SOUTH BEND ― This was easy. This was difficult. This was a journey through the last quarter century of Notre Dame basketball. Through the Big East days and then the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The task was seemingly simple: identify the Top 25 players for Notre Dame over the first 25 seasons of the 2000s. It was 25 in 25. Not 30 in 25 or 35 in 25. Easy, right? Not quite.
Somebody’s getting left out. Somebody’s getting shuffled back a spot or two or three. Somebody’s going to have beef with this list. That’s why it was difficult. There are no absolutes, until maybe the Top Five.
Only Irish who completed their college eligibility between 2000 and 2025 were chosen, which is why junior point guard Markus Burton is absent. He’ll be on the list one day.
Here’s are the Top 25 Notre Dame basketball players during the first 25 years of the 2000s.
∎ 25. Ty Nash (2007-11)
Career: 118 games, 2,345 minutes, 712 points, 221 rebounds, 177 assists, 42 blocks, 51 steals; .512% FG; .500 3; .638 FT.
Best season: In his senior year of 2010-11, Nash averaged 9.5 points and 5.9 rebounds and set career bests for offensive rebounds (82) and free throw percentage (.689).
Did you know? Nash was one of three Irish to start every game (34) in 2010-11 when he played point forward/center on a team that finished a school best 14-4 in the Big East and 27-7 overall.
Memorable moment: Nash scored 13 points with five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 29 minutes to help No. 8 Notre Dame beat No. 16 Connecticut, 70-67 in Storrs on March 5, 2011. The Queens, New York native made three free throws in the final 3:55 as Notre Dame closed a magical regular season run with its 11th win in its last 12 games.
∎ 24. Tim Abromaitis (2008-12)
Career: 83 games, 2,382 minutes, 1,137 points, 398 rebounds, 121 assists, 27 blocks, 45 steals; .465% FG, .410 3, .834 FT.
Best season: A team captain in 2010-11, the 6-foot-8, 235-pound small forward from Unionville, Connecticut averaged 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 34.2 minutes to earn third team All-Big East honors.
Did you know? Abromaitis was the first player to earn Big East scholar-athlete honors three times.
Memorable moment: Abromaitis found space behind the 3-point line in a February 28, 2011, home game against Villanova and just kept shooting. And scoring. He had 30 points, four rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. Abro went 9-for-13 from 3 as Notre Dame set the school record with 20 3-pointers in a 93-72 victory.
∎ 23. Tory Jackson (2006-10)
Career: 103 games, 3,423 minutes, 966 points, 358 rebounds, 501 assists, 153 steals, 10 blocks; .413% FG; .347 3; .635 FT.
Best season: A tri-captain his senior year (2009-10), Jackson averaged 9.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 37.5 minutes.
Did you know? Jackson’s senior speech at the 2010 banquet may have set an unofficial record for length. He talked for nearly 35 minutes.
Memorable moment: Playing all 40 minutes of a March 3, 2010, home game against Connecticut, the Saginaw, Michigan native scored 22 points with two rebounds and three assists in a 58-50 win. That was part of four straight wins to end the regular season to slingshot the Irish back to the NCAA Tournament.
∎ 22. Jack Cooley (2009-13)
Career: 123 games, 2,435 minutes, 1,017 points, 792 rebounds, 66 assists, 116 blocks, 54 steals; .606% FG; .500 3; .662 FT.
Best season: A first team All-Big East selection his senior season (20012-13), the 6-9, 244-pound Cooley averaged 13.1 points and 10.1 rebounds in a career best 29.3 minutes. He was the only player to average a double-double for points and rebounds in league play (12.4, 10.1). He finished with a Big East best 19 double-doubles.
Did you know? Cooley played a career high 1,026 minutes as a senior after only 111 as a freshman.
Memorable moment: In the shadow of his Glenview, Illinois hometown on February 2, 2013, Cooley scored 26 points with 16 rebounds in 42 minutes, all career highs, in a 79-71 overtime win at DePaul.
