JotCast | Notre Dame men's basketball 2024-25 season wrap chat

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Tom Noie

11:18

Bob: I'll go with Door No. 4 - all of the above.

Bob

11:18

Tom, any insight why Davis left? More NIL, unhappy with role at ND, better opportunity to develop for NBA? Thank you

Tom Noie

11:17

Jeff: Notre Dame Basketball cannot be a success with anyone outside of a sure-fire one-and-done lottery pick, playing 35 minutes a night. And EVERYTHING is complicated when the head coach has his son on the roster.

Jeff

11:16

Is there a version of the rotation next year where Braeden Shrewsberry takes a decreased role? He's a nice player and can fill a role, but it's hard to see him playing 35 minutes a night on a team with NCAA Tournament aspirations (which ND should have next year). What does that scenario look like and is it complicated at all by him being the coach's kid?

Tom Noie

11:16

Dr. Chop: A difficult topic, but maybe an easy answer. The answer why it hasn't happened - Micah Shrewsberry cannot figure out what Notre Dame basketball should be. What makes it a success. Its identity. Last year, it was predicated on defense. This year, defense was shoved to the side. The portal hasn't helped. The recruits haven't helped. Imagine where this program would be without Markus Burton, who was a throw-in recruit before he became MARKUS BURTON as a prep senior. What is Notre Dame Basketball? If the answer is (and it is), I don't know, you're going to have seasons like you had this past season. I discount the first year. That was all about just staying above water.

Dr Chop

11:13

Tom, Micah was seen as a slam-dunk hire by some when he was brought in based on how quickly he had an impact at Penn State. What’s the No. 1 reason in your mind it didn’t happen like that here and, if it didn’t happen in Year 2, should be be worried it’s just going to be like this? That was in, arguably, a much tougher conference. If you can’t win more games in this ACC…

Tom Noie

11:13

Jeff: It's not just NIL $$$ that you point to for a particular player and wonder why Notre Dame is "losing out" on portal targets, which again is one reason not to get caught up in who might be on the Notre Dame short list. Do we know that Notre Dame "lost out" on a particular player? How about Player A, B or C seeing all that entails being a Notre Dame student-athlete and saying, yeah, that's not for me. I'm going somewhere to be a basketball player. That happens more than you think. News flash - not everyone looks at Notre Dame basketball and wants to be a part of it.

Jeff

11:10

How competitive is Notre Dame's NIL offering relative to peer schools? Is ND losing out on top portal targets (e.g., Nick Davidson) just because of $$ or are there other factors at play?

Tom Noie

11:10

Ryan: I voted Markus Burton to the first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference at season's end. Solid season, but same as the previous one - it's time he becomes a good all-around college guard and not just the guy tasked with getting you 20-plus points a night. He's good, now let's see him make others around him better. That would be a good season.

Ryan Frankfort Illinois

11:09

Tom what do you think about the Season Markus Burton had he had a good season and I’m glad he is coming back again for next season GO IRISH 🏀🏀🏀☘️☘️☘️

Tom Noie

11:09

Jeff: Whoever commits.

Not interested in throwing this name or that name or those names out there, because all that does is get the fanbase worked up as is who ISN'T coming. When there's a transfer, there will be a transfer. Enjoy the spring...

Jeff

11:08

With Nick Davidson off the board, who are ND's top portal targets we should keep an eye on?

Ronny

11:08

With incoming class and departures, how many spots are available on the roster?

Tom Noie

11:07

Robert: Four years at the least. Look at the big picture - there were "fans" who questioned whether a move with Micah Shrewsberry should've been made after this season. Say Notre Dame followed through on that, hit the reset button and said, we're starting fresh. What kind of message does that send the prospective next coach, who says, let me get this straight, MS arrived with a gutted roster, had to figure out NIL and the transfer portal and the ACC and you gave him only two years? Who would take that job? Nobody takes it.

Robert from Mishawaka

11:05

You mentioned that getting rid of a coach after two years throws up a caution flag to other coaches not to go there. So does that mean that Shrewsbury should get four years to build this program through recruiting high school kids? I believe at this university he gets that leeway because of the lack of NIL money here.

Tom Noie

11:05

Jim: Only if every single player in a given year's freshman class is ready to contribute/compete, which is rarely the case. You don't have to hit a grand slam in the portal, but you better not go down looking with the bases load, either.

Jim Tal, Valley Center CA

11:04

Hi Tom, hope you've been able to catch your breath a bit after the exhilaration of the football season and then the bummer that was ND hoops. Even with the return of Burton, improvement from other returnees and a freshman class that shows potential, that probably won't be good enough to guarantee a big step forward for the program. To me, it all comes down to whether the Irish can land at least a couple of impact portal pickups. And in that regard, Micah S. has shown himself to be sorely lacking. Can ND possibly make significant strides without getting major help from the portal?

Tom Noie

11:03

Pat: Whoa, Calvin Booth catching strays in today's chat. Didn't see that coming. What a weird zag in the NBA world. It was apparent that Booth wasn't going to be resigned at the end of the year when his contract ran out, which means his time as GM had kind of run its course. He delivered the Nuggets their only title, so there's that. Meanwhile, Carey Booth, I believe has gone from Penn State to Notre Dame to Illinois and now, Colorado State. I'd say he steered his son's career more off track than the Nuggets.

Pat from Bordentown, NJ

11:01

So, ultimately, whose future did Calvin Booth steer more off track - his son's or the Nuggets?

