JotCast | ND men's hoops chat - December 2023

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Thomas Noie

12:27

You here now...bring it my man! Whatcha got?

Mickey, NY

12:27

Always good to have your chat on the calendar. Work got in the way this morning.

Thomas Noie

12:22

Matt: We're not around to see the good stuff (the practice court, film study, etc.). On the floor during games, Braeden's just one of the guys, and treated as such by Micah. If anything, he's a bit tougher on him. That's a difficult dynamic. Talked a little with Braeden about it in the fall (he's not one for many words) and he said that he's the head coach around campus and he's dad when they're at home. They have a good balance between the two.

Matt from St. Louis

12:20

I'm always interested in the dynamic between a coach and their kid at this level. Anything interesting about how either Shrewsberry has handled it so far?

Thomas Noie

12:18

Writing >>>>> everything else. Always.

joe from the south side

12:18

Tom, What gives you greater pleasure, watching a great ND BBL game (win or lose) or telling the fans about it in the SBT in your own inimitable style?

Thomas Noie

12:12

Joe: Easier than you and everyone might think. Every season is a journey. A new one with its own storylines and twists and turns and wins and losses. I don't cover this team thinking about how great of a ride it was in 2003 or 2010 or 2015 and 2016. It's about here and now with this head coach and this roster and this season - the challenges, the highs and lows, the everything. The past is the past. What's the present hold? The future? This is as different a journey as I've ever been on in my 26 seasons on the beat. What are we going to see? Can't wait to be there to find out, to think about it, to write about it. A 9 p.m. start? Maybe that's the game that everything turns. Or the following week. Or the the next one. LFG!

joe from the south side

12:07

Tom, Since it is at least one year, maybe two, until ND Men's BBL games become competitive again, how do you psyche yourself up for for a 9PM start, on a snow covered WED night, right after the holidays to watch ND -NCST? Especially with your history experiencing all the magical moments of decades past?

Thomas Noie

12:05

Television wasn't an option for him. Seemed an easy one, yes, but it didn't do it for him. Maybe that changes.

Kurt in Ireland

Put him on a team with Bilas.

12:04

I wish Brey would go to booth for a while. I think he’d be a good commentator.

Thomas Noie

11:57

Joe: There likely was a provision/verbiage in his separation agreement with Notre Dame that said something to the affect of, if individual takes another college head coaching job before expiration of agreement (Brey was signed through 2024-25) then any future financial agreement would be nullified. That's probably one of the reasons he's not a head coach somewhere.

joe from the south side

11:54

Tom, Agreed. But I think Brey fancied himself as more of a teacher/coach. If so, why not do what Rollie did? Go to FLA and take over a small school. That way you are in the game, you are teaching, and you are not dealing with 1 and done NBA wannabes.

Thomas Noie

11:46

Joe: For the same reason that he was thisclose (OK, even closer than that) to taking the head coaching job at South Florida. Brey talked a good game about moving to Florida and being a grandfather and doing nothing but smoking cigars on the beach, but when the end came in Greensboro, North Carolina in March, and there was nothing next to do - no recruiting, no spring program, no nothing - that scared the $#%@$ out of him. Like, what now? He'd been a coach for so long that that was all he knew. He HAD to do something, so Quin Snyder, his old Duke buddy, offered the ultimate lifeline - come sit on the bench (really, the second row) in the NBA to keep yourself in the game. See if you like it. If you don't, the beach will always be there. And the money's not bad either. Brey's basically making $1.2 million to offer suggestions and be more of a sounding board than decision-maker. Every coach believes he can do it in the NBA. Brey gets the chance to scratch the itch. Pretty good soft landing, right?

joe from the south side

11:42

Tom, Why did Brey take an assistant's job in the NBA? He is 64. He doesn't need the money. NBA players already know everything, so teaching them is out the window. He's a grandfather. I get Quin Snyder, but the rest doesn't add up. Please connect the dots.

Thomas Noie

11:36

Understood, but nine games in after not playing for two years, JRK's been really good. Expectations don't kick in until January, especially for a program trying to tread water in the deep end. Gotta survive before you can swim!

