Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/499410
UNDER THE DOME top 10 in both men's (No. 8) and wom‑ en's (No. 2). • The combined final regular sea‑ son AP rating of 10 (No. 2 for women and No. 8 for men) was the best in the land, just ahead of Kentucky with 12 (No. 1 in men and No. 11 for women). The others were Maryland (16), Duke (20), Baylor (21), Louisville (25) and North Carolina (30). • In the coaches poll after the NCAA Tournament (the AP does not release a poll after the tourney), the Irish men finished No. 5 — their highest final ranking since 1979. • Notre Dame achieved the most combined victories (68) by the two teams, with the women registering 36 and the men 32, the first Irish men's team to eclipse 30 wins since 1908‑09 RARE FEAT A good college basketball team often has three players average double‑figure scoring. To have four is more rare. Five is almost impossible, yet for the second time in its history, the 2014‑15 Irish achieved that distinction with excellent balance among its starters: fifth‑year senior guard Jerian Grant (16.5 points per game), junior forward Zach Auguste (12.9), senior forward Pat Connaugh‑ ton (12.5), sophomore guard Demetrius Jack‑ son (12.4) and sophomore guard Steve Vasturia (10.1). The only other time this occurred was the 22‑7 team in 1976‑77, the year before the Final Four run: Don "Duck" Williams (18.1), Toby Knight (15.2), Dave Batton (12.2), Bruce Flowers (11.3) and Rich Branning (10.7). Amazingly, sixth man Bill Paterno almost was the sixth (9.6). The Notre Dame women advanced to the Final Four for the fifth consecutive year, despite losing three starters from last season, before falling to Connecticut in the national championship game. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND