JotCast | Notre Dame Hoops Chat - April

Notre Dame Hoops Chat - April

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Thomas Noie

11:20

Dennis: Most popular question of the day....no...Wertz would prefer to sit out and work toward a masters in business. Settle in, take his time, learn the system, get stronger, get older.

Dennis

11:19

Good morning Tom I have two questions and hopefully you can answer them. If the ncaa decides to let transfers play immediately will Wertz still sit out a year? I heard some speculation that he would.

Thomas Noie

11:19

Hugh: Not at all, it was more of a right place-right time kind of thinking with the five-star elite guys. He hasn't revisited since and don't expect him to. He tried it, it didn't work. Now let's get back to getting the kind of guys they can get. Program guys. Fit guys.

Hugh J

11:18

How has Brey's recruiting philosophy developed over the last five years or so? It seems like he tried to swing big after the Elite Eight runs (Maker, Stewart, Anthony) and missed on all of them. Do you think he's going back to the earlier philosophy of more developmental guys now? Did he learn his lesson from trying to go after one-and-done type guys?

Thomas Noie

11:14

Mark: It's next step time for Goodwin and Laszewski and to an extent, Hubb, who has to be more of an all-around solid guard than hit and miss and hit and hit then miss. Let's see what Carmody can offer and have him stay healthy) before wondering how the pieces fit in 2021-22. One year at a time, my man!

Mark

11:12

I see Dane Goodwin breaking out again this year and becoming a go to guy. What do you think. Also where does Wertz fit in if Carmody comes back healthy ?

Thomas Noie

11:12

No....discussed above....or below, however these chat questions appear

Bill

11:12

Will ND apply for a waiver for immediate eligibility for Wertz? Seems like the NCAA gives those out to everyone except those that transfer to ND bball and football.

Thomas Noie

11:12

When it does, the words, Pittsburgh and lock usually follow. But again, it's recruiting, so who really knows?

joe from the south side

11:11

Tom: WIth all this talk about recruiting, you never hear the name William Jeffress surface. Lost cause?

Thomas Noie

11:11

Let's go maybe. lol

Luke Hogan

11:11

Do you think ND has any chance with Colin Castleton?

Thomas Noie

11:11

Justin: Love it in this regard having not seen him in person - he can go get a bucket when you need a bucket. And he shoots a solid percentage. He'll be a good guard addition.

Justin

11:06

Hey Tom, what are your thoughts on the Wertz addition? Seems like he could be a really solid player for us down the road. Thanks!

Thomas Noie

11:06

We've entered the Hugh J question and answer part of the chat.....lol....kidding. Brey kind of hired himself into a corner with his staff. He's got all Notre Dame guys (except for associate coach Rod Balanis, who's kind of the old sage at this point). Kind of hard to launch a guy who played for you and graduated from Notre Dame, no? Think of it as on-the-job training. Now go be better in all phases.

Hugh J

11:04

Did Brey consider making any coaching staff changes this offseason? I know he loves his guys but after the last two years a shakeup on the bench may not be the worst idea.

Thomas Noie

11:04

Hugh: Don't know how much talk there has to be...just have to show Carmody the training room, where he's spent WAAAAY too much time the last two years. Love his aggressiveness and attack attitude, but that has to be dialed back a little in the ACC. He's always been one speed, but now will have to learn how to switch gears and pick his spots. Two season-ending injuries will do that for you. It's something I've wanted to talk with Robby about but haven't been able to. It's question No. 1 for him when I can.

Hugh J

11:01

How much talk has there been around the program about Carmody changing his game when he comes back from injury? Playing at 150 mph is part of what makes him successful, but also seems like a surefire way to get hurt again.

Thomas Noie

10:56

Hugh: Yes, yes and yes. It's also something Trey Wertz can do when he gets eligible. Go get a bucket when this team needs a bucket. How many times could you count on T.J. Gibbs to do that? Not being critical (OK, maybe I am), but for all that nonsense about his 3-point field goal percentage, I want an off guard in the ACC who can live at the foul line. Drive, attack, finish, get fouled. Gibbs logged 1,116 minutes last year and averaged only 2.3 free throw attempts per game. What does that tell you? He hovered way too much. Can't hover in the ACC. Gotta get to the rim. Ryan will. Wertz will. Hubb has to do a better job of that. Drive with a purpose.

Hugh J

10:53

One of the big challenges for ND the last few years (relative to the 15-16 teams) has been the inability of guards to attack and score at the rim. Even if Hubb improves, that's not really part of his game. Is that something Ryan can bring to the table or are we looking forward to another season of blocked shots and floaters in the lane?

Thomas Noie

10:53

Not a chance. Easiest question of the day.

joe from the south side

10:53

Tom:

Any chance we can flip Jaden Ivey?

