JotCast | Notre Dame men's hoops chat - May

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Mike from PA

11:56

Tom, any additional insight on why Blake Wesley asked you to take down the article you wrote about him entering the draft? The infamous "Can you take this down bruh" article. Also, why was his statement different than what Brey said a day earlier, that he was leaving his options open? It seems like they weren't on the same page. If his projections slip to round 2, is the option to come back still on the table, even if unlikely?

Thomas Noie

11:56

Mike: A-10 ONLY when the Dayton Flyers are involved. Otherwise, I've got my hands and my eyes full with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Osunniyi situation is still developing in terms of Notre Dame. All the focus was on getting Grant Basile. Now let's see where the Irish go from here.

Mike from Fort Worth

11:54

Tom I know you're an A-10 guy! UD had a season at least worth tuning into late, so I would think you would have some awareness of the senior-laden crew that St. Bonnies had this year... thoughts on the big man Osun Osunniyi? Super range-y big that is an awesome defensive presence, but not the offensive presence that Atkinson was. I have heard there's some interest... any Irish intel on Osunniyi? He's one of a few surprise transfers looking for one last college year away from upstate NY...

Thomas Noie

11:54

Word is Grant Basile looked at the Notre Dame roster and was skeptical. He saw more immediate playing time at Virginia Tech, so he picked Blacksburg.

joe from the south side

11:53

Tom, Let me add something to Basile. My question was written on WED, before he declared. I said no chance to VTECH. Here's why. Mutts and Alume declared for the draft, but left their college eligibility open. They have as much chance of getting drafted by the NBA as Nate L. In addition, both will be 24 years old next year. I don't know who told Basile that the situation was "too crowded" at ND, but if Mutts and Alume both return, Basile's butt is going to be full of splinters.

Thomas Noie

11:52

Bret: The chances of Blake Wesley returning to Notre Dame are way closer to zero to less than zero than anything the other direction. Every indication when Blake announced his plan was that this was an all-in situation, even if he's advised (and he likely will be) by NBA personnel to return to school. It would be beyond stunning if he were back at Notre Dame. He thought of himself as a one-and-done guy from the start. One and done it will be.

bret

11:50

Hi Tom this is Bret from Orange County. Is Blake Wesley 100% done with Notre Dame? Obviously he's not ready for the NBA and if he does not perform well this month and advised to return to Notre Dame would he? In your opinion what's the chances in percentages that he will be playing for Notre Dame next season.

Thomas Noie

11:48

Dan: Don't know. Stats-wise, he seems really good, but again, how does his game translate to playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. It's an adjustment, but it's one he wants to experience. It will be interesting to see how his game fits, at Notre Dame and in that league.

Dan

11:45

How good is Hammond?

Thomas Noie

11:45

Bret: Good to hear from you. Notre Dame still mining the transfer portal for the right kind of big man. With emphasis on right. There has to be a fit, more so at Notre Dame than anywhere else. As for Trey Wertz, since he wasn't in the portal as of the May 1 deadline, he's 99.9999999 percent back. He just didn't make a big production of it. Like Cormac Ryan, who's not a big social media guy. It's kind of like, yeah, I'm back, so let's go. If Wertz leaves now, he'd have to sit out a year. And getting a Master's was big for him.

Guest

11:43

Good morning Tom. This is Bret from Orange County, CA. In your opinion will Brey sign a good big man from the portal? Basile deciding to play for Virginia Tech could be a big blow to our season if Brey does not sign someone. Also what's the latest news regarding Wertz? I'm assuming he will be back but nothing has been announced. Do you think Wertz will be back?

Thomas Noie

11:43

Willie: Notre Dame's non-league schedule will include Saint Bonaventure, Marquette and Bowling Green for sure, with an opponent to be determined in the annual ACC/Big Ten challenge (likely a home game for Notre Dame). Other non-league home games will trickle out between now and mid-September. Marquee opponents? Probably on the slim side this season.

Willie from Mishawaka

11:41

Besides playing Saint Bonaventure, do you any other insight on non conference opponents?

Thomas Noie

11:41

Robert: The next few years (hopefully at the most) will be ridiculous in terms of NIL. You'll get stories like Isaiah Wong wanting more cash, but eventually, everyone will take a step back and say, wait, we payed X amount of dollars to this basketball player or that basketball player and never got to a Sweet 16 or even made an NCAA tournament. is Isaiah Wong taking Miami to a Final Four? Probably not. You can pay anybody to play for program X, Y or Z, but they have to be the right kind of guy. That will eventually sort itself out. Until then, buckle up. It's Thunderdome.

