Big East, Notre Dame Loses Top Player for Year in Tim Abromaitis

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Looks like Notre Dame is in serious trouble this season. Their co-captain Tim Abromaitis suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee at practice this morning and will miss the remainder of the 2011-12 season. His loss will be felt not just in South Bend, but throughout the Big East and college basketball worlds.

Abro played in two games and was averaging 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. He had missed Notre Dame’s first four games (all wins) due to misunderstanding of a technicality in an NCAA rule governing seasons of competition that dated back to the 2008-09 campaign when he played in the first two exhibition of his sophomore campaign and then sat out the remainder of that season.

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Notre Dame Will Be Tim Abromaitis’ Team This Season

November 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Notre Dame basketball had an unexpected breakthrough season last year, even though it ended very poorly. They had the second best record in the Big East and were just one Big East tournament win away from probably securing a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Of course, there was the disaster upset to #10 seed Florida State very close to home at Chicago’s United Center. Still it doesn’t take away from all that the team accomplished last year.

Last year’s Big East Player of the Year Ben Hansbrough is now playing professionally in Germany.

However, Tim Abromaitis is still in South Bend, and he’s a nightmare match-up due to his ability to stroke it from deep and use his size to back down defenders in the post.

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Big East, B1G Ten News: Purdue, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Penn State, Wisconsin

June 9, 2011 By 1 Comment

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Tim Abromaitis (Unionville, Conn.) is one of 22 collegian who has accepted an invitation from the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee to attend the 2011 USA Basketball Men’s World University Games training camp.

The training camp, which will be held from July 29-Aug. 7 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be used to select the 12-member team that will represent the USA at the 2011 World University Games men’s basketball competition Aug. 13-23 in Shenzhen, China.

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Notre Dame’s Tim Abromaitis will complete MBA Ahead of Basketball

March 27, 2011 By 2 Comments

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Everywhere you look, college football and college basketball news stories are filled with scandal and skullduggery. It’s enough to make one think there are no good guys left among the coaches, and no “students,” in the term “student-athlete.”

Tim Abromaitis of Notre Dame is an exceptional exception. His team finished the season ranked #4 in the final poll, earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and they return three senior starters next year. He was the team’s second best offensive weapon behind Big East Player of the Year Ben Hansbrough, and should have an even bigger role next year.

By Paul M. Banks

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Notre Dame Basketball #4: Not bad for a Football School

March 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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This year’s Notre Dame team is a lot like another potential #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament; another team currently ranked in the college basketball top four- the Ohio State Buckeyes. In both South Bend and Columbus, college football comes first, foremost, and probably second, third and fourth too.

It sounds ridiculous to say, but both OSU and ND are “flying under the radar,” so to speak. Neither team gets the proper attention it deserves from it’s fanbase, because the gridiron is unquestionably king on both campuses. But hoops hotbedness is improving at the Joyce Center.

“I had four people come up to me and say, it’s a tough ticket tonight,” ND Coach Mike Brey said the night of the final home game in Purcell Pavilion.

“That’s music to my ears. I like that the place is 9,200. We want it to be a bit of a tough ticket and people scrambling in town.”

By Paul M. Banks

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Notre Dame’s Strong Case to be a #1 Seed in NCAA Tournament

March 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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The losses among the major college basketball national powers piled up last week- BYU, Purdue, Duke. Opening the door for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to grab that final #1 seed. To quote ’80s one-hit wonder Spandau Ballet, “we know this. much is true.” Ohio State is the overall top seed; Kansas and Pittsburgh will join them on the top line.

The final #1 however, is up for grabs, and ND, with a RPI of #9 can take it if they reach the Big East Tournament Final game, something the Irish and Mike Brey have never done. They don’t have to win it- just get there. Having a double-bye in the conference tournament will help.

The current No. 4 ranking is Notre Dame’s highest since being fourth in December 1980. The last time they were a #1 seed was 1979, when they lost to Magic Johnson’s national champion Michigan State Spartans. And this year, they once again have a top line resume.

By Paul M. Banks

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Notre Dame’s Three Point Barrage a Special Shooting Night

March 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Tim Abromaitis hit a career-high nine 3-pointers and he and Hansbrough scored 30 points each as the eighth-ranked Irish routed No. 19 Villanova 93-72 on Monday night. The victory ensured a double bye in the Big East tournament for Notre Dame and wrapped up a 17-0 season at home, the only Big East team to go unbeaten on its home court this season. Abromaitis’ nine 3-pointers were one shy of the school record set by Kyle McAlarney against North Carolina in 2008.

