JotCast | Noter Dame men's basketball January chat

Noter Dame men's basketball January chat

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Steve

11:38

Do you have confidence with current recruiting climate? Next years class, going forward etc

Thomas Noie

11:38

Joe: If you're Earl Timberlake, and regardless of your DeMatha connections, where are you going to school? South Bend or South Beach? And I can tell you that Brey thought he had Hunter Dickinson. And then he didn't. Recruiting to Notre Dame is a lot harder than people may believe. I go back to the usual line - it takes a special/different kind of kid to want Notre Dame. There are more of them in football. Not enough of them for basketball.

joe from the south side

11:36

Tom: What's especially troubling is Earl Timberlake (DeMatha and NBA), Hunter Dickinson (same), Isiah Stewart (LaLu and NBA)etc, etc, etc........Does anybody put Brey under the spotlight and say How? How could you miss all of these guys. I am not knocking Zona and Taylor, but recruiting is starting to look like Joey Brooks and Mike Broghammer.

Thomas Noie

11:36

And.......we're back.....thanks for the patience. Conference call, done. Hoops questions....leggo!

11:33

Hold tight everyone...back as soon as possible....keep those questions coming!

10:54

Still have a bunch of questions in the queue to get to, and will, but have to break now for a Zoom meeting about the NCAA tournament. Keep the questions and comments coming. Will be back ASAP this morning.

10:52

Joey: Not from a lack of trying. Mentioned it earlier in the chat that a game against Georgia Tech fell through when GT balked at a saturated schedule. A non-league home game against a MAC school was a 60-40 possibility as of this time Wednesday, but that also dissolved. It's not from a lack of trying. The Irish wanted to play and knew they needed to play. Turns out there really was no one that wanted to play. So another seven-day break it was. Ugh

Joey from Highland, IN

10:51

i know I’ve asked you, but, why not get a game this week before Miami?

Thomas Noie

10:51

Joe: Most folks satisfied? How about a few folks? Don't know anyone who's satisfied with the last three years. It all changed that night in Breslin Center in 2017 when Bonzie Colson felt a weird pain in his foot. It's been one headache after another. That has to eventually end, doesn't it?

joe from the south side

10:50

Tom: Unless he quits, which I doubt, Brey isn't going anywhere. ND does not care about hoops, men's or women's. They care about FB. Brey does the 3 things necessary to keep his job...1. Runs a clean program, 2. Runs a clean program, 3. Wins enough games to keep most folks satisfied.

Thomas Noie

10:49

Joey: not just Durham, but everybody. Can they move it the way they did? Take care of it? Flow better offensively? Yeah, getting more of Durham than a game here or there is big, but getting more out of this core than 40 minutes against Boston College is bigger.

Joey from Highland, IN

10:49

I’m most curious to see it Durham can build on the BC game. I mean, I doubt it, but one can hope.

Thomas Noie

10:49

Joe: The back stuff with Juwan Durham kind of came up out of nowhere. Nobody knew about it until Brey mentioned it in the post-game. There's media availability on Friday, and I'll remember to ask Brey about it. As for Robby Carmody, Brey offered an update a few weeks ago saying that Robby Carmody was expected to be back at practice toward the end of January, but that's as far as that was going to go. The train's too far out of the station for him to still jump aboard. Practice the rest of the season (and stay healthy) and continue to stay healthy and make a serious run at a rotation spot in 2021-22.

joe from the south side

10:46

Tom: Injury updates. Anything going on with Carmody? What was the worry about JD's back?

Thomas Noie

10:46

Andrew: i wouldn't read too much into it, other than Alex Wade likely was accepted into Notre Dame as a regular student and had a line of communication open with the basketball staff that in case he decided he wanted to attend Notre Dame, would they be interested in him joining the program as a walk-on. So they say, sure, we'd like to join. Then Wade tweets that out. Mike Brey said recently that he spent way more time than usual recruiting the last six weeks. That meant making sure he landed Yale graduate transfer Paul Atkinson, not filling out the back end of the practice roster with a preferred walk-on. As for using scholarships, I believe there is one left. You have, have, have to hold that one to see what happens come spring. Grad transfer? Immediately eligible ACC-level rotation player? Every option needs to be available. And explored.

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

10:42

Can you explain the strategy of offering PWO's when scholarships are still available to use? It's happened twice now with Morgan and just the other day with Wade. There are scholarships available to offer but these kids are being told they'll be PWO's and choose to take this offer over other D1 offers they might have. Are they being told they'll be able to earn a scholarship? I also don't understand it from a recruiting perspective, if there are scholarships available to offer then why are we looking at PWO's instead of guys the staff would consider good enough to get a scholarship?

Thomas Noie

10:42

Tyler: The offseason promises to be like none we've ever seen, especially if the NCAA allows the one-time transfer without the sit-out season. Talk about the Wild West. It will be Thunderdome. Everything goes up for grabs. In a normal year, there are usually over 700 Division I transfers. And the majority of those guys not seeking a sneaky waiver to play immediately have to sit out. Imagine what happens next if all are immediately eligible. I can't see a Goodwin (longtime Notre Dame fan) or a Laszewski leaving, but then again, who really knows? It's going to be an offseason where something's going to happen for EVERY program. Would be weird if nothing happened in terms of the Irish. Buckle up. It's going to get really wild. And maybe weird.

Tyler

10:39

Tom, on another note- do you see any roster change next season (with a free eligibility year) other than the expected departures & arrivals? Can you see a Laszewski or a Goodwin consider something different for their college futures? My logic behind it is they both have professional futures (outside of America) so maybe they want an opportunity to compete nationally on a bigger stage (bigger than the lowly ACC Monday night beatdowns) instead of just predictable non-conference wins & BC twice. Thanks!

Thomas Noie

10:39

Joe: Amen. Clemson got so much run nationally of late, getting as high as No. 12 in the polls then losing its next two league games by a combined 56 points. Whaaaaa???? Outside of Virginia, I don't know if there are really any elite teams in the league. Virginia Tech's pretty good too. But the rest? Throw them all in a hat and anyone could be really good one night and really awful the next. For the Irish, it's an identity crisis and a leadership void. Who's the Alpha dog of this group? The Tory Jackson? The Bonzie Colson? The Pat Connaughton? Too often it feels like five guys just running around there, which is why it was so refreshing to see the Boston College effort. More connected. Now carry that over. And over. And over.

joe from the south side

10:36

Tom: Last point and why they are struggling. No identity. We are 10-12 games into the season and I can't tell you what Brey is trying to do offensively, mainly because he does not know either. First it was Hubb and Goodwin. Then they hit a wall. Then you saw something from Wertz. That was short lived. Then they tried to go big because Laz and JD came up big against UVA. Now Ryan doesn't start. All in all, Brey is searching for answers. What is bitterly disappointing is that the ACC is upside down this year. How good, or bad, is Duke? Clemson? Does anyone fear Brownell? Pitt hung 64 points on Syracuse. IN A HALF! With this many JRs, I have to say this is the biggest disappointment. It was there for the taking.

Thomas Noie

10:35

Guest: It wasn't for a lack of effort. Notre Dame knew late Friday of last week that the Howard game wasn't going to go. The ACC had originally slotted a makeup league game at home against Georgia Tech into that Monday slot, only to have Georgia Tech push back and say, yeah, we'd rather not play given it was coming off a 17-day pause and had league games Wednesday (Clemson) and Saturday (Virginia) this week. So that game was scrapped. Notre Dame also tried to get a non-conference game to fill the week. It didn't work out for myriad reasons. This is by far the craziest season of the 23 I've covered Notre Dame. Up is down and down is up and in is out. Left is right. There are times when you literally have no idea what the next day will bring. I can't imagine what it's like inside the Notre Dame basketball offices. Or any Division I program.

Guest

10:33

Morning, Tom. Has no real bearing on anything currently. As Coach expressed in his post game comments Saturday, they're getting pretty good at picking up these out of conference games last minute with cancelations. With the confidence he seemingly said it on Saturday I was surprised nothing popped up this week. More curious than anything.. Was any game even close to fruition that you know of?

Thomas Noie

10:31

Joe: Good stuff, but here's the thing. I don't get any sense from anyone around the program that they're sitting back in the comfy conference room of Rolfs Hall and saying, yeah, we're struggling now, but wasn't it great in 2015 and 2016? That door's been closed for a while now. It was locked when Rex Pflueger (the last link to an Elite Eight team) left at the end of last season. I don't know if I would term this a wasted year. It's been a year like none other. if this were a normal year, Notre Dame would've scheduled a whoooooollllllleeee lot differently than it did. More gimmie home games to get some wins and some confidence. No Michigan State. No Kentucky. Maybe they still lose those early ACC games to Duke and Virginia, but figure out a way to win at Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Not saying they'd get those games, but this whole season has been beyond bizarre. It's a daily scramble - can ND play? Can the opponent play? Who else can play? Winning and losing is just not as high a priority. For anyone.

