Elite Eight 1958.
The 1957-1958 schedule for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was an intriguing one. Granted, teams were far different in the 50’s than they are today, as was the entire college basketball landscape. But in 1957, the Irish faced teams such as Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, Butler, Valparaiso, Illinois, Louisville and North Carolina, as well as the usual independent rivals in Marquette, DePaul and Navy.
The Fighting Irish managed to rack up a 21-4 regular season record that year, including a sweep of the state of Indiana (Indiana, Purdue, Butler and Valparaiso), as well as a win over 11th-ranked North Carolina. Despite having not being nationally ranked for eight out of 14 weeks of the season, the Irish surged to seventh in the nation when the tournament rolled around.
Some clear cutting was done in the first round to the tune of a 94-61 win over Tennessee Tech. The matchup in the second round was one with a familiar foe – the Indiana Hoosiers. Just like the regular season matchup – a 89-74 Irish win – Notre Dame took care of business. With a 94-87 victory, the Irish were off to the Elite Eight and a showdown with Kentucky. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, that’s all the better it would get. The 1957-1958 season ended with an 89-56 beating at the hands of the Wildcats.
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