Tom Noie

11:01

Frank: Notre Dame has enough NIL money in both men's and women's basketball to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Here's the thing - say a school from the SEC comes along and offers to double (and maybe even more) what you're making at Notre Dame. Notre Dame cannot compete with that. Or, maybe, won't compete with that. There are schools in conferences where money is no issue. That's not the case at Notre Dame. It's not going to open the checkbook for any (or all) sport and say, whatever it takes. That's just not happening.

Frank from Michiana

10:59

The two programs at Notre Dame are like apples and oranges. The Women's program is a blue blood, while the men's is almost like a mid-major. In saying that, what's up with the mass exodus with the women's program, and why can't the Men's program get an above average transfer through the transfer portal? Do the programs need NIL money?

Gus Ft.Mitchell,Ky

10:57

Hi Tom.Does ND have any good players considering them out of the portal?Seems pretty quiet..And

Tom Noie

10:57

On transfers? That's fine. Go find the next Bonzie Colson. The next Pat Connaughton. The next Matt Farrell. The next (insert player's name here). They're still out there. Find them. Don't rely solely on the portal. I'd rather see them recruit players who want the full Notre Dame experience, then hit a grand slam in the portal. It's doable. It is. It's difficult, no question, but not impossible.

Matt,

10:55

Tom, how does Notre Dame with all the alumni have very little amount to spend on transfers. Teams are spending money and Notre sits back and takes what is left over. Zero chance to compete.

Tom Noie

10:55

Howie: Is it really broken? Maybe leaking oil and in need of a tune-up, but we'll see this coming season what Notre Dame basketball might be. If it's a repeat of the last two seasons, it will be time for some serious discussions. We're not there yet. We're in that neighborhood, but not there.

Howie

10:54

Notre Dame basketball is broken. Do you think Pete Bevacqua will do something to fix it?

Tom Noie

10:54

Mike: Florida won the national championship without a single Top 100 player in its starting lineup. Did I hear that right? Everyone wants to say that NIL and the transfer portal is ruining college sports, but did you see the ratings/numbers for the NCAA Tournament. Hardly ruined. Different? Absolutely.

Mike

10:52

’After watching the tournament, it seems to me the days of the "Cinderella’ teams are over. NIL and the portal have created super conferences. They are more like NBA farm teams. If a player in one of the lesser conferences developed into a great player (Bonzie Colson, for example) he is instantly lured into one of the super conferences with a promise of a financial windfall. College sports is being ruined. Am I wrong?

Tom Noie

10:52

David: There are three (maybe four) spots that could already be in pen - PG Markus Burton, SG Braeden Shrewsberry, WG Jalen Haralson, PF Kebba Njie (depending on portal), swingman (big guard/forward combo) TBD. Is that enough to win 12-13 ACC games next season?

David

10:50

While it seems likely there will be an unknown transfer or two that will join, who would you pencil into the starting line up for the 1st game next year?

Tom Noie

10:50

The unexpected. Stay tuned and let's see how it unfolds.

mschleet

10:49

Are there any names of players for the men's and women's team that have interest in Notre Dame? There are a number of portal players who have already signed with other teams. What can we expect?

Tom Noie

10:49

Peter: So for a program that already has a public relations problem with its fan base, you would want it to cut ties with the only local guy on the roster? Not sure that makes sense, but in some ways, you are right. I thought we were done with Markus Burton doing everything as a freshman and that we would see more of an all-around solid college guard this past season. Instead, he shot it more the second time around. Maybe the third time is the charm. Watching Burton go for 20 a game is fun, but I'd rather see him flirt with 12, 13, 14 assist games. He'd be better for it and Notre Dame would be better for it. And your eyes wouldn't hurt as much...

Peter

10:46

I know this is sacrilegious, but I feel like Markus Burton is limited as a point guard and the book is out on how to guard him (put a bigger guard on him). He can still get some points and make some flashy plays, but he's like a black hole with the ball. He's just not a natural point guard. Would his NIL money be better served going towards a true point guard who could score and assist, and a serviceable big? Maybe the offense wouldn't make my eyes hurt so much if we had a guy who could break down the defense and get others involved.

Tom Noie

10:38

Dave

10:38

Tom what was the reason for Davis leaving

Tom Noie

10:38

Mickey: Honestly, after covering the first two years of the Micah Shrewsberry era in South Bend, this is what we know - we don't know. About the culture, the competitiveness, the understanding that THIS is what it takes to be successful at Notre Dame. Really, we don't know. This was a year where we should've started to know. Instead, we got all those near-miss games, the post-Louisville Shrews rant, the injuries, the no-show against SMU. Too many questions and not enough answers. That cannot be the case next season. It just can't. We need to see this train move. In the right direction.

Mickey

Is here a culture around this team? Is there a clear path to being competitive at this point? Watching the tournament we aren’t athletic enough, don’t have enough shot makers, don’t have someone to create on their own (Burton can but physicality stifles that), don’t seem like we have length, didn’t have a defensive commitment nor did we have consistent offensive firepower. (Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?)

10:35

Ooof, what a year. I really want to believe there is a path here. So help me with the following:

Tom Noie

10:35

Alex: What is the greatest concern is simple - progress. Roster gripes aside, and people will be pointing to that for the next 10 seasons, how many games was Notre Dame in position to win this season, but didn't? Five? Six? Seven? Win those and everything about this program changes. Even with the roster being what it was, this was a program that should've won 11, 12, 13 league games.

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