Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Hardcourt To Diamond From Pat Connaughton is thriving in two sports Connaughton, the 66th player in Notre Dame history to suit up for both the hoops and baseball programs, earned a spot in the weekend rotation for the Irish and was 2-2 with a 2.37 ERA in six appearances through April 22. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS I BY WES MORGAN Pat Connaughton stroked a three- pointer against top-ranked and un- defeated Syracuse 30 seconds in. Just less than 40 minutes later, he was be- ing carried around the court at Pur- cell Pavilion on the shoulders of his classmates after the stunning 67-58 upset. The 6-6 Arlington, Mass., product scored only seven total points, but his overall performance was a sign of things to come. Three days after Notre Dame's season ended with an NCAA Tour- nament loss to Xavier on March 17, 52 MAY 2012 n his first start against Big East Conference competition for the Notre Dame men's basketball team on Jan. 21, freshman guard Connaughton got the sign for a fast- ball and delivered a 93-mile-per-hour heater into the glove of Irish catcher Joe Hudson against Eastern Michi- gan. That mound outing resulted in a no-decision for Connaughton, who was allowed to throw only 40 pitches in his first college start, but he was almost immediately inserted into the weekend rotation and had posted a 2-2 record and 2.37 ERA (second low- est on the team) in six appearances (four starts) through April 22. It's not ice that flows in the young- ster's veins, but an unflappable per- sonality and moxie that have got- ten him through some moments in his first year on campus that would cause others to seize up. "He was grown up when he got here," men's basketball head coach Mike Brey said. "There was a fear- lessness and a belief that he should be really ready. Anybody that stands on that mound and has the game on his shoulders has a psyche that other freshmen can't have. He has had the game on his backside many times. I think our opponents in the league are still surprised at how athletic he is." A four-year letter winner and the all-time leading scorer (1,713 points) at St. John's Prep in Danvers, Mass., Connaughton averaged 23 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists over four seasons. As a freshman at Notre Dame, he appeared in all 34 games, including 18 starts, and averaged 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per con- test. The highwater mark of his first BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED