JotCast | Notre Dame basketball chat - January 2025

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Tom Noie

12:26

Frank: They're not going to pass on people paying big money to sit in those seats for those seats to sit empty for students who probably aren't showing up for 75 percent of the games. There. FIXED.

Frank from Michiana

12:25

I love the apples to oranges answer to the difference between the men's and women's programs. The earlier question about moving the students to be around the court is actually funny. The powers that be aren't going the pass on those fans/corporations paying big money to sit courtside. I mentioned the 574 game earlier, people should look at the flash sale prices between the programs. Women's tickets are $5.74, Men's are $15.74, which is more family friendly for people to attend. You can actually buy 4 women's season tickets to 1 for the men's.

Tom Noie

12:25

Todd: Maybe it has something to do with just not running offense. Like, where are all the sets that are designed to cut up opposing defenses? Have we seen many? Any? That Matt Allocco is a main guy but he's also gone two games going 0-for-0 from the floor and was 1-of-1 the other night on a night when Tae Davis couldn't do anything right, Burton's still the only guy who can just go and get something. That has to change, in whatever way. You want to be good, you need three or four guys like that. Not one.

Todd from Charlotte

12:23

Seems we were hoping this season that Markus wouldn't have to do too much, but with the inconsistencies across the board, he is doing a lot. Is that player development? Is it guys hitting their ceilings?

Tom Noie

12:23

That would be an adequate explanation, except that Konieczny is shooting 34 percent from 3. Not exactly knockdown territory. The scouting report on him may read something like, he may make a shot, but likely won't make two in a row. It's just been hard for him to figure out a role.

Patrick Nolan

12:20

Tom -- related to your previous comment, one argument for J.R. to play more is because he has to be respected on the perimeter. Between Tae Davis, Sir Mohammed, and Julian Roper, that's three guys that just don't need to be guarded if they're standing in the corner, and when two of them are on the floor with Kebba at the same time, there's just no spacing. We saw it against Georgia Tech, who was able to play a two-big lineup against us and stack the paint the whole time (in addition to stifling Tae by just instructing Souare to not go near him outside of 10 feet).

Tom Noie

11:54

Clint: It will look similar to this season. Notre Dame is back in the MTE in Las Vegas, it will have a home game in the SEC/ACC Challenge and then have the usual non-league home buy games. I know Micah Shrewsberry has the we'll play anyone, anytime, anywhere mindset, but they must be strategic for next season. Build confidence and make a move in league play instead of overscheduling and having to scramble when league play commences.

Clint from Winnipeg

11:52

What do you think Coach Shrewsberry does with the non-conference schedule next season? Make it challenging, keep it light to build confidence, or somewhere in between?

Tom Noie

11:51

All true.

Still patient...

11:51

The point you've made that I agree with the most is the importance of creating some kind of momentum from here. Next year is a critical year, IMO. Not because Year 3 is magic in any way, but I'm guessing it will prove to be the most talented roster in Shrews' first 5 years. And given the up and down nature of on court performance thus far, I think making a real splash next season will be necessary to sustain recruiting momentum. Thankfully, if Burton and Davis stay we'll have the talent and the ACC is weak, weak weak.

Tom Noie

11:42

Mike: No idea. It's one thing to do it at the high school level, but it's another to do it at the collegiate level. At the Atlantic Coast Conference level. Until those guys get to campus, you have to reserve judgement as to how each will fit.

Mike, New Jersey

11:42

What's the confidence level of Tommy Ahneman contributing as the second big next season? Certainly is a big body with a really nice skill set.

Tom Noie

11:41

Quietly earned his degree and moved on with his post-playing career life.

joe from the south side

11:41

Tom, What became of Tony Sanders?

Just had to ask.

Tom Noie

11:35

Clint: Think they realized that he's limited in what he can offer in the ACC. There wasn't a day in the summer/preseason when Micah Shrewsberry didn't mention Burke Chebuhar as someone who could initiate the offense. Who could help. He hasn't really helped.

Clint from Winnipeg

11:33

The playing time of Burke Chebuhar really has dropped off lately. What did they not get from him, that they expected to get from him, when he played earlier in the season?

Tom Noie

11:33

Paul: Not really. Play the guys that give you the best chance to win, not the best chance to steer clear of the portal. Do it in practice, and you can do it in the game.

Paul, South Bend

11:32

I think it's funny that historically on these chats people used to be upset about Brey's short bench. Now we have a guy that plays about everyone and now the bench is too long. I tend to believe that you never know when someone is going to have a great game unless he gets a chance to get his fanny off the bench. And in this portal world, you'd better play people if you want them to hang around. Agree?

Tom Noie

11:30

Derailed a lot. It wasn't just Burton's injury. Couple that with Sir Mohammed's knee injury, it left Notre Dame without a main handler who could break down defenses and find the open guy and get the ball to where it needed to go. Notre Dame went 2-5 without Burton. Flip that to 4-3, even 5-2 with Burton and everything changes. Especially if you add in the Carolina game, the North Carolina State game and the Syracuse game. What might have been...

Andrew, Plymouth

11:28

I think this chat is much different right now without the injury to Burton and the games he missed. I'm assuming that maybe this is why Shrewsberry has seemed more frustrated lately, as well. The process is still on track, and was ahead of the track, it just got derailed a bit.

Tom Noie

11:28

Clint: Nikita Konstantnovskyi's minutes have stayed pretty steady in league play. He's logged 10-11 minutes in seven of the last eight league games. He's a serviceable backup big given this is his first and only season in the league.

