JotCast | Notre Dame men's basketball - May 2024

Thomas Noie

2:05

That will do it for our Notre Dame hoops chat in May. Thanks to all who stopped by. We may do something again in June and/or July if vacation doesn't get in the way (it will). Have a great rest of the summer!

1:35

Phil: The Magic 8 ball says ... too early to say. J.R. Konieczny has another year after 2024-25 remaining since he sat out his sophomore years (2022-23) after playing a whopping 22 minutes as a true freshman. This past season really was Konieczny's first true season since his senior year at South Bend Saint Joseph. He had his moments, but he also realized he has to learn how to play 40 minutes. He'd be good for a half, and then disappear. Nobody plays harder than JRK, but how does he translate those minutes into meaningful minutes? Is this coming season fulfilling enough for him (and the staff) that he wants to return in 2025-26? There's no answer on if Nick Shrewsberry is a legit D-I prospect. He just finished his sophomore season, also at Saint Joe. There's been so many comparisons between JRK and his brother, Chase, that I could see the younger Konieczny wanting to go out on his own and make a name for himself. All of it will sort itself out in the coming years...

Phil from Mishawaka

1:31

Does JR end up playing a 5th season at ND and does Micah's younger son play basketball at ND as a walkon or scholarship player? I could potentially see JR wanting to play his last college season with his younger brother and that will not occur at ND.

Thomas Noie

1:23

John: Great question. One that has taken some thought. Here it goes - Ideally, in Year Four for Micah Shrewsberry, Notre Dame will have a veteran roster with a few Indiana natives who took a leap of faith and declined the overtures of Indiana and Purdue to play in South Bend. It's a team that is among the top three of the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring and defense and assists. It can attack opponents in different ways, with no set lineup of guards/forwards/etc. It moves the ball and runs endless actions that keeps defenses guessing. It can score 70+ and win. It can score in the 50s and win. It's among the top six teams in the ACC and does enough year in and year out to not have to sweat Selection Sunday. There might be a pro or two in the program, but for the most part, it's a team built the way teams used to be built - through recruiting and player development. It's a program where some wonder if the head coach, who has logged thousands of hours building this all back, might eye the NBA...how's that?

John Phoenix, AZ

1:19

If everything goes according to plan, what is your vision of what ND basketball under Coach S. looks like three years from now in year 4?

Thomas Noie

1:02

Jeff: Notre Dame has a return game at Georgetown this year to close out its two-year series with the Hoyas. The Marquette home-and-home ended last year (thankfully). The SEC Challenge game is expected to be on the road again, which, as of now, leaves Notre Dame without a "marquee" home non-league game. Haven't heard if there's anything in the works there - Notre Dame doesn't like to comment on anything before it's official. Other than Vegas, it will be the usual low to mid mid-major non-league games in November and December. Notre Dame again will play 20 Atlantic Coast Conference games.

Jeff from Newport News, VA

12:59

Hey Tom. Thanks again for doing these chats. No many other places to find information these days on Notre Dame basketball! Do you know any non-conference opponents for this year other than the Vegas tournament and SEC challenge?

Thomas Noie

12:41

Phil: Let's go with ... maybe. Does Sir Mohammed have to have an impact? Yep. Does Tae Davis need to improve? Double yep. But there also are so many other factors - can the Irish score it and shoot it and take care of it way better than they did last year? Can they continue to defend and rebound? There was some slippage there toward the end of last year. Can guys we don't see coming (Markus Burton last season) not be bothered by the bright lights of college basketball? Can Micah Shrewsberry be a better coach in Year Two? Can the Irish get lucky? Soooooo many factors factor into a program like Notre Dame getting a bid.

Phil from Mishawaka

12:38

ND sniffing the NCAAT next season (in a league with a lot of middling and mediocre teams) depends on the improvement of Davis and the impact of Mohammad, yes or no?

Thomas Noie

12:38

Ven-Allen Lubin is transferring to his third school in three years after one year at Vanderbilt. There were rumblings that he was looking at Mississippi State (not sure that's happening) and North Carolina (he visited Chapel Hill but apparently has not yet been offered). Lubin had a "DO NOT CONTACT" tag to his name when he entered the transfer portal, which usually means he knows where he's going. Might be time to return closer to his home in Florida. He gave Northern Indiana and Tennessee a shot. Third time will be somewhere he knows a little better.

