JotCast | ND Hoops chat - 2024 wrap

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Thomas Noie

9:56

So, why wasn't Burton and Davis and Njie included in the thank-you fans video produced and distributed by Notre Dame? A decision was made - by Notre Dame - to use only the best statements from the players. Burton's message wound up somewhere on the cutting room floor. Now everyone can stop wringing their hands. For now.

9:55

Man, some of you people, and you klnow who you are, really, really, really need to dial it back a little bit. The ultimate conspiracy theorists. It's not who shot John F. Kennedy levels, but we're getting there. Here's the deal with the video that dropped earlier this week - it was a video of several Notre Dame players and head coach Micah Shrewsberry thanking fans for their support during the 2023-24 season. Markus Burton was not in the video, which has led people to conclude - or worry - that he's headed to the transfer portal. Kebba Njie was not in the video. Tae Davis was not in the video, and there's a discussion to be had (over cold beverages and some wings) that the development of Davis might be the biggest key next season. That's a chat for another day, though....

Joey

9:51

i noticed Burton wasn’t in the thank you video, should we read into that? Or was he just not available?

Thomas Noie

9:50

Remember, Shrewsberry and his staff mined the portal all spring and summer last year in an attempt to get older, experienced guys to plug in with a painfully young roster. Shrewsberry said it in March - guys didn't come to Notre Dame because they thought the program would "suck." His words. Does that narrative shift after what Notre Dame did this season? If it doesn't, then what?

9:48

That's where it gets tough. Like I mentioned, needle/haystack tough. You can look at the portal and say, Oh, wait, wait, wait, Notre Dame has to get this guy or that guy, like, right now! But will they fit in the locker room? Are they old enough to accept that they may not have as much success as they want next season? They need old guys who can play and who can fit in. That really narrows the field of the 1,400 players in the portal. It's going to take three really unique dudes who check all those boxes and say, yeah, I want to be a part of that.

9:46

Tony: This seems like a good time to address the transfer portal, so (deep breath) I'll jump in. Everyone wants to know WHO Notre Dame is looking at in the portal, which is needle/haystack impossible with nearly 1,400 names. It's more about WHAT Notre Dame is looking for, which you can't pinpoint just by looking at a name in a transfer portal. It's an experienced big who can give you 14-15 points and 10-12 rebounds a game. It's a wing who can just say (forget) this, and go get you 20 points without breaking a sweat. Example of that? See Marquette's Kam Jones or Pittsburgh's Blake Hinson. Not THOSE two players, but those TYPES of players. This program needs old dudes who can score. BUT, and this is a massive but (

), they also have, have, have to fit with the culture that Shrewsberry is building...

Tony

9:43

Tom, any word on any more transfer visitors? Do you think the portal will ever get back to the way it was. I hope Shrews can do the roster with his recruits.

Thomas Noie

9:42

Mark: Notre Dame's non-conference will include the return trip to Georgetown, two games in the Rady Children's Invitational tournament in San Diego (with Arkansas, BYU and Purdue) and the ACC/SEC Invitational game, which Shrewsberry is already on record as saying it will be another road game for the Irish. No word on what they marquee home game might be, or if there is one. Honestly, that should be about it for "marquee" games for where Notre Dame is. I know Shrewsberry has been outspoken about how Notre Dame will play anyone anywhere at anytime, but that's for a few years down the road. It's more important if this program is to take that next step, to win way more than nine home games. With 20 league games and 18 ACC teams in 2024-25 (for now), scheduling can't just be about must-see home games.

Mark Kru z from Mishawaka

9:38

Tom have you heard anything about the non conference schedule other than going to Georgetown and the tournament in San Diego? Also is coach Shrewsberry gonna bring back the Ring of Honor? With the 10 year anniversary of the ACC title coming up maybe put in Jerian Grant or Pat Connaughton.

Thomas Noie

9:38

And I'll take a pass on the second part of the question in naming a starting five. If Notre Dame does what it's supposed to do in the transfer portal, someone in next year's starting lineup isn't yet on the roster. Save that question for the fall when all the portal pieces are in place. The starting five offered in April as opposed to August may look a LOT different.

9:36

Chad: Why did Markus Burton become MARKUS BURTON!!!! Easy. He had to be all that just for Notre Dame to have a chance. Say Burton arrives in 2022-23 when Notre Dame had Cormac Ryan and J.J. Starling and Trey Wertz. He doesn't get the chance to lead the team in scoring and assists and steals and minutes and everything else. He's a back-end-of-the-rotation guy who has to wait his turn. Burton was the only pure point guard/handler on this year's team. He HAD to play. He HAD to score. He had to do what he did. Part of that is circumstance, sure, but part of it was the drive of Burton, who's all of 5-foot-10 on his best day, saying, yeah, they're doubting that I can play at this elite a level, but I'm going to show them. Shows again that you can't measure a kid's heart.

Chad from Toledo

9:33

Couple things :How does Burton go from “let’s give him an offer bc he’s local kid”! To ACC Freshman of the year?His game that suspect when Brey was recruiting him??Also love the growth of this team and its competitiveness!Name ND starting 5 next year that gets them in the NCAA Tournament??Thanks for the chats!!

