JotCast | ND Hoops preseason chat

ND Hoops preseason chat

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Jeff from Schererville, IN

10:50

Hi Tom. I have a comment or two that will later morph into a question. I'm a season-ticket holder who did choose to renew his seats, and during the pre-sale for single-game tickets in advance of single-game tickets going on sale to the general public tonight, there were plenty of seats for Kentucky, Duke, UNC and all other games at various price points. It's a shame students won't be there for Duke and UNC but that's the way the schedule worked out. With that said, can you recall a better home schedule than this year's with the 3 historically great programs plus the likes of Virginia, Louisville, Syracuse and others? Hopefully having those opponents visit plus an improved ND team will make for the kind of home-game atmosphere many of us have wanted for a long time. Thanks and keep up your great work.

Thomas Noie

10:49

Dave: On a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of the impact Anthony Solomon has had/will have on this team, I'd say it's about a 12. No joke. This staff needed the one "bad cop" if you will. Mike Brey couldn't wear both hats, but tried to do it in seasons past and we saw the results. Woof! Now, this team isn't going to turn into Virginia defensively, but they can be a whole lot better just from want-to. The practice we saw last week, Solomon stopped it to point out how one player relaxed after the ball moved away from his side. Can't do that, Slo said, or this and this and this will happen. It was a such a small point in the bigger picture, but it's a point that probably wasn't made last year. It matters. Slo will as well. Watch.

Dave

10:46

What impact to do you see Coach Solomon having on this team? I don't see any Brey team being defensive-minded, but will Coach Slo at least add some toughness?

Thomas Noie

10:46

Joe: No need to apologize. You keep asking, I'll keep responding. On anything. Great question. This is Year Five for my additional duties of covering Notre Dame football on top of starting Year 24 on the hoops beat. I'll always be a hoops guy. That's never going to change. Once you've been to Cameron, and have had students' spittle splatter your laptop screen while taking elbows to the back of the head, it's been there/done that. As for Lane Stadium, one of the most OVERRATED aspects anywhere. Enter Sandman is like the culmination of the entire night. Once that happens, everyone just kind of exhales. I'd much rather cover a game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles or Sanford Stadium. Now THAT was a night I won't soon forget. But if I'm choosing one sport for the long haul, I'm choosing basketball. Every time.

joe from the south side

10:42

Tom, Sorry about the amount of questions, but we haven't had one of these in quite some time, and much has happened in the program. Call it pent up demand. At this point in your career, would you rather cover ND Hoops or FB? Much as being at Cameron Indoor is a bucket list item, I would think Blacksburg, VA on a SAT Night ain't too shabby either.

Thomas Noie

10:42

Joe: I have not, which will change Friday when I head to La Lumiere to watch Starling practice and spend some time getting to know him. I'll get a better read on his skills/future, but man, let's get him on campus and go up and down the court at Rolfs once or twice first, right?

joe from the south side

10:41

Tom, Have you had the pleasure of watching Starling live? Your thoughts? On film, if he continues to progress, that is NBA level talent.

Thomas Noie

10:41

Andrew: I don't think it affected them one way or another. If it did, it would be more along the lines of, Oh, yeah, just wait....I'll do some stuff to the point where Coach has to play me. Don't think they'd react any differently. And why would they? Remember, this is a program that has been built on the slow and steady progress of guys to the point where when they're juniors and seniors, they're really good. Confident. Consistent. Tim Abromaitis wasn't ready early to do what he did late in his career. Same for Jack Cooley. And John Mooney. Tony Sanders isn't ready. Same for Elijah Taylor and Matt Zona. This is a program that invests in guys. Grow your games, grow up but stay ready.

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

10:38

How do you think Zona and Sanders (and Taylor to a lesser extent) reacted to not being named as "in the rotation" by Brey the other day? Are they back on the 5-year track and plan to redshirt this season, what's the plan for the Sophomore class this year?

Thomas Noie

10:31

Joe: Easy. Notre Dame graduate who always wanted to return to the alma mater and coach. He's paid his dues. Here's a column I did with Wyche on his return - https://tinyurl.com/rrmdzd5e. He'll work mainly with the guards. He's not very vocal, and that's OK. He'll hold guys more accountable than a certain former Irish guard did. And he's respected/known on the recruiting trail. Wyche has ties to the Albany (N.Y.) area, which likely helped in recruiting Starling, who played for the Albany City Rocks AAU program.

joe from the south side

10:29

Tom, Obviously understand the reasoning behind Coach Slo's return. What was the driving force behind choosing Coach Wyche and what does he bring to the table, strengths/weaknesses?

Thomas Noie

10:28

Matt: Slim, because they Irish coaching staff was already way down the recruiting road with the only guy left in power forward Ven-Allen Lubin. In fact, the first day that coaches could go out on the road and recruit in person, Mike Brey's first stop was La Lumiere to see JJ Starling. He then hopped on a plane to go and see Lubin in Orlando. Starling might not bring additional star power in this class. But the next one? Stay tuned...

