The Kentucky vs. Notre Dame rivalry is one of the richest and longest running in all of college basketball.  The two teams have met 59 times over the years, meeting for the first time in 1929.  They met every year between 1936 and 1952, then again from 1958 to 1983, and yet again between 1988 and 1995.  The yearly series was most recently renewed in 2001 and ran until 2004.  The Cats hold a 41-18 advantage in the series, but came out on the losing end the last time the two teams met, in the 2009 NIT.

On a personal note, this series will always be special to me, because in December of 1981 at Freedom Hall, at the age of 16, I witnessed my first Kentucky game live.  UK versus Notre Dame!  And what a game it was. . . or wasn’t.

Of course, it was the pre-shot clock era, a fact Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps took full advantage of, as his Irish squad had lost the likes of Kelly Tripucka and Orlando Woolridge from the previous year’s Top 10 squad.  While Joe B. Hall’s #2 ranked UK team was filled with outstanding players such as Dirk Minniefield, Melvin Turpin, Derrick Hord, Jim Master, Charles Hurt, and Dicky Beal.

As the contest was set to start, the buzz of excitement was palpable in the famed arena, and then, the tip-off.  What followed was a dribbling clinic, directed by the always dapper Phelps.  Instead of attacking the ‘Cats as if they had nothing to lose, the Fighting Irish were content to hold the ball just past mid-court. . . and dribble, and wait.  This went on for the entire game, a game which at the end of regulation was knotted in a 23-23 tie (Phelps’ ploy had worked, he gave his underdog team a chance to win).  But the ‘Cats, in the end, prevailed in OT, 34-28.  But the most exciting part of the night was just getting started, for as Phelps left the playing floor after the game, he was showered with popcorn boxes, soda cups and anything else fans could find to toss his way.  If ESPN had been the ubiquitous presence it is today, SportsCenter would have replayed the carnage over and over.

It was truly quite a night, and quite a sight.

Well, that’s a long enough stroll down memory lane.  It’s time we take a look at the senior-laden Irish squad and the youth-oriented ‘Cats who will face off tonight at 9:40 p.m. (ESPN).

Notre Dame Notes

• Notre Dame (8-0; #23) lost two major contributors from last season, All-America forward Luke Harangody (21.8 points per game; 9.1 rebounds pg), and talented point guard Tory Jackson (9.6 ppg; 5.3 assists pg).  But, coach Mike Brey’s (he of the Coach K coaching tree) cupboard is anything but bare.  Leading the Irish way is senior Mississippi State transfer Ben Hansbrough (brother of former Tar Heel Tyler), a two-guard by trade, but with the graduation of Jackson, Hansbrough is being utilized at the “1″ spot.  He has responded to the challenge with some great numbers: 15.8 ppg, 4.0 apg, and 3.9 rpg.  The 6-3 Hansbrough is a three-point threat, also, having made 23-42 long-range tries on the year (54.8%).  Interestingly, Calipari has faced the younger Hansborough before as his Memphis team met State in the 2008 NCAA tournament on its way to the title game that season.

• True freshman Eric Atkins backs-up Hansbrough at the point, and has progressed nicely in his rookie season, averaging 7.4 points and 3.3 assists per game, while turning the ball over only 1.4 times per contest.  Like Hansbrough, Atkins is a three-point threat, having made 44.4% of his treys on the season (8-18).

• Six-eight, 235 lb senior forward Tim Abromaitis has become a major component for Brey’s squad, averaging 15.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this year.  The big fella is an accomplished passer, also, averaging 2.3 apg (he dished out seven assists in ND’s game versus Chicago State).  Abromaitis has lately experienced a bit of a downturn in his scoring, though – 10.0 ppg over his last three games – but he is a dangerous player around the rim, as well as being capable of knocking down the occasional trifecta (15-47 on the year; 31.9%).  Helping Abromaitis down low is 6-7 senior forward Carleton Scott.  The team’s leading rebounder (7.8 rpg) and shot blocker (2.1 blocks pg), Scott will be counted on the help put the kibosh on Kentucky’s inside game.  Not only a solid defender, Scott is proving himself an improved scorer. Over the last six games he is averaging 13.0 ppg, a marked improvement over the 5.0 scoring average he carried all of last season, and into the first two games of this year.

Roy Williams and the Tar Heels pointed out a few things about Coach Cal's Cats on Saturday – UK looks to rebound form that loss against Notre Dame Wednesday night (ESPN, 9:40 ET) Photo by Dr. Victoria Graff

• Like UK, Notre Dame has some size at the guard spot, in the form of 6-8 senior swing Scott Martin.  A Purdue transfer who sat out last season due to a knee injury, Martin, after two years off, has responded with vigor at his chance to play again, averaging 9.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.  Martin is just one of five seniors who receive the bulk of playing time for Notre Dame – meaning the Irish, like the Cats, probably can’t afford foul trouble.