The Jet from Evansville

12:36

Do you know where Van Allen-Luben is heading next year?

Thomas Noie

12:28

Port: Having PJ Hall and Ira Schiefflein and the Hunter brothers also helped. Girard was the perfect transfer for the perfect team at the perfect time. Sort of like Paul Atkinson. One guy, one year, maxed it out and nearly got to the Sweet 16 (still shoulda beat Texas Tech!)

PortND

12:27

Clemson football has refused to take transfers but hoops has used the portal very effectively, Girard was big get for them last year over ND.

Thomas Noie

12:27

Ray: Slim. Too big of a leap with too many unknowns with a roster of too many maybes...don't count 'em out, but don't hold your breath. Not next year.

Ray

12:26

Hi Tom. This is Ray from Southern California. Assuming ND has no significant injuries this upcoming season, what's the chances in a percentage that they make the dance?

Thomas Noie

12:26

Robert: Many thanks...but plenty of seats up front here ... it's Notre Dame men's basketball with a small but spirited core!

Robert from the Bend

12:25

Thanks for having these chats and keeping us fans more in touch with the program. Love your straight forward answers to the questions asked, no matter how repetitive they are. Shouting from the back row, "KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK MY MAN"

Thomas Noie

12:21

Phil: Great question. I'm rolling with Sir Mohammed, Braeden Shrewsberry, Matt Allocco, Tae Davis and ... Julian Roper. Let's ride.

Phil from Mishawaka

12:20

ND is in tie ball game next season to a team that does not have a dominant big man and Burton exits in the last 4 minutes with a foul out or injury, what 5 would you want to see on the floor with respect to talent and experience?

Thomas Noie

12:20

Bob: Nine different players averaged double figures for minutes last season. The preferred rotation size may be eight, but not the same eight. Guys would rotate in and out of the main core based on various criteria. Shrewsberry has never been someone with a set rotation of these X guys for X minutes. It's sometimes game by game - or half by half.

Bob from Chicago

12:18

Hi, and thanks for the chat. Do you know if Coach Shrewsberry has a preferred rotation size? For example, would he stick with an 8 player rotation even if he has more players that can contribute?

Thomas Noie

12:18

Robert: Steven Reynolds is finishing his sophomore year at South Bend Washington High School, and he's one to keep an eye on for Notre Dame. He's definitely on their short list for 2026, even though 2026 seems light years away.

Robert from the Bend

12:16

In terms of recruiting, does Steven Reynolds from nearby SB Washington have a possible chance of landing at Notre Dame?

Thomas Noie

11:58

Elliott: As far as I know, Tony Sanders never officially entered the transfer portal. He has one more year of eligibility remaining if he chooses to use it. He might just decide that it's time to start a new chapter and put that Notre Dame degree to use. No shame in that. It happens. Good dude who never found a spot. It happens.

Elliott from South Bend

11:57

What are Tony Sanders plans? Moving on from basketball? Didn’t get to see too much of him on the court, but he seemed like a great teammate.

Thomas Noie

11:57

Frank: Cannot agree more. The whole place/presentation needs a reboot/recharge. Except, of course, the media who cover the team...they're good.

Frank from Mishawaka

11:56

Piggybacking off Bill's question, Notre Dame needs to put the ummmph back into the Men's home games. Even after last year season ticket prices went UP in certain in some areas of the arena. Maybe they need to have an upper arena area priced to accommodate having noisy grade school kids to bring some life to the place.

Thomas Noie

11:56

John: There never was a sense as last season wound down that Notre Dame was in any danger of losing Markus Burton to another school based on NIL. As one person who knows put it, there's an NIL deal for Irish men's basketball, and then there's an NIL deal for Markus Burton. He's got a nice life (comfortable six figures) as a good college basketball player.

John S

11:54

How hard did ND have to fight off other suitors (and how much of its NIL budget did it have to deploy) to retain Markus Burton this offseason?

Thomas Noie

11:48

Frank: There's a reason why Micah Shrewsberry looks at programs like Marquette and Purdue and wonders, why can that be us?

Frank from Mishawaka

11:48

I personally like the rebuild through recruiting instead of the quick fix route of hitting the portal. Not that you can compare Notre Dame to Purdue, but Painter seems to recruit and develop his guys. Shrewsbury seems to be a tireless worker on the court, so I can imagine that he and his staff need to be like that off the court to get the right fit for Notre Dame.

