JotCast | Notre Dame December hoops chat

Notre Dame December hoops chat

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Jake

11:24

Yes a big role for Carmody is out of the question for now. I’m just not a fan of a 7 man rotation. All Carmody needs to give is 10 serviceable minutes off the bench.... and why can’t he?

Thomas Noie

11:24

Tony: Even 12 is too many to manage. In this program, somebody's leaving and then we're back to the why did so-and-so leave discussion. And don't expect any staff changes unless someone leaves to be a head coach. Mike Brey has a fellow former DeMatha guy (Rod Balanis) and two former Irish players (Ryan Humphrey, Scott Martin) on staff. That's a lot of loyalty there.

Tony

11:22

Tom, do you think Brey will try to bring in 2 bigs in the 2022 class? Why doesn’t he at least get to 12 scholarship players? We need a great recruiter to take RA spot on the staff.

Thomas Noie

11:21

Jake: Not jumping on you specifically, but now that Trey Wertz is eligible, are we now going to the....when Carmody comes back wishful thinking route? And if so, why? Nothing against you or Robby Carmody, but his first step is to stay healthy. Let's start there and then anything he can offer becomes a bonus. Benching Ryan for Durham trades some offense for no offense, which isn't the way it works for this program.

Jake

11:18

two questions. 1. Carmody should be the 8th man when (or if.... who knows with him by now) he returns, right? 2. Could you Ryan benched for Durham given his struggles for a 3 guard 2 big lineup?

Thomas Noie

11:18

Justin: Likely a number of factors. Teams have the first half to see what adjustments they need to make. They notice that the offense is rolling through this guy or that guy, so let's take them away and see if the Irish have a counter. They don't have a counter. They're then expending energy on the defensive end that it affects them on the offensive end. It's a never-ending cycle of late.

Justin Ft Wayne

11:16

Why does this offense look so good at times in the first half, then the second half they can’t make a shot or get the offense flowing. Fatigue? It’s like their offense is only producing in the first half.

Thomas Noie

11:16

Chris: How much of a funk? This much - he came into the Duke game last week the leading scorer in the ACC at 21.6. Two games later, he's tied for 11th and second on the squad. More troubling has been his body language. One thing about Hubb was his swagger. His confidence. He's not really had that since the Kentucky game. Defensively, it's about want-to. See your guy; guard your guy.

Chris

11:14

How much of a funk is Hubb in? This team has offensive potential, however can defense improve ?

Thomas Noie

11:08

Bob: Enough won't be enough until his contract runs out in 2024-25. I could've seen him leaving after last year, but the pandemic gave him a new lease on his immediate coaching future. He wants to finish that contract out and see this junior class through. There's no indication that he won't have that opportunity.

Bob from Mishawaka

11:07

Tom - this program desperately needs new juice. It's tough to even type those words because of how much I love Mike Brey. But when is enough enough? Their 2-3 zone is an absolute abomination. Their man defense is depressing. Their 1-3-1 is....not reliable. Classic Brey squads it's easier to overlook a lack of any defensive fundamentals when the offense is flowing (and the team is winning of course), but the offense hasn't flowed for years? This team looks bad across the board. I love Mike Brey and he has earned the right to walk on his own terms...but do you get any sense from him what it will take to make that decision? When is enough enough?

Thomas Noie

11:07

Tom: Good call on the roles. The chemistry is a work in progress, and really, with Wertz eligible, now starting over. But Brey said after the game that he's now got his main seven - with Durham and Djogo coming off the bench - moving forward. Zona and Sanders will be emergency minute guys.

Tom from Gary, Ind.

11:06

Hi Tom. It appears from this observer the roles on the team are not defined? That leads to spurts of good play, but more breakdowns and losses in the end. With Wertz, Djojgo, Zona, Saunders, there is sufficient depth now. Coach Brey needs to play these kids off the bench

Thomas Noie

11:05

P: I went back and watched some of the Purdue game last night and watched Durham on the floor. He's just not a natural basketball player. Like, you can see the wheels in his mind turning. Go block out that go, then turn and look for the rebound. Then when he gets the ball in the low post, it's like he's reading from the manual. Dribble once, twice, then turn, then.....oooooof!

P from StP

11:03

Do you think Juwan will make the leap we all hoped he would? Or do you think what we see is what we get? 1 rebound last game....He times his jump so well for blocks, why not rebounds?