Kurt in Ireland

11:35

I wasn’t being critical - I was just saying that I’m not surprised how good he could be, as I saw that spark early on in his career. He just needed strength. It he where I had hoped? Not quite yet. He needs to hunt his shot a bit more and also cut more - though to be fair many times he’s been overlooked on cuts which is maybe why he’s been hanging in the perimeter more of late. That will come though, as you say, with trust.

Thomas Noie

11:30

Kurt: Man, people think I'M too critical of guys. J.R. Konieczny hasn't met your expectations? He's exceeded many with what he's done nine games in - two double doubles for points and rebounds to date (18 points, 11 rebounds against Auburn; 11-10 against Oklahoma State). Four games scoring double figures. The last seven games, he's played at least 23 minutes. He's averaging 9.0 points and 5.1 rebounds (second on the team) in 25.5 minutes. He's shooting .417 percent from the floor, .303 from 3 and .875 from the foul line. For someone who basically didn't play the last two years - since his freshman year of high school - what JRK has done to date has been solid. A great first step, with many more to come.

Kurt in Ireland

11:27

Tom - I predicted JR would be one of, if not the most consistent player on the team in the last chat. He hasn’t quite met my expectations - and both Burton and Davis have exceeded my expectations, but I sensed a bit of Abro in JR from when I first saw him hit the floor as a freshman.

Thomas Noie

11:21

Clint: He was listed as a true freshman in 2021-22 at 6-foot-6, 195 pounds. He's listed this year at 6-7, 204 pounds. He's not where he needs to be yet, but he's getting there. He can compete for longer stretches against bigger guys than he did his first two years. He plays hard, maybe as hard as anyone on the team. He's been better than anticipated.

Clint from Winnipeg

11:19

Did J.R. Konieczny put on significant weight and muscle over the offseason? He looks much thicker than last year.

Thomas Noie

11:04

Joe: Preach. There is a plan in place for this group to go on a foreign tour. Last I heard it was going to be Spain, but those plans were still in its infant stages. If ever a team needs a foreign tour, it's Notre Dame next summer.

joe from the south side

11:02

Tom, Given the lack of experience with this group, wouldn't it be time for a European Tour in 2024?

Thomas Noie

11:02

Tyler: Best idea I've heard in a while. You should be on the phone to the ticket office to give them some ideas. Some of the more surprising atmospheres over winter break has been when a local high school band is in the building. There's plenty of juice when there should be none. You're right on every aspect. Make it happen!

Tyler from Granger

11:01

Tom, to play 6-7 home games during Christmas (out of their control, I get it) in the wintery snowy dark days of Michiana with a median town age population of what can feel like 72, why won't/doesn't the university try to reach out to our area high schools in filling up our student section with free tickets to create a better home advantage in our league games? I would take 1,000 16-18 year olds on their feet for those 6-7 games vs 400 (on a good day) sitting down only to sigh on a bad play & barely cheer for a good one. Not only that, as a season ticket holder, I would pay a little bit more annually to give those student tickets away during break to actually be used. I think about when I was in high school, all I wanted to do during hoops szn was get into that arena to watch our team play. There has to be hundreds of these kids in town now that were just like me then. These kids couldn't act/behave publicly any worse than these grown adults in SEC environments. I see no disadvantage. Thoughts?

Thomas Noie

10:57

Joe: Notre Dame won't lack from a player development standpoint. Brey's staffs (not always his choice) often rolled five deep. This one is eight. There's someone who knows the game at every turn. Micah Shrewsberry has been allowed more resources than Mike Brey ever had. That has to help. Kid wants someone to work him out late at night or early in the morning, someone on staff is there. Want to watch tape? Same thing. The extended staff guarantees nothing, but at least it puts it in the same ballpark as its conference peers.

joe from the south side

10:55

Tom, If I recall correctly, Brey maintained a fairly "bare bones" staff. Under MS, the coaching staff has increased significantly. IYO, what benefits should ND realize from the new "Org Chart" and how much do you feel this improves ND's chances of success?

Thomas Noie

10:51

Tyler: Too early still to tell. You say the ceiling would be the Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinals. That would mean winning at least two tourney games. Some would argue that this team might not win two league games. Micah Shrewsberry has said that he wants his guys to be playing their best basketball by the end of February and early March. If that's the case, there will be some long nights in January and early February. Let's see how they handle the next month before planning an extended stay in DC!

Tyler from Granger

10:50

Now that we are 5 weeks into the season, what is the updated ceiling for this years' team? ACC tournament quarterfinals and let's say 15 wins?

