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Thomas Noie

12:08

Mike: Three of four years ago, it would be beyond bizarre. Same goes for J.J. Starling in the orange of Syracuse. But I digress. Totally agree that the casual Notre Dame fan (of which there are too many), will see Cormac Ryan and what he does at Carolina and be like, wait, what? He has a chance, playing in that program with the guys that he has around him, to have an all-league type of season. Truth telling time - based on what he did in the 2021-22 NCAA tournament, and the way he talked a good game last year (regular-season champions, Final Four capable), I picked him to be first team All-ACC in preseason. Shows you what I know. But if he bottles his potential (a poor man's Kirk Hinrich), first team all-league next year might not be so far-fetched.

Mike, New Jersey

12:05

Is it going to be strange seeing Cormac Ryan in Tarheel Blue? I think people that don't pay attention to Notre Dame Basketball are going to be surprised how big of an addition he is for UNC.

Thomas Noie

12:04

Justin: I think if we go back to this time last year, or the year before that, we can dust off a question that asks the same thing. Think we go through it every spring - hey, Notre Dame is offering way more guys. Is there a change in recruiting philosophy? Then in the fall, it's like, uh, who are they signing? Anyone? I don't get a sense that Notre Dame has green-lit recruiting to be any different than in the past. Notre Dame remains a place that's not for everyone. You have to want to be there. That's not going to change, because that place isn't. Ever.

Justin Ft. Wayne

12:02

Hey Tom. The past couple weeks Shrewsberry has sent out a lot of offers. You think there was anything with limiting the recruiting restrictions that has allowed to go after so many kids? He’s sent out more offers the past couple weeks than Brey did in years.

Thomas Noie

12:02

Patrick: It would be more behind-the-scenes stuff that we're not privy to. Enough of the, well, this is how we do it because that's how we've always done it to, let's think outside the box in terms of fan participation or game management or whatever it might be. Step into Purcell Pavilion and it's still like stepping into the 1990s and 1980s. Liven the place up a little. And please, please, please, do away with having to stop the game for one reason or another because of a scorer's table error. That's so small-timey, but it still happens.

Patrick in NYC

12:00

Tom, the admin surprised some of us old alums, in a good way, who worry about our commitment to men's basketball by grabbing a highly-regarded coach like Shrewsberry. As he gets ready to build his program here are there areas where we need to see greater commitment or support from the higher ups to help Shrewsberry make this a top flight basketball program?

Thomas Noie

12:00

Patrick: I know you come here for answers, but the most popular one from me, at least now, is I don't know. I know that's not what you want to hear, but I don't know what the trademarks might be or will be for a Micah Shrewsberry team in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In the Big Ten, his Penn State teams would grind you, because that's a grinder league. We know that grind doesn't always work in the ACC. You better score. You better get up and down and back in transition. You better have athleticism on the front line. You better have really good guards. You better be old. Notre Dame has absolutely none or very little of that. We may see some of that this season, some more next and then by Year Three, it's an NCAA tournament team. Maybe.

Patrick in NYC

11:57

Tom, thanks for putting this together and getting us through such a tough season last year! Brey's teams had an identity for better and worse: ball movement, older players who developed, outscoring rather than emphasis on D. What would be the trademarks of a Shrews-coached team and how soon do you think we'll see that?

Thomas Noie

11:56

Clint: Honestly, he's not. He's just not. It would've been easier had Ryan and Starling returned or that there would be two veteran guards/handlers ahead of him to where Burton could be the ideal third guard. Kind of like the Eric Atkins situation in 2010-11 when he was the change-up guard with Ben Hansbrough handling all the heavy lifting. Look, Markus Burton may be a revelation next season. There's also a chance that he's not ready. The ACC is a massive leap. Burton might eventually make it and all will be well, but I'd feel a lot better (and I'm sure Micah Shrewsberry would as well) if there was an experienced handler in front of him to show him the way.

Clint from Winnipeg

11:54

I know you have seen Markus Burton play in person. What's your sense on how close he is to being ready for the ACC? I realize we may not have choice in how soon he plays.

