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Notre Dame Hoops Chat - 2/20/20

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Thomas Noie

10:30

William: Notre Dame will have nine players on scholarship - Prentiss Hubb, Cormac Ryan, Nate Laszewski, Robby Carmody, Dane Goodwin, Nik Djogo, Juwan Durham and incoming freshmen Elijah Taylor and Matt Zona...that leaves as many as four spots still to fill (and at least three SHOULD be filled for depth/rotation concerns). How the staff goes about filling those will be interesting. Maybe one rising senior, one traditional transfer and one grad transfer if it's a really good fit. And Matt Farrell committed to Notre Dame on the eve of its first-ever ACC tournament game in 2014. Think this staff wouldn't mind finding another Farrell? You bet...

William from Toronto

10:27

how many scholarship players will there be next year? Are djogo and durham coming back for 5th years and are there any potential commits still in play? I think Farrell was a February-add back in 2014

Thomas Noie

10:26

Rob: No Door No. 3? lol....I'll go the schedule route. Yeah, Notre Dame's been able to hang with Louisville and Florida State and Virginia....that's great. But they still can't BEAT those teams. Notre Dame has seven league wins, and none have been against teams with winning league records.

Rob from Philly

10:24

Has the team actually improved throughout the year or has the schedule softenned? Both is not a viable answer. :)

Thomas Noie

10:24

mark: Defense remains an issue with him. He's had his moments offensively. When he's not hitting shots, it's hard for Mike Brey to find time for him.

Mark

10:23

Has Brey lost trust in Dane up until last 2 weeks he has always been in game last 5 minutes Last 2 weeks not playing as much

Thomas Noie

10:23

Rob: At the very least, this team should win its final three home games....that includes Florida State. Notre Dame's 0 for its last 20 against ranked teams. That's ridiculous. That's a streak that has to end. We already know what John Mooney's going to do, so the rest of the way kind of falls at the feet of the sophomore class. Next year's their time, but why not get a headstart on next year now?

Rob from Philly

10:21

This team has a chance to do something sepcial. Win out and somehow be on the buddle. Theres also a chance they lose to Miami. Odds are it falls in the middle. What or who will put this team over the edge?

Thomas Noie

10:21

....when he should've been team most valuable player as a senior) just as nobody saw John Mooney developing into JOHN MOONEY this season. Who knew he had this in him? Remember, when the Irish went to the Bahamas at the start of last season, he struggled so much that it was hard for Mike Brey to play him. Then the switch was flipped. Going on the five-year plan is a two-way street - the player has to agree to it. Not saying there was a time when Mooney said, yeah, that's not for me, but some guys consider college a four-year thing. After four years, they're ready to do something else.

10:18

Collin: It's easy to say and see that now, just as it was when we wondered why Martinas Geben didn't redshirt as a freshman when he was playing his best basketball as a senior. Nobody saw that coming from Geben (when he should'

Collin Elkhart, IN

10:17

Why didnt we redshirt Mooney as a freshamn?

Thomas Noie

10:16

P: Juwan Durham's just the odd man out, through no fault of his own. It's the way Mike Brey wants to play, and really, the way Notre Dame should've played all year. Durham's had his moments - career high 21 points against Duke - but Brey believes Notre Dame is at its best with a lineup that features only one big man (Mooney). It better spaces the floor. It gives guys more room to move and cut and pass and shoot and score. Two bigs clutters everything up. Durham will have his chance to be the lone big next season.

P. - St. Paul, MN

10:13

Hi! Why does Juwan Durham get pullled so quickly? He seems to have a skill set no one else on the team has. And he's been scoring when he's in, which is more than half the starting lineup does. I see I big role for him next year, if he stays.

Thomas Noie

10:13

Collin: Don't forget about Stanford transfer Cormac Ryan, who's sitting out this season. He'll be the secondary handler next season. As soon as T.J. Gibbs graduates, Ryan will step into his starting spot and be a main guy for his final three seasons. He can handle. He can shoot it. He can score. He can lead. You'll like him. A lot.

Collin Elkhart, IN

10:11

Typically Brey likes two ballhandlers on the court. Looking at next year, is Goodwin capable of that or will ND target a grad transfer to help Hubb?

Thomas Noie

10:11

Lee: Apples to oranges. Yes, the men and women play the same game, but they may as well be totally different sports. There is no one-and-done in the women's game. There aren't many looking for the fastest route to professional basketball. They're true student-athletes and there are more of them who fit Notre Dame from an academic standpoint on the women's side than the men's. It's not even close.

Lee from Lancaster, SC

10:10

Please help me understand the challenges in recruiting for ND that makes it nearly impossible for Mike Brey to sign a 5 star player for the men's team but yet allows Muffet McGraw to sign a 5 star player for her team practically every year. Is it simply the men have the one and done option and there are less players that are a fit for ND both academically and culturally?

Thomas Noie

10:09

Lee: Totally. He still has his moments, but what he was able to do last year - after missing his entire senior year of high school with a knee injury - was pretty much forgotten in the disaster of 3-15. He was really solid, and has been at times this year. He just has to understand that the edge that he plays with can't fade in and out. It has to be a 40-minute focus. He's not afraid to fail, and that's big.

