JotCast | Notre Dame men's basketball season wrap chat

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Thomas Noie

10:19

Nick: That's for the question, my man...but it's the most popular one of the day. See above, or below depending on how these answers roll out, for more.

Nick from Goshen, formerly South Bend

10:19

If you had to take a stab at what next years roster looks like what would ya say? Thanks & Go Irish.

Thomas Noie

10:19

Anthony: Not everyone is coming back. They just aren't. For myriad reasons. I mentioned earlier what players I believe are staying/going/deciding. As for Blake Wesley, he's going to face a pretty massive decision. Whispers have been for weeks that he's going to leave school for the NBA, but I don't put too much stock in that - for now. There's a LOT of work to be done on that end. A lot that the family and the player just don't know yet about the NBA. He may WANT to go, but all you have to do is hold up Jaden Ivey as a reason to return to school. I wrote in January that Blake Wesley has the skill and talent to go to the NBA right now. But another year in college will give him the tools to STAY in the NBA beyond his first contract. That eventually will be a deciding factor. I believe he puts his name into the draft, goes through an extensive pre-draft process and learns that as good as he is now, he'll be even better with another year. Even then, that's no guarantee that he's back.

Anthony

10:15

Hi Tom, which Notre dame players ( with a year of eligibility) do you think will be returning ? I hope all of them, it was a terrific season. Do you think Wesley will return as well?

Thomas Noie

10:15

Mike: Mike Brey and his staff are ALWAYS looking at the transfer portal for help. Three years ago, Cormac Ryan was in the transfer portal for all of about 10 minutes before Brey called him up. So they monitor that hour to hour and sometimes minute to minute. You just have to - it's college basketball's version of free agency, and it can help you get old and stay old, but also get good and stay good. So it's always going to be an option. Sometimes, it's a better option than going the traditional high school recruit route.

Mike

10:12

Have you heard if Brey is looking at any players in the transfer portal yet? We could use a big that can rebound and protect the rim. Sort of

Thomas Noie

10:12

Tony: Mentioned this a little earlier, but I think Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski, Robby Carmody and Trey Wertz will decide to move on, either to other schools (Carmody, Wertz) or other career paths (Hubb, Laszewski). Cormac Ryan admitted during the post-Pittsburgh presser that he'd like another Senior Day opportunity at Notre Dame. Dane Goodwin is a tough one to figure. He had a really good year, and may decide to ride that into playing professionally somewhere next season. Or he may choose to return and earn a Master's. You get a different kind of kid at Notre Dame. It's not always about basketball.

Tony

10:09

Tom, who do you think will come back out of the senior class? Also, do you see Tony, Matt, or Elijah transferring?

Thomas Noie

10:09

It's more of a collective decision. Not necessarily a head coach sitting behind his desk in his corner office and saying to a player, you're back, or you're done. Same with the player saying I want to return or I want to go. Mike Brey will sit down with each of the players who can return - and really, the entire roster - and discuss the roles he sees for each in 2022-23. Some will have bigger roles. Some may not. Based on that, it's usually then up to the player to decide that yeah, that sounds good, or you know what, I may want to look elsewhere. So it's a collective decision between player and coach. Some decisions are easy. Some aren't.

Guest

10:07

Will Brey decide who. Returns or will he let each player make a decision ?

Thomas Noie

10:07

Tom: Thanks for the kind words. The last game of the season always is tricky in terms of a column because you want/need to address certain aspects of the game, but there's also the end of it all, and you have to hit on that as well. Mike Brey touched on the Blake Wesley decision in the post-game press conference. There was little chance Notre Dame could run any semblance of offense against Texas Tech. It couldn't feed Atkinson in the post, so it was down to Wesley creating. Get to the rim and finish (which was a huge issue) or kicking out for a quick open look. It's worked at times this season (see Kentucky). It didn't work against Texas Tech. Blake Wesley delivered countless times this season. He didn't against Texas Tech. That happens.