Thomas Noie

9:33

Lenny: Let's start with this. Carey Booth is a great kid. Never had an issue with him. Found him pleasant to deal with and thoughtful and wanting to be good, but at the end of the day, he was a freshman trying to figure it out. Let's tap the brakes on how "one of the best prospects at Notre Dame in decades" is transferring. You mean, like J.J. Starling? There was very little Booth showed this season that made you, Whoa, this kid's got it. He was so raw, so young, so still trying to figure it out. He'll have to figure it out somewhere else.

Lenny G. from Cali

9:31

Ugh. Carey Booth. Ok, did you see this coming in terms of body language or something Booth said during the season? How does Shrews deal with this behind the scenes in terms of one of the best prospects at Notre Dame in decades entering the portal? Considering Booth left open the possibility of coming back, is Micah trying hard to keep him here or looking for replacements in the portal with the "you don't want to be here 100% then we don't want you here."?

Thomas Noie

9:30

As for offseason developments? Easy. The transfer portal. How does Notre Dame utilize it? Who are the needed roster additions to fill in the gaps that currently exist on the 2024-25 roster. Can Sir Mohammed have a freshman season anywhere close to the freshman season that Markus Burton had? Can the Irish avoid any long-term injury? How do they gel on the expected foreign tour? So many summer storylines.

9:28

J.J.: Good stuff. Worst case? Notre Dame treads water next season and again plays on the first day of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, something that Micah Shrewsberry was adamant that his program wasn't going to do. Best case? They add enough of the right pieces and develop such a chemistry that they finish somewhere in the top half of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Realistic case? Go from 7-13 in the league and 9-8 at home to somewhere around 10-10 or 11-9 in the league and 12-13 home wins. Notre Dame's staff will believe it can and should do more, but this is still a small-steps situation.

J.J. P

9:25

It was a season of highs and lows for ND MBB this year, but one that I'd say ended more or less meeting most realistic preseason forecasts. Looking ahead to Year Two of Shrewsberry's tenure, what is the worst-case, best-case and realistic season prediction for the Irish? What are some storylines/developments that might occur over the offseason that could provide an indicator that said worst-case or best-case forecasts might be more accurate?

Thomas Noie

9:23

Bob: Carey Booth's decision to transfer, and no, he's not coming back, has nothing to do with NIL. It's not academics. It's not his lack of playing time. He played nearly 20 minutes a game this season. Big setback for the program? Ten years ago, maybe. This may also be addition by subtraction. Micah Shrewsberry has many needs for his roster. What he really needs are players, be it freshmen or sophomores or juniors or seniors, who are absolutely in with both feet. Not in with both feet? There's the door.

Bob from chicago

9:19

what is the backstory on Booth and the portal ? Guessing it is NIL related, but could his lack of playing time until late in the season have anything to do with the decision ? Big setback for the program if he leaves

Thomas Noie

9:19

Rob: Not sure outside of Zach Edey or Donovan Clingan that the center position really exists in college basketball. You get one of those guys, you have a center. How many teams have guys like that? Not many. Notre Dame is targeting power forwards, though. Experienced power forwards. Veteran power forwards. Power forwards who have proven they can do it at the college level. Power forwards who have averaged double figures for points and rebounds. Find someone who fits that criteria and Notre Dame will have interest.

Rob Thitoff

9:17

Are there any centers that the ND staff is targeting in the portal?

Thomas Noie

9:17

Why did Carey Booth transfer? Let's just say it had nothing to do with NIL. Nothing.

9:16

As mentioned earlier, in this day and age of the transfer portal and college basketball, it can't be a surprised if anyone enters the portal. It's a year-to-year proposition for basketball coaches and their rosters. When you give every single player the option of leaving with immediately eligibility, this is the result.

Guest

9:15

Was Carey Booth entering the portal a surprise? Any reasoning why he entered?

Thomas Noie

9:15

Notre Dame compliance catching strays here! Didn't see that coming. Think your frustration should lie more with the NCAA than Notre Dame about the great Hannah Hidalgo nose ring issue. Don't know how much of a factor not having Hidalgo for four minutes of actual game action (you would've liked the voice mail I received from someone who hollered that it was 17 minutes of real time, but I digress) that played in the (-18) rebounding margin or 40 points allowed in the paint...

Guest

9:12

How many employees does Notre Dame have in compliance within the Athletic Department? And none of this “Vice Presidents of Something Tangentially Relevant” identified the “nose-ring” issue in advance? The Athletic Department has never been the poster child for accountability, I don’t recall any firings in the SID Department after the Lennay Kenya debacle either.

Thomas Noie

9:11

Mike: It's definitely a Tylenol (or something stronger) moment for a college coach, who doesn't know who's going to be on his roster from year to year. Don't shed a tear for them, though. They're compensated well enough to have to figure all that out. It used to be not too long ago that you'd get to the end of a season and think, there may be one and maybe two guys who could/would transfer. Now you look at the roster and think that everybody MIGHT leave. It's college basketball 2024, where rooting for the name on the front of the jersey more than rooting for the name on the back of the jersey has never been so true.

