JotCast | Notre Dame Men's Basketball May chat

Notre Dame Men's Basketball May chat

Thomas Noie

1:58

Earlier deadlines means it's time to call it a hoops day. Solid effort all around for late May. Don't know when our next one will be - hopefully June or July but can't say for sure. Stay tuned at ndinsider.com for further news. Take care and have a great rest of the week! Stay healthy!

1:57

Joe: Great stuff, only nit - think four guys is too big. Brey learned his lesson from this year's senior class. And might not have four spots if everyone wants to come back. Fat chance, sure, but how can you know for certain? Wild times in college hoops.

joe from the south side

1:55

Tom: These guys are NO CHANCE...Jaden Bradley, Jerace Walker, Isaac Traudt, Prince Aligbe, K. Filipowski, Jaden Schutt. Some chance but not much....D. Clingan, JJ Starling, Braeden Moore. Best chances.....Rodney Rice, Cam Whitmore, A. Karaban......Couple of notes. Just a hunch but I think Clingan is SYR/UCONN. I cannot get any feel on JJ. Playing really close to the vest. Moore is possible though brand new. Stock should go up. Rice would be a great snag and the family is close to the ND staff. Fingers crossed. Of course, Whitmore is a legacy recruit. Karaban has been under the radar. Typical Brey wing. Needs to bulk up. Probably a 5 year guy. I thihnk Brey i looking at 3 or 4 guys for the next class.

Thomas Noie

1:48

Jim: Prentiss Hubb until somebody proves otherwise.

JIM C

1:48

Who will be our leading scorer, this coming season? Who do you think. I think could be Atkinson.

Thomas Noie

1:48

NDInsider has learned....go for it....lol

joe from the south side

1:47

Tom: (note to you) I can do a quick update on recruiting if you need it. Your call.

Thomas Noie

1:47

Joe: I think it will help the casual fan be a little more interested. The veteran fans? Meh, they'll still whine and complain and wonder why Notre Dame basketball 2021 isn't Notre Dame basketball 1978. I kid, I kid.

joe from the south side

1:46

Tom: I am too far removed from the situation, but do you feel that Wesley and JR, being local boys, would help attendance or, meh, if ND is same old, same old, why bother going?

Thomas Noie

1:38

Joe: I'd be shocked - shocked, I tell you - if capacity for basketball is anything less than 100 percent at some point during the season. Really from the start. Let's see where the science takes us from now until November, but everything seems headed in the direction of normalcy. Sooner rather than later.

joe from the south side

1:36

Tom: What with gains against the pandemic, states and the CDC have started to relax social distancing requirements at indoor events and are allowing increased attendance. Have the ND students and fans been made aware of this, or will Purcell look like the restrictions are still in effect throughout the BBL season?

Thomas Noie

1:33

Quick update going back to question about former Notre Dame standouts in the TBT this summer - a Notre Dame alumni team still in the works and a "definite maybe" for this year. The guys want to make sure that everything is in place for them to make a run at the title. Don't want to go halfway. The old In It to Win It philosophy. Stay tuned.

1:27

Erik: Yep, Kevin Austin broke the same bone in his foot as Colson did. I remember when Tyler James reported on Austin's injury, I mentioned that it was the same injury as Colson, who said doctors told him there was an 80 percent chance the bone would break a second time and to expect that with Austin. Then Austin broke it a second time. Colson hasn't had any additional injury issues outside of soreness during his time as a pro.

Erik (Granger, IN)

1:26

You mentioned that the law of injury-bug percentages has to even out at some point, but is there any chance the strength/conditioning of the team has contributed to those injuries? Also, Bonzie had the same injury Kevin Austin had last year, right? Has Bonzie had any lingering effects that hampered him in the year(s) after the second break? I'm wondering about Austin's chances to be 100% this year for the football team.

Thomas Noie

1:22

We're going five-plus hours today....got my eight-mile run in at 6 a.m. Plenty left in the tank. How many of you can say the same? Leggggooooo!

Erik (Granger, IN)

1:21

Thanks for answering all our questions! Love your dedication to these marathon chats. Good luck with the transitions this summer!

