JotCast | Notre Dame Hoops December chat | 12/3/2020

Notre Dame Hoops December chat

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John from coloumbus

11:43

With regard to Robby, he is the one guy that is strong enough, fearless (to a fault) enough to go in and attack the rim. Last year's injury was just terrible as he seemed to be finding his footing as a college player. He didn't start first hand of career by accident and he looked damn good against Carolina. I hear people say he's made of glass, his injuries were legit and I don't think toughness is something he lacks. Hopefully they take it slow and get him healthy I think he becomes a needed addition and not just warm body

Thomas Noie

11:42

Blake Wesley's not a one and done guy. He might not be a two and done guy. Or three. I don't think Brey's telling him that - every kid really thinks they can go from high school to a year of college to the league. They don't know what they don't know. And I wrote it when Wesley committed - does he even start next year? Not with that loaded perimeter. Not a chance. Doesn't mean he's not good. It means you have to grow your game and grow up before you earn the trust from the head coach to start as a true freshman. Robby Carmody was the first in 15 years at Notre Dame to do it in 2018. Let's slow the one and train with Wesley.

11:39

Joe: I hesitated for more than a few minutes on whether to even answer this question - just because of the absurdity of Blake Wesley being a "one and done" guy. I don't want to pull the old beat writer card, but in 23 years on the Irish hoops beat, there have been exactly two players I've seen during the regular season who were NBA ready at that moment. One was Carmelo Anthony. The other was Zion Williamson. That's it. That's the list. A third come Atlantic Coast Conference tournament time was former Duke forward Jayson Tatum. I remember watching him at Barclays Center in 2017 and turning to my man Tim Prister from Irish Illustrated and saying, that kid should be the first pick in the draft. He was NBA ready. He was the third pick.

joe from the south side

11:37

Tom: I'll circle back to the two new recruits. I saw Wesley in an interview state they he and Brey think he might be "one and done." Really? I don't see it. He's good, but not that good. Cole Anthony went 15th in the draft after one year. Wesley isn't close to that level. Questions. Do he and Brey really believe that? Is that what you have to tell Top 100, borderline 4 star kids to get them to come to your school. Hell, with as many guards as they have on the roster, I am not sure who he displaces. Hubb? Cormac? Dane?

Thomas Noie

11:15

Steve: Whooaa....that turned in a hurry. Totally disagree. Can't disagree more. Think it has something - OK, everything - about football being played outside. And if Notre Dame is going to do "anything and everything" for football, why wouldn't they let in closer to 50 percent or more capacity for say, Saturday's game against Syracuse. I don't see fans being allowed in for hoops anytime soon, certainly not before February. Indoor gatherings are a tough sell right now. And, honestly, unnecessary. We need sports right now to help us through everything that's going on, but in-person spectators? Nope. Too much unknown.

Steve

11:12

Do you think ND will let in some fans soon to MBB? I don’t see why they can’t offer some seats to students still in town or faculty/staff. It’s certainly debatable about what the appropriate # is right now, but it sure as heck is not ZERO. Why can’t athletics offer up 500 seats to faculty/staff first come first serve? It’s just another example of the school doing anything and everything for football but jack squat for hoops.

Thomas Noie

11:07

At that point, it's on him not having the required basketball IQ and feel for the game to A) Know what he can do at that very moment and B) Know what he should do if he can't do what he wants. It's also on the staff for not getting him to that point. He's a fifth-year guy now, which means the game shouldn't at all be anywhere near mechanical. It's early, so maybe that was just one game, but I have my concerns that it's not ever going to get to 10-10 territory. In this program, it should.

joe from the south side

11:05

Tom: Geben was the toughest to gauge. Remember, he played 30+ games his junior year. After he lost the midsection, you could see he could at least move well and he did have good instincts. But no, not to 11 ppg. With JD, I don't see those instincts. To your point, it's mechanical. Almost like if they dump it into the post, in his mind he is saying "my turn to shoot no matter what."

Thomas Noie

10:58

Tom: I think we first have to stop comparing everything to the Elite Eight runs. Any momentum/carry-over effect from that is long gone. That's not necessarily a bad thing for these guys and this program. But they have to show that they can compete. Until that happens, no, they're not among the top five or six or seven in the Atlantic Coast Conference and they're not beating a ranked team. Gotta have more dawg in them first.

Tom from Gary, Ind.

10:57

Let me ask another question, does Notre Dame not have the realistic ability to compete with top teams of the ACC, Top 25? Mich St., Florida St. players play like animals and Irish guys look like Boy Scouts in comparison. And after those two Elite Eight runs, I thought the arrow would be pointing up, not this cant beat a ranked team streak or make March Madness.

Thomas Noie

10:56

You saw it from Geben? Really? His senior season kind of came out of nowhere. That's what I expected from Durham - like the light bulb finally comes on and we're like, whoa, didn't see that coming.

joe from the south side

10:55

Tom: I want JD to be outstanding. DESPERATELY, I want him to be outstanding. He'll need to be IF they play most of their ACC schedule. My point is, with all of the other guys you mentioned, you at least saw a glimpse of "things to come". And in that glimpse you thought "if Hump can work with this guy for a few years, maybe, just maybe................." I haven't seen that glimpse from JD. Have you?