Matt Riley

10:26

Since they got a big time commitment from Starling, what are the chances he helps bring in another big recruit with him

Thomas Noie

10:26

Dave: Good observation, and the early answer is, I don't know. Atkinson looks way more comfortable and fluid in the post than Juwan Durham, who always looked as if he was thinking through all the different scenarios he might have to deal with when he got the ball. Atkinson's older and wiser and just better. But how will that translate to the size and athleticism he's going to see in the ACC? He'll be an option early in the non-league, but will have to wait and see what league play challenges await. Not just with Atkinson, but really everybody. There's a lot of potential, but a lot that we don't know - and won't know - for a couple more months.

Dave from DC

10:24

The last couple of years the offense has run into trouble at the end of shot clocks and halves, lacking anyone who could go and get a bucket when the defense takes away passing lanes. Even Hubb had difficulty getting to the basket and getting a (unblocked) shot off. Could Paul Atkinson's post game help on that end?

Thomas Noie

10:24

Guest: Do you have a name? Hometown? Cough 'em up if you can....thanks! Blake Wesley is going to be a main guy this year. Already is with his athleticism and length and ability/willingness to defend. I can see him maybe sliding into the starting lineup at some point to see if he can take off. He's that good. We're less than an hour into the chat, but I'll have to ask for no more Carmody questions if you can....asked and addressed. Thanks!

Guest

10:21

How big of a role will Wesley play this coming season? Is Carmondy ever going to be able to play meaningful mins again?

Thomas Noie

10:21

...As for recruiting, Notre Dame is basically down to one target in Ven-Allen Lubin, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound power forward from Orlando, Fla. The staff really, really likes/wants him. Notre Dame is the only northern school on a wish list that has a lot of southern schools. If Lubin looks elsewhere, it will be transfer portal/current bigs moving forward. As for this weekend, Xavier Booker from Indianapolis is the main visitor. Notre Dame may have as many as 12 prospects on campus for visits. Still efforting some of those names.

10:19

Tony: Seven current Irish are on track to graduate in the spring - Paul Atkinson, Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski, Dane Goodwin, Trey Wertz, Cormac Ryan and Robby Carmody. Everyone but Atkinson has eligibility remaining. Hubb and Laszewski, if they have good years, likely will be ready to try pro ball at some level. Goodwin indicated last year that he'd ben open to returning for an additional year. If I had to guess, I'd think Ryan and Wertz also would lean toward playing one more year. Carmody? He may decide that if he's ever going to play - like, really play - he might have to transfer down a level if he can make it through this season and his body holds up....

Tony,

10:16

Tom, do you think Cormac, Nate, and Dane will be back again next year? If we do not get Allen Lubin I would think they will watch the transfer portal. Other than Xavier, are there any other visitors this weekend?

Thomas Noie

10:14

Eric: See previous comments on Carmody. Thanks!

Eric g

10:13

What role do you see for carmody this season? Sixth man?

Thomas Noie

10:13

Kevin: Asked an answered. Reader's Digest version of it? No. Not anything against Carmody, but three season-ending injuries in three years have torpedoed his Notre Dame career before it ever got off the ground.

Kevin

10:13

Not hearing much on Robby Carmody. Will he see playing time this year

Thomas Noie

10:13

Notre Dame announced on Wednesday that Tony Simeone will replace Jack Nolan as the radio play-by-play voice of Irish basketball. At least for now, he will work without a color analyst. Here is a link to the official release from Notre Dame: https://tinyurl.com/v6fs6dfe

Guest

10:12

Hi Tom! I may have missed this, but who is taking Jack Nolan’s place as the radio voice of ND men’s basketball?

Thomas Noie

10:11

Joe, Part III: Think interest will be up this year naturally because Notre Dame has two local kids on its roster in J.R. Konieczny and Blake Wesley. That will help. It also should help that this team can make some sort of move/noise in the ACC because it's kind of a down year in the league. And that people missed hoops. Yet there are mask mandates (mandatory) that are in place for home games, so it will be a hard read as to how that impacts attendance. I know of at least one season-ticket holder who declined to renew his seats this season because he'd have to wear a mask for home games.

joe from the south side

10:08

Tom, Seems like more excitement this year than in a long time. COVID is down, the team is up, slowly returning to normal etc......Has that translated into local fan interest and ticket sales, or is it just when Duke or NC are in South Bend?

