JotCast | Notre Dame season wrap chat

Notre Dame season wrap chat

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Ed, Greensboro

12:44

Too bad that by the time the turnaround happens, I hope to be watching from a much higher seat! Lol!

Thomas Noie

12:44

Mike: Imagine how many looks he'd have gotten playing on those 2015-16 teams as a corner spot-up man...even as a third option on the Colson-Farrell teams.

Mike from The Land of Cheese

12:43

Laszewski is who he is. Some of the things people are wishing for are probably not going to change as a rising senior in college. He's a second or third option on this team and he seems to be comfortable with that.

Thomas Noie

12:43

Mike: It goes back to the quarterback issue in football. It's always about who MIGHT be next instead of who is.

Mike from The Land of Cheese

12:42

Decision-making with the ball involves more than turnovers. It involves when those poor decisions are made during a game and shot selection, among other things. Lykes from Miami had a significantly higher ratio of turnovers to assists the year before, but no one would prefer to have the ball in Hubb's hands overs Lykes' in important situations.

Thomas Noie

12:42

Strictly coaching philosophy on that - the times that Notre Dame has pressed has been more token than turn-you-over. Would you trade better defense for poorer offense? Mike Brey wouldn't. So here we are.

Mike McFadden, Williamsport, PA

12:40

Hi Tom, Do I rcall you may have recently answered this question? Regardless, ND does not have the personnel to full court press plus they only play 6-7 (tired) players? But I will never understand that Tom. In HS we did not have the juice or exceptional players either but our full-court press always earned us numerous turnovers in steals, throw away passes, walking, double dribbles, etc. I have never ever seen a Brey team press in 19 years. I can count many close games ND would have won with just an occasional defensive press. Your thoughts changed Tom? Thanks.

Thomas Noie

12:40

Ed: Has it ever? Not to be a smart guy, but has Notre Dame ever sold hoops to its fans? Waste your money because you like hoops, and want to be there when the turnaround happens....lol

Ed, Greensboro

12:39

Tom , how is ND going to sell basketball next year to fans and season ticket holders? In other words, why should I waste my time and money on this team?

Thomas Noie

12:39

Joe: Funny, you mention the fan base. Have to share this story from someone at Notre Dame who has seen it first-hand. There was so much juice about Notre Dame going to New Orleans to open the 2010 NCAA Tournament against Old Dominion. The hoops program head what a great Notre Dame town New Orleans was and how they'd have such fan support. Then first game of the day at Smoothie King Arena, and almost zero Notre Dame fans. Six years later, same scenario in Philadelphia for the East Regional final. Notre Dame was told it would have overwhelming fan support that Easter Sunday against North Carolina. Tip time comes, and it's all UNC fans. Tough times hit the program like the last four years, and the prevailing thought from inside is that it's 12 fans sitting at their computer complaining about ND hoops. THAT'S the fan base. The rest, they're still living in the 1970s wondering why they can't play a national schedule like Digger.

joe from the south side

12:35

Tom: But what fan base? The most enthusiastic fans are here in your chat. Unless it's Duke or NC, nobody attends games. As to Nate, he's a dead nuts spot up shooter. All you have to do is run him off his shot and he has no counter punch. You do not need a 6'10" guy to guard him. Anybody who can stay with him on the perimeter will discourage his shot.

Thomas Noie

12:35

Mark: Better later than never! We'll be here all day talking hoops if you need. Robby Carmody has been in school for three years, and he has four years of eligibility - really, five - remaining. This coming season will be like a freshman year - just get a little taste, see how your game fits and stay healthy. Then maybe do a little more. But I have a hard time seeing him staying for five more years. And my gut tells me it's going to be tough go of it next year. It hasn't happened yet for this core - and there have been way too many red flags at the end of last season. Was that a sign or an outlier of where this is going?

Mark - Oil City, Pa.

12:32

Hi Tom, I'm just jumping in here so I'm not sure if this has been asked and answered, but what's the latest on Carmody moving forward and how many years might he keep trying to play. And what does your gut tell you about whether the Hubb-Nate-Goodwin core can put things together with Ryan and Wertz and the others for a good run next year. Thanks for all the great coverage.

