JotCast | Notre Dame Hoops Season Wrap Chat

Notre Dame Hoops Season Wrap Chat

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Mark from Grand Rapids

2:44

In light of how UNC's season went, would Cole Anthony have been better off choosing ND? What does last season look like with Cole Anthony on the court for the Irish, at least when he wasn't injured?

Thomas Noie

2:44

Mia: Finish in the top half of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Finish above .500 in league play. Win at least one league tournament game. Get to the NCAA tournament. Every year. Get to a Sweet 16 once every four years. That would be a good start. Oh, and give every single available good quote to the SBT beat guy! lol

Mia, Elkhart

2:43

Not talking about next season or any season in particular...in a general sense, what does a "successful" basketball season look like at Notre Dame?

Thomas Noie

2:43

Jack: All part of the expected maturation process. OK, you've been here now as a player for three seasons, you sat out one. Time to put it all together and PLAY. No being out of position. No silly fouls. No disappearing for long stretches. Be a senior. Be a main guy. In this system, it's really not that hard.

Jack from Las Cruces

2:41

Considering how Durham often got into foul trouble while playing limited minutes, how in the world will he be able to stay in games when his minutes increase next season? What's the over/under on the number of times he fouls out in 2020-21?

Thomas Noie

2:41

Jim: No reason to be mystified. Even before the knee injury, there was something about his game that was missing. There were times where I'd watch him and think, he's the most unathletic athletic guy this program's ever had. We heard so much about his athleticism before he got here, and then, we never saw it. He didn't really drive it when he was healthy. He didn't probe the defense. Maybe part of that was by design, but other than the tip back against SFA and the reverse dunk against Virginia, where was the rest of it? Just seemed like one of those guys content to play a certain role and not stray from the script.

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

2:39

Tom, please don't misunderstand. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Rex. He could contribute in so many ways and in some regards was the ultimate glue-type guy. But even taking his injury issues into consideration, there is absolutely no excuse why he didn't evolve into a more dynamic offensive player and average at least 12 to 14 points a game. I know he's capable of doing so. What the hell happened that prevented him from being more of a consistent force on the offensive end? I'm mystified!

Thomas Noie

2:38

Lisa: He evokes memories the next two years of Steve Vasturia. Maybe not Vasturia-like but in the neighborhood. He has it in him. Let's see it.

Lisa

2:38

What does a good ND career look like for Dane Goodwin?

Thomas Noie

2:37

Dennis: I don't see that happening. And don't think it should. They did get an entire regular season. Totally different situation for the spring sports where some seniors played not even a third of their schedules.

dennis , orange county, CA

2:37

Tom if this was already asked I apologize. What are the chances that the NCAA will let seniors come back for an additional season? If this does happen do you think our three seniors will come back? I'm hoping it happens but I don't want to get my hopes up if Mooney plans to leave Notre Dame even if he has the opportunity to come back for another season.

Thomas Noie

2:36

Phil: Thanks for the kind words, but you know what's coming next.....but.....Hubb can be loose with the ball and makes some odd choices in terms of decisions or shots, but he had 162 assists to 85 turnovers while playing 35.2 minutes a game in the Atlantic Coast Conference. That's pretty good. Think Cormac Ryan will be able to help handle if the roster remains status quo.

Phil from Basking Ridge NJ

2:35

Saw some remarks that you're too tough at times. Think you've been honest and fair 99% of the time. On Hubb, know you're a fan of his, and he can be great at times. Regardless, they really need a backup point guard. Hubb is a very sloppy ball handler, poor defender and his judgement ebbs and flows. With Gibbs gone, they'll be exposed. Are they looking for a point guard?

Thomas Noie

2:34

Tigger: Honestly, I don't know. I really don't. The Ryans are really good guys. Covered both of them as players. Get along with them. Like them both. Don't know if the staff's better since Ingelsby and Solomon left. It is what it is, nothing personal.

Tigger-Valpo

2:33

Who is the best assistant coach currently on the ND staff, and why?

Thomas Noie

2:33

Kevin: Perhaps, but the week Dickinson decided to go to Michigan really knocked Brey back on his heels. It was that stretch in December when they got boat-raced at Maryland, lost Carmody to a season-ending ACL tear, lost at home to Boston College and then eventually lost to Indiana. Brey laid all his cards on the table for the kid for four years, and still got beat at the end

Kevin from Detroit

2:31

When Dickinson announced for Michigan in November, they were in the midst of a meteoric rise to the top 5. Since then, the luster has gone off the program with a 10th place conference finish and per an article in today’s Detroit paper they are currently at the scholarship limit and still actively recruiting at least 2 others. Might that be something Brey revisits since he hasn’t signed yet and ND has been involved with him since the 9th grade?

Thomas Noie

2:31

So this year, knowing the perimeter is pretty much set, Notre Dame sets its sights on strictly power forwards. Bolster the front court . Add Elijah Taylor and Matt Zona. They also really believed they had Hunter Dickinson, then also get word through recruiting channels that they'll be in play for Terence Williams, who went to same high school as Prentiss Hubb. Dickson then decides to go to Michigan and Williams decides to do the same. Now they have three scholarships remaining, and really need to use two of them. Who do they get? Who knows? So really, they don't get one guy they needed to get (Dickinson) but the perception is, recruiting stinks. I get it. I don't agree, but I get it. Again I think part of the carry-over is what Notre Dame does in football that people think hoops should go the same way

2:27

Grayson: I get the question, but really, honestly, have they? Hear me out. Notre Dame signed what many believe to be its best class under Brey with the current sophomores. Five guys. Monster class. Four of the guys were inside or near the Top 100. Next cycle, knowing the one question coming from any potential prospect (cough, cough, playing time, playing time) and not knowing really what he had in that freshman class, yet wanting to give them the benefit of the playing time doubt, Brey decides to go a different direction. Getting any kid who wanted to play immediately was going to be a reach, so let's shoot for the stars and recruit five-star guys who might be one-and-dones. So they chase Isaiah Steward, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Cole Anthony. Strike out on all three, but still land a Top 100 guy in Cormac Ryan via the transfer route. Carmody gets hurt and basically becomes a second recruit for that class.....