Joe from Middletown,CT

10:25

Tom - appreciate these chats and love your reporting. I don't get why Brey isn't under fire. I have been a supporter for awhile but this program is still living off those 2014-2017 years. Everytime we get a recruit or a transfer, Brey compares them to one of those guys. Its time to move on. This team has very little talent. The big junior class haul has been a farce. They haven't developed. They are headed for another wasted year with no NCAA tourney. When will Brey either be let go or step down? We need to stop resting on the laurels of those teams that went to back to back elite 8's.

Thomas Noie

10:24

Joe: Yep. It's OK to have a Cormac Ryan and a Dane Goodwin in the main mix, but you better have your share of Pat Connaughtons or Luke Harangodys or Bonzie Colsons. Heck, even a V.J. Beachem or a Steve Vasturia would help balance out the lack of ACC-level quickness right now. Other teams have it too easy, which again goes back to defending and rebounding and doing the tough stuff. It's hard, but go do it anyway.

joe from the south side

10:22

Tom: Point #2...Athleticism. I watched the UVA game intently. It was apparent that maybe Hubb could watch Clark. Any switch to Goodwin or Ryan was a gross mismatch. You could almost sense Clark's body language when he saw the switch. I am surprised one of those guys didn't sprain an ankle trying to guard him. Other than JD (and that is only seen in spurts) and Hubb, the other three starters are below average athletes by ACC standards.

Thomas Noie

10:22

Tyler: Certainly not in the middle of a pandemic. Notre Dame will feel the fall-out of what the college football season was - or really, wasn't - for years to come. The school lost a whole lot of millions of millions of dollars with no fans in the stands or on campus. It's going to have an impact on the athletic budget. So now, or next month or the next certainly isn't the time to jettison a coach with four years left on his deal and his staff and start over by shelling out more millions for a new coach and a new direction. Not saying that I agree with that thinking - especially since Notre Dame has more money than it knows what to do with - but just saying I think I know how that place operates. Starting over isn't yet an option.

Tyler

10:19

Tom, at what point does Mr. Swarbrick and Father Jenkins say “enough is enough?” They don’t have to be on Brey’s clock. They don’t necessarily owe that to him. They owe it to their university to put a winning product on the floor- no matter the circumstances. Thanks!

Thomas Noie

10:19

Joe: The chat's official. My man has spoken. No, Notre Dame isn't the tallest team or most physical team or most imposing when they run out for warmups (again, you look and say, where's the rest of them), but that's no excuse to not put a body on someone and go get a rebound or a loose ball as if your next meal depended on it. Play a game like its noon-time pickup and you're going to go 1-5 in the league. Notre Dame closed the doors last week and got after one another in workouts. Then the Boston College game happened. Let's see it happen a few more times. Desire? Toughness? Want-to? Anyone?

joe from the south side

10:17

Tom: I am ready for action....My perspective on the Irish. Three flaws. Maybe two can be corrected. First, you wrote a piece on lack of toughness. I agree. I believe this manifests itself on the glass where they are one of the poorest rebounding teams I've seen despite playing basically two 7 footers. Rebounding is all heart, or lack of it. My favorite of all time was Westley Unseld. Listed at 6'7", Wes admitted he was really 6'4". Averaged, AVERAGED...14/RPG for a career! Agree with your call. The desire is not there.

Thomas Noie

10:16

Steve: Mike Brey's current contract runs through the 2024-25 season. He's offered no indication that he won't serve out the remaining years - and has also hinted that he might want to coach beyond 2024-25. Maybe that's here. Maybe that's elsewhere. But I'd be surprised - OK, even shocked - if he's not back for 2021-22. I thought he'd seriously consider calling it a career after the 3-15 season, then again last year when they still couldn't figure it out. But the pandemic did the opposite for Mike Brey as it did for Muffet McGraw. The Hall of Fame coach saw a glimpse of life without coaching and liked it. So she walked away. Brey saw his life without coaching and decided, nope, not ready for that yet.