Thomas Noie

11:03

My man, D-Lat! He just didn't fit that season, for myriad reasons and it was time to go a different direction. I can see it going the same way with Juwan Durham. It's the classic be careful what you wish for. Durham wanted more chances, wanted more minutes, wanted to be the focal point in the low post when John Mooney was in town. Now it's Durham, who's learning that yeah, this thing's tougher than he thought.

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

11:01

The only time Brey benched a transfer was Dennis Latimore, so maybe Juwan Durham = Dennis Latimore?

Thomas Noie

11:01

Pat: Less than zero. If they go that route, it would be more Laszewski/Zona with the three guards than Durham/Laszewski. We've seen that pairing. It hasn't worked very well.

Pat, Springfield, IL

11:00

What are the chances that for a few minutes in each game we could see a combination of Zona/Laszewski/Durham in with three guards? Could that produce better defense and rebounding?

Thomas Noie

11:00

Joey: As a fifth-year guy should. What they're getting from Djogo now is something they always thought was there. Make a few shots. Get a few boards. Don't get crushed in the (+/-) rating when you're on the floor. Play like an old guy. He's been good, but he should be good. He's the old guy now.

Joey from Highland, IN

10:59

I am still in disbelief that Hubb didn’t score. You get 27 from Wertz and 11 from Djogo and you still get crushed. If he does anything, they probably win. That being said, I hope Djogo can keep making shots. He’s actually given them good minutes all year.

Thomas Noie

10:58

Jay: As Mike Brey said recently, it's a process with that class. Learn to play. Learn to play together. Learn to win. It wasn't going to happen as freshmen, and it didn't. It happened only occasionally as sophomores. It has to happen more this year and then next. 2022-23? Man, I'm just trying to get to 2021. We'll worry about that season when we get there.

Jay from Chicago

10:56

Hi Tom, thanks for your coverage of ND basketball. It always feels as if you are setting yourself up to fail when you have such a heavy concentration of the roster in the same class, especially in a development program like ND. Two questions: 1) why is ND still struggling so mightily with this highly-touted junior class and 2) is there any reason for me to believe that the '22-'23 season (assuming Jr. class all moves one) will not be as disastrous as '18-'19?

Thomas Noie

10:56

Greg: Can they play with six? I joke because, well, there really aren't any options. They tried to go 1-3-1 which so effective at Kentucky one time against Purdue and they threw over the top for a dunk from the 8-foot kid. You can throw all the junk defenses and traps as you want, but eventually, it comes down to just guarding your guy. Boxing out. Gang rebounding. As you mentioned, we're not talking about morphing into becoming Virginia overnight, but get a handful of stops (at key times) to stop runs and they might have a chance.

Greg from NJ

10:53

what can this group do to be more effective on defense? 1-3-1 looks ok at times, but otherwise doesn't feel like there's much that is working (2-3 zone....yikes). I get that with a shorter bench, maybe the philosophy is don't expend all your energy on defense, but at some point you need stops...and a steal every once in a while would sure help so we can get out in transition....i think part of the scoring droughts is that we get nothing in transition so every possession becomes a grind. But, to run, you've got to defend (steal, deflect, contest) and rebound and we haven't been good at either yet. I'm not saying we need to be Virginia overnight, but if we aren't getting stops trying to play straight up, why not mix it up....trap, double the post...something to try to make the opponent uncomfortable. what do we have to lose...worst case we give up a layup or a 3, which is happening anyway. Giving up 88 points to a purdue team that scored 54 against miami is alarming.....

Thomas Noie

10:53

Andrew: Mike Brey's kind of talked himself into a corner with Prentiss Hubb. How it's his team. How he has the keys to the car. You don't suddenly take those keys away. Wertz and Ryan initiating the offense for stretches should and will be an option, but Hubb's still the main guy.

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

10:51

I much prefer Wertz and Ryan bringing the ball up and running the show, as I think they are better facilitators than Hubb. Hubb played off the ball more against Purdue, any idea if this was planned and we should expect this going forward or did the game dictate it because Wertz got hot?

