JotCast | Notre Dame Hoops Season Wrap Chat

Notre Dame Hoops Season Wrap Chat

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Sean,Greensboro

12:49

Thanks for the great job you do. With respect, academics aside, you always said that lack of top notch facilities was holding back recruiting. Well, we have the new facilities, so I do not see any reason why there should not be an improvement in recruiting. We cannot have a continuation of the last three years.

Thomas Noie

12:46

Transparency - never seen it...lol

Wadelite

12:46

Tom, but why male models? I could not resist a zoolander reference with so many of the same questions repeated.

Thomas Noie

12:46

Can't choose. Two good guys.

Jerome

12:46

Are you a Rick Cornett or Jordan Cornette man?

Thomas Noie

12:45

Chuck: Fair point, though don't think I'd put those four schools anywhere close to Notre Dame when it comes to academics. Notre Dame, from an academic/athletics standpoint, may be closer to Wake Forest than the Gonzagas, Dukes and Villanovas of the college hoops world. Will it get better? It has to, and I think Brey and his staff know it.

chuck/brigantine,nj

12:44

Hi Tom, "first time, long time." I like Brey as a coach --- flexible strategies, maximizing talent, motivating the team. His Achilles Heel is recruiting. Teams like Gonzaga, Duke, Villanova, Virginia and others get suitable or better talent despite the academic requirements. Our talent level this year and last is quite pathetic ---- inconsistent shooters, low athleticism, no depth. I believe in Brey --- what can you do to increase my confidence is the recruiting process? In my estimation, he needs a full court press NOW to increase talent or we may lose a very successful and effective Coach. Keep up the fine work and stay safe.

Thomas Noie

12:43

Joe: If this is indeed a climb, then NCAA tournament becomes the baseline minimum. They were 3-15 last year in the ACC. Then 10-10. If the dudes you need to be dudes again get better, then you're at at least 12-8 in the league. That's NCAA tourney territory.

Joe -New York

12:42

Hey Tom, what is a realistic expectation for this group of guys next year? NCAA tournament? or another year of average?

Thomas Noie

12:42

Joey: Too early to tell. Do Tre Jones and Cassius Stanley leave Duke? Probably. What does Cole Anthony do? How about Florida State? Louisville? Have to see how the NBA exodus shakes out, but right now, top three at least with Hubb-Ryan-Goodwin. That's a pretty good start.

Joey from Highland, IN

12:41

Would you say They have the top backcourt in acc next year?

Thomas Noie

12:40

Ryan: Actually, I know even less when it comes to college hoops. What does the offseason look like? Are there any key transfers in the ACC? What guys in the league decide to go pro? Do the Irish add anyone to their roster? How does the schedule shake out? Too many unknowns to say other than 50/50 - either they make it, or they don't. Will have a better idea when we get closer to October.

Ryan From Grand Rapids

12:39

Hey Tom, just curious based on what you know now, put a percentage guess on Notre dame making the NCAA tournament next year

Thomas Noie

12:39

Justin: Not soon enough....usually that's finalized around Labor Day, which might be when the rest of the sports world gets back on line. As you mentioned, Notre Dame is in the Legends Classic against USC with either Connecticut or Vanderbilt (hello, there, D.J. Harvey) in the second game. Other non-league locks (for now) include a TBD opponent (at home) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Purdue in the Crossroads Classic and a tentative two-game D.C. road swing with games against Georgetown and Howard (part of a home-and-home agreement stemming from Eric Atkins' hiring at Howard). There's always a slight chance that Delaware gives Notre Dame the return game from going to Newark in 2017-18, but looks like that one will just kind of fade away.

Justin, Fort Wayne

12:35

When will the schedule for next season come out and do you know any of our non conference schedule other than the legends classic?

Thomas Noie

12:23

Jerome: Where you been? I'll pose the same question that I get all the time. Brey leaves tomorrow (which he isn't). Name five coaches who would take this job. More transparency - nobody's ever come up with five names that fit.

Jerome

12:22

I'm back, baby. After the rocky season you ready to reconsider whether Brey is the right man for the job still?

Thomas Noie

12:22

Bill: Absolutely. It's a guard's game, and not having a guard who could absolutely solve a defense and get to the basket and finish was a crusher this season. Read into that what you will, but for all T.J. Gibbs did, taking over games and getting buckets when buckets were needed seldom was part of that plan. Until the Irish have a guard who can attack and put other defenses on their heels, it's going to be a struggle. It was this season in close games. Were you ever confident that the Irish would figure out a way to win? It took a Pflueger rebound and kick-out to Laszewski to finally do that against Carolina.

Bill

12:20

I hope this does not come across as minimizing Mooney's impact because he was amazing for two years, but in Brey's system, don't you think the guards play makes the engine run? We had a borderline All-American big man for two years and didn't really come close to making the tournament. Mooney's loss will for sure be felt, but do you think the maturation and improvement from our guards will raise or ceiling despite Mooney's departure?

Thomas Noie

12:19

Feel like this one's been asked on email, no? Let's go with a Magic-8 ball response....As I see it, yes.

Joey from Highland, IN

12:19

Durham, staying 100%

Thomas Noie

12:18

Mailed out? At least the program had plans for a post-season awards night, which wasn't announced until really late in the home schedule. Last season, think they all gathered at Brey's home and had Nelson's port-a-pit chicken.

saint knute CLE

12:17

what will happen with the post season awards normally given out at the banquet?