Thomas Noie

10:53

John: I wouldn't mind seeing Dane Goodwin handle the ball more, move Prentiss off the ball and see where the goes. Again, that's where these two games that were canceled this week really stings. Hard to tinker with this and that against only ranked teams.

John from coloumbus

10:52

Yes Dane definitely needs right match up to score but even with a bigger player he can make plays, pass, get guys moving..not saying to station him in post but hes got a nice pace when he's down in post and anything that gets ball below defense has to be better than what we saw Saturday.

Thomas Noie

10:52

Joe: Maybe sometime after Christmas, but how do you ease him in? At home against Virginia on the 30th? Back in his home area against Pittsburgh on Jan. 2? Given his history, just get him through practices in late December and January and see if he's still in one piece. That's about the best we can hope for at this point. But the possibility of having another option off the bench would be nice.

joe from the south side

10:51

Tom: Any word on Carmody? I can't imagine he'll contribute much but at least he is a warm body.

Thomas Noie

10:51

Mark: That would be shooting guard (really small forward) J.R. Konieczny and shooting guard Blake Wesley. Both really need to find the inside of a weight room to start. They're each about 170 pounds. Next, it would be nice to see them play with and against actual college kids. It's easy to see them play in high school and say, yeah, they're pretty good. But the competition they face isn't always high level. It's high school. The game changes when they move up to the next level, especially the ACC level. Need to see them in that setting before saying, OK, now I see why they were gotta-get guys other than being in Notre Dame's backyard.

Mark

10:48

I know it’s a ways out but do you have any sense of the ceilings for the two South Bend kids that are committed? Any comps come to mind?

Thomas Noie

10:47

Joe: The old "You guys...." discussion already? LOL. Look, at that size, in this league, Juwan Durham should be able to fall out of bed and get himself 10 points and 10 rebounds. Brey said it againt he other night - Durham should be able to get hismelf 10 points. Why? What does he show? He wa sa guy who believed last year that he should do more and play more and show more. In this program, you wait your turn. Did anyone think Martinas Geben would do what he did his senior season (11.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 60 percent field goal percentage) or Zach Auguste do what he did as a senior (14.0 ppg., 10.7 rpg., .560 percent from the field). It was the natural progression of a big man in this program. Durham may not be able to do this or do that, but he should, at the least, be an adequate big man in this league. Can't say he didn't get enough touches the other night. He's got to go and show it now. Nowhere else to hide.

joe from the south side

10:43

Tom: I am not sure why everyone wants to get on JD. He had limited OFF skills coming out of high school. He was a lanky athletic kid who could run the floor. At best, a shot blocker and rebounder. You guys all have him pegged (including Brey) as a potential double/double guy. No chance. Eventually, Brey will sour on that and revert back to chucking 3 pointers. JD won't get enough touches, does not have a post game, gets into foul trouble and apparently still has stamina issues. I see him as 8-9ppg and 5-6rpg, especially with that schedule. You can't pad stats against SYR, UVA, FSU, Duke...........

Thomas Noie

10:42

John: Normally, I'd have a solid answer for you. Trey Wertz will start, and here's why. Or Trey Wertz won't start, and here's why. But here's the thing - I don't know. I've not seen Trey Wertz play. Usually, in a non-pandemic year, I'd have seen him play plenty in summer pickup games and preseason stuff. I don't know if he's one of Notre Dame's best players. But say he should start. Who, then, sits? Prentiss Hubb? Not likely. Cormac Ryan? Not likely? Dane Goodwin? He was pretty good the other night. Think Mike Brey likes his starting five right now (as much as he can after only one game). What he wants is some more boost off the bench. That would be a good spot for Wertz. Let's actually see him before we decide how he should be utilized.

John

10:40

Do you think trey wertz will be starting if he gets a waiver? He seems like he’d be one of our best players.

Thomas Noie

10:40

James: See the previous answer. The head coach prefers not to go the full 13 scholarship player route. He prefers a smaller core, one that can think and play together as one on the floor as opposed to running a dizzying array of combinations out there where you lose continuity and connectedness.

James

10:38

How come Notre Dame. Never seems to have at the most 11 players including walk ons. Who make decision to keep such a small squad, compared to other teams that have as many as 16.

Thomas Noie

10:38

Jim: Probably a combination of bad luck and just a run of what happens over the course of three, four, five seasons. I'd counter by saying the Irish haven't lost a key player since Rex Pflueger blew out his ACL against Purdue a couple Decembers ago. Now, Robby Carmody could have been a main guy, but he's been hurt too much to the point where we don't know. And Elijah Taylor undergoes ankle surgery this month for something that stems back to high school. It's frustrating to be short-handed because Mike Brey's philosophy is to stay under the 13-scholarship limit. Fewer guys means fewer issues with playing time. That's swell, but when you have injury issues as the Irish have had, it puts a lot of stress on the remaining guys. I'd like to go to 13 just to offer some flexibility when/if the Irish need it. It looked the other night they were a player and likely two short.

