Men's basketball

NO. 23 IRISH NOW 5-0: Andrean grad Luke Harangody had 29 points and 15 rebounds to help No. 23 Notre Dame beat Kennesaw State 80-62 in the Chicago Invitational Challenge on Tuesday night.

Harangody had a double-double in the first half with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Tim Abromaitis added 14 points. The Irish (5-0) are off to their best start since going 7-0 to open the 2001-02 season.

College football

SOURCE: CLAUSEN HAS BLACK EYE AFTER PUNCH: Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen was sporting a black eye behind the tinted visor he wore to practice Tuesday.

According to a university official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the matter, Clausen was punched outside a South Bend bar early Sunday morning.

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick said Clausen was the "victim of a sucker punch." He made the comments during a taping of his radio show for WLS Radio 890 in Chicago, which normally airs on Saturday.

"He was not engaged in a fight. He didn't throw any punches. He didn't directly engage the individual," Swarbrick said.

VU'S RUNDH AN ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN: Valparaiso University's Adam Rundh has been named to the ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-America First Team. Rundh finished his career with the Crusaders with 124 total tackles. An international business and finance double major, Rundh carries a 3.94 cumulative grade-point average.

FIVE VALPO PLAYERS RECEIVE PFL HONOR: Valparaiso University had five football players named Honorable Mention All-Pioneer Football League as voted upon by the league's head coaches. Earning the honor for the Crusaders are Nate Blair (Andrean), Josh Lynn (Morton), Nikko Carson, Anthony Curry (Merrillville) and Kyle Himmelwright.

Blair, a sophomore, started all 11 games for the Crusaders at left tackle this season. Lynn, a senior, started 10 games at fullback. Curry, a senior defensive back, intercepted three passes.

LOWELL GRAD LANG EARNS AWARD: For the second time this year, Butler placekicker David Lang (Lowell) has been named Pioneer Football League Special Teams Player of the Week. Lang converted a 27-yard field goal with one second remaining to lift the Bulldogs to a 20-17 victory over visiting Drake and give Butler its first PFL championship since 1994.

College volleyball

VU'S PORCHE EARNS ACADEMIC HONOR: Valparaiso University senior outside hitter Angie Porche (T.F. South) has been named an ESPN The Magazine's Third Team Academic All-American. Porche is the program's leader in career kills (2,036) and attacks (5.129). As a psychology major, she carries a 3.79 GPA.

Prep basketball

MORGAN TWP. BOYS CRUSH COVENANT CHRISTIAN: Brandon Grubl had 22 points and 10 rebounds, while teammate Joel Reinhertz added 20 points as Morgan Twp. cruised over Covenant Christian in the season opener for both schools. Cameron Mulder led the Knights with nine points.

NO. 7 LAKE CENTRAL GIRLS TOP HIGHLAND: Times No. 7 Lake Central beat Highland 62-36 as Kaley Marcinak and Andrea Kras each scored 14 points for the Indians Marcinak had two of the Indians' six 3-pointers. For Highland, Julia Wiesemann had 10 points.

Around the horn

Denis Hamlett will not return to the Fire next year after leading them to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his two seasons as head coach. ... Ball State's Ali Bishel finished 67th at Monday's NCAA Women's Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute. The Chesterton product covered the 6,000 meters in 21:04.7. ... Gene Bartow, who served as Valparaiso's head men's basketball coach from 1964-1970, was inducted in the Class of 2009 into the National Collegiate Basketball of Fame in a ceremony held on Sunday in Kansas City, Mo. ... South Suburban College will host its annual Michael Pippin Fall/Winter Baseball Camp starting Dec. 6. The nine-week camp runs on Sundays beginning at noon. For more information, call Steve Ruzich at (708) 596-2000, ext. 2413. ... The Texans will be facing the Colts without safety and Merrillville grad Eugene Wilson after he injured two toes on one of his feet against the Titans on Monday. ... Albert Pujols was unanimously voted National League MVP on Tuesday, becoming the first player to repeat since Barry Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04. Pujols received all 32 first-place votes and 448 points in balloting. ... Former Chicago Bulls star Bob "Butterbean" Love will ring the bells for the Salvation Army from 5-63:0 p.m. on Dec. 16. Love will be outside of Macy's at Westfield Southlake mall. ... Crown Point girls cross country coach Patty Begley was recently named the 2009 Ball State Alumnus Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year.