• And finally the man charged with stopping UK’s Terrence Jones, 6-8 senior forward Tyrone Nash (he took a recruiting visit to UK in 2006 before opting for a year of prep school).  Nash is a defensive stopper extraordinaire, evidenced by the words of Brey, “He really anchors us defensively.  Nash has guarded just about everybody.  I think he’s as good a defensive big guy in the Big East as there is.”  Nash had this to say about UK’s Jones, “Definitely, definitely a talented player.  So that’s going to be a good matchup.  That’s something I look forward to.”  But defend is not all Nash does, he can also score and rebound – Nash is averaging 12.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg (2.9 offensive rpg).

Irish Nugget: 6-5 Irish freshman guard Jerian Grant is the son of former Clemson and NBA player Harvey Grant, and the nephew of former Oklahoma and Chicago Bulls star Horace Grant.  Jerian’s brother, Jerai Grant, currently plays for Clemson. Jerian attended DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, the same school of Coach Brey, and former Irish star Adrian Dantley, as well as former UK star Keith Bogans.  Another Big Blue connection – Harvey Grant was traded, along with UK staff member Rod Strickland, from the Portland Trail Blazers to the then-Washington Bullets for Rasheed Wallace in 1996. The Stircklands and Grants remain close and there should be some good-natured taunting between their families in the Freedom Hall stands tonight!

Kentucky Notes

With Notre Dame sporting five seniors in their top six players, UK will be facing their most experienced opponent to date, a fact not lost on John Calipari.  When asked about the Irish’s gray beard lineup, the Top ‘Cat had this to say, “Five seniors.  They know how to play off one another.  They don’t get rattled.  They were down to Georgia, down 14, and they were down against Wisconsin, 14 or 15, they were down against Indiana State, and they never got rattled, they just keep playing.  They play a good 2-3, 3-2 zone.  They go to it, and stick with it.  We’re a little different team than we were a year ago, so playing zone against us is a little bit better for us.  But what they do, they do well, because they’re a veteran team, they’re seniors.”

In short, senior teams are accustomed to one another; senior teams know each other’s tendencies, and senior teams with talent are very tough to beat. What did Notre Dame do in all the games mentioned by Cal?. . . they won.

Kentucky Individual Trends: Terrence Jones has made 22 of his last 34 free throws (64.7%). . . Brandon Knight, after making only 3-15 shots versus UConn, has made 13 of his last 24 floor attempts (54.2%). . . Since going 0-2 from three-point land versus Washington (his only game without a trey), Doron Lamb has made 6-10 long-range shots (60.0%) over his last three games. . . In his first two years with the ‘Cats, Darius Miller made 80.4% and 79.5% of his free throws, this year he’s making 66.7% (6-9). . . DeAndre Liggins has eight assists and zero turnovers in the last two games, after committing 10 turnovers the first five games of the year. . . Big Josh Harrellson has made eight of his last nine shots from the field (88.9%). . . Eloy Vargas, after attempting zero free throws over his first three games, has attempted 12 charity stripe tries over his last three games, making 10 (83.3%).

Kentucky Team Trends: Since making only 3-17 threes against Washington, UK has since made 27-59 over the last three games (45.8%) … Overall shooting for the ‘Cats has been a feast or famine proposition – UK has made at least 50% of their floor attempts in three games, and made less than 39.1% in three games. . .  After dishing out a combined total of 16 assists versus Washington and UConn, the ‘Cats have been much less selfish, handing out 33 dimes over the last two games (16.5 per contest). . . UK tied a season high with eight steals versus North Carolina. . . Kentucky averaged 14.1 offensive rebounds through their first six contests, but snagged only eight against UNC. . . Oklahoma (44.8%) and UConn (57.7%) are the only two teams to shoot over 44% from the floor versus UK. . . UK has not forced more than 14 turnovers in any game this year.

Kentucky vs. Notre Dame Trends: Since the 1990-1991 season, UK holds a 10-1 advantage in the series. . . UK is 23-9 versus Notre Dame in Freedom Hall. . . The ‘Cats are 58-18 in Freedom Hall against all opponents, 25-5 since 1990. . . This season’s contest is the first time the ‘Cats and Irish have played in Freedom Hall since the 1987-1988 season (a 78-69 UK victory). . . Kentucky and Notre Dame have played 13 games when both teams were ranked (as they are for tonight’s game). UK holds the lead in those games, 11-2.

-RTL-

Ken Howlett is the editor of the popular UK sports web site A Sea of Blue.com, and a contributing writer for Wildcat Tip-Off, a Maple Street Press preseason basketball annual.  He’s also a contributor for Patheos.com, and has written for HighSchoolZone and Topper Nation magazines, both Bowling Green, KY-based publications.  Howlett resides in Auburn, KY with his wife, and three daughters.