May 27, 2015NOTRE DAME, Ind. — While it’s highly unlikely a Hollywood screenwriter was behind the pairing, there will be no shortage of storylines when the University of Notre Dame and Ohio State University meet on Dec. 2, 2015, at Purcell Pavilion in one of the marquee games of the ninth annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge, it was announced Wednesday by both the Atlantic Coast and Big Ten conference offices. The exact tip time and broadcast coverage will be announced at a later date. With Wednesday’s announcement, the Fighting Irish will play one of their former assistant coaches for the second time in three appearances in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff served on Muffet McGraw’s staff at Notre Dame for six seasons from 1996-97 through 2001-02 and was a vital member of two Final Four teams, including the program’s first NCAA championship squad in 2000-01. “Once again we will matched up with a former assistant in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, this time with Kevin McGuff,” said McGraw, Notre Dame’s Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach. “Kevin has done a terrific job building Ohio State into a national power. They have a great young team led by the nation’s leading scorer last year, Kelsey Mitchell. Both teams like to put points on the board and play at a very fast pace, and that should make it an exciting game for our fans, who are the best in the country.” As an added wrinkle, McGuff’s wife is the former Letitia Bowen, a 1995 Notre Dame graduate who played for McGraw and the Fighting Irish from 1991-95 and remains second on the program’s career rebounding list (999). A two-time all-Midwestern Collegiate Conference selection, Bowen also spent six seasons on McGraw’s staff at Notre Dame, four as an assistant coach and two as director of basketball operations, filling the latter role on the 2001 national championship team. Two of Notre Dame’s current assistant coaches — Beth (Morgan) Cunningham and Niele Ivey — were players on the 1996-97 Final Four team that featured McGuff and Bowen as assistants alongside current Fighting Irish associate head coach Carol Owens…
Continue Reading: Irish Host Ohio State In Big Ten/ACC Women’s Basketball Challenge