Robert from Mishawaka

11:38

Speaking of NIL. At first I thought letting a scholar athlete make a few bucks playing in a band, etc was a good thing. But now after seeing the U of Miami(Wong) story, it needs to be revised. It is nothing but a recruiting tool at most schools.

Thomas Noie

11:38

Hammond and J.J. Starling spelling Hubb and Wesley next season brings a different kind of dimension. It's intriguing to see. That hole you speak of? Not as big as you might fear. They should be fine.

11:37

Mike: Good stuff, but Prentiss Hubb was more about leadership (and tutoring Blake Wesley) than he was about getting to the rim and finishing. Same for Wesley. He could GET there, but he had a heck of a time trying to finish if it wasn't a dunk, and he only had a handful of those last season. Wesley struggled to finish at the rim and finish in traffic. It also didn't help that he struggled to shoot free throws (.657 percent). Wesley got the foul line 143 times last season - Marcus Hammond got there 130. He also shot .831 percent.

Mike,New Jersey

11:33

Hi Tom, I love the addition of Hammond and hopefully we can pull an established big from the portal as well. My one concern would be is the make up of this roster going to be lacking of guys who can actually get into the paint and create their own shot for themselves and others? The loss of Hubb and most likely Wesley leaves a huge hole to fill for this skill set.

Thomas Noie

11:33

...As for Notre Dame landing Saint Bonaventure big man Osun Osunniyi, stay tuned. Grant Basile was option No. 1. Notre Dame exploring its other options now that Basile chose Virginia Tech. If you're a transfer big man in the portal who has experience, you'd think Notre Dame would be a viable option. Doesn't always work that way, though.

11:31

Delete that bruh...Yeah, that was pretty amusing when Blake Wesley clapped back on Twitter after my story (which quoted Mike Brey on a Chicago radio station) about Wesley going the NBA route. That's just a case of a kid being a kid and not really understanding how everything works. I mentioned it to Blake in a direct message - when the head coach of the basketball program you cover goes on a Chicago radio station and mentions a player's plans, you have to report that. Sorry if it messed up with Blake's announcement plan. Honestly, I think Blake just saw my tweet about his NBA plans and never clicked on the actual link, which was a story quoting the head coach. Was doing my job, It did make for a funny couple of days - every time I'd see a media member, they'd quote Wesley...

California Mike

11:26

hi Tom.. couple of questions: 1) what were your thoughts on when Blake told you to take your post down on him testing NBA.. 2) please tell me we’re talking to Osun Osunniyi.. he would be an upgrade from Basile IMO

Thomas Noie

11:20

Robert: There's always interest and Notre Dame is always mining the portal for potential fits, but they have to be exactly that - fits. It's not as easy as it sounds. Oh, Notre Dame needs a big man. Just jump in the portal and grab a big or two or three. Remember, not only do prospects need to have an interest in Notre Dame, their college transcripts need to line up as if they were attending Notre Dame. That eliminates a big chunk of possible contributors. It's a lot more difficult than it may look.

Robert from Mishawaka

11:18

Notre Dame seems to have failed on getting a big man(Basile, Washington, Bates) to commit from the portal, do they still have a interest in someone?

Thomas Noie

11:18

Ryan: If - and it's a big IF - they can figure out the frontline situation, there's a chance that this team could be better than last year. No, that doesn't mean they're going to be better than 15-5. The league will make sure that doesn't happen again. Notre Dame was good against a lot of the league's bad teams. But...if J.J. Starling can adjust quickly and Cormac Ryan picks up where he left off and Goodwin plays more like he did in December and January and early February and Marcus Hammond can find his niche....there's a chance. I like the roster. I like their chances.

Ryan mars pa

11:16

Good morning Tom what do you think about next year team with Dane cormac coming back anyone else coming back go Irish and with the recruits coming back

Thomas Noie

11:16

Pat: I'd say Virginia Tech..

Pat H. Springfield Illinois

11:15

If Grant Basile does not commit to ND, what are the options for a front line player? What is your take on where Basile will land?

