Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/110553
Under the Dome Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: March 60 Years Ago: March 10, 1953 Notre Dame plays its first-ever NCAA Tournament basketball game, a 72-57 victory against Eastern Kentucky at the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Coliseum. Because the NCAA institutes a more regional system for the tourney, the location in nearby Fort Wayne helps Notre Dame break its ban of competing in postseason play. Travel expenses and lodging costs previously had been an issue. Plus, the second round is also in nearby Chicago, where the Irish defeat Penn, 69-57, to advance to the Elite Eight of the then 22team tournament. There, head coach John Jordan's Irish fall to No. 1 Indiana, 79-66, with Don Schlundt scoring an opponentrecord 41 points. The Hoosiers go on to win the national title. 55 Years Ago: March 14, 1958 For the third time in six seasons, Notre Dame advances to the Elite Eight, this time on the strength of junior All-American forward Tom Hawkins. The No. 8 Fighting Irish defeat No. 12 Indiana before losing the next day on No. 9 Kentucky's home court, 89-56, after Hawkins has to sit with early foul trouble. Head coach John Jordan's team finishes 24‑5, while the Wildcats capture their fourth and final national title under head coach Adolph Rupp. 50 Years Ago: March 13, 1963 Out of the blue, Notre Dame head football coach Joe Kuharich turns in his resignation to return to the NFL, where he had coached the Washington Redskins from 1954-58. However, this time he returns as "supervisor of officials," a newly created position by fourthyear NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle — who was Kuharich's student publicist at the University of San Francisco (where Kuharich coached from 1948-51). With no wining seasons in his four years at Notre Dame and a career record of 17-23, the South Bend native and former Fighting Irish football player Kuharich feels too overwhelmed to continue at his post. Because spring practice begins shortly thereafter, the university names freshman coach Hugh Devore as the interim coach for the 1963 season. Devore had also served as interim head coach in 1945, the final year of World War II. 35 Years Ago: March 19, 1978 For the first time in 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, Notre Dame wins three games in a row and advances to the Final Four, trouncing DePaul 84-64. The deep lineup includes three players who would play at least Left to right, Notre Dame seniors Duck Williams, Jeff Carpenter, Dave Batton and Randy Haefner hold the 1978 Final Four hardware. photo courtesy notre dame media relations 10 years in the NBA — center Bill Laimbeer, forward Orlando Woolridge and guard Bill Hanzlik — plus a fourth in forward Tracy Jackson who would be drafted in the second round and also play several years. And that is just the Fighting Irish second team! The starters feature center Bruce Flowers, forwards Dave Batton and freshman phenom Kelly Tripucka, and guards Don "Duck" Williams and Rich Branning. One month earlier, Ray Meyer's Blue Demons traveled to Notre Dame and upset the Irish in overtime, 69‑68. But in the rematch, Notre Dame's depth overwhelms DePaul. Tripucka scores 18 points and grabs 11 rebounds, while Branning adds 15 points and seven assists. "Our top five players can beat Notre Dame's top five players," Meyer says afterwards. "But our top 10 players against their top 10 — no way!" — Lou Somogyi