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

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Thomas Noie

10:37

Mark: Nope. You're on that ledge and have to decide for yourself if you want to slide back toward terra firma before that ledge snaps. When Mike Brey arrived, he had Troy Murphy and David Graves and a young Matt Carroll and an old Martin Ingelsby and Ryan Humphrey in a sit-out season. That program was built to win from the jump. This one's not. He's not leaving the cupboard completely bare, but there's a chance for it. Yeah, next year is going to brutal unless Jack Swarbrick nails this hire. He has to.

Mark from Rochester, NY

10:35

Tom, with how bad this season has been, I feel like the next 2-3 seasons could be more of the same. Talk me off the ledge

Thomas Noie

10:35

Mark: He's played/developed like someone who knows he needs another year in college, whether that's at Notre Dame or elsewhere, we don't know. He was as tied to Mike Brey as any recruit in recent memory. He wanted to go to Notre Dame, but he also wanted to play for Brey. It's hard to see him going the NBA route based solely on his stats - 12.0 ppg., 2.9 rpg., 1.3 apg., .425 FG, .311 #-point, .640 FT. He needs at least another year to show what he can do well. What is that? I don't know, and I don't know if he knows. Blake Wesley set such a high bar that everyone expected the same (and more) from Starling. He's not built that way. Does he come back? That's a question you can ask for every single player on the roster and the two incoming recruits. Until a new coach is in place and every player sees how they fit, there's no real answer.

Mark from Rochester, NY

10:31

Tom, I know there are games left in this lost season, but what are your thoughts on Starling? Does he stay for a new coach? Transfer? Professional? Thanks for all you do.

Thomas Noie

10:26

Jimmy: Realistically, there's no realistic top options because as was mentioned earlier, nobody knows what Jack Swarbrick wants out of this job. If you're realistically serious about winning national championships and going to Final Fours, then you hire Rick Pitino. He'll win. Maybe not the way anyone in the university would want, but he would. The next hire will tell us a lot of how men's basketball is viewed by the university. Timetable? Don't expect anything to happen before April. This is a long haul process.

Jimmy D

10:24

Who realistically are the top 2-3 options to replace Brey? How soon after March madness can we expect an announcement?

Thomas Noie

10:23

Joe: No, because what's the separator when you look at other Catholic schools. Let's take Gonzaga and Villanova for their previous sustained successes and Marquette and Xavier right now. All private schools, but all schools that don't play football. Basketball is the sole focus, it's where every single one of those schools' resources go toward. They better be good in men's basketball because that's what's going to make the most money. That's never going to be the case at Notre Dame, where it's football first and second and third and sometimes fourth and fifth. Pump the powers that be with truth serum and they'd probably admit - and maybe even without serum - that's it's critically important for Notre Dame football to be good for myriad reasons. Notre Dame basketball? Yeah, that matters and they want to get to the NCAA tournament, but if they don't, hey it's almost time for spring football. And who's the quarterback?

Joe

10:20

Do you think there’s a difference between how the job is perceived nationally compared to how you perceive it up close and personal? I was particularly struck by Pat Forde’s column about the success of other catholic schools in college basketball and how strange that ND doesn’t match their consistent success.

Thomas Noie

10:20

Joe: I'd say correlation. Notre Dame without a practice facility was a program with a certain underdog edge. Like, we practice in the basement of an old arena that has seats held together with Duct tape. We don't get any bells and whistles but you know what, we're still going to win. It got way more country club when Rolfs opened. It just did.

Joe

10:18

Correlation or coincidence that the program finally got it’s sought after practice facility and then went into a terrible tailspin?

Thomas Noie

10:18

Joe: Win, but even that's hard and not the only answer. Fans are hard to figure out. Notre Dame won last year - won in the ACC like it's never before won - and it had exactly one sellout (Duke). Fans today are beyond fickle. Even when you win, you sometimes lose. I can't imagine that had Brey played more than seven guys, the fan base would be like, whoa, gotta go out and see the Irish. Fans today are different. They'd rather stay home and watch it on their TVs. New coach isn't changing that.