Thomas Noie

10:08

We've hit the Joe from the South Side section of the chat....lol. Early word on Sanders? I'll go the slower route on that one. The scrimmage that we saw, Sanders had a nice steal in the backcourt, then missed a breakaway layup. That's not going to get him on the floor (i.e. earn the trust of the coaching staff) anytime soon. The back end of the rotation if the season started today is any combination of Konieczny, Sanders, Zona and Taylor. Those guys will be more situational guys this season. Need a shooter? Konieczny? Need a perimeter defender? Sanders. More bulk around the basket? Taylor or Zona. I don't know about the "buried on the bench" thing with Taylor - let's remember, he hasn't played a minute of college basketball. To expect him to hit the court running and look more like Atkinson and/or Laszewski is a big ask.

joe from the south side

10:04

Tom, Three parter. Early word is Sanders has been a positive surprise. If you go back to Brey's comments about "7 guys to start", where does that leave him? Next, the first 8 (counting Sanders) are all essentially backcourt guys, save PAJ and Nate. He'll need to add one more big to the mix like Big Zone or Taylor. I do not see him rotating 9 guys after the first few games, do you? Finally, let's say Zona is the first big off the bench, is Taylor so buried on this team that he is likely to pull an Elijah Burns? Taylor reminds me of Torres. Bulky, a bit undersized, grab a couple of boards, don't hurt the team, get back on the bench.

Thomas Noie

10:04

Joe: Whoa! Starting early this year with the criticisms? lol Think Mike Brey might have La-SHEV-Ski on the brain for that one. Have heard him pronounce J.R. Konieczny's name right plenty of times, so we'll let that one slide. As long as he can guard, don't think it will matter, right? lol

joe from the south side

10:02

In a recent interview, Brey referred to one of his FR as "JR KON-OH-SHEV-SKI." Do you feel it detracts from his credibility as a coach when he doesn't even know the names of his recruits?

Thomas Noie

10:02

Mark: Great to hear from you, but have to offer this disclaimer for you and for others who follow in the chat with this question - don't get caught up in the whole "deepest bench in years" narrative with this team. Could Mike Brey go eight or nine or 10 deep? Perhaps. It's one thing to have depth; it' s another to have quality depth. Reliable depth. Depth with guys you can trust. Bench minutes this year will go mainly to the sixth and seventh guys. There might be nights when they have to go eight deep, perhaps nine. But that will be the exception rather than the rule. It just will.

Mark Kruz from Mishawaka

9:59

Tom the question I have going into this season is how does coach Brey handle his bench minutes being that this might be the deepest bench he has had in quite awhile? Looking forward to seeing the team in person. Thanks

Thomas Noie

9:59

Dave: Great to hear from you. A lot of your Taylor info is in the previous question. Elijah Taylor will be a wait-and-see/bring-him-along type of rotation guy. Some nights, he might be needed and get 8-10 minutes. Other nights, it will be hard for him and for Matt Zona and to an extent, Tony Sanders and J.R. Konieczny to get significant minutes. What does that do in terms of rebounding? Paul Atkinson will get most of the time at the 5, Nate Laszewski at 4 - often together. Mike Brey isn't averse to going with four guards when one of the bigs needs a break. It all depends on a certain 'D' word - defense.

Dave from DC

9:57

Hey Tom! Great to have hoops season upon us. In his ACC tip-off comments, Brey mentioned having confidence in a 7 player rotation if they were to start play today. Can Elijah Taylor join that group? I can't envision the Irish playing most minutes with Nate L. at the 5 - rebounding would be a question mark - and Paul Atkinson will need a breather here and there. Taylor appears to have a high ceiling for being a great rebounder.

Thomas Noie

9:56

Mike: We media dopes have only seen one offseason workout, but there was a lot to like just from a see-that-guy standpoint with Elijah Taylor. He looks more like a defensive end than a power forward, which offers some optimism. The Irish sure could use that body to bang around in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but, and here comes the but - how will he respond for having not played in basically two years? Can he shake all that rust accumulated from sitting out last season after undergoing ankle surgery? His path to the rotation is a little clearer than Carmody's, but is kind of the same - baby steps this season for Taylor. Prove that he's ACC-caliber. If he is, that's a really good start.

Mike,New jersey

9:54

Hey Tom a lot to be excited for going into the season …..how’s the progress going for Elijah Taylor ? If he can step up it would be a huge relief to have some real front court depth for the first time in years

Thomas Noie

9:54

Patrick: It's been a rough road for Carmody his first three years, each of which have been cut way too short by season-ending injuries - a torn labrum, an ACL tear and a kneecap crack. He's a senior academically, but really a freshman athletically. It's going to be a really long road back for Carmody to become anything close to a rotation player. He might not ever get there at Notre Dame. Mike Brey has been realistic with him, saying earlier in the fall it may happen next month or next year or not at all. It's not a knock on Carmody in any way. He first has to stay healthy past Christmas. Just go through a year where he practices and maybe gets some leftover minutes at the end of games. Can we start with that? There's no way he's going to be in the rotation this year, and that's really OK. Stay healthy and show a little something that he can carry into 2022-23. Maybe it happens for him at Notre Dame. Maybe it happens for him somewhere else. But it's simply too much to ask to expect Carmody to be a main guy.

Patrick

9:49

What role will Robby Carmody have on this team?

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