JotCast | Notre Dame Hoops Chat

Notre Dame Hoops Chat

Nathan - Las Vegas

11:22

Tom, great to be back. I’d like your overall thoughts on this off-season. Obviously most fans are not happy with how it played out. Also, what’s your early take on this team for next season?

Thomas Noie

11:20

Ed: Answered that one couple questions ago. I think you'll see a way different Nate Laszewski in 2019-20. If the season opener against Carolina (gulp) was tonight, he'd probably start and get double-digit shot attempts. He'd be stronger, mentally and physically, that what he was last year. We'd see longer snapshots of why he was a coveted recruit. He's got double-digit scoring potential. D.J. Harvey left behind 1.0.3 ppg....why can't that be Laszewski next season?

11:17

Which of the rising sophomores has the highest ceiling in 19-20 (and how high is it)? Seems like Hubb probably showed the most progress over last year, but Laz might have more star potential.

Thomas Noie

11:17

Ed: Honestly, I don't know. The realistic expectation for Gibbs this year was to become one of the elite guards in the ACC. He showed signs his first two years. He wanted to be a main guy on the opposing team's scout. He felt he was ready. He wasn't. He's just got to play smarter. Shoot a better percentage from the field and from 3 (both were under .400 percent last season). Don't feel like he has to take every big shot at big moments. Give it up. Find guys. Help guys grow their games and be a confidence-giver to his teammates. Be a better leader. Play that way as a senior and nobody will remember what you did as a junior. Chalk that up to a lesson learned.

11:14

What are realistic expectations for TJ Gibbs this season? Two years ago, he seemed on track to potentially be an all-ACC caliber player by 19-20. But after being such a major factor in last year's disappointment, is that still possible?

Thomas Noie

If the're still under .500 in the league and sitting home from Selection Sunday, that ledge gets really close.

11:13

Tim: Wish I had better news to steer you back from the ledge. This MIGHT help - to really see where this program's going, it does have to stay healthy. Notre Dame lost the two guys it could least afford to lose (Bonzie Colson, Matt Farrell) in 2017-18 and still was the first team out of the NCAA tournament. That's amazing. Last year, it lost the one guy it couldn't afford to lose (Pflueger) from a leadership standpoint. Without him, there was none. The freshmen were forced to wander through the ACC without much guidance. Ask any team to do that, and you're going to finish 3-15. I'm not as concerned about Harvey's transfer (the staff just couldn't reach him and get him to look differently about his game) or the traditional transfers. But this program really could have used a graduate transfer (even two). Just change up the dynamic in the locker room. Have another experienced voice. But that's not happening. So you've got these 10 returning guys. Ride with them. Stay healthy. See what happens.

Tim

11:09

Tom - talk us off the ledge. A few down years after a great run during the Grant, Pat, Vasturia, Bonzie, Farrell, Auguste era is understandable - but the next couple years still look challenging. We lost Harvey, we are striking out on grad transfers, and losing out on big time recruits (why is Brey choosing to recruit 5 star Cole Anthony's and competing against UNC, etc. - shouldn't we just focus on developing three star recruits). How bad will it get over the next couple years?

Thomas Noie

11:09

Vic: Great to hear from you my man...a Hall of Fame question if there ever was one! Of the 10 remaining Irish, let's go with two - both sophomores. I think we'll see an totally different version of Prentiss Hubb next season. Just finally having that year under his belt, understanding what it takes to run a team, getting a chance to be more familiar with being a lead guard, having the offseason to round out his game. I know fans get frustrated by his shot selection (oof!) and brain cramps (gotta get it over the 10-second line in, well, 10 seconds), but talk to people around the league, especially head coaches, and they love the kid's potential. Same goes for Nate Laszewski. He struggled in all phases, particularly shot making, but there's too much there for him not to be better. Strength coach Tony Rolinski will get Laszewski bigger and stronger. Once that light bulb clicks on, you'll see why many considered him the top recruit in the country in terms of outside shooting. He's close.

Victor K.