Joe

10:16

It shocked me that Brey’s first game was a sellout. His engagement and personality could not have been more conducive to garnering fan support. I get that the losing the last few years is going to drive fans away (I was looking for Wake Forest tickets and it’s incredible that the cheapest ticket is $35), but what do you think the new coach has to do to re-energize the fan base?

Thomas Noie

10:16

Joe: Did you see the Dec. 11 game against Marquette? Not only was the first sign that this run was over for Mike Brey, it was a sign that Notre Dame (as it's currently constructed) has no business being in the Big East. Notre Dame used to play like that. Notre Dame used to win like that. But the move to the ACC was done for more than just men's basketball. If Notre Dame were to be part of a conference on a sport by sport basis, the Big Ten and the Big East would fit better - but it would take time to overhaul the roster to fit those leagues. That's not how college athletics works. Jack Swarbrick had to take a big-picture 35,000-foot view of what league best served his entire athletic department. That's the ACC.

Joe

10:13

Obviously the program needs a breath of fresh air and reboot, but I can’t help but think they are such a better fit in today’s big east than the acc. I know men’s bball will never be the driver of nd’s conference alignment and I think the acc move was great at the time, but do you think there are any administrators in the athletic department that regret that move?

Thomas Noie

10:12

Joe: Here's what I don't get about the whole notion of this program has stunk for five seasons. Did last year NOT happen? Did Notre Dame not go 24-11 and win a school record 15 Atlantic Coast Conference games? Did it not have the school's only one-and-done in Blake Wesley? Was it not two minutes from getting to a Sweet 16? Please eliminate last season from the other four, where you do have a point. The pieces didn't fit those seasons. Brey hitched his coaching wagon to guys who didn't deliver, who should've been better than what they were - save for John Mooney who was left a bag of spare parts during his best seasons. Prentiss Hubb was really good for this program - trouble is, he was too inconsistent, which blinded fans' perspective of him.

Joe

10:09

I feel what made Brey’s offenses excel through the years was a floor general point guard. I know Hubb was better than perceived, but do you think that was the biggest issue the last 5 years. I’m confident we have more wins if Matt Farrell is on the team

Thomas Noie

10:09

Less than zero.

Joe

10:08

My dream candidates that you throw a blank check are Billy Donovan, Tony Bennet and Dana Altman. Any of those above a 0% chance?

Thomas Noie

10:08

You're Brad Stevens, president of the Boston Celtics. You make close to $4 million a year. Why are you going back to college? Hard pass.

guest

10:07

Any thoughts on who you think will get the coaching job? Brad Stevens ?

Thomas Noie

10:06

Mike the non-believer returns....what do you mean "if everything in that story is true..." Seriously? Come on, my man. I'd give you a reason why you should renew your tickets for next season, but you probably wouldn't believe it. Sorry.

Mike, Nyona lake

10:05

Another question about recruiting. Just read your story in Monday paper about the five things a new coach should ask. If everything in that story is true then I guess that answers the question why there are no fans at the games. Been a season ticket holder for over 35 years. Give me one reason after reading this story I should renew next year.

Thomas Noie

10:04

Mike: I don't know how their contracts are structured - say, they're obligated to work through a certain date every year before it rolls over - but I can't see anyone from the current coaching or support staff saying, yeah, you know what, I'll help without any assurances that they're going to be retained. Mike Brey knows what he's going to be doing next year (hint: sitting on a beach in Florida) but his staff and support members are likely worried as much or more right now about where life is going to take them than what kind of defense Louisville might throw at them Saturday. It's human nature - you want to finish this out and do what's best for Notre Dame if you're an assistant coach, but you're also worried about where you're going to land in this profession. It's hard.

Mike,

10:01

Tom, do you think a few from the staff will stay to help smooth over the transition?