Steve

10:14

What is the future for Brey?

Thomas Noie

10:14

From a staff standpoint, Notre Dame needs someone who's really going to get into guys. Be the bad cop to too many good ones on the staff. That used to be Anthony Solomon, who knew how to reach guys when the doors were closed. I don't know if this program has that right now. The staff's got good guys on it, but maybe too good. Brey's the kind of coach who believes motivation also must come from within, but this is a group that at times could use a push....or a kick to the backside. I mean that in the best of ways.

10:12

Guest: If someone at Notre Dame was asking me (and trust me, they're not) I'd start by filling out the roster. It's hard to see the potential in this team when you walk in while the teams are warming up and the other guys seem to outnumber Notre Dame like 2-to-1. You look at Notre Dame and wonder, wait, where are the rest of the guys? Is that really it? It might be a little different if they had Robby Carmody and Elijah Taylor available instead of injured, but at the least, it should have at least 11 guys on scholarship and healthy. That gives you options and it also gives guys a little motivation. Mike Brey's the ultimate confidence giver, but looking over your shoulder at someone who might steal your minutes if you don't deliver isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Guest

10:09

Tom, what does the program need to get itself back on track? Is it time for Brey to move on!? Does he need new assistants?

Thomas Noie

10:09

Matt: Good to hear from you. And I agree. Notre Dame isn't going to be the elite of the ACC consistently with North Carolina, Duke, Virginia and Louisville around, but there's no reason why it can't be a consistent top half of the league program. Every single season. I get what you're saying about "stealing one" but Boston College was anything but. Notre Dame led for nearly 37 minutes and scored its most points in a league game to date. It was a long time coming and good to see. The proverbial something to build on, but only if you go and win at Miami. If not, then another missed opportunity for a program that has to stop missing.

Matt from MA

10:06

Tom, hello again. Congrats to the Irish on beating the mighty BC Eagles for their first conference win of the year!!! They "stole" one here didn't they Tom? Really encouraged and something we can build off back to back beatdowns in Virginia. Those aren't direct quotes, just from memory of Brey's usual lines. Let me say two things: 1) thanks for continuing the coverage even when they stink. 2) I just really don't like this team or the whole "atmosphere." They are playing in a pandemic, I understand, but that hasn't prevented teams like Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech or Clemson from playing good ball and seizing the opportunity. The expectation around ND hoops shouldn't be "we stole one" from a terrible team, the expectation should be top half of the league every year, maybe top 3 every four-ish years. The last three years: 1-5, 10-10, 3-15. None of those teams were competitive against non BC teams. The 10-10 included 0 quality wins and a BC and Wake forest loss. Clearly, Tom, Coach's Irish aren't "stealing" enough!

Thomas Noie

10:05

This team wasn't expected to be among the ACC's elite, but there was no reason why it couldn't at least look like a team that could win 11, 12, 13 league games. There's still time to turn it around, but they've got to get going. Like, now

10:04

And now, your hoops question - bright spots and disappointments. One bright spot I touched on at the start of the chat would be that we're at Jan. 21 and Notre Dame has yet to pause its hoops program because of a positive coronavirus from within. That's a win right now given what we're seeing around the ACC and around the country. Of course, the Irish would've liked to have won a few more non-league games (Ohio State, Purdue come to mind) and have been better than 1-5 in the league, but this year, just playing is sort of a win. From a player standpoint, Nate Laszewski has been the brightest of spots. I thought we'd see this type of year from him last year. He's leading the team in scoring (16.7) and rebounding (7.7) and shooting ridiculous numbers from the field (.641) and from 3 (.553). He's been beyond expectations. Most disappointing is no one's really followed that lead. Too many guys are OK for one game, not OK for two or three. The lack of consistency and confidence has been troubling.

10:00

Trevor: Jump in with both feet and write about anything. If basketball is your favorite sport, do a little basketball, but cover all others. Go do golf. Soccer. Football. Get out of your comfort zone. Doing so will get you comfortable with writing anything and everything. I've done everything from the NCAA tournament with the Tribune to the state fair back when I was just out of high school trying to earn my way back in Wilmington, Ohio. Go into journalism because you love to write. If you don't, it's going to feel like an actual job. If you do, man, it can take you on the best ride ever.

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