Thomas Noie

11:15

Dan: I was at Barclays for basically five minutes (thanks for that Virginia Tech) before I was back at my hotel and off to LaGuardia for a flight home. Worst matchup for Notre Dame was Virginia Tech. I had packed for four days, but kind of figured I'd be home way sooner. Anyway, I digress. Those summer camps for big men haven't been around since the Jack Cooley days. There are opportunities for Matt Zona to maybe join a college all-star team for a week-long tour of Europe where they play exhibition games. That's always an option. It also might be more important for him (and for Ven-Allen Lubin and Dom Campbell) to be back on campus in June and get reps/familiarity with the main guys. Summer's critical for guys in this program. It's best they stay close to Rolfs.

Dan from Jersey

11:12

Hi Tom. Sorry I missed you at Barclays.. in the past I remember hearing about some of our” Bigs “ attending Big Men Camps in the off-season to hone their skills in the paint.Do you think that is something that could help Zona become the next Cooley/ Harangody and do you know if that is a plan.

Thomas Noie

11:12

Todd: Both Nate Laszewski and Blake Wesley have been (or had been) training out in Las Vegas at IMPACT, run by longtime NBA workout guy Joe Abunassar, whose son is a manager for the Irish men's basketball team. Individual/team workouts will ramp up here in the coming days. Don't know how much feedback either have received. That usually starts at the NBA Combine in the middle of the month. That gives guys two weeks to collect their intel and decide whether to return. Both likely have played their final games at Notre Dame. Wesley more so than Laszewski, who still could return.

Todd, Waynesville, NC

11:10

Any idea on Nate’s progress in his training for NBA Draft? Is he getting positive feedback? With Basille heading to VaTech (thought for sure he was Irish), A Nate return would be really nice.

Thomas Noie

11:09

Joe: I'm actually kind of stunned that we're nearly 90 minutes into the chat and this is the first Blake Wesley question. Mocks right now are akin to NIL and the transfer portal - it's Thunderdome. Everyone can do a mock. I saw three mocks on Twitter all post within an hour on Wednesday and Wesley was listed like the 15th, 24th and 40th prospect. Nobody really knows, even if they say they know. This month will give us a better indication of exactly where Blake Wesley fits with NBA teams starting individual workouts and the NBA combine starting May 16. As for whether he changes his mind, he will be the first one-and-done at Notre Dame. That door closed for good when the Irish landed Marcus Hammond.

Joe

11:06

Some NBA mock drafts are showing Wesley close to the end of the first round. Any chance he changes his mind?

Thomas Noie

11:06

Mark: Good stuff. Definitely would like the defensive three-second call to open up offenses. Along those same lines, make it more of a trapezoid lane which also would increase spacing/freedom of movement. That's been on the docket for years, so not sure it's ever going to to advance past that. I'm all for advancing the ball to halfcourt in the last two minutes. If the NBA can do it, where the skill level/shot making is far greater than college, let the college kids do it to. There's nothing worse than having to go the length of the court in two seconds to win/tie a game. Yeah, that's not happening.

Mark Kruz from Mishawaka

11:03

Hi Tom this is more a general college hoops question. Would you like to see any rule changes to college hoops? For me there would be 2 rules I would take from the NBA and the first is have the 3 second call on defense. The game needs to be opened up and increase scoring on offense and get rid of defenders camping in the lane and not guarding anyone on offense. The second would be advancing the ball to mid court after a time out in the last 2 minutes. Puts more excitement in the game and the offense has a decent chance to score with 2 seconds or less in a game.

Thomas Noie

11:00

Nate Laszewski has until June 1 to decide whether to remain in the NBA draft or return to school for his super senior season.

Schoondog1

10:59

What is the deadline for Nate Lechinski to declare if he is coming back next year or not?

Thomas Noie

10:59

Joe: Sure you know by now that Basile picked Virginia Tech. Plan B is to .... find a Plan B.

joe from the south side

10:59

Tom, Anything on Basile from Wright St.? Looks to be a 3 horse race (I may be off but VTECH is on the outside here). Is there a Plan B if Basile goes to say, WISC, and Laz goes overseas?

Thomas Noie

10:59

As of this week, it was 50/50 on whether Nate Laszewski would return, though I'd put it more like 40/60. He was considered an "extreme longshot" for much of this past season. And his reaction to my question about having another senior day during this past senior day was about as awkward as awkward gets.

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