Thomas Noie

11:47

IF: The one he seemingly embraces late in the year as a reserve who brings energy and hustle and the occasional basket. Roper is not a starter. He's not a heavy minutes guy. He can be an effective piece if used the right way for his defense and hustle. Let the others handle the heavy lifting. Stay in his role and he can contribute.

Illinois Fool

11:46

What role will Julian Roper II play next season

Thomas Noie

11:45

Bill: Honestly, one of the first orders of business new athletic director Pete Bevacqua needs to do is hit the men's basketball office with a defibrillator. CLEAR!!!! Bang. CLEAR!!! Bang. Everything about the program from a presentation standpoint has grown old and stale and doesn't move the meter at all. Go to an Irish home game and every timeout threatens to break the cringe-o-meter. No creativity. No advancing ahead. No nothing. The whole presentation needs a total teardown. Same goes for finding creative ways to sell the program outside the campus bubble. Micah Shrewsberry has often said that he's not afraid to go play anyone or anywhere. That's license for the administration to take the idea and run with it. Instead, crickets. Where's the life over there? Hello? Anyone alive? Defibrillator, please.

Bill from South Bend

11:40

Tom: College basketball as a whole seems to be doing a lot more exciting things. Games in special places (ND women in Paris last year comes to mind) and some rather exciting noncon matchups. ND does this type of stuff well with football of course, but it seems athletics doesn't have much imagination when it comes to men's basketball. Sure, they are sending the guys to this new Vegas tournament, but that's an NIL play and it seems like it fell in ND's lap (not something athletics went far out of the way to make happen). You'd think ND would do something special like find a way to play two games (men's and women's) in the United Center in Chicago one Saturday in November and make a splash with alumni and the media. Where is the extra ummmph?

Thomas Noie

11:40

Bill: It's more of a Notre Dame question than a Shrewsberry question. No more going and getting the top Ivy League graduate transfer. That's over. It's clear by what Notre Dame did (or didn't do) in the portal this spring that Shrewsberry has been encouraged to build through traditional recruiting. Look at the answer to the previous question...think it says a lot of where Notre Dame stands in the transfer world. It's grad transfers or bust.

Bill from South Bend

11:38

Tom, ND has done well recruiting these 5th year guys during the COVID era with their extra year of eligibility. It has mostly been a great thing for the Irish. We get mature guys and the admissions process is easier, as they are applying as new grad students (usually B school) instead of traditional undergrads from HS - or worse - as undergrad transfers. This, of course, is the last year ND can take advantage of the COVID bonus year thing. What tools can Shrews use to still recruit similar players after this year?

Thomas Noie

11:38

John: Similar to Clemson? Huh? Clemson categorically refuses to use the portal. Schools like Notre Dame can use it, but only within the guidelines of the institution. I don't know if I'd automatically assume that Notre Dame has an NIL issue as much as it has an admissions issues. It doesn't always come down to money, even though money today is what drives nearly everything in college decisions (how weird is that to say/write/think?). Look at Notre Dame men's basketball as a whole since immediate eligibility became an option. Where do Notre Dame transfers who are not graduate transfers come from? Northwestern (Julian Roper), Seton hall (Tae Davis) and Penn State (Kebba Njie). That's not an accident. It's also not an accident that the only transfers in this cycle are graduate transfers from lesser leagues. Notre Dame has enough NIL to compete, but Notre Dame also is desperately holding to the notion that it's not going to throw its doors open to anyone for basketball.

John S

11:33

I'm struggling to reconcile the notion that "ND has enough NIL to be competitive in basketball" with what played out in the transfer market this offseason. Notre Dame doesn't need to "build through the portal" but it needs to be able to plug holes when guys leave through the portal (which will happen every year). They whiffed in that regard this offseason after Booth left and I worry this approach will leave ND with uneven roster construction moving forward when guys leave and ND is unable/unwilling to go after plug-and-play replacements. It's similar to Clemson's approach in football which has them falling farther and farther behind.

Thomas Noie

11:33

...Micah Shrewsberry has been here exactly 14 months to the day (hiring was March 22, 2023), but there's still so much we don't know about him or his program. I'll keep the NCAA target at four years from time of hiring.

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