NCAA Basketball: Mount Rushmores for the top 25 programs of all-time
By Brian Rauf
Notre Dame Basketball Mount Rushmore: Adrian Dantley, Austin Carr, LaPhonso Ellis, Mike Brey
Adrian Dantley
A two-time consensus All-American, Adrian Dantley was an absolute offensive force for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He averaged 25.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for his career, including 30.4 points per game in the 1974-75 season. Though he only played three seasons, Dantley ranks second on Notre Dame’s career scoring list with 2,223 points and holds the school record for both free throws made and attempted.
Dantley went on to have a very successful pro career as well, averaging 24.3 points per game and being named an NBA All-Star six times.
Austin Carr
A more prolific scorer than Dantley, Austin Carr holds the school record with 2,560 points for his career and also did so in three seasons. He averaged at least 38 points per game in both the 1969-70 and 1970-71 seasons and was a consensus All-American both years, winning National Player of the Year in 1971.
Carr wound up being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1971 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and had a solid professional career that spanned 10 seasons.
LaPhonso Ellis
Simply put, LaPhonso Ellis was one of the most dominant all-around big men in Notre Dame history. As a senior in 1991-92, Ellis averaged 17.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He remains the only player in school history to lead the team in blocks all four seasons and is still the program leader in career blocks.
Ellis was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, but injuries largely limited him to being a role player at the professional level.
Mike Brey
Mike Brey isn’t necessarily thought of among the top tier of coaches in college basketball, but he has a resume that is extremely impressive. In his 19 seasons as Notre Dame’s head coach, Brey owns the program’s only conference championship (2015 ACC Tournament) and is the school’s all-time leader in wins.
The Fighting Irish have made the NCAA Tournament 12 times in Brey’s 19 years and made back-to-back Elite Eights in 2015 and 2016. Brey still appears to have many years left in the tank so, while he already belongs on this list, he should only cement his place moving forward.