Thomas Noie

11:54

Mike: Probably not. You're talking about an unathletic group (last year) to an OK athletic group (this year). Now, if they all run and jump and compete like we've never seen, then we'll reassess. But I don't know if any of the ACC elites look at Notre Dame's roster as it currently is constructed and wonders, whoa, how are we going to deal with these guys? Notre Dame has come a long way in that department from last year, but there's still a long way to go.

San Mike Diego

11:52

Nate L, Trey Wertz, Dane Goodwin, Cormac Ryan --> Burton, Booth, Njie, Roper... is that the biggest turnaround in terms of athleticism in ND history? Not talking baskteball just purely an athletic standpoint

Thomas Noie

11:51

As for the undoing of the Mike Brey era, recruiting played a part of it, but only a small part. It was all-encompassing. Like putting too much faith in a senior class that didn't deserve it. Like recruiting. Like what if Bonzie Colson doesn't roll his ankle in 2017 and Notre Dame wins the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament twice in three years? Like what if the pandemic doesn't wipe out March 2020 and Notre Dame goes to the post season (NIT) but rides that experience into a successful 2021-22 instead of playing the insane schedule thinking the season would never get off the ground. Like what if it beats Texas Tech and gets to the Sweet 16 last year? Like what if Ven-Allen Lubin and Marcus Hammond are healthy at the start of last season. There were so many factors that led to last season's Dumpster fire. In the end, Mike Brey was right - everything is so fragile. Brey and Notre Dame walked that tightrope for so long, but when it goes bad, it REALLY goes bad.

11:48

Clint: Micah Shrewsberry might recruit at a level that nobody around Notre Dame men's basketball has ever seen, but if he doesn't consistently win a lot of games in the Atlantic Coast Conference or get to the NCAA tournament, what does it matter? You have to recruit. You have to manage your roster. You have to schedule smartly. You have to figure out the rhythm to everything. Then you have to win. THAT will deliver long-term success. You can recruit like your hair is on fire, but if you can't win, what's it all mean?

Clint from Winnipeg

11:46

Perhaps out of necessity, it's difficult not to notice how much harder Shrewsberry works on the recruiting trail. Will that be what ultimately delivers long-term success for ND? Was recruiting the undoing of Brey?

Thomas Noie

11:45

Joe: We didn't dive that deeply in our chat - 30 minutes goes awfully quick when there's so much ground to cover. We'll find out as we move forward what he thinks needs a tweak here or there. Everything about the program could use a power wash to some extent.

Joe, Chicago

11:44

I know the practice facility is relatively new, but did Shrewsberry have any ideas of other upgrades or modernizing to the program?

Thomas Noie

11:44

Joey: In fairness, J.R. Koniecnzy's college clock really starts now. He wasn't going to play as a true freshman, not with Blake Wesley on the roster and the veteran perimeter. He sat out last season because again, the veteran perimeter necessitated that he sit. Now, we'll see. I will push back on any notion that Micah Shrewsberry, who has never seen JRK play, told him he'd be a main guy. He may have said that JRK will have every opportunity to be a main rotation guy, but he's not making any declarative statements in that regard. It would be pretty silly for JRK to leave - we don't know, and he doesn't know if he can even play. What program would be like, yeah, come here and play. We'll see this year. Konieczny has had two full years to refine his game. There better be a there there.

Joey from Indiana

11:40

Is JR Konieczny ever going to play or is he just an afterthought at this point? I assume he didn’t enter the portal because he was told he would be a main guy? I thought once Starling left, he wouldn’t be far behind.

Thomas Noie

11:37

Joe: Stunned. Didn't think Notre Dame would ever go north of $3 million on salary for a men's basketball coach. When Mike Brey signed his first contract in 2000, he was making $500,000 a year. Times change, though. It remains to be seen if Notre Dame does. Yes, it went where it had to go to get a new coach, but will it go to places it has to go (transfer portal) to keep up with the rest of college basketball? That it landed Shrewsberry and has given him more staff as resources is a start, but there's a long way to go for this program to be what others believe it can be. I don't know if it ever gets to an elite level, but at least now, it has the ability to continue the climb. It didn't before.