Clint from Winnipeg

11:26

Does the playing time of Nikita Konstantynovskyi vary from game to game based on opponent matchups? It seems to swing wildly from one game to the next.

Tom Noie

11:19

Andrew: The incoming recruits will help with that. They fit more in line with who Micah Shrewsberry is as a coach, or, really, who we THINK he is as coach. We're two years in, but do we really know? About him? About the program? About anything? That's not a knock, it's just that it's so early. This was going to take time. It was going to be a process. There were going to be growing pains. It's been everything that was anticipated. That's why it's so important - critical - to finish out this season with some serious momentum. Win three, four, five in a row. Don't play on the first day of the ACC Tournament. Go to postseason in some way, shape or form. Take. A. Step.

Andrew, Plymouth

11:16

I think the biggest issue on the roster is exactly what you just explained about Davis. The players don't know what they can do or who they are. Shots not falling; go get a rebound, a steal, or drive and dish to a teammate. Unfortunately for some of the guys when the shot isn't falling, that's just it, they don't know what to do next. Shrewsberry is a developer of talent, hopefully we see these guys broaden their skill sets over the summer.

Tom Noie

11:16

Mike: Notre Dame will make room one way or another for Ament. if he wants to come to Notre Dame, he'll have a scholarship. If Ament goes elsewhere and the proverbial "big-game" transfer big wants to go to Notre Dame, they'll find room. Even when scholarships expand to 15 (it's proposed to start for the 2025-26 school year), Micah Shrewsberry has said that's way too many. He's not going to max out the roster for the sake of maxing it out.

San Diego Mike

11:13

As it currently stands for next season, lets just assume no one transfers (big assumption I know) or goes pro early, do we have any scholarships available? I'm counting 4 OUT (Roper, Allocco, NK, Cheb) and 4 IN (Harry, Koehler, Frost, Ahneman). Do we even have room for Ament and / or a transfer? I forget when scholarships expand

Tom Noie

11:12

Matt: He's got a lot of company in that department. Bonzie Colson was a beast. Matt Farrell had two of the best seasons of anybody. Jerian Grant was an All-American and a first-round draft pick. Ben Hansbrough was Big East player of the year when the Big East was a beast. Notre Dame has seen its share of talent in recent seasons.

Matt from St. Paul

11:11

Markus Burton is the best player to put on an ND jersey since who for you? This team has been frustrating to me this year but he so much fun to watch

Tom Noie

11:11

Roper ain't listening to that. You can see it in his eyes every time he has the ball - like, this sucker's going up. One way or another, I'm going to get mine. But you're right, just defend, move it, rebound, and do the dirty work. Perfect role for him.

Andrew, Plymouth

11:10

Please tell Patrick that Roper does not need to take those shots to stay on the floor. He actually needs to not take shots if he wants to stay on the floor. Roper does all the dirty work a team needs that doesn't always show up in the box score but I would tell him to not shoot the ball unless he's inside the paint.

Tom Noie

11:09

Ken: May have to give credit to Georgia Tech. Tae Davis has become a known/feared guy on the scouting report. That's an adjustment for guys. It's also an adjustment to have to deliver every single night. That's what comes with living in the elite section of the ACC. There are no off nights. Can't be. Tae Davis learned that.

Ken Woodworth

11:08

I was just going to ask you Tom why you thought Tae had such a tough time against GT?

Tom Noie

11:08

Bench Shrewsberry. Don't play him 35 minutes. Play him 25. Where do those minutes go? That they haven't gone to J.R. Koniecnzy or Cole Certa is more telling than why Shrewsberry plays as much as he does, right?

Andrew, Plymouth

11:07

Maybe I'm holding Braeden Shrewsberry to a different standard because I've seen him show flashes of being able to do more than just shoot it, and on a better team maybe his role as just a shooter would be okay, but the 0's across the board on the stat sheet the other night bothered me. I actually omitted his last name as a way to deflect away from his last name and not have it used in conjunction with his dad. I think his ceiling as a player is higher than just being a shooter but when your shot isn't falling you still need to contribute in other ways, as well.

Tom Noie

11:07

Joe: Honestly, no, I don't get any sense that basketball - men's basketball - is a priority at Notre Dame under Pete Bevacqua. Then again, it wasn't under Jack Swarbrick or Kevin White or Michael Wadsworth. It's not football, and that's the non-starter. How many programs have been worse? Baseball on Line One, and don't point to the CWS appearance, because it's fallen off a cliff since then and the freefall will continue. As good (great) as Link Jarrett was (and he was really great) that program is really poor.

Joe

11:05

It’s no secret at the game day experience and the product overall has been stale for six or seven years. Do you get a sense that Bevacqua has basketball and the joyce center anywhere on his priority list? I get it’s not football, but in the landscape of Notre Dame Athletics, how many programs have been worse for the last five years?

Tom Noie

11:04

One of the five best players in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Hope the rest of the league sees that and not that he missed seven games with a knee injury. Burton's a first-team all-league talent.

Ryan

11:04

Tom what do you Think About the play of Markus Burton he Looked Good Vs Georgia tech and Virginia GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️☘️🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Tom Noie

11:04

I'd say a 33.3 percent chance. Maybe 33.4 on a good day...

San Diego Mike

11:03

Any word on Nate Ament and if the Irish feel like they have a real shot?

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