Tom from Dowagiac

10:04

Hi Tom: I must say I couldn't have written the piece you did right after Sunday's game. You were a lot more sanguine than I was that night. Normally during the season some player or two has a good game--you just never knew who it would be from night to night. Unfortunately on Sunday no one had a good game. Each had a good play or two but that was it. So it was a team loss and I'm not blaming any one player. That said, I do wonder about the strategy in the last one-to-two minutes. Do you know from talking to Brey if he told Wesley to take over or did Wesley take it upon himself to try and force the action?

Thomas Noie

10:04

Linas: Texas Tech does travel well. That said, Notre Dame's fan section was better than some home games at Purcell Pavilion. But I digress. There is no "timetable" for players declare. And they really don't have to "announce" anything. There's been no movement either way on the current/former Ivy League players getting their COVID years back, which isn't great news for Paul Atkinson, Jr. It's almost as if the NCAA would rather this just all go away than address it, which means, extreme longshot of Atkinson returning for 2022-23.

Linas from Aliso Viejo, CA

10:01

Hey Tom, Loved your columns this season. I was at Viejas Arena for the game and was surprised at how many Texas Tech fans were on hand. I assume it was a big 12 thing since two of the teams involved last Sunday were from the Big 12. So my question: Is there a deadline for "seniors" and grad students to declare for an extra year? I assume we'll be getting announcements from Notre Dame's seniors throughout the spring. Any news about the extra year of eligibility for Paul Atkinson and other Ivy Leaguers? Thanks!

Thomas Noie

10:01

Matt: I know I've got some spare time now that hoops season ended, but the current transfer portal as of 9:59 a.m. has 727 players in it. It's dizzying, and will probably grow to twice its size before everything settles down.

Matt

9:59

Any key transfers that catch your eye?

Thomas Noie

9:59

Danny: Yes, the entire senior class (six graduating seniors) have the possibility of returning. Not everyone will. Who's coming back? If I had to guess, since most of the guys were asked about it at one point or another this season, and all but Cormac Ryan deflected any definitive decision, I'd say it shakes out this way - BACK (Cormac Ryan). NOT BACK ( Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski, Robby Carmody, Trey Wertz). MAYBE BACK (Dane Goodwin). Goodwin indicated that he would be open to a fifth year, but that was waaaaaaaaaay before he had the type of year he had. Maybe he decides this was as good as it will get for him and its best he goes and makes some money somewhere.

Danny

9:55

Does the whole senior class get an extra year of eligibility because of the covid year? If so, who is going to come back? I would imagine the whole roster potentially especially if Atkinson can get cleared.

Thomas Noie

9:55

Paul: That's near the top of the priority list. Notre Dame certainly has plenty to sell for grad transfer or even a traditional transfer big man with experience. Like, look at what one year in the Atlantic Coast Conference did for Paul Atkinson. Come to Notre Dame and you can be a plug and play and major minute guy. Notre Dame has to proceed with the notion that the NCAA will not green light an additional year for those Ivy League athletes.

Paul R from Clifton Park

9:53

If atkinson does not return, how big of a priority for Brey is it to find another transfer big with a polished low post game? Nate is a good big but does not really fill that Cooley/Mooney/Atkinson role for the Irish that really seemed to help the team take the next step this year

Thomas Noie

9:53

Joe: Sure, but Mick Cronin and Mike Brey share the same agent, so that's really not a scoop. Sorry, my man. Think the stat I used was that 12 of Notre Dame's 15 league wins came against the bottom seven of the league. All 12 of their repeat games came against the bottom of the league. Still, luck or whatever, 15 league wins is 15 league wins and not deserving of an 11 seed.

joe from the south side

9:50

Tom, A few years ago, I asked you about the friendship between Brey and Cronin. I said I found it odd since Cronin worked for Huggins. Next thing you know, you write an article about it. On the last chat, I said that ND was lucky to be 15-5. You said no, that this team has turned the corner. It wasn't luck. I said it was luck because they had 10 league games against the bottom 1/3 of the ACC. Again, this stat shows up in your next column. I think I deserve a little shout out LOL

