 18 points while shooting a perfect five-of-five from beyond the arc.

For comparison, Pflueger entered Sunday shooting all of 30% from three.

Clemson was playing without leading scorer and rebounder Aamir Simms who was dealing with the flu. They wound up being led by guards Tevin Mack and Alex Hemenway who each finished with 16.

The Tigers fell to 11-12 overall on the year and 5-8 in ACC play.

Notre Dame won their fourth straight ACC game to improve to 15-8 overall and get back to .500 and 6-6 in the league.

The difficulty scale now gets turned up for Mike Brey and Notre Dame as the Irish return to action Tuesday night in Virginia before a trip to Cameron Indoor Arena and Duke awaits Saturday.

Notre Dame Slight Road Dog Today at Clemson

Sunday evening presents a very realistic chance at a fourth straight as Mike Brey’s Fighting Irish squad will be at Clemson.

Notre Dame basketball has taken advantage of a break in the schedule a bit and been playing better, winning their last three ACC contests.

Sunday evening presents a very realistic chance at a fourth straight as Mike Brey’s Fighting Irish squad will be at Clemson.

As of early Sunday afternoon, Notre Dame is a very slight underdog as they visit the Tigers with Clemson being favored by 1.5 points and the over/under being set at 137.5.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USATODAY Sports Betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated February 9 at 12:10 p.m. ET.

Notre Dame enters plays 14-8 overall, 5-6 in the ACC and 2-4 on the road. Clemson starts today 11-11 with a 5-7 ACC clip and 9-4 home mark.

Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.

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ACC Fines Notre Dame, Reprimands Brey After Rant

Everyone knows the officials screwed up. Why can’t that part at least be admitted or acknowledged?

Good morning and happy Monday. If you missed it over the weekend Mike Brey was none too pleased over how Saturday night’s loss at Florida State was officiated.

The Fighting Irish lost a close one in Tallahassee and now the university has to pay for Brey’s outburst.

In a statement released by the Atlantic Coast Conference Monday morning the following has been handed down:

-The ACC issues a public reprimand of Brey for his comments because he violated the ACC sportsmanship policy.

-The league also handed Notre Dame a $20,000 fine for the violation.

-The ACC also considers this matter closed and will have no further comment.

Listen, Notre Dame got to the free throw line more than Florida State did Saturday. I don’t think any official went in with the idea of fixing things to make sure an upset was avoided.

The thing that bothers me the most isn’t as much an ACC problem as it is a sports problem. Officials clearly messed up like they do in any league or level of play and anyone with a functioning pair of eyes could see it. Yet when no comment is made about Brey in this instance having a point, it feels like complete propaganda.

You and I watch that showing by the officials and know it was awful. Joe in accounting who doesn’t watch basketball even knows the officials were brutal. So what then would the harm be in at least releasing something in that statement that read along the lines of “The ACC is reviewing the officials performance from Saturday’s game”?

Everyone knows the officials screwed up. Why can’t that part at least be admitted or acknowledged? I say that in regards to strictly officiating, not in Brey’s comments about the league having it out for Notre Dame.

I think I speak for most college basketball observers when I say that officiating in the game is awful. I don’t like to play the blame game but I do feel like just flipping on a random Big Ten game in the middle of the week will give multiple occurrences where you ask yourself “what the heck was that?” in regards to a call.

Why can’t that at least be acknowledged instead of sports organizations pushing their propaganda? Instead it comes off to me as treating viewers and fans as if they’re stupid.

Watch: Mike Brey’s Postgame Rant Against ACC, Extended Version

We’ve already made a bit of noise about Mike Brey’s postgame rant after Notre Dame lost to No. 5 Florida State, 85-84, on Saturday night. While the video from his own university told the main story, it didn’t tell all of it. Warchant, the Rivals …

We’ve already made a bit of noise about Mike Brey’s postgame rant after Notre Dame lost to No. 5 Florida State, 85-84, on Saturday night.

While the video from his own university told the main story, it didn’t tell all of it. Warchant, the Rivals site which covers Florida State, showed the rant from the other side of the room, and this one included more angry words from Brey after he got up and left without taking any questions from the assembled media. If you love videos like this, this will be right up your alley.