Grayson, Virginia

2:24

Why do you think Brey has struggled so much to get good recruits since the Hubb class?

Thomas Noie

2:16

Mike: I play pickup hoops in the spring and summer with Keith Kurowski. Ryan Hoover's a go-to guy if I want to track down a former player for something. Good guys, both of them. Glad to know them.

Mike

2:16

Do you ever hear from any of the 90s guys like Keith Kurowski or Ryan Hoover?

Thomas Noie

2:15

Your first one earns a lifetime ban. And only half kidding. Come on. Don't be a clown.

Jerome

2:15

Recruiting should be getting better though, regardless whether there are still some obstacles. Looks like Brey just doesn't have his heart in it anymore. Here are my five: muffet, beilein, Kevin Willard, Craig McDermott, Randy bennett

Thomas Noie

2:14

Brian: Think that's the first time since my name and levelheaded have ever appeared in the same sentence. The staff always is looking to add a player or two or three. But the way the world is today, how do you possibly do that? Hint: You can't.

Brian from Bloomington, IL

2:14

Tom, Thanks for your levelheaded approach on recruiting. Is ND still trying to add another 2020 high school recruit? And, how do you think the additional dead period will affect things?

Thomas Noie

2:13

Guest: Of course, but given where we are in the world today, how do you do your due diligence on someone like that? Blind faith?

Guest

2:13

Tom: Do you think the staff has any interest in a non-graduate transfer? There are several in that category who look intriguing.

Thomas Noie

2:12

Collin: You've been around these parts long enough, so I know you've been paying attention....type of player???? Uh, anyone who can go get a bucket, get past their guy off the dribble and get buckets, come on down!

Collin from Elkhart

2:12

People have been asking for specifics/names of possible transfers, how about you just tell us the type of player they need to go get? Probably not a guard? Another post player? Frankly I don't see someone who has the ability to make a difference wanting to come to ND because the best thing for our program would be to start as many Sophomores as possible. Grad transfer probably want to start not be 6th men.

Thomas Noie

2:11

Robert: So of the 31 games Notre Dame played this season, he looked good in....one of them?? Don't know if he's getting flak around these parts as much as a lot of people are wondering why we didn't see more of what he showed against BC and FSU and Duke through the whole year. He's getting flak from the beat writer perspective because I thought the approach of having two bigs on the floor was all wrong. Like it was an arranged marriage. It was forced on us and forced to work. But when the Irish went four around one, that's when the offense finally looked like an Irish offense. Don't know how much pick and roll they'd play with Durham because Hubb can't get consistently get to the rim and finish.

Robert, Louisville

2:08

Durham seems to be taking a lot of flak in the chat. I personally felt he looked good at the end of the season in a high pick and roll set, (possible shades of Auguste)? Do you think ND will go back to the slip screen sets that led us to two straight elite eights next season now that we have a more mobile big? Personally feel this would be a massively positive change.

Thomas Noie

1:54

Justin: You know when we talk about Florida State and say that they've got dudes? Elijah Taylor's the type of dude Notre Dame hasn't had. He's got some stuff (not actually stuff but another s word) to his game that this program can use.

Justin, Fort Wayne

1:53

You seem to be pretty high on Elijah Taylor, can you talk about what he might bring to the table?

Thomas Noie

1:53

Bill: Give them x amount of hours to guarantee that they're going to be at a designated home game. Once the deadline passes and there's seats remaining in the student section, turn those over to groups from around Michiana free of charge, which would guarantee the seats don't go unused. Some of the best big crowds have been when the students are gone because the tickets go to people who otherwise wouldn't be in the building. The student seating situation is bottom third in the ACC. Not Wake Forest or Boston College bad, but getting there.

Bill

1:51

I know ND's student section and overall home court advantage leaves a lot to be desired, especially in down years. If you were in charge of the ND marketing department, what would you do to improve it?

Thomas Noie

1:48

Tom: No, because he's not just recruiting players, he's recruiting students. Gotta be both at Notre Dame. You don't want the full college experience at Notre Dame, you're not going to Notre Dame. I know everyone gets worked up over the program's recruiting or lack thereof, but somebody, they're going to look back on what Brey was able to do with the players he did it with and think, holy smokes, that was pretty good given what he had to work with.

Tom D.

1:46

Will Mike Brey ever be able to recruit better players to Notre Dame? I think I know the answer, but what do you say?

Thomas Noie

1:46

Collin: Don't know because I've never seen them play together. We media dopes don't get to see practice, though this one time....it was late in the year and the Irish were practicing in Purcell Pavilion. Media availability was pushed back to the end of practice. Usually, all the question and answer stuff happens before practice. This day, it was after. Waiting atop one of the arena tunnels, Notre Dame had Hubb, Ryan, Durham, Goodwin and Laszewski all in the same color jersey. I thought, wow, Mike Brey already getting a sneak peek at next year. Also was an indication that maybe the old coach isn't going anywhere after all.

Collin from Elkhart

1:43

Tom, no one messes with my emotions more than Hubb. Do you think we will ever see him establish an ability to get to the rim or will he live and die by the 3? How does his game and Ryan's game mesh together?

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