Thomas Noie

10:49

Justin: Probably because they're thinking the game too much. The more you think, the slower you play. Micah Shrewsberry has said plenty of times that he wants to play fast, wants the ball to pop and move and get the defense scrambled. But that's for later on down the line when these guys know one another better and trust one another more to just play. Now, you can almost see them thinking the game - overthinking the game - with every possession. Basketball's free flowing. They're not flowing, because they don't know how to yet.

Justin, Ft Wayne

10:47

Hey Tom! I think the biggest thing for me is the lack of execution on the offensive end. The amount of shot clock violations is frustrating. I wonder why they don’t speed it up just a bit and see if that works. You have any reason or know why they like to play so slow?

Thomas Noie

10:47

Clint: And that's something that too few people understand. Like that's a massive jump for Tae Davis, doing what he's doing now compared to everything he did last year at Seton Hall. I know he's struggled from 3 (1-of-15), but I'll live with that given everything else he's been asked to do and has done. Lots of good stuff with Davis right now.

Clint from Winnipeg

10:46

I agree with you, Tae Davis has been the second-best player on the team after Markus Burton.

Thomas Noie

10:46

Clint: Absolutely. Times 100. There's something new and different and intriguing to see every single time Notre Dame plays. Win or lose. Yes, Saturday sucked for so many reasons, but you know what, in a way it was needed. Like, this program had to see what big-time basketball looked and felt and sounded and smelled like. They'll be better for it. There's so much room to grow that it's ridiculous compared to last year. I'll always remember watching the Notre Dame game against St. Bonaventure on the plane ride to Los Angeles for the USC football game in November 22. It wasn't that the Irish lost (62-51) but it was the way they lost. Like, if that's what we were going to see from a supposed veteran team, it wasn't going to be any better in league play. It wasn't. Now, the ceiling is limitless. What's it all going to look like next year? The following year? Don't know, but can't wait to find out, right?

Clint from Winnipeg

10:42

Is this season more interesting than last simply because you see individual and collective improvement with each game, where last year the veteran group was what it was and the ceiling pretty much had been reached?

Thomas Noie

10:42

IF: Look at my answer (above or below or how this chat flows) for that. Trust is a big reason for the shot-clock issues. That and just having that clock in your head to know, OK, gotta go. These guys have so many other thoughts going on - shoot it, move it, dribble it, space it - that they really do forget about the shot clock. I believe that. They're so robotic in their movements, again, because they don't know yet how to just play. It will improve. It has to improve.

Illinois Fool

10:40

Your comment on not having a walking bucket certainly shows up late in the shot clock. The players either don't recognize the clock is running down or are reluctant to put up a "bad shot". Do you see this as something that will improve with game experience or a year long problem?

Thomas Noie

10:40

Tyler: A little of everything, but especially trust. I have to trust that my teammate is going to be at a certain spot at a certain moment without wondering/worrying, which is what we've seen from the Irish. Too much wondering. Too much maybes and not enough certainty. That comes with practice reps and doing it again and again and again in games and on the practice court. Especially in the summers when that trust can be built. Notre Dame couldn't do any of that in June and July - it was too busy trying to figure out the new head coach and the new staff and the campus and the expectations. This is a group that needs to be locked in a gym for days so they can just play. Move and operate and think as one where they just know where the ball and the other guys are going next. Trust.

Tyler from Granger

10:37

Tom, what makes moving the basketball the most difficult/challenging for a young team in college basketball? Not necessarily this team but your general opinion. Is it the speed of the college game? Emphasis on coaching philosophy? Chemistry? Individual talent? Thanks

Thomas Noie

10:32

Clancy: Unbelievably different, in the best way possible. Well, from the little we could see. A little "here's how the sausage is made" sidebar. The plan for the fall was that we'd see a full practice at Rolfs Hall. That full practice was shaved to 20 minutes of basically just individual instruction. But if you paid attention, you knew this was not your Mike Brey Irish program any more. There were times last year when they couldn't even go five-on-five because of a lack of bodies. That's not an issue under Micah Shrewsberry, who carries five walk-ons. At one point during that preseason session, I counted 27 people on the court in some form of coaching, playing, managing, instructing manner. Not having enough players to practice never will be an issue with this staff.

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