Mens Basketball: Banquet honors season
BY JOE HETTLER
Sports Editor
Notre Dame won 24 games and reached the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987. In the Joyce Center Tuesday, the Irish celebrated their 2002-03 season at the mens basketball awards banquet in front of approximately 850 people.
"I really we believed we've arrived nationally now," Irish coach Mike Brey said. " … I, along with our staff, thoroughly enjoyed coming to work with these guys every day. They gave you something back, they ran themselves and they're were just a thrill to be around."
Matt Carroll won the Monogram Club's MVP Award for a senior season in which he averaged 19.5 points and grabbed five rebounds a game.
Carroll and Jere Macura received the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne Student-Athlete Award for having the highest GPA's on the team. Notre Dame's four seniors — Dan Lustig, Macura, Dan Miller and Carroll — were honored with compliments from Brey and a highlight video. Each player also gave a speech, thanking his family and teammates.
Carroll was named a first-team Big East selection and a honorable mention All-American. He won numerous other awards during the season, including NABC first-team and Basketball Times Midwest first-team. His 10-minute speech was highlighted by several humorous stories and thanking every one from the managers to the strength coach.
After the speeches, Brey thanked countless people throughout the evening and after talking about each underclassman, showed a highlight video of the entire team.
The crowd was the largest ever to attend the banquet. An extra 30 tables were added from last year's event.
The Irish finished the season at 24-10 and beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Illinois to advance to the second weekend of the NCAA.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, April 16, 2003