11:05

Here in Salem, we love following your articles about the Irish. What player pf the ten rmaining do you expect to make the biggest leap in improvement

Thomas Noie

11:05

Joe: Little harsh, no? Maybe a change of scenery is what D.J. Harvey needed. It just wasn't going to happen at Notre Dame, for myriad reasons. We'll never know what might have been had he not wrecked his knee. Microfracture surgery is a crusher. Not even a transfer will help heal that.

Joe

11:04

watching DJ Harvey crash and Burn at vandy is going to be hilarious

Thomas Noie

11:02

Chris: The commitment question was addressed earlier in the chat. Notre Dame had no plan to sign anyone as a freshman heading into 2019-20....too many new faces to add another one or two or three, which is why a graduate transfer was necessary, but that's another topic. And three guys leaving the last two-plus seasons? Welcome to the world of college basketball. At last count there were nearly 800 names in the ever-mysterious transfer portal. That's the way of the college basketball world - don't like your situation at your current school, find a new one instead of sucking it up and toughing it out (to paraphrase Mellencamp).

Chris -Albany NY

11:00

Tom, thoughts on why we seem to be struggling getting commitments. Last commitment was Chris Doherty on 11/13/2017. In same vein, thoughts on defections. 3 defections since the last commitment.

Thomas Noie

11:00

Chris: Great question. Prentiss Hubb was the primary guy last year. He led the team in assists and turnovers and showed signs of being a solid point guard. But he also was a freshman and coming off having missed the previous year because of injury. So there were times when Gibbs had to handle more. But based on what we saw last year from Gibbs, he's got to change up his game to fit playing with Hubb. Gibbs should be more of a spot-up guy. His decision making with the ball is, um, not the best. Aren't you tired of the step-back contested 3? Or the wild, off-balance drive down the lane? No, Hubb will have the keys to the car. Hopefully, a healthy Rex Pflueger can serve as the second handler, or even take over as the primary as he did when Notre Dame beat Purdue - think about that for a second, like, how did THAT happen - when he had a career-high 10 assists. That's assuming Pflueger returns 100 percent or close to it after the ACL.

Chris Scheiber - Chesterton

10:56

There are so many questions about the makeup of this team and roster, but I still have cautious optimism that comes with health and the soon-to-be sophomore's growth going into 2019. My biggest question surrounds the point guard position. Hubb played his best basketball at the end of the season and with the ball in his hands. Although he doesn't have the explosion of Demetrius Jackson, he should have the ball in his hands a majority of the time. Will Brey finally give up Gibbs as the primary ball handler model and let Hubb take the keys to the car? I see Gibbs as a spot up spread the floor guy as he can't get to the rim and his isos usually end with a bad step back 3 with a hand in his face.

Thomas Noie

10:56

Steve: It's always warm, especially when you miss the NCAA tournament the last two years. That's the LEAST this program should do every year - get to the tournament. But we can't talk about not getting to the tournament without at least acknowledging that the Irish have lost what, 108 player games to injury the last two years? If Notre Dame had a healthy roster in 2017-18 and a healthy roster in 2018-19 and STILL missed the tournament, that's a different story. But you've got to have all your pieces in place. Notre Dame hasn't. Put them in place this year, stay healthy this year, and if it still doesn't happen, then you wonder - and probably Brey does too - if his time's about up.

Steve

10:53

How does Mike Brey's seat get warm?

Thomas Noie

10:53

Whoops. Didn't mean to hit return, which sends the answer. Gotta work a few bugs out of this. What makes this staff "bad" at recruiting? Mike Brey said last fall that there likely wouldn't be any new recruits coming aboard in the 2019 class. Why? All recruits want what? Playing time. Can they play early? A lot? Get their shots? Get their minutes? Other than the handful of five-star prospects Notre Dame was involved in - guys that went elsewhere for obvious reasons - Notre Dame couldn't show prospects playing time. Not with having added six new faces for the 2018-19 season. How could you recruit a two-guard when you already had two? A point? A stretch-four. Notre Dame wasn't signing anyone last fall until it figured out what it had in the six new guys. Now it does. Now it moves forward looking to fill out the roster.

10:50

Steve: Thanks for the note...and looks like a popular topic. Bad? I don't know if I'd say bad as much as selective.

Steve

10:49

Why is this staff so bad at recruiting?

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