JotCast | Notre Dame men's basketball chat - January 2023

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Dan - Chicago

11:28

Is Burton the starting pg next year? Is he tall enough to be effective in the ACC?

Thomas Noie

11:28

Donny: Be scared. Very scared. I drew the comparison of LSU when it fired Will Wade last year. There was a point where the Tigers didn't have a single scholarship player on the roster. It might not get that drastic for Notre Dame, but the new coach isn't exactly walking into a situation where he has a roster ready-made to even compete, let alone win.

Donny

11:26

Obviously this season is not over yet, but I am extremely scared of what this roster is going to look like next season. Do you expect most of the non seniors/graduates to come back? Even if they do, there is so much inexperience everywhere.

Thomas Noie

11:26

Mike Brey admitted he made a mistake against Boston College by not playing Ven-Allen Lubin more. Lubin played more Tuesday and was really good. Why not play Lubin and Starling and heck, Dom Campbell and Tony Sanders and Matt Zona more moving forward? Brey will never do it. He really should. It's time.

Dan - Chicago

11:25

I know when you have a 7 man rotation it is hard to shake things up. But I think the one thing last thing that hasn't been tried is starting Lubin and giving him more minutes. Seems worth a shot. I hate to say it, but I might sit the 5 star recruit more in lieu of extra minutes for Lubin. Starling has been the least effective of the five guards.

Thomas Noie

11:20

Dan - Nobody, because I don't know what this program wants to be. Maybe when there's a no coach in place and it's five years down the road (and I'm hopefully still employed) we can say then, ahhhhhh, it all makes sense. We see why Notre Dame went the route it went. But now? It's had to point to one guy, one clear-cut guy and say, he's the slam-dunk hire who's going to make this all better.

Dan - Chicago

11:19

For the obvious question, who is your money on?

Thomas Noie

11:19

Dan: Somewhere beyond the bottom, and even then it might be too generous. A lot of this is on Brey, but a lot of it is on the players. They knew the drill. They knew what the roster was going to look like. Why, then, did Dane Goodwin and Nate Laszewski and Cormac Ryan decide to come back if they knew the pieces wouldn't fit or that they were a player or two short? They believed they could make another run. Maybe they fooled themselves. But this season was off the tracks almost from the start. We just didn't see it, or just figured once they get it figured it, they'd be fine. They never did figure it out. It's a complete collapse in every sense. Put it on Brey, but put it on a group that was given so much, but delivered so little.

Dan - Chicago

11:16

I think we all overated this team's talent before the year. I think especially in terms of Starling and Ryan and their expected contributions But yet, with even that said, I think this is the most disappointing team I have watched in terms of results vs talent on paper. Where does it rank for Tom?

Thomas Noie

11:16

Dave: Only Jack Swarbrick knows, and he's not telling.

Dave

11:15

Hi Tom for the next coach will they focus on a young uand coming guy with recruiting experience

Thomas Noie

11:15

Brian: A complete tear-down and overhaul of the Notre Dame men's basketball program as we know it would be a start. New head coach. New assistants. New voice. All needed. But a new direction. More support staff. Admissions restrictions relaxed. It wasn't a coincidence that Notre Dame rarely carried the maximum number of scholarship players allowed (13). Mike Brey's marching orders from the university was this - less is better. If you can get by with 10 or 11, we'd really appreciate it. Long-term? Many dark days are ahead. Can this program sidestep them? Good luck

Brian Batavia, IL

11:13

Hi Tom: The b-ball program went sideways after the 2017 Maui Invitational. I am surprised Brey lasted this long. His successor will not find a bed of roses when he arrives full time. There will be no allowance for one and done players. No throwing NIL money at recruits. The transfer portal will be curtailed by university brass. The only way this program can reach an Elite 8 presence on occasion is for the new coach to get lucky with recruits and be able to coach them up. The new coach will need to have more than 7 scholarships on his squad. The 7-man rotation beats the crap out of the players. Do you have a long term solution for the program with these constraints? If you do I’ll drive to South Bend and buy you drinks and dinner.