Joe, Chicago

11:34

Were you surprised at the amount of $$$ ND committed to basketball with the new contract and buyout from Penn State? Does that changes your opinion of how the University may be committed to basketball moving forward?

Thomas Noie

11:34

Joe: It was Micah Shrewsberry, Matt Langel and Devin DeVries with other coaches (Greg McDermott, Chris Holtmann) on the periphery. Jack Swarbrick was drawn to Shrewsberry given his Indianapolis background and his work with Brad Stevens. He was at the top of the list when this job opened Jan. 20 and was still there when it closed March 20. He was always the guy. Or close to the guy.

Joe, Chicago

11:32

Do you have a definitive list of the final three candidates for the job and what set Shrewsberry apart at the end?

Thomas Noie

11:32

Ed: TBD. Look at what Micah Shrewsberry did in his two seasons at Penn State. In 2021-22, a team that finished 14-17 overall, 7-13 in the Big Ten, he had nine guys average at least 10 minutes a game. Six played at least 22 minutes a game. Eight different guys started. Four started at least 20 games. Last year, 2022-23, Penn State finished 23-14, 101-10 in the Big Ten. Eight different guys played at least 10 minutes a game, five played at least 21. Eight players started at least one game, five started at least 26. How does that compare to Brey last year? Seven guys played at least 17.5 minutes a game, six logged at least 25.4. Seven players started at least one game while five started at least 22. Shrewsberry goes a little deeper and the minutes might be spread around a little more, but it's still about 8.5 guys. Still too early to tell about recruiting - though the guys Notre Dame got this month all look like guys Brey would recruit. Let's see how/where Shrewsberry zigs when people expect a zag.

Ed Zagorski, Irving TX

11:28

Tom, I know it will take time for Micah to build his roster. From what you know of him, when he does get a full roster (a couple of years from now), do you expect that he will run as tight a rotation as Brey did or will he be more open to a running a deeper rotation? Also, do you expect more of an emphasis on recruiting stronger (like Atkinson) and bigger players than Brey’s last few years?

Thomas Noie

11:17

I've seen a lot of Markus Burton. I also know that the Atlantic Coast Conference isn't the Northern Indiana Conference. That's a concern. Markus is so small right now. He's not ACC ready - though he may have to be ACC ready. I'd like for him to at least have a safety net under him. Now, the question is, can he be more like former NIC standout Blake Wesley as a freshman and not like former NIC standout J.R. Koniecnzy as a freshman? If Burton is more Wesley like in terms of being an assassin (in the best of terms) Notre Dame has something. If he needs time to grow and get stronger, what was expected to be a long year already gets longer - if he's the only handler.

joe from the south side

11:14

Tom, I selected Burton as the breakout player. First, it looks like he is the starting PG. And only PG. Next, if you look at him on film and the HS stats, no situation was too big for him. As Brey would say, "He performed when the lights were brightest." Seems to me he plays with a fearlessness. Finally, HE STAYED. Parker and Dunlap fled. But he stayed. He wants to play for ND and Shrew. I know the leap from HS to the ACC is ginormous. But, he at least has the stars lining up for a chance to succeed.

Thomas Noie

11:06

Jake: Think those are already in his coaching DNA.

Jake

11:06

Tom, any chance Shrewsberry plans to do a PowerPoint presentation to the team about how to play defense and rebound?

Thomas Noie

11:06

Miguel: Probably not. Now, if we could look into a crystal basketball and have it tell us that Seth Towns will stay healthy and could give this program 18-20 minutes a game over the course of four months, I'd say yes, go get him. Plug him in and play him for one year. But his career has been seriously curbed by injuries. You don't know if you're going to get one year or one week out of him. How does a 26-year-old handle that? How does a 26-year-old relate to teammates who are 18, 19, 20-years-old? There's nobody anywhere close to his age on the current roster. So many unknowns. Too many to seriously consider. Move on with the young guys.