Notre Dame (24-5, 13-4) finished 20 for 32 on 3-pointers. The Irish, shooting 37.7 percent from 3-point range this season, were 11 for 19 in the first half, including 4 of 6 from Hansbrough, to build a 47-27 lead.

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Notre Dame, Hansbrough Celebrate Exciting Senior Night (Video)

March 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Ben Hansbrough

Ben Hansbrough took the microphone after the game, stood at midcourt and started complimenting all those around him. Almost like the Academy Awards. He acknowledged coach Mike Brey, the wild fans at the Purcell Pavilion and his family sitting in the stands. He was most appreciative of his teammates following his final home men’s basketball game for Notre Dame. That’s because he and the Irish made the night a memorable one with their shooting.

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Marshon Brooks Breaks Big East Scoring Record, But Notre Dame Still Beats Providence

February 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Notre Dame was extremely lucky to escape the Dunkin Donuts Center with a win over Providence. And it took Ben Hansbrough’s career-high 32 points and Tim Abromaitis’ season-high 28 to get it done. That’s because 6-5 senior swingman Marshon Brooks scored a Providence and Big East-record 52 points.

Besides leading the conference and his team in scoring and rebounding, Brooks is also first on the team in 3-pointers made. He was named to the 30-player national midseason watchlist for the 2011 John R. Wooden Award.

It was his second 40-point game of the season and one of the best individual performances in college basketball this season. He had 43 in an 83-81 loss at Georgetown on February 5. Still No. 9 Notre Dame hung on for a 94-93 win over struggling Providence on Wednesday night  The Irish (22-5, 11-4 Big East) are off to their best start ever in 11 seasons under coach Mike Brey.

By Paul M. Banks

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Hansbrough Big East Player of the Year? Abromaitis in NBA Mock Drafts?

February 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Ben Hansbrough

It seems like the #7 Fighting Irish might be the least hyped top ten team of all time. Of course, when you pay attention to some Mike Brey quotes and NBA Draftniks’ work, perhaps that’s changing.

Ben Hansbrough for Big East player of the year? His name certainly has to be in the discussion, but obviously the favorite UConn’s Kemba Walker, and you’d have to place Pittburgh’s Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker well ahead of Hansbrough.

What about national college basketball player of the year, an award his brother won two seasons ago? (Yeah, we don’t think so either, but) Notre Dame coach Mike Brey started the drums beating for his team’s emotional leader after Hansbrough scored 25 points despite a tough start to lead No. 9 Notre Dame to a 76-69 win over Rutgers on Sunday at Purcell Pavilion.

“When you step back a bit, look at this, and get away from the preseason hype machine, certainly he is a Big East player of the year candidate as well as national player of the year,” Brey said.

“Flat out. I mean, we are in the Top Ten and he has driven us into that position and we are in the hunt for the league title. It is starting to be really evaluated. Some people say ‘Let’s see what he does next game.’ Well, he did it again.”

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Notre Dame Hoops Uses Unconventional Formula for Success

December 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

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“My theme is a lot of interchangeable parts,” Notre Dame Fighting Irish Head Coach Mike Brey said of his team this season. And it’s true, while last year’s team leaned heavily on Luke Harangody in the post and Tory Jackson at the point, this unit often sports a very unconventional line-up.

The Irish have ascended to the #15 national ranking in college basketball by sometime playing a set of five that includes four four-men.

“Certainly Ben and Abro are the most most confident to make plays, especially against are our early non league slate, and that’s not lost on me. They’ve been in the battles a little longer than the other guys,” Brey said of his system.

Indeed this team has won with experience, as seniors Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis lead the way.

By Paul M. Banks.

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#15 Notre Dame Hoops Winning Because of Experience

December 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

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There may be a “Ewing Theory” at work in South Bend. Despite losing Luke Harangody, the first player in Notre Dame basketball history to be a three-time first-team All-Big East selection, and the first player in program history to lead the conference in both scoring and rebounding in consecutive seasons, the Fighting Irish are getting better.

They lost a marquee college basketball player to graduation, but still have plenty of experience. And that experienced nucleus has help them ascend to #15 in the nation.

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