For the first time since joining the Big East Conference in 1995-96, two Fighting Irish
basketball players have earned first-team all-conference honors. Senior co- captains Russell Carter and Colin Falls
were among 11 players named to the all-Big East first team.
In addition, freshmen Tory Jackson and Luke Harangody were named to the Big East All-Rookie team. This was the first
time in school history that the Irish had two players named to the league's all-rookie team in the same season.
The four Irish players were selected by a vote of the league's head coaches. Big East coaches were not allowed to vote for
their own players.
Past Fighting Irish players who have earned first-team all-conference honors were, Pat Garrity (1996 and '97), Troy Murphy
(1999, '00 and '01), Ryan Humphrey ('02) Matt Carroll ('03) and Chris Quinn ('06).
Carter is the Irish scoring leader at 16.9 points per game and has scored in double figures in all but three games this
season. He also is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game. The 6-4, 220-pound guard scored a career-high 32 points in a loss at
St. John's in early January for the first and only 30-plus point effort of his career. Carter recorded his only double-double
of the season against Seton Hall when he scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Falls has played in 118 games during his career, missing just two games. He is a three-year starter, and one of 46 players
in Notre Dame history to score at least 1,000 points. He also holds the Notre Dame and Big East Conference records for
all-time career three-pointers.
This season Falls is averaging career bests of 14.9 points and 3.0 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in each of the
last three seasons with 1,336 career points thus far.
Harangody has played in all 29 games his freshman year and has been in the starting lineup in the last 13. He is fourth on
the team averaging 11.2 points and is the team's second-leading rebounder with 6.3 per game. The 6-8, 250-pound forward has
six double-doubles. He brings a toughness and swagger that Irish fans haven’t seen in several years.
Jackson, too, has played in all 29 games as a freshman and has been in the starting lineup each of the last 17. He is
averaging 7.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds. He finished as the Big East leader in assists in conference games
averaging 6.0 per contest. The 5-10, 185-pound point guard has scored in double figures in nine games this season and in
five of the last six contests. He has recorded seven or more assists in seven contests, including a personal best 11 against
South Florida.
The Irish are 23-6 and earned a first-round bye in the Big East Championship after finishing league play with an 11-5 record.
The 11 wins matched the most by an Irish team in Big East regular-season play.
The #22 or #17 Notre Dame men's basketball team has earned a first round bye and the No. 4 seed in the 2007 Big East Men's
Basketball Championship. The Irish will face either No. 5 seed Syracuse (21-9, 10-6) or No. 12 seed Connecticut (17-13, 6-10)
on Thursday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. in Madison Square Garden. The game will be televised by ESPN.
The Irish did not face the Huskies this season and won its only meeting with the Orange, 103-91, back on Jan. 30 in the
Carrier Dome.