∎ 21. Eric Atkins (2010-14)
Career: 133 games, 4,628 minutes, 1,421 points, 343 rebounds, 589 assists, 151 steals; .417% FG, .379 3, .686 FT.
Best season: In his junior year (2012-13), the Columbia, Maryland native averaged 11.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 1,340 minutes. He also had a career best 48 steals and was second in the Big East in assist/turnover ratio (2.01).
Did you know? Atkins was the first three-time team captain (2012-14) in program history. The only other one is Cormac Ryan (2021-23).
Memorable moment: In a home game against Boston College his senior season, Notre Dame’s first in the ACC, Atkins made a free throw with one second remaining to force overtime, then won it with a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining.
∎ 20. Rob Kurz (2004-08)
Career: 108 games, 2,516 minutes, 1,013 points, 650 rebounds, 139 assists, 60 steals, 122 blocks; .468% FG, .409 3, .810 FT.
Best season: A two-time team captain from Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, Kurz averaged 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 28.6 minutes as a senior (2007-08).
Did you know? Kurz often was the first pick during summer pickup, not for his scoring or rebounding or athleticism, but for his ability to make others around him better.
Memorable moment: In a 98-91 win at DePaul on March 2, 2008, Kurz had 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 33 minutes.
∎ 19. Colin Falls (2003-07)
Career: 121 games, 3,484 minutes, 1,387 points, 254 rebounds, 192 assists, 85 steals, 23 blocks; .409% FG, .400 3, .830 FT.
Best season: The Park Ridge, Illinois native averaged 15.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 minutes in 1,027 minutes to earn first team All-Big East his senior year of 2006-07.
Did you know? Falls remains the top 3-point shooter (331 made 3s) in program history. He also ended his career as the top 3-point shooter in the Big East (189 made 3s, currently third all-time).
Memorable moment: In an 89-83 Big East quarterfinal win over Syracuse on March 8, 2007, Falls scored 23 points on seven 3-pointers with three rebounds, five assists and a steal in 39 minutes.
∎ 18. Zach Auguste (2012-16)
Career: 128 games, 2,726 minutes, 1,274 points, 822 rebounds, 80 assists, 87 blocks, 69 steals; .567% FG, .613 FT.
Best season: In 2015-16, Auguste earned Monogram Club most valuable player honors and third team All-ACC after averaging 14.0 points, 10.7 rebounds in 29.5 minutes. His 22 double doubles led the league.
Did you know? The 6-10 Auguste took (and missed) one 3-pointer in his college career.
Memorable moment: In an 84-79 overtime win over Duke at the 2016 ACC Tournament quarterfinals in Washington, Auguste erupted for 19 points and a career-high 22 rebounds, the most rebounds for an Irish in ACC game and the most for Notre Dame since 2007.
∎ 17. John Mooney (2016-20)
Career: 112 games, 2,581 minutes, 1,191 points, 924 rebounds, 117 assists, 80 steals, 63 blocks; .462% FG, .357 3, .674 FT.
Best season: A first team All-ACC his senior year (2019-20), Mooney averaged 16.1 points, 12.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.6 minutes.
Did you know? Mooney led the nation in defensive rebounding (9.4) and double doubles (25) in 2019-20.
Memorable moment: In an 80-72 home win over Georgia Tech on February 1, 2020, the 6-9 native of Orlando scored 18 of his 28 points in the second half. He became the 64th player in program history to score at least 1,000 career points. Mooney added 10 rebounds for his 17th double-double.
∎ 16. Prentiss Hubb (2018-22)
Career: 125 games, 4,371 minutes, 1,344 points, 373 rebounds, 585 assists, 108 steals, 28 blocks; .369% FG, .318 3, .726 FT.
Best season: The 6-3 native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists his junior year (2020-21).
Did you know? Serving as a surrogate big brother, Hubb was a key reason former Riley High School guard Blake Wesley blossomed in his only season at Notre Dame (2021-22).
Memorable moment: Bouncing back from an untimely technical foul at Syracuse on January 14, 2020, Hubb hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 84, then made two free throws with 18 seconds to help seal an 88-87 win. He finished with 22 points, two rebounds and nine assists in 38 minutes.