Thomas Noie

12:17

Bill: Might be a little of both. Whatever the case, Brey's made clear that he's got the keys to this car and will drive it the next two years. He can be really good, but also at other times, really rough. Maybe that evaporates with age and experience. Maybe it doesn't. It will be interesting next year with Hubb not having T.J. Gibbs as his assist/turnover ratio security blanket.

Bill

12:15

Do you think Hubb's recklessness at times is a result of him still being a young point guard (I don't think you can overstate how much it hurt him to miss his senior year of HS) or is it a trait of his game where you have to take the good with the bad?

Thomas Noie

12:15

Finally, a voice of reason speaks! Thanks my man...check's in the mail!

Mark from Grand Haven MI

12:14

Tom—Always enjoy reading your work. You provide us fans with great perspective on the team and its

Thomas Noie

12:14

None....would be wary of adding another guard unless he's really good. Elite good.

Luke Hogan

12:13

Thoughts on grad transfer Rich Kelly?

Thomas Noie

12:13

Not a whole heck of a lot to choose from, my man! lol Go Flyers!

saint knute CLE

12:12

greetings from the north coast... i think your alma mater lost the most in the cancellation of the tournament... we have lost numerous players to transfer over the past couple of years, any rumblings that there might more on the horizon??

Thomas Noie

12:12

Kyle: Interesting take there....have to sit with this for a few minutes before answering. OK, sat enough....my first answer would be absolutely not. When you have a chance to go to the Sweet 16, you go to the Sweet 16 and worry later about what comes next. From a hoops perspective, I can see how that would make sense, but from a whole athletic department picture, don't know if the Big East would offer the competitiveness that Notre Dame's other teams need. Not just hoops. But soccer and volleyball and everything else. That's one reason staying in what was the old Big East wasn't feasible. Think Brey would pack it up and head for his favorite beach in Miami before having to go it the Big East route again. That's a tricky one. Quick Q - has any major Division I coach been asked to adjust in terms of conference play more than Brey? Think of how many times the Big East changed during his tenure. Then they got it right. Then they moved to the ACC. In a lot of ways, it's been constant change.

Kyle, Charlotte NC

12:08

Second question since my last one was answered early, if you had the option would you forego a sweet 16 appearance next season to rejoin the old big east? I'm talking Syracuse, Pitt and everyone else comes back.

Thomas Noie

12:07

Chris: Kicking them probably as far as it goes.

Chris

12:07

Hi Tom. What do you think about Nd kicking the tires on players like nolley, Aiken and Marfo in the transfer portal?

Thomas Noie

12:07

Andrew: Whew....that's a lot to unpack. Here's what's known about Robby Carmody - a whole lot of unknown. He remains the ultimate mystery man. A blank slate. Yeah, he was college hoops ready, but what happens to that college hoops ready game after two season-ending injuries. He played with so much reckless abandon that it's caused him to miss two full seasons. Psychologically, how big of a hurdle is that? Full transparency, I requested to sit down with Robby in late-January, early February. Was told it would happen, then told it wouldn't happen. Would've been nice to hear from him, no?

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

12:05

What are the expectations/prognosis for Robby Carmody going forward? He was the most college basketball ready player in that class and has now lost nearly 2 seasons to injury. He's gone from the first freshman to start his first game since Torin Francis in 02-03 to who knows what now, by no fault of his own. I'm just curious what those in the program think he can offer for the rest of his time on campus. Do they think he can get back to being a starter? Hopefully his ACL injury isn't as devastating as the one Pflueger suffered, it clearly zapped a lot of Rex's athleticism this season. Is he a Pat Connaughton type of glue guy that fills the stat sheet in every category or more of a Zach Hillesland/Torrian Jones type of glue guy that does little things you don't see and every once in awhile flashes his true potential.

Thomas Noie

12:04

Greg: Time for me to put on my critical hat, but man, Juwan Durham was given a whole host of opportunities this season to prove worthy of being a key guy. As mentioned earlier, he had some really good games, but there also were a lot of gaps between those gaps. Last year, his one-step-forward, two-steps-back related to playing through injuries. This year, it was not being able to piggy-back good games with more good games. Part of that had to do with playing two bigs at the same time (probably this team's biggest misstep this season) but part of it also was Durham learning how to be consistent every single game, every single practice. Could he leave? In this day and age of college basketball, absolutely. Will he? The staff believes he understands the big picture and what it looks like for him next season. It'll be now or never for him. Maybe for a lot of them.

Greg from NJ

12:01

Any chance Juwan Durham decides not to come back next year? With our small roster returning, he would be in line for a lot of opportunity, but do you think he is frustrated he didn't play more this year? Tough to take minutes from Mooney and then we would "downshift" often and also Nate seemed to step up later in the year (especially on the backboards). I guess if i knew Juwan was going to be a big part of next season, i might have tried to find more spots for him to play (especially in second half's) this season. Would be a big blow if we lost him.....

Thomas Noie

12:01

Bobby: Yes and yes and yes. Times two. I'm as anti-NIT as anyone (shocking, I know). Two years ago, after this team was coming off a pair of Elite Eights and a second-round NCAA appearance, it had convince itself that it even wanted to play in the NIT (the loss to Penn State kind of answered whether their hearts really were in it). But this sophomore class kind of needed an NIT experience this year just to know what postseason basketball feels like. That wasn't going to slinsgshot them into the NCAA field next season or the following year, but if that does happen, at least they'd have some sort of reference point. Bring in someone with postseason seasoning? Yes, please.

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