Thomas Noie

10:51

Joey: They don't have anyone in charge of the defense. This isn't football where you have a coordinator and bunch of assistants all locked in a room in Rolfs Hall breaking down what teams like to do in their secondary break. Playing defense is a lot of want-to. There's your guy. Guard him. A lot of it also is being secure enough and mature enough and experienced enough not to let what's happening (or not happening) with your offense to affect your defense. The Irish aren't there yet.

Joey from Highland, IN

10:50

Who is in charge of the defense? Do these kids have no interest in playing it?

Thomas Noie

10:49

Nope, nope, nope....given what we know about Brey and the way he operates, he's not flushing Durham anytime soon. He'd rather lose knowing he gave his guy (he's waaaaay loyal to transfers) every opportunity to perform than bury him for a freshman. If Matt Zona truly gave this team a better chance to win, he'd be in there. He's not there yet.

Joey from Highland, IN

10:47

As far as toughness....give Zona a shot. He brings energy and toughness. Durham at times looks like he doesn’t even care.

Thomas Noie

10:47

Andrew: I don't....At least, not right now, Both of them are talents and should eventually become good college players. But the adjustment both will face will be eye-opening. It's one thing to go for 30-plus points on a routine basis in the Northern Indiana Conference, where neither one is ever really challenged. The ACC will be a step or two or three up for both. If they can get to campus and have a normal summer school of playing with the guys, it will be a massive help. But that first year will be an adjustment. I know Blake Wesley has talked about Brey saying how he could be freshman of the year in the ACC, but look at the depth chart. Now that Wertz is doing what he can do, that's four guards all coming back next year with Hubb, Goodwin, Ryan and Wertz. What about Carmody? What if he comes back and shows something? Right there, Wesley's the fifth guard before he ever moves in. Konieczny's a little different in that he might be closer to 6-8 by the time he arrives, so he could work as the second big

Andrew

10:44

Do you see Blake or Jr coming in next year and playing real minutes? Because I think that Blake could be 6,7,8th man next year.

Thomas Noie

10:30

Dave: He looked fine from my perch in the Varsity Club at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. He wasn't subbed out early which would indicate something was amiss and he wound up playing 38 minutes. Think it was more of a struggle to figure out how to find his while playing alongside his roommate in Trey Wertz. The way Wertz got his 27 was like he barely broke a sweat. Everything in the flow of the offense. Take a couple open 3s. Get a few drives. Some free throws. Like he fit it and it kind of threw Hubb off his game. Afterward, Mike Brey talked about Hubb being more of a facilitator/defender (that can't happen). If he were hurt or sick, it likely would've come up. It never did.

Dave

10:27

Was Hubb healthy vs Purdue? I thought I saw him limping at times during the game.

Thomas Noie

10:26

Andrew: All of our media work this year is done through Zoom calls. We have no one-on-one or face-to-face contact with the coaches or the players, which is something I really miss. Best part of being around practice for interviews is being able to talk to a coach or player on the side without the recorder running. Just BS with them about this or that. Maybe about a game or a moment or, like with Durham, his new role off the bench. As for getting frustrated that he leaves to play elsewhere, whaaaat? It's not like he's not been given a chance. Like, this is what he wanted last year when the focus was John Mooney. This is your time, make the most of it. Any frustration over that? Man, look in the mirror.

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

10:23

How did Durham take being removed from the starting lineup? With transfers being eligible right now is there any chance he's so frustrated he leaves to play somewhere else for the second semester?

Thomas Noie

10:23

Radio silence, for myriad reasons. Notre Dame has not been known for chasing transfers in season, and seldom has chased a grad transfers. it's unchartered territory for the program and for the coaching staff. And it would be unlike anything the staff has ever done - get a guy who could (and should) play right away, which undercuts the guy you put so much faith in in Juwan Durham. Everyone outside the program believes that the next guy is the right guy. The most popular topic the first three weeks of the season was Trey Wertz and his possible eligibility. Now that he's playing, it's who's coming next? Inside the program, they believe the guys they currently have is enough. Not saying they're right, but landing/chasing Paul Atkinson goes against the grain in every form and fashion. Which means this - go do it. Please.

ND Hoops Recruits

10:19

What are you hearing about ND's chances with Yale grad transfer Paul Atkinson?

Thomas Noie

10:19

Michael: Not at all. And there won't be this year unless everything goes completely off the rails. Every college coach, and athletic director, will consider just getting through a season during a pandemic an NCAA-like win.

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