Thomas Noie

12:30

Again, I'm going to post this - the eight teams in this year's Elite Eight went an average of 19.5 seasons between Elite Eight appearances. Notre Dame hasn't been to an Elite Eight since 2016. Winning at that level is hard. It's not just because of the coach or the players or recruiting. It's everything that has to fall into place at the exact moment to enjoy it.

12:27

Good question - fan bases aren't ever happy. There's always something wrong. It's always somebody's fault. You know that.

joe from the south side

12:26

Tom: So the fan base won't be happy that the program sold out AND they are not happy with losing? Which one is it?

Thomas Noie

12:26

Joe: I'll take left out in the cold if they can push the main guys in practice. Make it hard for them. It's been too easy. Then games are like, whoa, we don't see that in Rolfs during the week.

joe from the south side

12:26

Tom: I am not sure how some folks are counting playing time. Brey uses 7 or 8 max. Maybe early on he tinkers with lineups, but come ACC time, half the guys are riding the pines. Hubb, Goodwin, Nate, Atkinson, Ryan, Wertz. That's 6. He needs front. Likely "Big Zone" since Taylor is behind schedule. Guaranteed Wesley play. Guaranteed. Ain't no spots left. Sanders, Carmody, JR, Taylor, these guys are left out in the cold.

Thomas Noie

12:25

Jim: Nope, right down the middle. And accurate. Nate Laszewski made it look easy when opponents didn't see or expect to see him coming. Then when he moved to the top of the scouting report, the book was out on him. He never had a counter. He also needs to be a little more selfish with his shot. The perfect shot isn't always an open shot. Force a few. They'll still go.

Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.

12:23

Tom, does Nate L. have it within him to significantly up his game and be much more impactful than what he showed, particularly late in the season? Simply stated, the guy has to be more assertive and actively hunt more shots even it that means he has to force things on occasion. And gaining a little bit of a mean streak wouldn't hurt either. It just seems that his want-to sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. I am off base with any of these evaluations? Thanks.

Thomas Noie

12:17

Brian: Understand the frustration, but apples to oranges. Notre Dame getting someone to cut a $10 million check? Burning how many more millions to hire a new staff? Easy comparison, but a tough sell.

Brian - Batavia, IL

12:16

The basketball program remains as is with Brey at the helm. The offense looks lost and there is no defense. The last four years under Brey mirror what happened at IU in Bloomington, and their AD makes the tough decision. Swarbrick sits on his hands coasting into retirement. Very sad state of affairs for a once proud basketball program.This mess resides on the shoulders of Swarbrick, but he won’t pull the trigger. Brey had his time at ND - time to move on with another staff to lead this program.

Thomas Noie

12:15

Justin: It still will be a seven- or eight-man rotation. What will change will be who the seven or eight will be. I'm more interested in getting a core group of guys that work together as one than having two or three pieces to plug and play as needed, yet the effort and energy doesn't drop. Florida State is a classic example of having so many pieces, but what's that puzzle eventually look like? Yeah, they're good in January and February, but then disappear in March.

Justin Ft Wayne

12:13

Could next year be the year Brey goes 9 maybe even 10 deep at times? We’re used to seeing them only play 7 guys but next years team has some real depth to it baring any injuries. You got one of the three guards coming off the bench. 2 good incoming freshman. Zona and Sanders. Taylor and Carmody back from injury. A potential transfer. Gonna be a dog fight for minutes and makes me wonder if Brey plays an extra man or two next year.

Thomas Noie

12:13

Joe: Totally disagree. You bring in four, five transfers and rely almost exclusively on the portal and the Notre Dame fan base won't be happy at all with how the basketball program sold its soul. That might bring success, but it will be a yeah, but scenario. Watch.

joe from the south side

12:11

Tom: No, what I mean was "get old and stay old" may have worked 5 years ago, but this is a new world. We are forever changed. I am not saying living on past successes, but what may have worked before is different now. And you can still do it within the ND parameters. More than one way to skin a cat. He may have to adapt. I hope he does.