Thomas Noie

11:12

George: Think you've been hanging around a bit too much with Bill Walton while listening to the Grateful Dead, if you catch my, um, drift. Thanks for the insight. I think.

George Bernard

11:12

I heard Bill Walton this morning say that 25% of NBA players were international. When I went to check the internet I could only find a hit from 2020. Why is there not information from 2023? Surely it is known.

Thomas Noie

11:12

Jim: If you're an elite high school prospect and can go anywhere to play men's college basketball, why would you go to Notre Dame? You can go to Duke. You can go to Kansas. You can go to Kentucky. You can go to UCLA. Why would you ever pick Notre Dame? You wouldn't. The answer's obvious.

Jim from California

11:11

Why is the ND woman’s basketball team able to recruit the elite high school prospects in the nation and Canada, and the men’s team can’t?

Thomas Noie

11:10

More Ven-Allen Lubin, still not sure on Matt Zona, but that's another conversation. Mike Brey admitted (yet again) that he erred in Saturday's loss to Boston College after he decided not to play Lubin more than six minutes in the second half after he was pretty good in the first. Best scenario for Notre Dame on Tuesday was Nate Laszewski picking up three really early fouls. Lubin had to play, and finished with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes. Notre Dame's best lineup might be Laszewski and Lubin with Cormac Ryan, Marcus Hammond and J.J. Starling. Let that group get loose. We've seldom seen it. One of the many missteps in recent weeks.

Guest

11:09

Do you think it might be time to give VanLuben more court time? The same for Zona? They both appear to be active inside when given a few minutes. It is something that has been missing in most games.

Thomas Noie

11:06

The violinists already are playing, the lifeboats are being lowered, there are people running from stern to bow and bow to stern. It's only a matter of time. Notre Dame is 1-9 in the league with a mind-numbing February still to come. If you can get off the boat now and get to dry land, do it. Don't hang around to see if Jack can get out of the makeshift brig.

Guest

11:03

With 6 more weeks in the regular season, what must happen so the Titanic does not completely sink?

Thomas Noie

11:01

Ed: Good call. Mike Brey has done nothing but own where this season has gone. Notre Dame stinks, and he has said it's his fault. At what point do we point to the players. At what point does pride kick in? If you're ever going to win one league game, wouldn't you think Boston College would be it? How do you not win that game? Brey put all his trust in guys who've done nothing to reciprocate. Yeah, Notre Dame's a player or two short in the big picture, but where's the pride? The want-to? Don't know.

Ed,Greensboro

10:59

Belated Happy New Year Help me understand how a group of players can find out their coach is leaving, and the go out and lay an egg against B.C.. Have they no. grit or pride? This is how we will remember this group.

Thomas Noie

10:59

Scottie: There's more where that came from. Keep reading!

Scottie

10:59

Tom you made history Sunday for the first time ever the SB tribune had more ND bball articles than ND football congrats and thoroughly enjoyed it

Thomas Noie

10:59

Joe: Matt was No. 16 on my list, so he definitely was on my radar. I had to trim it somewhere, so I went with 15. Matt Langel fits.

Joe C

10:58

Hi Tom. I just read your listing of 15 possible candidates to replace Coach Brey, who did a remarkable job during his tenure at ND. One coach I'm thinking you may have overlooked is Matt Langel from Colgate. Coach Langel checks all the boxes but one, that being no previous connection to ND. But he's the winningest coach in Colgate history, Patriot League Coach of the Year three straight years, and resurrected a program that has now been to the dance 3 of the last 4 years. He's young, graduates his players, and is accustomed to recruiting kids who need to meet rigorous academic standards. Plus he's used to living in snowy, cold-weather towns. And he's Catholic!! Your take, please, and thanks for hosting the forum.

Thomas Noie

10:58

John: Mike Brey was quick to say in his walking-away presser last week that the Notre Dame men's basketball job is a great job, but what he didn't say is it's a really hard job. For myriad reasons. I don't ever see it being elite - like Jay Wright made Villanova. It's a good program, that's expected to be great. If that's the case, the university needs to do everything in its power to make it great. They don't do that. They won't do that. That's what made Brey so unique - he accepted all of it and said, yeah, fine, I'm going to win anyway. Eventually, that fight wears on you, and wears you down. It did to Brey. Notre Dame is different in so many ways. Not always for the best when it comes to sustained basketball success.

