JotCast | ND hoops chat - October

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Alan from Whiteland, Indiana

9:38

Tom, Notre Dame’s best basketball teams have usually been very good defensively. In your opinion, how does this year‘s team stack up defensively and where do you see any shortcomings in that area? Thank you for answering my question.

Thomas Noie

9:38

Alan: Thanks for the note. Notre Dame may have as many as nine guys challenging for minutes. The core seven of Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin, Nate Laszewski, Marcus Hammond, Trey Wertz, J.J. Starling and Ven-Allen Lubin and fringe rotation guys Matt Zona and J.R. Konieczny. So nine guys who COULD play, but really, seven who will. There might be times when it's a Matt Zona night or a J.R. Konieczny half, but for the most part, it will be that core seven.

Alan from Whiteland, Indiana

9:36

Tom, Coach Brey has traditionally went with a very short player rotation, usually 7 or 8. With the experience Notre Dame is bringing back, plus the addition of some impact freshman, do you anticipate the rotation growing by one or two? Thank you for answering my question.

Thomas Noie

9:36

Will: Keep 'em coming. Second weekend of the NCAA tournament at the least. It's the logical next step. This team knows how to get there. It knows how to win there. Now get back there and go further. It's so difficult to project anything beyond the Sweet 16. How does the bracket shake out? Are there upsets? Injuries? What's the rhythm of the tournament? That all takes care of itself as the tournament unfolds, but there's no reason for this group not to believe - and then go show it - that they're among the top 16 (and maybe beyond) in the country. They have age and experience and talented young guys and a group that believes this is their time. OK, go show us.

Will K

9:33

Another Q for you Tom: what’s the ceiling for this team? Top contributors (minus Blake) back from a team that won two tourney games and adding Starling, Lubin, and Hammond — second weekend potential?

Thomas Noie

9:32

Where will Notre Dame finish in the 15-team Atlantic Coast Conference this season?

1-2-3 (30.4% | 7 votes)

4-5-6 (69.6% | 16 votes)

7-8-9 (0% | 0 votes)

10-11-12 (0% | 0 votes)

13-14-15 (0% | 0 votes)

Total Votes: 23

9:30

Will: Where you been all these years? Good to have you aboard? How long will it take Ven-ALlen Lubin to crack the starting lineup? Don't know. I stopped keeping time, mainly because it's already happened. Maybe sometime in July or early August. But if Notre Dame played tonight, Lubin would be in the starting lineup. If the Irish decide to open four-around-one, Lubin's the first big off the bench. But he's as main of a guy as J.J. Starling. Both are playing, and playing a lot. Soon. Like, now...

Will K

9:28

Hi Tom, first time long time. With Brey’s tendency to start an “older group”, how long with it take Ven Allen-Lubin to crack into the starting 5? Assuming Zona will get the first shot at being the starting big, but I’ve heard promising things Re Lubin. Thanks!

Thomas Noie

9:28

Steve: Baseline, at the very least, this has the makings of a second NCAA tournament weekend team. It's why Goodwin and Ryan and Laszewski came back. Yeah, that Master's degree is nice, but they got a taste of the NCAA tournament last season and want more. Want to do more. Want to win more. To do that. they know having won last season with Blake Wesley as a main guy that they're going to need J.J. Starling and Ven-Allen Lubin. Need them a lot. They're that talented and that ready. But they also know that at its core, this program is a senior-led program. Let the experienced guys show the way, but also let the young guys do what they do. It worked last year. It should work this year.

Steve Duff

9:26

Eternal optimist Irish hoops fan here Tom. With the mix of the freshmen (particularly JJ) and old guys - this team looks solid other than maybe not having a true big. On paper they look like a Sweet 16+ team, but we’ve been disappointed by talented on paper teams before. What are your thoughts on how far this team can go? Also what does the chemistry between the freshmen and old guys look like early on? Thanks and keep doing your thing!

Thomas Noie

9:25

Christian: Understood, but Notre Dame never has been a program that has lived and breathed and survived in recruiting with Top 100 prospects. The Irish will get a few now and then, but the key is to get the right ones. It certainly looks that way with Starling. He's such a gifted guy who knows how to play. More advanced at this point than Wesley, who was an absolute unknown coming out of high school. He was known locally, but a mystery nationally who developed into a first-round pick. That's been this program - get developmental guys who can grow their game to the point where the NBA isn't a dream. Burton and Friedrichsen and Dunlap will be nice pieces. I'd have liked to have seen at least one Top 100 big say, yeah, I'm choosing Notre Dame. Xavier Booker was thought to be that guy, but then, he wasn't. It's a solid class - on paper - with a chance to be really good. The transfer portal has changed everything. How do you find that balance? Recruit only out of the portal? Recruit traditional high school kids?