Thomas Noie

10:01

Matt: Late March at the earliest if everything falls into place. Mike Brey announcing when he did that this is it for him allows for everyone who might be interested in the job to really take a long look at it, and vice versa in terms of vetting candidates, but how much can you do with a sitting head coach in the middle of his season? Little. Next to nothing. So the timeline is going to be an extended one, unless there's a stealth candidate that Jack Swarbrick has identified who can be hired on say, Selection Sunday. Otherwise, pack your patience. This is going to take some time.

Matt

9:58

Tom, what do you think the time line will be on getting a new coach. Late March early April until they get the list and then interviews. The first recruits are the underclass men, 2023 class and then he can hit the portal.

Thomas Noie

9:58

B ill: Notre Dame's incoming recruiting class slipped from three players to two following Tuesday's news that swingman Brady Dunlap from Harvard-Westlake High School in California has asked to be released from his letter of intent. Of the three - Markus Burton and Parker Friedrichsen - Dunlap might've been most ready to play given his size (6-foot-7). Burton and Friedrichsen are skilled guys, but also guys who look like they've never set foot in the weight room. It's so hard to say, even the in the best of years, how a prospect's going to carry over from high school to high Division I. No idea if they'll stay committed. It all depends on what the new coach wants, though it would be hard to see Burton going elsewhere. The last thing the new coach wants to do is run off the local kid. Both may HAVE to contribute next season given the uncertainty of the rest of the roster. We can't sit here on Jan. 25 as the snow falls outside and say we have ANY idea what Notre Dame's roster will look like next season.

Bill Milford ct.

9:54

hey Tom — your the man to trust on who’s coaching in 23 season -so my question is regarding the current commits. Give us a break down on each one’s strengths & weakness AND will they stay committed - can any expect to contribute right away ? thanks

Thomas Noie

9:48

I don't see it happening. Mike Brey's going to do it his way. That's how Notre Dame got to where it is now - he's going to play the guys he trusts. He doesn't trust the bench. Not saying he's right, just saying Brey's going to Brey the rest of the way. As wrong as that might be.

Guest

9:47

Play the bench already

Thomas Noie

9:47

Joe: You know you're my guy, but that might be the silliest idea around. Beyond silly. Here's why - yes, John Beilein and Rick Pitino are both in their 70s, like Mike Krzyzewski. But they couldn't be more different. Here's why - Beilein and Pitino may both feel like they have something still to prove at the highest college level. Beilein for his epic failure in the NBA, Pitino for his epic exit from Louisville. It's no secret that Pitino wants back in to the white-hot spotlight of a major college job. If you know him, Iona's a stopover. A stop-gap. Beilein has long dreamed of coaching at Notre Dame. K? He's got too many NCAA championship and Olympic rings on his fingers to answer the phone.

joe from the south side

9:42

Tom, You, and others, have speculated about the next coach. I think you even mentioned Beilein and Pitino, both of whom are 70ish. If you really want to hire a 70 year old coaching legend, go after Coach K. While at Duke he repeatedly stated that the only place that could make him leave Duke was ND. Admitedly, that was some time ago, but "ya never know until you ask."

Thomas Noie

9:42

And Notre Dame won't stabilize through the transfer portal. While it's true that Notre Dame basketball has taken transfers in the past dating all the way back to Ryan Humphrey in 1999 and Dan Miller in 2001, the game has changed. Notre Dame could afford to take a Humphrey or a Miller or a Ben Hansbrough or a Scott Martin with a promise (and a wink) that though their transcripts might not mirror Notre Dame, they could get on the Notre Dame academic track during their sit-out seasons. There's no longer a sit-out season - kids are immediately eligible. It's not a coincidence that since the sit-out season went away, the only transfers to choose Notre Dame - Paul Atkinson and Marcus Hammond - are GRADUATE TRANSFERS. Now, the new coach may get a transfer break or two next season, but the portal is more myth than reality for Notre Dame. It just is.

