JotCast | Notre Dame Hoops December chat

Notre Dame Hoops December chat

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Thomas Noie

10:13

Jake: More like a two-parter there, my man. Do they WANT to schedule another game before Ohio State? Absolutely. It's almost a must at this point where you're staring at a run of Michigan State-Ohio State-Kentucky-Duke-Purdue-Syracuse-Virginia. Oooof! Now, CAN they schedule one is the $64,000 question. Notre Dame was already working last night soon after the Purdue Fort Wayne game was scrapped to find a game for Sunday. They may find on. They may not. They may also find one that they think can be played, and then, not. Welcome to college basketball in a pandemic.

Jake

10:10

Do you see them scheduling another game before 12/8 vs OSU?

Thomas Noie

10:10

Mark: That's Coach-speak for keeping Elijah Morgan engaged. I think if Mike Brey really, truly believed that Morgan could help, like seriously help in meaningful minutes, he would've tried that out at some point last season. Now, Brey could go to Morgan next time out and he could be an absolute revelation. We don't know. I like what I've seen from Morgan in his mop-up minutes, but they're also mop-up minutes. There's no pressure to play. Game's all but over. He can just go play. What's he like when the game's close and he needs to get the Irish into something that works offensively?

Mark Kruz from Mishawaka

10:08

Tom thanks for the chat and good to get the basketball season rolling. Coach Brey keeps reiterating that guard Elijah Morgan could see "meaningful" minutes this season. When or if this will ever happen?? He seems to play pretty well in mop up time the last 2 minutes of a game. This past Saturday would have been a good time to get some meaningful minutes in the 2nd half since the game went off the tracks in the first half.

Thomas Noie

10:08

Andrew: An interesting idea, but knowing Mike Brey wanting to show loyalty to his guys (Djogo, the freshmen), that would be a big leap for him to take, giving a walk-on minutes before a scholarship guy. Think he's hoping the NCAA might rule Trey Wertz eligible, which would solve that dilemma.

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

10:07

Do you think Elijah Morgan should be the first man off the bench in the next game? He's not a typical walk-on and that's been obvious since he first stepped on the floor. Djogo has proven who he really is over 5 years now and the freshmen probably need to be eased into the lineup instead of just thrown to the wolves. I believe Morgan would give this team the best production off the bench right now.

Thomas Noie

10:06

Dave: I agree, but I'd go with the dribble penetration of Matt Farrell after Demetrius Jackson. I like Prentiss Hubb and his swagger and fearlessness, but I don't like anything about the point guard taking a career high 22 shots against Michigan State. I'd like the point guard to be more like Farrell and Jackson and Jerian Grant. Not necessarily that Hubb has that talent like a Grant to be an All-American or a first round NBA draft pick, but to be someone who can probe the defense, put them on their heels with a drive and then kick it out to Dane Goodwin or Cormac Ryan for an open 3. Pass it around the perimeter once or twice, then jack a low percentage look and high degree of difficulty makes the Irish too easy to guard. They were too easy to guard the other night. And for far too long. Since Farrell, really.

Dave from Washington, DC

10:03

Do the Irish have a dribble penetration problem? More broadly, do the Irish have a recruiting problem? In the past, Brey has been able to get guys - both highly and not so highly rated - who can get to the bucket. Drive past their man to get a shot, create a play for someone else, or draw a foul. Ever since DJ left, that seems to be a missing element on offense, which was on display against MSU whenever defenders took away the jump shot. I thought Hubb could be that guy, but he seems to have a difficult time getting to the bucket as well. Thoughts?

Thomas Noie

10:03

Trevor: Good question, and one that I'd hoped to see at least a sliver of an answer the other night at Breslin Center. Like, this was THEIR turn, not necessarily to go up there and beat the nation's No. 8 teams, but at least show something different than we've seen the last two years. I expected at least that much. Instead, it was more of the same from Notre Dame - early deficit, can't score, big hole and then, oh, look, a comeback to make it a respectable score. Again, as you said, it's only one game and the proverbial game where they have something to build on/learn from, but honestly, we should've been beyond that with this group.

Trevor

10:01

It’s way to early to jump off the ship for this season. But this junior class reminds of a Rocky movie fighting scene in the later rounds where he lets the guy pummel em just to turn around and win.. this junior class has taken the hits from ranked opponents. What will it take for us to hit back?

Thomas Noie

10:01

Trevor: Ryan's a good guy and someone I covered when he was a player and now a coach. That's a pretty big jump to go from an assistant coach to head coach of an Atlantic Coast Conference school with no coaching experience. He'll eventually have to leave Notre Dame to get said experience. I have no idea what kind of head coach he'll be. If he succeeds at another school, maybe he's on the short list. But we're a long way from that.

Trevor

9:59

Brey mentioned in a recent interview how Ryan Humphrey is a hot name in the asst coaching ranks. Do you believe there’s any chance he’d be a possible candidate for ND when Brey retires.

Thomas Noie

9:59

Mike: Good to hear from you. As will be the case often in this chat, your concerns are understandable, but here comes the but....I'd hesitate to draw any conclusions after one game against a really good team. Yes, Juwan Durham and Nate Laszewski need to be waaaay more aggressive around the bucket. Take it hard to the hoop and draw a foul and don't settle for fadeaway looks. But that happened against a really good team, maybe a Top 10 team. To have to hit the ground running against a team like that, it's a tough ask. Still, they've got to be better than what each showed. That's why this week was important - learn some tough lessons against Michigan State, then get home and work on what needs work against lesser teams to be ready for No. 23 Ohio State.

Mike New Jersey

9:56

Tom, I’m a fan of the skill set Nate and Dane have but it’s becoming apparent that they are not aggressive at all when this team really needs a bucket. Is this something Brey is trying to instill in them and the rest of this team? Notre dame never had the most athletic guys but Farrell,vasturia, colson etc never hesitated to take a swing pass and take it right to the bucket

Thomas Noie

9:54

Yea!!! We made it to the college basketball regular season. Sort of. College basketball is in full swing, while Notre Dame remains stuck in neutral. The Irish have had three games postponed/canceled this week because of coronavirus and remain 0-1 following last week's loss to No. 8 Michigan State. Positive tests won't hold us back. To join today's discussion, be sure to include your name and hometown. And with that, let's light this (regular season) Irish hoops chat. Legggoooo!

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