∎ 15. Dan Miller (2002-03)
Career: 34 games, 1,195 minutes, 473 points, 194 rebounds, 81 assists, 30 steals, 11 blocks; .425% FG, .355 3, .719 FT.
Best season: In 2002-03, Miller averaged 13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 35.1 minutes. He was one of four Irish to start all 34 games.
Did you know? Miller was the first player in the modern era to transfer to Notre Dame with only one season of eligibility remaining.
Memorable moment: The Mount Holly, New Jersey native helped drive Notre Dame to its first Sweet 16 in 16 seasons with a 68-60 victory over Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. Miller scored a team-high 23 points with three rebounds and one assist.
∎ 14. Demetrius Jackson (2013-16)
Career: 103 games, 3,243 minutes, 1,204 points, 322 rebounds, 335 assists, 114 steals; .467% FG, .381 3, .782 FT.
Best season: A second team All-ACC selection as a junior, Jackson averaged 15.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 35.9 minutes.
Did you know? Jackson was the second Irish since 2000 (Troy Murphy) to leave early for the NBA, where he was a second-round pick of the Boston Celtics in the 2016 draft.
Memorable moment: In a how-did-that-happen comeback against Wisconsin in the 2016 NCAA Sweet 16, Notre Dame trailed by one with 19 seconds left before Jackson made two steals and scored six points in 16 seconds for a 61-56 victory. The Mishawaka native finished with 16 points, three rebounds, six assists and three steals in 37 minutes.
∎ 13. Kyle McAlarney (2005-09)
Career: 110 games, 3,514 minutes, 1,352 points, 237 rebounds, 376 assists, 78 steals; .431% FG, .434 3, .860 FT.
Best season: The 6-1 native of Staten Island, New York averaged 15.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 36.9 minutes to earn first team All-Big East honors his senior year of 2008-09. His 124 3-pointers still rank first in program history for 3s in a season.
Did you know? McAlarney became the first (and only) Irish in program history to make at least 100 3s in consecutive seasons. He made 108 3s in 2007-08 and 124 in 2008-09.
Memorable moment: McAlarney scored a career high 39 points on a school record 10 3-pointers with two rebounds and six assists in a 102-87 loss to North Carolina in the 2008 EA Sports Maui Invitational championship game.
∎ 12. Chris Quinn (2002-06)
Career: 123 games, 3,813 minutes, 1,454 points, 334 rebounds, 428 assists, 155 steals, 16 blocks; .466% FG, .417 3, .825 FT.
Best season: The 6-2 guard from Dublin, Ohio averaged 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists to earn first team All-Big East in 2005-06. At the time, he was one of three Irish (Pat Garrity, Troy Murphy) to average at least 20 ppg in Big East play.
Did you know? Thanks to five overtime games in 2005-06, Quinn ended the season having averaged an even 40.0 minutes played.
Memorable moment: Quinn set a Petersen Events Center record with 37 points in a January 4, 2006, double-overtime loss (100-97) to Pittsburgh. He also had six rebounds and nine assists in 49 minutes.
∎ 11. David Graves (1998-2002)
Career: 130 games, 4,059 minutes, 1,746 points, 620 rebounds, 340 assists, 202 steals; .455% FG, .411 3, .790 FT.
Best season: The 6-6 small forward from Lexington, Kentucky averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 32.4 minutes as a junior in 2000-01.
Did you know? Graves finished ranked in the Top 10 of 10 statistical categories, including first in games played (130) and steals (202).
Memorable moment: In his final game at Notre Dame, Graves scored 20 points with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in the 84-77 loss to Duke in the second round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
∎ 10. Steve Vasturia (2013-17)
Career: 137 games, 4,402 minutes, 1,400 points, 417 rebounds, 331 assists, 128 steals; .438% FG, .364 3, .853 FT.
Best season: The 6-5 native of Medford, New Jersey averaged 13.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 34.6 minutes and shot a career best 91% from the foul line his senior year of 2016-17.