Thomas Noie

10:53

Nick: I don't know. You don't know. Twitter? Definitely doesn't know. Yeah, there's high school film and all that, but you don't really know about this kid or that kid until you put them alongside guys who've been through the ACC battles. It's amazing what just seeing that does in terms of forming an opinion. Like, yeah, now I see it. Or, whoa, this kid's gotta hit the weights with Tony Rolinski. Just can't say where Taylor or Zona or Sanders might fit until they're on campus and competing. We might not see that until....I don't know when

Nick South Bend

10:51

Hope all is well Tom! 1st question of the session, do you see any of the incoming freshmen being redshirted? Twittersphere seems to label Zona as “raw”

Thomas Noie

10:51

Joe: Life's as good as can be expected up here....all is well. But man, tough, coronavirus crowd! Notre Dame a tournament team last year? After winning three league games the previous season? That was going to be a massive jump, one the program just couldn't make, down ACC or no down ACC. The Gibbs-Mooney-Pflueger troika was only good enough to be average in an average league. The Hubb-Goodwin-Laszewski-Carmody class are now juniors (except Carmody, of course). It's time they tap all that potential they had coming in. This is their time. I think they have it in them, have something more than last year's team. Let's see it.

Joe from Scottsdale, Arizona

10:48

Tom - Hope you're staying safe.I honestly feel this team didn't get much better than last year. I know they won more games, especially more league games but to me - that was more of a product of the league not being very good this year. I was expecting a tourney team this year and I highly doubt they would have been that. This was supposed to be the year for the former big freshman class, and I don't think i saw them develop enough to have much hope for the future. Your thoughts?

Thomas Noie

10:47

Ryan: The starting lineup is pretty much set with Prentiss Hubb, Dane Goodwin and Cormac Ryan, Nate Laszewski and Juwan Durham. How the bench looks is anyone's guess. What three guys will demand playing time? Too early to tell.

Ryan

10:46

What do you think the rotation will look like next season?

Thomas Noie

10:46

Robb: The swings and misses of the five-star guys was expected. They weren't bringing anybody in last year until they knew what they had in the now-junior class. Now they know, and they're adding guys. And recruiting? Fickle? Say it isn't so.....lol.

Robb, Colorado

10:45

Hey Tom. Thanks for the chat. There seems to be some good momentum in recruiting from the past few weeks and I just wondered if Brey and his staff changed their process as they seemed to have a few swings and misses the past 12-18 months or is it just the fickle business of recruiting?

Thomas Noie

10:45

Chris: Trey Wertz played two seasons at Santa Clara, so he has only two seasons left at Notre Dame. It's three if he sits this season, which he really should. And you're right, the NCAA tournament is the next step this season. It wasn't going to happen this season, not after going 3-15. You don't finish last in the ACC and then flip right back to the NCAA tournament the following year. Going 10-10 was indeed average, but it was an important step. Making a seven-win improvement in the ACC isn't easy. Now take it the next step and go to the NCAA. It's time for this group to do that. It wasn't going to happen with the Pflueger-Gibbs-Mooney group. That had kind of maxed out. The ceiling's higher with his core. Time to reach it.

Chris Scheiber

10:42

If the NCAA changes the rules and allows a one time immediate eligibility transfer, how would that impact the 2020 Irish. I'm inclined to think Brey would like Wertz to have 3 years available starting next year, but with the way the injury bug has bitten them the last two years, maybe it would be good for him to be available? It's important they get back to the tournament this year and don't have a third year of bad with Brey's most highly recruited class in their junior year.

Thomas Noie

10:41

Micah: My understanding is Trey is good with sitting that first year, then having two years of eligibility. One of the selling points for him was that he'd get a chance to follow in the academic footsteps of Rex Pflueger last year and Nik Djogo this year in that he can also knock out a master's degree in business. See, that's how it's different at Notre Dame. Don't know many other schools in the ACC, or in the nation, where that's a factor.

Micah S

10:39

Is there any push being made to get Trey Wertz eligible for 20/21 or is it 100% he will sit one year?

Thomas Noie

10:39

JP: None as of yet, but who knows how that unfolds moving forward. The front court is thin, on paper, but again, we don't really know how think until we see how Elijah Taylor and Matt Zona fit. The Irish likely only need one of them to be ready. If both are, it's a bonus.

JP, San Diego

10:38

Any updates on Michigan big transfer Colin Castleton? The front court for 2021 season is quite thin, literally, and also thin from a depth perspective. He’d at least help out in the latter

Thomas Noie

10:36

JP: None. There were reasons he chose Purdue over Notre Dame, one of which was to get out of the shadow of the Golden Dome, where his father (Javin Hunter) went, where his mother (Niele Ivey) went and worked before leaving for the NBA. She may be back as women's coach, but her son's going to Purdue.

JP, San Diego

10:33

Any chance Jaden Ivey can be a package deal with his mom coming back to be HC at ND?

Thomas Noie

10:29

Andrew: That's a problem that's really not a problem. In this system, you can never have too many handlers. Chris Thomas and Chris Quinn played together. Ben Hansbrough and Tory Jackson played together. Jerian Grant and Demetrius Jackson played together. Then Jackson and Matt Farrell. Brey actually prefers to have two like guards on the floor so not everything falls on one guy. Watched the 2015 ACC tournament semifinal game against Duke last night and was surprised at how often it was Jackson initiating the offense for stretches (I was deep on deadline that night in Greensboro....). Wertz will sit in 2020-21 and will be eligible when Prentiss Hubb's a senior captain. He'll know where he falls in the pecking order for 2021-22.

andrew

10:26

obviously great to add more talent with wertz to brey’s roster especially with what we’ve been dealing with past few years... wertz and hubbs seem to have identical games; love having ball in there hand and pick & rolls. my question is how will grey make them fit with each other on the floor

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