Guest

10:55

Tom, thanks for your terrific reporting. Given its many constraints, is it even possible that Notre Dame men’s basketball could ever be an elite program for an extended period, for example on a part with women’s program? Thanks for your consideration. From John, Leonardtown, MD

Thomas Noie

Do I get to keep my press pass?

10:53

Tom: Still waiting for the phone to ring with Jack Swarbrick on the other end. Don't think he's going to do that anytime soon - OK, never - but I'll play along. I'd say, why, yes, you need to do whatever's needed to hire Monty Williams. He'd be more than a basketball coach at Notre Dame. And it's about way more than basketball there. It's a sense of spirituality, and Williams would definitely fit. He's won, he's as class as they come and he could relate to today's college athlete. He'd be perfect for the job, given nothing else than his life experiences. But again, if you're an NBA coach, at the peak of your profession, why college?

Tom from Sister Lakes MI

10:49

Hi Tom, Great coverage of Brey's retirement and the aftermath. Play along with me. Based on your many years of being around the program, Jack Swarbrick asks for your opinion on the new hire. JS has two questions for you: Should I hire a former ND player? If yes, who should it be? What are your answers?

Thomas Noie

10:49

EM: You can't. Oh, you can try and do and say all the right things, but even then, it's only going to get you to the occasional Sweet 16 or Elite Eight. Notre Dame men's basketball is about players/prospects choosing Notre Dame for more than just basketball. Pat Connaughton is one of only two former Irish in the NBA, but he didn't seriously dream of being an NBA player when he was at Notre Dame. Now, when that dream materialized, Connaughton chased it and made himself an NBA player. Blake Wesley as well. But they're exceptions, not the rule. How did Notre Dame do it with Muffet McGraw? How many women's basketball players leave after one year for the WNBA? Apples to oranges again. Same sport, way different success models.

10:47

Echoing Muffet McGraw’s comments in the immediate aftermath of Brey’s announcement, how can any N.D. men’s b-ball coach hope to compete and win in today’s environment - including, e.g., the transfer portal, NIL rules, and the general sense that every sport at N.D. takes a back seat to football? Having said that, how did McGraw manage to succeed where Brey didn’t?

Thomas Noie

10:46

Pat: The Ring of Honor was Brey's baby. He chose the guys to go up. Somebody has to choose him. If I were the new coach, I'd wait a year or two before (if) everything gets back on track to where fans care and the wins are there and then give Brey his proper day.

Pat H. Springfield Illinois

10:45

Forgot to ask my question: When can we expect Mike Bret to be inducted into the Ring of Honor?

Thomas Noie

10:45

Pat: Many thanks. When you've covered Notre Dame men's basketball for 25 seasons, you just want to be prepared for when something like this to max it all out and give readers they best sense and understanding of what it all means. I hope I've done that.

Pat H. Springfield Illinois

10:43

Can’t disagree with any of your reporting and analyses. You did an exceptional and, most important, extremely fair job. What you are doing is what journalism is about - reporting history as it happens in a thorough and objective manner.

Thomas Noie

10:43

Andrew: Notre Dame is staring down the barrel of 3-17 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tuesday's loss at North Carolina State marked the unofficial halfway point - 10 games down, 10 to go. Notre Dame is 1-9 in the league. When you look at what's coming on the back half, you understand how desperate everything felt when Notre Dame lost its first two home games and lost getable games on the road against Florida State and Boston College. That was against the bottom half of the league. Look at February. Where do you see wins? You want to say Saturday at home against Louisville and maybe the following Saturday at home against Wake Forest. But those aren't guarantees. December and January were times for this program to stack a few wins. February was going to be brutal regardless. Even more so now that you have a lame-duck coach and a lame-duck roster in a lame-duck season. As bad as it's been to date, it might get worse.

Andrew from Mass

10:39

How many games do you project they win in conference this year? Not that I still think the season can be saved or anything but I am very curious

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