Thomas Noie

9:50

Joe: Absolutely there's a chance, especially given that Trey Wertz was the seventh man in a seven-man rotation and may have been the eighth man had Elijah Taylor not been bounced academically. He shows flashes of being a key guy, but also shows flashes of being a guy that is just kind of there. He wants more of a role and more minutes, but that's a hard sell right now given what the guard rotation might look like next season. He had said way back when he arrived from Santa Clara that he wanted that extra year to chase a Master's degree, but priorities sometimes change.

joe from the south side

9:48

Tom, Any chance Wertz transfers? JJS makes one G. Let's assume CMAC and Goodwin are telling the truth and they both return. That is 3. What if Wesley stays? Or even Hubb? Would Wertz settle for being the 5th G? I could see him transferring to the SEC or ACC to get closer to home and playing for a 2nd tier school just to get playing time.

Thomas Noie

9:48

Joe: It's still too early beyond the names you mentioned. That may sound strange, but this program first has to figure out what next year's roster will look like before zeroing in on its short list. IF Blake Wesley returns - and that's still a massive IF - it's hard to imagine it's for more than just one year. Starling has the skills/talent to also be a one-and-done but let's see how everything translates to the college game. Recruiting may focus more on the transfer portal in the coming years than a wish list that runs a half-dozen deep.

joe from the south side

9:45

Tom, Anything you can share with us about 2023 recruiting? Any news on Holloway or Booker? I note that they are also recruiting Rice from Dayton and Ames from Chicago. Counting Holloway, that makes 3 PGs. Is it safe to assume that Wesley and JJS are both gone after 2023? If Wesley returns that is?

Thomas Noie

9:45

Matt: Good question. You hope it would be after what the Irish did over the last week. Notre Dame now has to build on that, which is a tricky proposition. How do you build on setting the program record for wins/finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference? You do have to stay old, and the transfer portal will allow for that if that's the route they have to go. National perception? Still a tired narrative of Mike Brey being the loosest coach in America. That's an easy storyline for the national media who parachute in only at this time of year, but the collective growth of this group, the recruiting, the determination to make it back to the NCAA tournament, the face that it went 15-5 in the ACC, that gets lost in the wow, Brey's such a great guy slant. Brey may be a good dude, but this program became so much more than that this season. Would like to see THAT narrative pushed as much as Texas Tech really defends. Watching Texas Tech up close, they were good, but not THAT good.

Matt from MA

9:41

Tom thanks for all your coverage what a ride. Two questions; first, with this little mini run and hanging with TT who is a great team in a rugged Big12, is the juice back in this program now? Brey talks about staying old. If everyone returns they are old, but if not it feels like all that is gone. Second, what is the national perception of ND hoops right now? was it shocking for people to see ND knock off rutgers, bama and hang with Tech? It seemed like it nationally, so curious to hear your thoughts. All the best Tommy!

Thomas Noie

9:41

Joe: No coach will ever completely close the door to options. It's always good to have options. Mike Brey was intrigued with Maryland, but it doesn't seem that Maryland was all that intrigued with Mike Brey. He was the ultimate fall-back guy. Brey was on Maryland's short list, but Kevin Willard was basically the guy ever since Mark Turgeon walked away early in the season. Every single coach in every single sport believes he/she has that one more career move left. Mike Brey's no different. Jack Swarbrick knows that.

joe from the south side

9:39

Tom, Did Brey really have an interest in Maryland? Or was he using that to extract an extension from Jack Swarbrick? The way those two hug at the end of the game you would think they are joined at the hip.

Thomas Noie

9:39

Garrett: Good question. J.R. Konieczny rotates into the rotation in some capacity next season at the least. Say, maybe seventh man. If he can play as well as he can dunk in pregame warmups, he'll be a keeper. This is a big spring/summer for him to earn the trust of the coaching staff. Take care of the ball, make shots, defend, fit in with whoever returns. The odds of Paul Atkinson, Jr., being granted that additional COVID year are long. Slim, at best. So say he doesn't return. Who steps in? Maybe Matt Zona. Maybe Elijah Taylor. Maybe Ven-Allen Lubin. More likely, it's time to find a grad transfer/old guy much like the Irish had in Atkinson. That's the beauty of the transfer portal - you can stay old fast. All options will be on the table.

