Tim Abromaitis News

Ashley Barlow had 17 points, Brittany Mallory scored 16 and No. 3 Notre Dame overcame a slow start to beat Central Florida 85-52 on Tuesday.

Ready or not, here it comes. College basketball fans barely had enough time to collect the wrapping paper scattered around the Christmas tree and chug a final cup of egg nog before the game's most compelling soap opera - the Big East men's basketball conference season - started Saturday with West Virginia's overtime victory at Seton Hall.

Notre Dame's Luke Harangody is leading the Big East in scoring and defensive rebounding .

Luke Harangody had 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists to pace Notre Dame to an easy 101-69 victory over Bucknell on Tuesday night.

Before the Notre Dame men's basketball players hunker down for exam week, the Irish have one more test to pass on the court.

In one four-week run, just over a third of the Notre Dame men's basketball regular season has come and gone.

With 40 years of service in a sport he fell hard for while in seventh grade, Max Good embraces every aspect of it all.

Even though Central Florida coach Kirk Speraw wasn't sure of the proper pronunciation for Tim Abromaitis' last name, he knew the Knights had to be aware of him.

Jarred DuBois hit a three-pointer with 8 seconds left to lift Loyola Marymount to an 87-85 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday night.

Indications that the identity of this Notre Dame men's basketball team could differ from previous seasons first surfaced over the summer.

Halftime hand-wringing in the home locker room finally was kept to a minimum Wednesday against IUPUI .

Ben Hansbrough scored 22 points, Tim Abromaitis added 18 and Notre Dame took command early en route to a 93-70 victory over IUPUI on Wednesday night.

Sophomore guard A.J. Rompza noticed it immediately. In the first minutes of the second half, the Knights were a step too slow.

Fear flooded the thoughts of Notre Dame senior point guard Tory Jackson in the second half of Sundaya s game against Central Florida.

Up in the rafters, the greatest basketball player of all-time watched on. On the court, Michael Jordan saw Tim Abromaitis play the best game of his young career, prompting some in the Irish locker room to call him "Abro-Jordan" after the game.

The Notre Dame men's basketball team continues to be spot on in the second half.

Back before he owned a driver's license, Notre Dame power forward Luke Harangody would sit home in nearby Schererville and watch former Irish All-American Troy Murphy operate.

As December dawns and league play lurks come month's end, a sequence of game situations last weekend gave the Notre Dame men's basketball team confidence that it can distance itself from last season's shortcomings.

Northwestern UIC Pavilion Chicago, Ill. * 7:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network Audio: WGN-AM 720 and wgnradio.com Satellite Radio: Sirius 159 and XM 117 Gametracker: NUsports.com In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE Northwestern Game Notes EVANSTON, Ill.

John Shurna scored a career-high 25 points and freshman Alex Marcotullio made a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half Friday night as Northwestern beat No.