Did you know? Vasturia had one dunk – in the final minute of a 84-72 home win over Florida State on February 11, 2017 – during his collegiate career.
Memorable moment: Camped in the corner in front of the Notre Dame bench in the second half of the 2015 ACC Championship game against North Carolina, Vasturia waited for the ball to move once, twice and then three times before it found him. His corner 3 tied the game at 64 with 8:10 remaining. Notre Dame would never again trail en route to its first league tournament title. Vasturia had 14 points, four rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes.
∎ 9. Ryan Humphrey (2000-02)
Career: 60 games, 1,966 minutes, 997 points, 597 rebounds, 121 assists, 166 blocks, 54 steals; .495% FG, .380 3, .566 FT.
Best season: A Tulsa native, the former McDonald’s All-American averaged 18.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists with 87 blocks and 33 steals to earn first team All-Big East and team MVP honors as a senior (2001-02).
Did you know? Humphrey, who played two seasons at Oklahoma, was the first transfer to play at Notre Dame.
Memorable moment: Ruled out for at least three weeks only days earlier because of a stress reaction in his left leg, Humphrey refused to rest/heal and had 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists, six blocks and two steals in all 40 minutes of a 70-69 victory on December 8, 2001, at Miami (Ohio).
∎ 8. Ben Hansbrough (2009-11)
Career: 69 games, 2,443 minutes, 1,044 points, 267 rebounds, 298 assists, 78 steals; .468% FG, .425 3, .779 FT.
Best season: Hansbrough averaged 18.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 35.3 minutes to earn Big East player of the year and second team All-America honors as a senior in 2010-11.
Did you know? Hansbrough played two seasons at Notre Dame after transferring from Mississippi State.
Memorable moment: Barely 48 hours after a home win over Marquette, Notre Dame won at No. 2 Pittsburgh (56-51) on January 24, 2011, thanks to a big game from B-Hans on “Big Monday.” The Poplar Bluff, Missouri native had 19 points, four rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 39 minutes, an effort that basically cemented league player of the year honors. Hansbrough called it his “best win, maybe ever.”
∎ 7. Matt Carroll (1999-2003)
Career: 133 games, 4,147 minutes, 1,850 points, 570 rebounds, 334 assists, 119 steals, 24 blocks; .445% FG, .395 3, .825 FT.
Best season: The Horsham, Pennsylvania native averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 33.9 minutes his senior year (2002-03) to earn first team All-Big East and honorable mention All-America honors.
Did you know? Carroll ended his career with the most 3-point field goals (301) in program history. He currently ranks third.
Memorable moment: In a 93-92 double-overtime home victory over Georgetown on February 1, 2003, Carroll set career highs for points (36) and minutes (48). He added five rebounds, one assist and two steals.
∎ 6. Chris Thomas (2001-05)
Career: 128 games, 4,814 minutes, 2,195 points, 528 rebounds, 833 assists, 244 steals; .383% FG, .363 3, .868 FT.
Best season: Thomas averaged 18.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists to earn honorable mention All-American honors as a sophomore in 2002-03.
Did you know? The Indianapolis native tallied a triple double (24 points, 11 assists, 11 steals) in his college debut. It remains the only one in program history.
Memorable moment: Thomas scored a career high 39 points with five rebounds and an assist in 38 minutes of a 77-66 National Invitation Tournament win over Saint Louis in Fort Wayne on March 2, 2004. It was the last time that Thomas looked like himself. He underwent microfracture knee surgery in the offseason and was never the same.
∎ 5. Troy Murphy (1998-2001)
Career: 94 games, 3,298 minutes, 2,011 points, 663 rebounds, 158 assists, 113 steals, 126 blocks; .496% FG, .335 3, .777 FT.
Best season: The Morristown, New Jersey native averaged 22.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 35.6 minutes as a sophomore (1999-2000) to earn the first of two Big East player of the year honors. He also was named a first team All-American, the first for a Notre Dame player since 1975-76 (Adrian Dantley).
Did you know? Murphy is the program’s last NBA draft lottery pick. He was selected 14th by Golden State in 2001.
