losing to NJIT and Eastern Michigan to Nebraska falling at home to Incarnate Word. Still, the Irish could
probably add some teeth to the non-conference slate without experiencing too much — if any — of a
falloff on the court.
2. On Dec. 8, Notre Dame returned to the Associated Press top 25 for the first time since November
2013. The Irish then moved up to No. 21 on Dec. 15 after reaching the 10-win mark two days earlier with
the 83-63 blowout of Florida State to open ACC play.
Additionally, the victory over the Seminoles set Notre Dame up for a possible 13-1 mark if it could win
its last three non-conference games before league play resumed Jan. 3.
3. Irish junior forward Zach Auguste had Dec. 13 circled on his calendar. After poor play limited him to
19 minutes in the 79-78 overtime win against Michigan State Dec. 3, Auguste set out to prove that he
indeed has turned the corner as a member of Notre Dame's frontcourt in 2014-15.
Auguste was wired for the 83-63 win over Florida State Dec. 13. In his first two seasons, Auguste getting
too excited or showing too much emotion was often a sign that he would struggle or play too frantically.
Not versus the Seminoles. Not now that he's firmly entrenched as a starter.
"A lot of people," Auguste said, "mentioned that I struggled against Michigan State, so I tried to come
and make a statement to show people I can bang with the bigs."
That he did. Against Florida State's three seven-footers, Auguste played like the biggest player on the
court by finishing with a career-high 26 points and seven rebounds. Oftentimes he created space near
the basket and threw down a few of Notre Dame's 10 emphatic dunks.
Right now, Notre Dame's future looks bright, due in large part to its man in the middle.
— Andrew Owens
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2014 ND WIN OVER U-M PANORAMIC PRINT
Notre Dame Win Over Michigan • Sept. 6, 2014 at ND Stadium
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