Mike

9:07

With Booth leaving and everything going on in college basketball why would anyone want be a coach? Same for the fans. I am 77 and had season tickets for 35 or so years. With the state of college basketball will have to rethink it this year.

Thomas Noie

9:07

Mike: Julian Roper was a junior when he arrived from Northwestern. Tae Davis and Kebba Njie were sophomores when they arrived from Notre Dame and Penn State. It's more about fit than a specific class. Finding that is always going to be a long-term issue for Notre Dame. It's never been about quantity. It's been about quality. It has to be. That's not going to change.

Mike,New Jersey

9:05

Hey Tom, coming off the Booth transfer news and just the overall mayhem of the portal in general , is there any push to lower the difficulty of getting a sophomore or junior transfer into the program ? Long term it will be difficult if the program can only go after a small portion of portal entrees.

Thomas Noie

9:04

Jim: That would be the next logical step. Micah Shrewsberry knew this team would have its struggles offensively this season, which is why he put so emphasis on defense and rebounding. Now that emphasis has, has, has to shift to being better offensively. This team can rebound and defend all day, but scoring 64.0 ppg., isn't going to win you enough games to be good enough to get to where they want to go. Part of that improvement from Njie and Davis and JRK will come with just being in the system, playing together and knowing each other's tendencies. Remember, NONE of these guys had ever played together, let alone really knew each other as players this season. It was literally five guys thrown together like a noon pickup game. Reps in spring, reps in summer, reps in fall should lead to better offensive options, production, etc.

Jim Reagan, Charlottesville, VA

9:00

Hello Tom. I think the inexperienced Irish players improved in Defense and Rebounding this season. Do the Coaches plan for them to upgrade specific Offensive skills in preparing for next season? Say for example, Njie, interior footwork, Davis, outside shooting; JRK, catch/shoot and finishing at the rim?

Thomas Noie

8:54

I really liked the role Julian Roper settled into late in the year. He was a bit overwhelmed as a starter, but give him a chance to defend and make a shot in shorter bursts and he showed what he could do. Sixth man? Why not. As for next year, Sir Mohammed has a chance to challenge for a starting spot. Again, I hold off on anointing any incoming freshman ready for college until I actually see them play against college guys, but it would be a mild surprise if Mohammed isn't game ready when he arrives in June.

8:52

Linas: Agree 200 percent that Matt Zona was a true team guy. Not so much about that he should've played more. He was one of four Irish to appear in all 33 games. He shot only .317 percent from 3 and, this is probably why he averaged only 11.2 minutes per game, .353 percent from the foul line. Can't lean any more on a big guy who can't make free throws. If Matt Zona wants to drop down a level (think Patriot League) he'll have no shortage of suitors. I know the popular opinion of (name the team's) fanbase is to have player A, B or C return, but at some point, it's best for all involved to get a fresh start. Zona cherished his time at Notre Dame, but it's time for him to go and do something somewhere else...

Linas from the O.C

8:48

Hey Tom, Loved the Zona article from senior night. Really captured what college hoops is all about. I actually thought he should have gotten more playing time this season, especially in the 2nd half of games. Then again, Zona should have gone to the basket a bit more too with teams expecting him to shoot the three. 3 questions: 1- Any chance Zona comes back if he doesn't get many nibbles from the portal? 2 - Do you see J.Roper taking over as that "glue guy" off the bench if Zona departs? 3 - Which of the three freshmen do you foresee really challenging for a starting position. Thx!

Thomas Noie

8:48

Fred: Two-fold answer. It would be nice if Notre Dame could send junior-to-be Kebba Njie to some sort of big man camp (those used to be a thing in summer) to learn how to be a post player. Njie was hampered this year by a broken hand suffered early in preseason camp. He never really got confident catching the ball and making post moves. He's not that kind of player, which leads us to this - go get a legit, proven, experienced big man in the portal. Someone who has that presence, who you can throw the ball into and then play off of. That's not Njie, who may be better suited for more of a fit-in role than a front-line guy. He was asked/expected to do something he couldn't do this season. That can't be the case next year.

Guest

8:45

Fred, Phoenix. What can ND do in the off season get our bigs play in the paint rather than “ hover” around the perimeter? When you have presence in the paint; the whole offense will open up. We have size, now use it!

Thomas Noie

8:44

Carey Booth left open the possibility of returning to Notre Dame after weighing his options, but the chances of that happening are about as good as having Bruce Springsteen play my daughter's high school graduation party next summer. Don't hold your breath.

8:43

Kevin: I'll assume you also meant to say losing ...anyone else to the transfer portal. As of now (8:40 a.m. Thursday, April 4), there are three former Notre Dame players in the transfer portal, which currently carries the names of ....checks portal ... 1,388 players seeking a fresh start somewhere else. Former Irish players Alex Wade and Matt Zona jumped into the portal days after it opened on March 18. On Monday, freshman forward Carey Booth announced plans to transfer. Here's a link to that story: https://tinyurl.com/58e8z87a

Kevin

8:41

Do you see losing anyone to the pitiful (my opinion) transfer portal because that would be a shame. Thanks

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