Garrett

9:36

Hey Tom, I appreciate all the work! What does JR’s role look like next year? Also if Paul doesn’t return who could we see at the 5?

Guest

9:36

Hey Tom, appreciate all your work! What does JR’s role look like next year? Also if Paul doesn’t return who could we see at the 5?

Thomas Noie

9:36

Joe: High point? Just mentioned it. That week-long NCAA Tournament run where, uh-oh, Notre Dame might not get in, then it has to go to the First Four, then beats Rutgers in a Final Four like atmosphere and everything that followed 2,200 miles away in San Diego. Everything happens so fast that you don't always have time to soak it all in - but after four years of no NCAA Tournament, I soaked it in. Low point? That home game against Duke. That's the one game Notre Dame really, really wanted back. Thought that rematch would've been tonight in San Francisco. Won't say Notre Dame was going to beat Duke, but the possibility of Mike Brey sending Mike K into retirement. Whoa. That would've been epic. Like, 2015 Kentucky epic.

joe from the south side

9:33

Tom, Looking back on the season, what is the high point and low point, in your opinion?

Thomas Noie

9:33

The one memory from this season will be the last week. From barely getting into the NCAA tournament to having to survive double overtime to the scramble to get to San Diego. The win over Alabama and then the near-miss against Texas Tech. This team played with a swagger that we hadn't seen since 2015. Like, they weren't losing. They were going to find a way to beat Rutgers, then drop the hammer on Alabama. Then stare down the big, bad Big 12 and Texas Tech, which really wasn't THAT big or bad. It's so fun to just kind of ride that wave and see where it goes. It went a lot further than anyone imagined.

9:30

Mark: Good to hear from you - and first in the queue as usual. That question wasn't asked in the post-game. When a season ends, however it ends, the post-game stuff is more about big-picture/next season that the details of the final minute. Everything's a blue - to the coach, to the players, heck, even to the media because one minute you're planning to travel to San Francisco, and the next, you're going home. Those final 30 seconds, kind of a moot point. Ryan has to make his free throw. Nate Laszewski has to grab that defensive rebound. When that doesn't happen, it gets away in the way it did.

Mark Kruz from Mishawaka

9:28

Tom thanks for the final chat this season. Not here to complain about the officiating which is part of the game. The one question I have is did anyone in the post game press conference ask coach Brey when Tech had the ball and up 3 with 46 seconds left why did Goodwin commit a foul with around 30 seconds left? I understand the theory of extending the game but I thought there was plenty of time to get a stop especially when they didn't hit a field goal down the stretch. I thought momentum turned when ND was up 3 late and Cormac misses the front end of a 1 and 1. Makes both that might have changed the mindset of Tech coming down and trying to score. Also what one memory will stick with you about this past season? Have a good summer

Thomas Noie

9:27

Who was the Notre Dame men's basketball MVP this season?

Dane Goodwin (22.1% | 17 votes)

Blake Wesley (27.3% | 21 votes)

Cormac Ryan (9.1% | 7 votes)

Paul Atkinson, Jr. (39% | 30 votes)

Prentiss Hubb (2.6% | 2 votes)

Total Votes: 77

9:20

Here we are one more time, albeit perhaps a week too early. NDI should be in San Francisco today preparing for an epic Sweet 16 game against Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke. Texas Tech had other ideas and sent Notre Dame home a little early with a second-round loss that the Irish let get away rather than the Red Raiders grabbing it. But we digress. We're here for a wrap-up chat of a season that was wildly enjoyable. To join today's chat, be sure to include your name and hometown with any question or comment. And with that, off we go. Let's light this chat candle...

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