Irish Basketball Cracks Top 25

We're primarily a football operation here, but it's worth noting that the Notre Dame men's basketball team is quietly having a very nice season. They haven't gotten much national media attention so far, but that may change now that the Irish are a Top 25 team. Wins over Villanova, Providence and DePaul in the past nine days, have vaulted the Irish to #21 in the USA Today coaches poll and #22 in the Associated Press poll. Notre Dame is 16-4 overall and 6-2 in conference, which is good enough for second place in the Big East. It would seem the Irish are poised to easily garner more than the 20 wins typically necessary to get a ticket to the big dance in March. For superior coverage of Notre Dame basketball, I highly recommend the Black and Green Irish Men's Basketball Report and old Notre Dame, two blogs which are listed in our blogroll on the right under "other Irish Sports Blogs."

Not to be outdone, the Irish women's basketball team is ranked at #20 in both polls, just ahead of where the Irish men are ranked. The Irish women are 17-5 overall, 5-3 in conference, good for sixth place in the Big East.