Watch: Highlights of Notre Dame’s Win at Syracuse

Notre Dame avoided an 0-3 start in ACC play with an 88-87 win at Syracuse on Saturday.

Notre Dame avoided an 0-3 ACC start by winning their second straight game at the Carrier Dome over Syracuse, 88-87.

The Fighting Irish started strong, stumbled through some of the middle part before rallying very late to walk out victorious.

In case you missed the game or if you’d like to relive it, check out the highlights as winning at Syracuse never gets old.

Notre Dame looks to get to .500 in ACC play Wednesday night when they travel to take on North Carolina State.

Watch: Pat Connaughton Posterizes the Chicago Bulls

What you need to know is that the owners of the best record in the NBA right now are the team that employs that one former Notre Dame cager.

Coincidence?

I think not.

You may or may not be aware that there is currently one former Notre Dame basketball player on an active NBA roster.

What you need to know is that the owners of the best record in the NBA right now are the team that employs that one former Notre Dame cager.

Coincidence?

I think not.

Pat Connaughton was an absolute beast for Mike Brey’s Fighting Irish, starting the second half of the season his freshman year and never looking back.

As you remember he was a very-key piece on the 2014-15 ACC Tournament Champion team that went to the Elite Eight and nearly knocked off unbeaten Kentucky and with a Final Four bid on the line.

Connaughton decided to follow the NBA route after the Portland Trail Blazers drafted him in 2015, opting for basketball instead of baseball where the Baltimore Orioles selected him previously as a pitcher.

Connaughton is still in the league and playing for the Milwaukee Bucks where he’s averaging over 17 minutes per game this season.

His biggest highlight to date in a Bucks uniform came Monday night as he did his best Vince Carter impression against the Chicago Bulls.

The Bucks wound up winning the contest 123-102 to improve their league-best record to 30-5.

Notre Dame Basketball: Ready for Indiana in Crossroads Classic

Indiana is known for basketball like Wisconsin is known for dairy, so the Crossroads Classic that’s been held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse every year since 2011 always feels like an early Christmas present for local hoops fans. Notre Dame (8-3) has …

Indiana is known for basketball like Wisconsin is known for dairy, so the Crossroads Classic that’s been held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse every year since 2011 always feels like an early Christmas present for local hoops fans. Notre Dame (8-3) has split its first eight appearances, and this year, it faces Indiana (10-1), which came back to beat the Irish in overtime when these teams last met in the event in 2017. The Hoosiers have won three of the teams’ four Crossroads Classic meetings.

The Irish have been hot from 3-point range, making 35 3s over their past two games, a school record for that span. No Notre Dame team ever had made at least 15 3-pointers in back-to-back games until last week.

Dane Goodwin has been superb off the bench in the first half, scoring 16 in that frame against Detroit Mercy, followed by 14 in the win over UCLA, which was Mike Brey’s 800th career game.

Notre Dame Basketball: Renewing Detroit Mercy Rivalry

If Notre Dame (6-3) ever needed a time for Detroit Mercy (1-7) to appear on its schedule, this is it. A blowout loss at Maryland in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge followed by a tough home defeat to Boston College reminded the Irish that their recent …

If Notre Dame (6-3) ever needed a time for Detroit Mercy (1-7) to appear on its schedule, this is it. A blowout loss at Maryland in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge followed by a tough home defeat to Boston College reminded the Irish that their recent six-game winning streak merely was a blip in a long season. They hope Tuesday’s game with the Titans at Purcell Pavilion will give them to relief they need.

Facing the Titans for the first time since November 2011, the Irish once again will look to John Mooney, the nation’s leading rebounder at 13.5 boards a game. Mooney logged his third consecutive double-double and sixth in his first eight games with 16 points and 18 rebounds against Boston College on Saturday.  He is 12 rebounds away from tying Rob Kurz (650) for most career rebounds in the Mike Brey era.

Notre Dame is averaging 10.1 turnovers a game after losing the ball a season-high 15 times in Saturday’s loss. It has not finished a season averaging double figures in turnovers since the 2013-14 season (10.3). Though the Irish rank sixth nationally in that category this season and second in the ACC, they’ll have to limit those turnovers to snap their two-game skid.