Thomas Noie

1:21

Jim: Whew, where do I start and not turn this into a 3,000 word analysis? So many factors - injuries to key guys (Colson, Farrell), inconsistency in recruiting, roster management, a freshman class that hasn't progressed as expected, a staff that went stale at the wrong time and a head coach who believed he could pull everyone along and recreate 2015-16 again. This is Brey's program so yeah, he accepts a big chunk of the backslide. Trust me, he's not in his office at Rolfs wondering, hey, how did all this happen? Why did it happen? How can they be better? It drives him to get this turned around. What could've been done differently? I go back to the 3-15 ACC season. That offseason should've gone a different direction. Cull the transfer portal. Bring in a graduate transfer. Something to change the tenor of the locker room. Notre Dame did nothing. It was like the status quo was OK. Main guys who shouldn't have stayed in main guy roles stayed in main guy roles. That carried over to the next season. Still does now.

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

1:16

Good morning Tom. Kind of a nice distraction to have an Irish hoop chat at this time of year. Thanks. In your opinion, what have been the key factors and or deficiencies that have led to ND's funk and inability to make the NCAA tourney in recent years? Also, I have always admired Brey for his class and past achievements but how much of this failure must be laid directly at his doorstep? And what could he have done differently to have prevented such a disappointing drop off?

Thomas Noie

1:16

Erik: Thought about that. This team was better when they were poor, like look at this ratty practice gym we have. They have everything they want at Rolfs, which depending on the group dynamic, can have a negative effect. The building's state of the art and needed, but sometimes good to go back to your roots. Be poor. Play with something to prove.

Erik (Granger, IN)

1:15

Do you know a good witch doctor who can de-jinx Rolfs Hall? All kidding aside, do you think there's any merit to the idea that practicing in that facility has somehow led to the poor shooting percentages we've seen the last couple of years? Sight lines, backgrounds, anything like that? Or has getting out of the sweaty dungeo-- I mean Pit made the team soft or lost their "all in this together" mentality?

Thomas Noie

1:10

Clint: Chris never gave it a chance. He twice left school (once without telling the staff) because he was homesick. They tried to work through it with him but at some point, a change needs to be made. One was.

Clint from Winnipeg

1:09

You mentioned Chris Doherty earlier. What happened with him? Did he just get to ND and figure out that he wasn't good enough to play ACC basketball? It felt like he never really gave it a chance.

Thomas Noie

1:07

String together more of those games like he had at Cameron Indoor Stadium together. He and Dane Goodwin had sooooooooo many open looks that just have to be made for shooters at that level. That has to change.

Guest

1:06

Hi Tom, what should the expectations be for cormac Ryan heading in to this season? We definitely saw flashes of what he could be...

Thomas Noie

1:06

Bill: You're still dealing with a team that would dominate the building - trading Indiana in Indianapolis for Illinois in Chicago. I'd rather add another home and home than those MTE dates.

Bill - Madison

1:05

As a fan, the Crossroads is great, but I get it wore out his welcome. How about something similar, but in Chicago with ND, Illinois, Marquette, Iowa State? Just grasping out of thin air, but ND would get way more support in a Chicago centric event than Indy

Thomas Noie

1:05

Still a pass. A hard one. Sorry he's your guy, but still, nope.

joe from the south side

1:05

Tom: And your options are....................? Are coaches ringing the phone off the hook looking to fill the ND job when it opens? I don't think so. Current assistants? No chance. Number of NCAA Tourney wins Mike Brey had at Delaware..........0. Number of NCAA Tourney wins Shaka had at Texas............0. And let's not get into how much talent the state of Texas produces every year. All I am saying is kick the tires. Try to be one step ahead of the competition.

Thomas Noie

1:04

Justin: That second half of the Syracuse game was an outlier. Guys know how to break a press. They just wouldn't do it. Went to the worst spots on the floor, had guys inbounding the ball that shouldn't inbound. Did everything they could to lose the game. Then they lost it.

Justin Ft Wayne

1:03

Hey Tom! Do you see Notre Dame really emphasizing how to break a press this off-season and during camp? For example that Syracuse second half was miserable to watch when we couldn’t even get the ball past half court. Hope they finally can break a press next year.