Christian, Chicago IL

9:22

Tom, what are your thoughts on the 2023 recruiting class signees thus far? The individual rankings are not overly impressive with no players in the Top 100. After signing Wesley and Starling in consecutive classes this seems like a let down…

Thomas Noie

9:19

Mike: Ven-Allen Lubin is an important piece and needs to be from the jump. If the staff didn't believe he was ready to do what he needs to do, they'd have gone and gotten a veteran in the transfer portal. They believe Lubin can hold his own and grow his game as the season develops. He'll figure it out. As long as he's a piece - a really key piece - this team can get to where it needs to get to. He's going to get minutes. He's going to get opportunities. Let's see what he does with it. But the key for this team to max out its potential rests squarely with the Big Three - Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin, Nate Laszewski. They all came back to do more in the NCAA tournament. They have a road map now after last season. They have to drive this team and bring Lubin and fellow freshman J.J. Starling along the way they brought Blake Wesley along last season. The freshmen are talented and needed. The older guys need to be secure in themselves to accept/embrace that. If Notre Dame can mesh old with young, watch out.

Mike, New Jersey

9:15

Tom, the roster is talented and experienced across the board outside of the center position, Is Ven-Allen Lubin's development as a big the key to taking this team to its max potential this year? How good can he be right out of the gates to start the season?

Thomas Noie

9:11

Brey is a big believer that the bigger the rotation, the bigger the headaches in keeping everyone engaged. This will be a seven-man rotation. If Konieczny and Zona prove worthy of minutes, that will be a good problem to have. It will keep the core seven from getting complacent.

9:10

Robb: Nope, nope, nope. We do this dance every season - whoa, look how potentially deep these Irish are. They might go eight or nine or even 10 deep. That's just not who Mike Brey is. Now, they may have eight or nine guys who are capable of rotation minutes. That's true. Right now, there's a core seven with the eighth and ninth guys being J.R. Konieczny and Matt Zona. Sometimes, it's Zona and Konieczny.

Robb, Colorado

9:09

Tom, Coach Brey typically doesn’t go with a deep bench but it seems that this years team could actually change that. Can you foresee 8 or even 9 guys getting some regular run?

Thomas Noie

9:08

Absolutely. I don't know if they HAVE to play small with Ven-Allen Lubin ready to contribute as the second big. They can play two bigs, but they may WANT to play small. Their best lineup might just be four guards around one big to spread teams out, move it, shoot it, score it. They can play with a better tempo with guys like J.J. Starling and Marcus Hammond in the mix because they can do what Prentiss Hubb couldn't - get into the lane to finish or kick to open guy. They're going to be fun to watch on the offensive end, but know that they can't stray too far from the defense that was much improved last season.

Guest

9:06

Since they're going to have to play smaller more often this year - should we expect a faster tempo to go with that?

Thomas Noie

9:06

Mike: How about everybody? Notre Dame lost three rotation players from last season in Paul Atkinson, Prentiss Hubb and Blake Wesley. They combined to average 13.8 rebounds, with Atkinson the team leader at 6.9. So Notre Dame needs to replace 14 rebounds a game off last year's team that finished 24-11 overall, 15-5 in the Big East. How do Irish do that? Easiest way to divide that up is to say to the seven main rotation guys, OK, I need two additional rebounds per game from each of you. That includes freshmen J.J. Starling, who should get two rebounds a game, and Ven-Allen Lubin, who should average double that as the second starting big. Rebounding only will be an issue if the Irish allow it. They can't look at just Laszewski and Lubin - and maybe Matt Zona - in the post and say, here, you guys handle that heavy lifting. Notre Dame wants to get out and go this season. The only way that happens if they collectively gang rebound. Forwards. Guards. Starters. Reserves. Want to get out and go? Then go get the ball.

Mike in DC

9:01

So… who’s going to rebound?

Thomas Noie

9:00

Notre Dame has commitments from three guards for the Class of 2023 - Markus Burton, Brady Dunlap and Parker Friedrichsen. Notre Dame still has at least two spots for potential recruits if needed. It needs a big, maybe two, but likely will look for those in the transfer portal in the spring and in the Class of 2024.

8:59

Mike: Yes, guard Elmarko Jackson (consensus Top 25 prospect) did make an official visit to Notre Dame last weekend. He will announce his college choice Thursday night. His five finalists are Kansas, Notre Dame, Texas, Villanova and Miami (Fla.). It's hard to get a good read on where Notre Dame stands. Usually, those close to Notre Dame know whether it has a good chance at a prospect - yep, he's coming or nope, the Irish aren't in the mix. Not many around Notre Dame - who should know - know. Word is Jackson's been really quiet about his decision.

Mike

8:56

Tom, any truth that Elmarko Jackson had an official visit this past weekend? On the big side, will that be a transfer or is Brey looking at a few high school players?

Thomas Noie

8:49

The leaves are falling. So are the temperatures. Brrrr....You know what that means - it's officially college basketball season. Won't be long now until Notre Dame is on the court and (hopefully) headed back on the road toward the NCAA tournament. Basketball season means the NDI hoops chat is back. To leave a question or comment, also include your name and hometown. You know the rest - let's light this hoops chat candle!

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