Pat Connaughton

Patrick Bergin Connaughton, son of Leonard and Susan, was born in Arlington, Massachusetts in 1993. He starred as a three-sport athlete in high school and thought he'd be a baseball player. He dominated on the mound at St. John's Prep in Danvers' Massachusetts, with collegiate offers rolling in from all over the country. That all changed after one "spectacular week" during an AAU Tournament in Florida which saw Connaughton push through 33 points and 20 rebounds in one game. In 2011, he won the 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Massachusetts while also capturing the state's ESPN Mr. Basketball. After four years at St. John's, Connaughton took his baseball and basketball talents to Notre Dame and averaged seven points and 4.4 rebounds while compiling a 3.18 ERA in 10 starts for the baseball team. After being picked 121st overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2014 MLB Draft, Connaughton returned to Notre Dame for his senior year of basketball, serving as the team's lone captain. His 12.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game helped lead the Irish to historic heights, as they made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and eventually fell to Kentucky by just two points. Connaughton, a graduate of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, is President of the With Us Foundation, which focuses on "creating access to athletics for all kids, affording them the opportunity to learn translatable life skills and values through the healthy and enjoyable vehicle of sports". More information can be found on the organization's website, withusfoundation.com. You can follow Connaughton on Twitter @Pconnaughton and on Instagram @Patconnaughton. Connaughton spent four years with Notre Dame as a two-sport star. In addition to playing basketball, the 6-5 guard pitched for the baseball team. He started 18 games as a freshman and contributed 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Fighting Irish. Connaughton put up at least 20 points three times, including 23 points and 11 rebounds in a victory over Marquette. He moved into the starting lineup for all 35 games as a sophomore and recorded 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds. The guard enjoyed a huge effort in a win over Louisville with 16 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. The Irish moved from the Big East to the ACC for Connaughton's junior season, where he'd go on to average 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists while registering five double-doubles. As a senior, the guard led the Irish to the Elite Eight with 12.5 points and 7.4 rebounds. He was also named to the All-Midwest Region team after notching 16 points and 10 rebounds during a win over Wichita State.