9:38

Joe: This is headed toward a complete teardown/overhaul/rebuild. On Tuesday, about an hour before the Notre Dame-North Carolina State game tipped, news broke that Brady Dunlap, one of the three recruits signed for next season, had asked for his release from Notre Dame. Had Dunlap remained in the fold, and if (massive if) Cormac Ryan decides to return for a sixth year, Notre Dame would have only 10 players on scholarship - and that's with nobody leaving. Dunlap's departure drops that number to nine. If Ryan decides it's time for a change, that number falls to eight. Dunlap probably won't be the only guy who decides to seek something else besides Notre Dame. That's the way of the college basketball world. Notre Dame has not been hit hard by the transfer portal, but I don't expect that to be the case. New coach wants a new direction. Somebody else is going to leave. Next year will suffer with a patchwork roster.

joe from the south side

9:34

Tom, In your opinion, is the new coach, whiever it is, capable of "patching this together" or are we in a complete overhaul/rebuilding mode? Part 2 is I doubt ND will ever go for wholesale transfers to restock the program immediately. Do you feel the same way and if so, how does that impact the next coach's success?

Thomas Noie

9:31

Notre Dame misses Blake Wesley terribly and misses Paul Atkinson terribly, but don't dismiss what Prentiss Hubb brought to that group. Yeah, he took the occasional bad shot, but he brought a certain swagger a certain middle-finger to you attitude on the road that the rest of his teammates fed off and followed. Notre Dame won seven games away from home last year, and was 6-4 on the road in league play. The Irish are 0-5 on the ACC road this year and 0-7 overall. Ask yourself why, then remember P-Hubb.

9:29

Joe: All true. All of it. But here's the thing too about Notre Dame being poorly coached. This team, and teams before it, knew what they signed up for in playing for Mike Brey. He's not going to browbeat you into figuring out the zone. He's going to trust that your proverbial basketball IQ will see it and allow you to say, yeah, I get it. I know what to do. Brey's at fault for the collapse of this season, but is it his fault that he draws up the perfect baseline out of bounds play at the end of the Florida State game, only to have a super senior throw away what would've been a game-winning layup? Is it Brey's fault that a super senior can't effectively inbound the ball late in the game at 'Cuse? Or that another super senior can't make a critical WIDE OPEN 3-pointer in that game? Brey's at fault, but the guys he trusted to deliver didn't deliver.

joe from the south side

9:26

Tom, This team collapsed for many reasons. From the outside, I see 3 big ones. 1. Poorly coached. Go back to SYR at ND. I think Goodwin said, "We didn't know what to do against the zone." WHAT? You've played in more games than anyone in ND history. You played against SYR 1,000 times. Edwards played the entire 2nd half 15 ft from the bucket. That's how far Boeheim extended. How hard is it to put LAZ or Ven under the hoop and force Edwards out of the middle of the zone? Then, Dane goes back to working the spot at the FT line. No ability to adapt. 2./3. No athleticism. On D, they play matador style. Wave the cape and let the bull go by. Hell, they escort opposing guards to the hoop. On O, they have no ability to beat anyone off the bounce. LY, you polled us about the MVP of the team. I said Wesley because you can't teach his athleticism and instinct for the game on O or D. But, I also said Paul A. was a close 2nd because his post play created space for the jump shooters. Now you see that 1st hand.

Thomas Noie

9:25

Thanks my man...say it louder for the people in the back...you know, the ones who shout from the shadows about how the beat guy should be more cheerleader and less critical. I'm glad someone understands that it just doesn't work that way. It can't. Not for the team you cover or the person covering it. The beat writer has to take the good and the bad and the ups and the downs and continue to tell the story. I hope I've done that. It's not easy, but that's our job. We have to do it whether the team we cover is 15-5 in the ACC or headed toward 5-15. Now....back to our discussion...

joe from the south side

9:22

Tom, Before we get to the back and forth of this, I want to make one comment. Prior to Brey's announcement of stepping down, you were writing about the failures of this season's team. You pulled no punches. You were exceptionally critical, but truthful to a fault. You must have a great deal of clout at SBT to take on a Notre Dame sports program like that. In any event, I admired and appreciated your accurate assessment of where this season was going. Tip of the cap to you.

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