Thomas Noie

1:03

mark: Good stuff. That ball movement issue goes back to guys not really being connected. You take it, no you take it, no let Hubb take the bailout 30-footer with two seconds on the clock. Goes back to Brey not being able to really figure out how to reach these guys where it flows on offense. We saw it the first half of the Kentucky game and then rarely saw it the rest of the year. Why? Gotta answer that one to move forward.

Mark Kruz from Mishawaka

1:02

Tom I've noticed in today's chat part of the discussion is about coach Solomon and the defense but what about the ball movement on offense? It seems last season there was too many late shots taken with less than 5 seconds left on the clock. To create this ball movement there has to be a flow of movement of players without the ball and last year seemed like there was a lot of standing around on offense. With Atkinson at center will there be some inside-outside movement to where he'll hit the open perimeter shooter or is he strictly go up and power my way to the bucket? Maybe with him they might run some hi-low? On the lighter side when they were short bodies for practice has Fr Pete ever had to put on a practice jersey?

Thomas Noie

1:01

Looks that way....maybe there's a transfer portal type of hire lurking, but don't hold your breath.

Guest

1:01

Tom, is the staff pretty much set. I guess bringing just Slo back was our big hit! I just think the staff could of been upgraded more.

Thomas Noie

1:01

Wade: That's a lot to unpack.....A LOT. First, Notre Dame took care of the melodramatic part late in the year when they lost five of seven, which included consecutive losses when it blew a 20-point lead at Syracuse, was a no-show at Louisville, lost at lowly Boston College in a game it never led, then had the "Fire Brey" chants from its own students after another dog effort against North Carolina State. Go back to that postgame when I asked Brey about the chant. Watch him. Listen to his answer. To me, it seemed he was politicking to save his job. Now, though, it seems Brey and Swarbrick and even Father Jenkins are a triple-play package deal - all going through 2024-25 together. And you lost completely lost me with Buzz Williams. One of the reasons Buzz Williams bailed on Marquette was the lack of admissions breaks to borderline kids he couldn't get. Imagine his reaction when he learned of how Notre Dame academics/admissions operates. Yeah, no on Buzz.

Wadelite Long Beach, CA

12:57

Tom, you were considerably melodramatic and seemed sure that Brey would soon be exiting the program after the NC State game last season. Do you think if he had less years on his contract he would have been? It's quite clear Swarbrick is not going to pay millions for someone not to coach. Did Brey convey a sense he wanted a buy out offer that never came. Is Solomon the start of Brey 2.0 ala Brian Kelly 2.0? In fairness that had worked out quite well. Is there any potential head coach hire that could bring enthusiasm to this program? The only realistic name I can come up with currently is Buzz Williams.

Thomas Noie

12:55

Preach my man!

joe from the south side

12:55

Tom: I do not expect much out of Taylor, nor should anyone else. First, he missed last year because of his ankle. I would guess that hampered his physical development both from a growth and a familiarity with his teammates standpoint. Next, Atkinson will be a pleasant surprise......if he is in BBL shape. He is an athletic big with a nice post game and a decent short range shot. I could see 14 and 7 on average, and 30 minutes a game. Nate will be the second big, and Big Zone likely #3. Remember, Brey singled out Zona last year as a nice surprise. If he spent some time in the weight room, he could function for 10 minutes or so in a game. Finally, Brey showed he was willing to play 5 guards at times, particularly if the OFF was stagnant. That said, Hubb, Dane, Ryan, Wertz and maybe Wesley or JR at times. All in all, Taylor reminds me more of E. Burns, so I would temper that enthusiasm.

Thomas Noie

12:55

Ron: Sure, if Notre Dame had an administration to green light giving the program every resource possible (which also includes bending a few admission standards) to be a national power. Happened at Duke. Happening at Gonzaga. Not happening at Notre Dame. Those two schools wanted to be good in college basketball and figured out ways to do it. Notre Dame wants to be good, desires to be good, but at zero cost to the way it does business. Big difference. Yeah, Notre Dame's not Duke and not Gonzaga. Never will be. Never.

Ron, Tennessee

12:53

Why is Gonzaga so good? What do they do, have that ND doesn't? It would seem to me that if Gonzaga can compete year in and year out, there is no reason for ND not to do the same.

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