Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Dame's 18 ACC contests, Atkins led the team in points (14.4), assists (5.1), steals (1.1) and minutes per game (39.2) while scoring in double figures 14 times. Fifth-year senior forward Tom Knight, the winner of the Community Service award, stole the show with his speech. Known as the team come- dian, Knight walked up to the podium, hunched over and said, "It's over. It's done. The five-year reign is complete. "Other than Father Hesburgh, I'm the most important person here," Knight quipped. The Newcomer of the Year award went to freshman guard Steve Vas- turia, who surprised many this season by making 12 starts and averaging 5.0 points and 2.6 rebounds, while also recording a number of clutch three- pointers and steals. Assistant coach Rod Balanis pre- sented the Best Rebounder award to fifth-year senior center Garrick Sher- man. The former Michigan State player thanked Notre Dame for pro- viding him a fresh start and added that he would rather "lose with these guys than win with anyone else." The Defensive Player of the Year award went to junior guard/forward Pat Connaughton, who often guarded the opponent's top offensive player. Brey said after the ceremony that he still fully expects Connaughton to be a member of the team next season. While Connaughton has one season of eligibility remaining, he is expected to be an early selection in June's Major League Baseball Draft. If the team that chooses Connaughton wants him to quit basketball, he may have to do so. Senior walk-on Pat Crowley was named the Rockne Student-Athlete of the Year. Brey joked that he will have to train someone else to give out chest bumps after important wins in the future. During his speech, Crow- ley quipped that the first time he met Atkins, the Irish point guard said he wanted "the other guy to make the team" instead of Crowley. Brey closed out the ceremony by say- ing of the 15-17 season, "One of the things I can guarantee you: We've been put on the mat here before and we've damn sure come off it every time." IRISH PURSUE TRANSFERS Notre Dame is intent on adding a transfer this offseason. The Irish have already missed out on two transfers, but Brey said he and his staff are "thor- oughly exploring" options right now and are "dancing with" a couple play- ers he believes are good fits. F o r m e r C o r n e l l g u a rd N o l a n Cressler was offered a scholarship to Notre Dame April 13, but he passed it up to commit to Vanderbilt the follow- ing day. Cressler averaged 16.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and re- corded 17 and nine, respectively, at Notre Dame Dec. 1. Cressler would have sat out the 2014-15 season, but would have been eligible for two years. Former Temple forward Anthony Lee named Notre Dame as one of his five finalists before choosing Ohio State in March. The Irish coaching staff pursued the 6-9, 230-pound player heavily and tried to get him to visit campus before making a decision, but it could not do so before he announced he was Columbus-bound. Lee would