Jim from Berlin, CT

10:35

Tom, is it just bad luck that every season the Irish lose a bunch of players to knee injuries or is it something else? How can one team constantly have so many injuries to key players where they're left short-handed all the time? It's very frustrating!

Thomas Noie

10:28

Tom: Good stuff, but no, at this point after 21 years at Notre Dame, Mike Brey is kind of who he is on the offensive end. Give his guys freedom to make plays and go. That has to be reciprocated by the guys who are responsible for making the right reads and the right plays. The offense works when you move the ball and move yourself. Too much standing around and not enough movement, player and ball, makes for the poor, predictable shot selection. As for the next Irish big man, Juwan Durham was supposed to be that guy. He wasn't happy about playing so few minutes last season and taking a backseat as John Mooney garnered all the rebounds and attention. Well, careful what you wish for, because now it's on him to prove he can play and produce. Gotta see more than four points and five rebounds. That's how it works in this system - Brey puts the trust in his guys that by the time they're juniors and seniors and graduate students, they get it. Hump certainly got it. Geben too. And Auguste. We keep waiting for Durham.

Tom from Gary, Ind.

10:24

Would Coach Brey consider either changing or adjusting the style of play for the Irish? Color commentator Steve Bardo mentioned the other night ND has more of an "NBA style" offense. Is that the reason for poor, predictable shot selection at times? The Irish also need more of a physical presence in the paint. When will the next Ryan Humphrey, Zach Auguste, Martin Geben be walking through the door?

Thomas Noie

10:24

John: Amen, my man. I'd love to see Hubb or Ryan drive it more and then kick out to a shooter. Too easy to guard, otherwise. Goodwin in the post is a good move, but only with the right matchup. Foster Loyer was the right matchup the other night. As for Durham, a big guy's gotta get right into his move, otherwise the defense can dig down on him and get him off his rhythm. Like, one dribble or one move and go. He's still to mechanical down there.

John from coloumbus

10:22

I get that Brey wanted to get Cormac going the other night but cormac and prentiss will find shots. Why not more screen action for Dane pick and pop for Nate. I love when they invert and play Dane in post. only one game in so no panic but the ball sure seemed to stop a lot in the hands of cormac prentiss and juwan.

Thomas Noie

10:22

John: Not based on what we saw Saturday, and especially if the Irish have to go 10 days between game action if they can't get a game before No. 23 Ohio State on Tuesday. That's a big ask, to lose to Michigan State, not play for nine days, then play another ranked team.

John

10:20

do you think that in this next stretch will finally be the time ND gets their win over a ranked opponent?

Thomas Noie

10:20

Michael: Hard to say because there's such a small sample size - and such a small opportunity to see what this team actually does well against elite talent. That's why this week was a big step for them - get some confidence to work on what didn't work against Michigan State. Based solely on that game, this team doesn't look ready to beat a ranked team just yet.

Michael, Iowa

10:19

Hey Tom, How do you think Notre Dame will do during these next 3 games against Ohio state, Kentucky, and Duke?

Thomas Noie

10:19

Joe: It's a popular question, and I get it, but Mike Brey has said he has every intention of finishing out his contract (runs through 24-25) at the very least. He might decide it's time to hit the beach in Florida. He might decide he wants to still keep this going at Notre Dame. He might decide to give coaching somewhere else a shot. As long as Jack Swarbrick remains the athletic director, it'd be hard to see a change being made if a change is warranted. Who's the next coach at Notre Dame? I'd say someone that nobody sees coming.

joe from the south side

10:17

Tom: I know the "who will replace Brey" question comes up every time. Do people realize you have 5 coaches in the ACC who are 70+ years old? Three of those 5 are HOFers. There are a lot of dominos that have to fall before Brey gets replaced.

Thomas Noie

10:17

Greg: None, and it's not specifically HIS waiver. Notre Dame did not apply for the traditional transfer waiver (like Kentucky did for Olivier Sarr and numerous other teams did). The plan always had been for Wertz to sit out this season as a traditional transfer and then have his two years of eligibility remaining. Wertz's eligibility hinges on the NCAA ruling on the proposal from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) with a nudge from Brey to allow coaches access to ALL of their players (eligible and non-eligible) for COVID-19 roster issues. When will we hear? As with everything with the NCAA, there's no timeline. Brey's been hopeful the last few weeks, but what does that really mean?

Greg M

10:13

Tom - any update on Wertz’s waiver status?

Thomas Noie

10:13

Joe: Looking? Yes. Hoping? Absolutely. Will it happen? To be determined.

joe from the south side

10:13

Tom: What with all the cancellations, any chance Brey is looking to replace any of the three lost games?

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