Thomas Noie

12:11

Jim: Again, we want to make this entirely about football or men's basketball, but when Notre Dame joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013, it did so with the entire athletic department in mind. Would it have been better from a men's basketball standpoint to remain in what eventually became the Big East as it is today? Yes, but from a standpoint of all the other sports, that wasn't challenging Notre Dame, which cleaned up. No, the ACC is where Notre Dame belongs. For its entire athletic program. But it will be interesting - with the transfer portal and the Name, Image Likeness issues, wouldn't surprise me if Notre Dame looked at athletics as whole and said, is this really what we want to be?

Jim

12:08

You frequently write that big time players have no interest in ND, that big time coaches are looking for something better, that ND is not playing the same game, so to speak, that other teams are. That being the case, is the ACC really where they belong, or even I A for that matter?

Thomas Noie

12:08

Joe: This, times 10.

joe from the south side

12:08

Tom: As to finger pointing at Hubb, yeah he leaves a lot to be desired, ugly shot, sometimes sloppy with his handle, not a true point guard, bothered by the press, but he has the one thing nobody else on the team has. A pair of stones. So, you live with the other stuff.

Thomas Noie

12:07

Mike: He led the ACC in assists and was 10th in assist/turnover ratio. Some poor decisions in there? Absolutely. "Too many?" Uh.....no.

Mike from The Land of Cheese

12:06

I think a major problem is the sense that some players know they will be starting/getting major minutes because of seniority. Hubb, for example, makes some fine plays, but he makes too many poor decisions to be the starting point guard on a successful ACC team.

Thomas Noie

12:06

Joe: Probably. Time to go make a little money, then put that Notre Dame degree to use.

joe from the south side

12:06

Tom: What is JD's next stop? Europe?

Thomas Noie

12:06

Joe: Just when you think it's darkest. I'll roll back to the 2013-14 offseason when Notre Dame had six guys back for spring workouts. An Elite Eight also was a pipe dream. Not saying this program's anywhere close to making a run like 2015-16, but it's not always as bad/dire as it seems.

joe from the south side

12:05

Tom: No I fully get what you are saying. I know ND is not playing the "real game'. I just think expectations for next year need to be tempered. I would take .500 or better in conference, 1 or two wins in the ACC Tourney, and a 7 or 8 seed in the NCAA. I am not sure that's achievable. That is why I watch that 2015 game so intently. I don't think the magic is coming back any time soon.

Thomas Noie

12:04

paging Anthony Anderson, our Notre Dame women's beat writer. He'd be better versed to answer that one. From a columnist's point of view, Niele Ivey simply put her stamp on her staff. We saw how that worked out. It didn't.

Mike McFadden, Williamsport, PA

12:03

Hi Tom, Thanks for today's rundowns/briefing as I learned more about ND & overall b-ball then the last 99 years and that is not an April Fools joke, believe me, great job !!! I thought after ND hired Davie and Weis that they would never hire a coach without HC experience again for a major sport. But they did. God bless Ms. Ivey, but she has no HC experience and definitely showed. ND had Beth Cunningham already on staff with head coaching experience as she completely rebuilt a Virginia college team into a 3 year winner. The first thing coach Ivey does, again God bless her, she fires coach Cunningham and hires a losing fired head coach as a replacement. Tom, your thoughts? Thanks. And last week a 5 star player, Alli Campbell transfers to the college of that fired coach.

Thomas Noie

12:03

Joe: I'd be curious who's living on the past successes of which you speak? Brey? Notre Dame? That's certainly not the case. And Mike Brey might be building/constructing his program in a way that fits the university. Think about that.

joe from the south side

12:01

Tom: In your opinion, has Brey failed to adapt and does he need to? You have stated many times, "Brey is a big believer in trusting the guys he has." And, "Get old and stay old." But has the game changed to much for that? Can you even get old, let alone stay old? Who stays in school 4 and 5 years anymore? Look at the defections from the women's team. With the transfer rules now in place, and the immediate gratification required by our youth, (Wesley included), maybe Mike needs to alter his approach to 2021-22 and beyond, and not dwell on past successes. Your thoughts?

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