Memorable moment: Games against the State University of New Jersey always hit differently for Murphy. On January 6, 2001, the Jersey guy went for a career-high 37 points, three rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes of an 87-80 home win over Rutgers.
∎ 4. Bonzie Colson (2014-18)
Career: 125 games, 3,132 minutes, 1,632 points, 900 rebounds, 122 assists, 155 blocks, 125 steals; .527% FG, .350 3, .772 FT.
Best season: The 6-6 New Bedford, Massachusetts native averaged 17.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 32.1 minutes his junior year (2016-17). He also attempted a career-high 180 free throws.
Did you know? Notre Dame was this close from winning two ACC Tournaments championships in three years – up three with eight minutes left − before Colson, who had 29 points and 12 rebounds, suffered a sprained right ankle in the 2017 ACC title game loss (75-69) to Duke.
Memorable moment: On January 16, 2016, Colson came off the bench for 31 points on 12-of-19 from the floor with 11 rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes of a 95-91 victory at No. 9 Duke. It remains the last time Notre Dame beat a Top 10 team on the road.
∎ 3. Luke Harangody (2006-10)
Career: 129 games, 3,768 minutes, 2,476 points, 1,222 rebounds, 210 assists, 99 steals, 95 blocks; .475% FG, .326 3, .782 FT.
Best season: Harangody averaged 23.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 34.2 minutes as a junior to earn first team All-Big East and second team All-American honors. He finished the season with 25 double doubles and was the only Division I player ranked in the Top 10 in scoring and rebounding.
Did you know? Had Harangody not missed five games late in his senior season with a bone bruise in his right knee, he likely would’ve been the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Notre Dame history.
Memorable moment: The Big East player of the year as a sophomore, the Schererville, Indiana native showed why in an epic effort against Louisville at Freedom Hall on February 28, 2008. Harangody tallied 40 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes of a 90-85 loss. It was the most points an Irish ever scored in a Big East game and the first time an Irish had scored 40 in 15 years.
∎ 2. Pat Connaughton (2011-15)
Career: 139 games, 4,484 minutes, 1,465 points, 823 rebounds, 257 assists, 93 steals, 71 blocks; .450% FG, .386 3, .777 FT.
Best season: Returning from a summer of pitching in the Baltimore Orioles farm system, Connaughton averaged 12.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 35.6 minutes in 2014-15, his senior season.
Did you know? Connaughton was chosen as the lone captain for the magical 2014-15 season. It was only the fourth time that had happened since 1985.
Memorable moment: There are two – both in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Connaughton’s flying block on guard Kellen Dunham’s potential game-winning corner 3 to force overtime in a second-round win over Butler. Also, his drive and two-handed dunk gave Notre Dame a 46-42 lead with 14:25 remaining against Kentucky in the Midwest Regional final.
∎ 1. Jerian Grant (2010-15)
Career: 119 games, 4,337 minutes, 1,739 points, 343 rebounds, 690 assists, 175 steals; .435% FG, .345 3, .790 FT.
Best season: Grant averaged 16.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 37.1 minutes as a senior to earn first team All-ACC and first team All-American honors. He would become a first-round NBA draft pick (19th overall) of the New York Knicks.
Did you know? Grant sat out 2010-11 as a true freshman because there weren’t enough minutes for him. Had he played that year, 2014-15 never would’ve have happened for him. And maybe also for Notre Dame.
Memorable moment: Logging all 40 minutes of the 77-73 home victory over Duke on January 28, 2015, the first matchup between two Top 10 teams at Purcell Pavilion in 12 seasons, Grant had 23 points, six rebounds, 12 assists and three steals. He just made everything go. That night. That season.
The next Sweet 16 (in alphabetical order): Paul Atkinson, Jr., V.J. Beachem, Russell Carter, Jordan Cornette, Matt Farrell, Torin Francis, Martinas Geben, T.J. Gibbs, Dane Goodwin, Nate Laszewski, Scott Martin, Rex Pflueger, Cormac Ryan, Carleton Scott, Harold Swanagan, Blake Wesley.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
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