San Diego Miguel

11:02

Seth Towns feels like a good name to go after, do you agree? Old, experienced, probably still looking to play at Power Level even though he hasnt played much in the past 5 seasons lol. Just 1 year guy that would fit what we need, thoughts?

Thomas Noie

11:01

Ryan: Mike Brey was the right coach at the right time for the right program. Twenty-three years later, is Micah Shrewsberry the same? We'll see. Notre Dame needs at least two, maybe three more players for this season.

Ryan mars pa

11:00

Tom what do you think about Micah Shrewsberry coming to coach the Irish and will we get anymore players to play for him GO IRISH

Thomas Noie

10:45

TJ: Awesome question. Maybe one of the best of the day, and possibly unanswerable as we sit in here the middle of May. Right now, it would have to be a connection between the old guys and the young guys, the experienced guys and the inexperienced guys. That was missing the last couple years (even in 2021-22 when Notre Dame went 15-5 in the ACC). There seemed a divide that existed within the roster. We really saw it last year. If Shrewsberry can get guys to care, get guys to all pull in the same direction no matter their class rank or minutes per game, that would be a good start. But a heck of a question. Going to think on that one for a while...

TJ 1997

10:41

Outside of wins and losses, what do you anticipate will be the most glaring difference in “culture” between Coach Shrewsberry’s program and Coach Brey’s?

Thomas Noie

10:40

That the transfer portal is not the end-all-be-all cure to what ails Notre Dame men's basketball (able bodies, experience) is a big red flag. Micah Shrewsberry will have to build it in a different way - and the rebuild is going to take time. This roster isn't ready to win now. It might not be ready to win next year. If the portal isn't an option (it's not) recruiting becomes that much more important. You have to make sure you hit on EVERYBODY. And even then, somebody's going to leave. It goes back to my thesis that the Notre Dame job is a really difficult job. We're seeing truth in that. We'll continue to see truth in that.

10:38

Joe: I had a similar concern late in the year when the knee issue mysteriously appeared, then was told by someone who knows that Starling had knee issues from time to time during his time at La Lumiere - and that he often played through them. He was tougher than many thought. I think if Jim Boeheim was still the coach at Syracuse, J.J. Starling takes a little more time to decide his future. There's a history between Starling and Adrian Autry. When Autry got the job - long after Starling knew the guy he wanted to play for (Mike Brey) wasn't going to be back, a transfer made too much sense. Brey practically pushed him to explore the portal. It was so difficult to clearly see that Starling "was already moving on" because his game was such a mess with his shot. He barely/rarely showed anything last year where you were like, whoa, that was something.

joe from the south side

10:34

Tom, Clearly, JJ Starling was never injured and had mentally transferred long before he actually did. He was close to being the first person into the portal and out of it as well. Not a conincidence. Two parts. Were the signs evident to you that JJS was already moving on? Not attending class, moved out of his living quarters....? Next, college sports free agency is here to stay. Since ND is reluctant to take any old transfer and is at least trying to recruit student/athletes, how big of a disadvantage relative is this and do you think Shrew can overcome it?

Thomas Noie

10:33

Doc: As mentioned earlier in the chat, the three freshmen off last year's team - Dom Campbell, J.J. Starling and Lubin kind of all decided that it was all for one and one for all when last year finally ended. They were all either going to come back together or leave together. They chose to leave. I'd disagree that Ven-Allen never gave Micah Shrewsberry a chance. He gave the new coach more of a chance than the other two who skated almost five minutes after the season ended. Lubin did meet with Shrewsberry before jumping into the portal. Of the three, he was going to be hardest to keep - long way from home, never seen snow, and the head coach who basically handed him a starting job was no longer around. That Lubin jumped to the portal was expected.

Doc from NJ

10:30

I was surprised Ven Allen Lubin didn’t give Coach Shrewsburry much of a chance to recruit him to stay. Any insight on his decision to leave?

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