Lee from Lancaster, SC

10:08

Prentiss Hubb is one of those unique players whose play on the court keeps both teams in the game. At times he dazzles you with a great pass, a nifty move, or a spectacular 3 point shot and then later makes a silly turnover or takes several ill-advised shots. However, I think he will be one of the best guards in the ACC his senior year. Do you agree?

Thomas Noie

10:07

Here's the thing with that thinking - I don't know if Jack Swarbrick has to say anything to Mike Brey. I think Brey knows that something has to change in the offseason, as mentioned earlier, whether that's staff or the addition of more potential contributors or just a better focus to get it all back on track. Any conversation Swarbrick might have with Brey won't be a surprise to the head coach. The tone likely would be along the lines of, yep, 100 percent correct. We have to be better. Here's how....

ND Fan

10:05

Following the 2016 4-8 football season, Brian Kelly re-evaluated everything about the program and made several adjustments to lead to 3 straight 10+ win seasons. What's the likelihood that Swarbrick makes Brey do a similar re-evaluation this offseason about his coaching, recruiting, assistant coaches, etc?

Thomas Noie

10:05

Mark: No rhyme or reason to the first-second half swings or the home-road swings. Seems like when the game gets tight, or on the road, something switches on for Prentiss. He carried them through one stretch Monday when they were down 15. Like, it's time to go. You want to think that he's deferring to the seniors early, letting Gibbs and Mooney and Pflueger set the tone, but Hubb's not wired like that. He's the kind of kid where confidence isn't an issue. The Irish need that swagger early - maybe they don't lose by 34 at Duke if he's got it. Then again, maybe they do, but at least he doesn't give off the vibe that he's coasting early.

Mark Kruz from Mishawaka

10:03

Tom is there any rhyme or reason to Prentiss Hubb's madness on why he plays so well in the 2nd half of games compared to the 1st half?? Could it be that he plays much better with a sense of urgency when they are behind? Seems like in the 1st half of games ND plays thru Mooney and Durham to get them going to play inside out.

Thomas Noie

10:03

Richard: Student-athletes at Notre Dame are treated as students first and second and often third. Want to attend Notre Dame? Play a sport? You're going to have to follow the academic road map like any other freshman. No breaks. Of the Top 100 basketball prospects every year, there might be 10 who have the grades to get into Notre Dame. Of those 10, you might be lucky if you can get four or five who actually are interested in being a student-athlete. It doesn't compare to a lot of the teams in the ACC, including Duke. And Carolina. And Louisville. You want to go to Notre Dame means you want the true college experience. There's no hiding in the classroom there. It's hard, and something too few kids really want to do.

Richard Hertz

10:00

What are the academ criteria that Brey‘s recruits must meet that almost every other Major D1 program doesnt have,like UNC, which prevents him from sigining that big time recruit?

Thomas Noie

10:00

Mike: Four games in nine days, including three on the road, took a toll. Mike Brey admitted late Monday after the home win over North Carolina that his team was exhausted. They looked like it. The Irish likely took all of Tuesday and Wednesday off. They'll be back at practice Thursday for three days of prep for Miami (Fla.). That starts another challenging stretch of three games in seven days - two of them away from home. Welcome to February in the ACC!

Mike Stacey

9:57

After a long stretch of games within a short time period, how will coach Brey balance giving the guys some rest and keeping them sharp for their next game?

Thomas Noie

9:57

Ed: Fair question to ponder, but probably one that will be the focus once this season plays out. How does it all end? Do the Irish run the table the rest of the regular season and win a game or two in Greensboro? Do they lose one of next week's two league road games against Boston College or Wake Forest? I get people want/expect/hope for change, but it's odd to project what might happen when this season's still going. At the very least, something does need to change, whether it's philosophy, staff, roster additions, IF and that might be a pretty big if, Mike Brey decides he's still got the juice for season No. 21 at Notre Dame.

Ed Zagorski, Dallas, Tx

9:53

Given what has happened to this point of the year, it has been an inconsistent season with some coching challenges, some players who have underperformed at times, and the continuation of a really short bench with only eight scholarship players. The elephant in the room is a highly respected coach with recent success. Is it time for a new voice or for Mike Brey to do a Kelly-like program reset?

Thomas Noie

9:52

Nathan: Have heard Devin Carter's name, have not heard William Jeffress from Erie, Pa. He's listed as a power forward, but the Irish already have two power forwards coming in summer with Eljiah Taylor and Matt Zona. They're still open to adding just about anybody for next season - rising senior, traditional transfer, grad transfer. There's plenty of space on the roster, which means they're going to add someone. Little early on the transfer portal. Notre Dame is monitoring that, but that's an area they don't do a deep dive into until after the season.

Nathan - Las Vegas

9:50

Hey Tom, man whag a rollercoaster of a season. The team clearly has talent, but the depth is rhe biggest issue in my humble opinion. I was hoping you could touch on some recruiting/transfer stuff. Any 2020 names out there to keep track of? Ive heard Devin Carter’s name, and now it looks like they are definitely in on William Jeffress (2021 top 50 kid reclassying). Anything you can share on those guys + others? Any names you hearing about in the transfer portal? Thanks!

Thomas Noie

9:45

Welcome to the February edition of the Notre Dame hoops chat. Only five regular-season games remain for the Irish (16-10; 7-8 ACC). There's still some work to be done for Notre Dame to get into NCAA tournament range, but at least this year....there's hope. To join today's discussion, be sure to include your name and hometown. And with that, you know the drill...let's light this chat candle!

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