JotCast | November 22 hoops chat

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joe from the south side

2:18

Tom, You can't punish the starters for not playing DEF because you don't trust your bench enough to play them anyway. The starters know that. Carmody? Wade? Sanders? They aren't getting in when it counts. Period. 7 guys, 30 minutes each. Some get a little more, some a little less. As to Big Zone, on his best night he gets 4 or 5 minutes. And that's when they play GTECH at home and they are up by 30 at the last TV timeout, with about 2,000 fans in the building. Getting 2 minutes vs 4 minutes isn't sending a message. He just doesn't have the skills to contribute.

Thomas Noie

2:18

TJ: Personal preference when it comes to the coach. That. and it being a public university has something to do with it. It does.

ToledoJohnny from Georgia

2:17

Tom - why does a team like FSU keep 19 players on a roster? It seems expensive and impossible to keep everyone happy. They always seem to have a couple of "over 7.0' 3 star players as well... It's close so I go see the ND basketball (men and women) there, but something always seems off.

Thomas Noie

2:17

Maui: We dopes in the media are supposed to remain impartial and unmoved by what we see on the court, right? But I admit, a couple of us nearly fell out of our seats Sunday when Nate Laszewski drove to the basket and dunked with his left hand in traffic. Like, we've never seen that before. He's bigger. He's stronger. He's more determined. And you're so right about the atmosphere. It's awful.

Mr. Maui (Duncan Hall)

2:15

Hey Tom, long time fan, first time commenter. Are you impressed with how much contact Nate Laszewski has been willing to take this season so far? My memory might be bad, but I just remember him being a little scared of contact near the cup in the past. Love to see that dog in him. I'm also disappointed in the student turnout, i've been to all three games this season and the energy in the Purcell Palace just feels dead. I think this team deserves better

Thomas Noie

2:15

Kevrey: That team in 2006-07 featured five double-figure scorers and averaged 81 points per game. This team should have at least five double-figure guys. Remember, Marcus Hammond averaged 18 a game last year and hasn't played yet.

Kevrey

2:14

Is it possible ND could have 5 or even 6 double figure scorers this season? I believe the highest scoring Brey team was Harangody frosh team.

Thomas Noie

2:13

Will: Not doing it. Can't do it. Tried to do that in the past and guys left off those lists undoubtedly get salty about it and I hear about it. Better to keep everyone grouped the same. Maybe in a private moment, I'd reveal my top 10. Now? Not worth the hassle.

Will K

2:11

Hey Tom, different question for you. If you had to pick an all-time Brey starting 5, who you got? In Brey fashion, I’ll give you two guys off the bench too.

Thomas Noie

2:11

Preach!

Wadelite

2:11

Have to agree. These are not the OOC tomato cans we have seen in the past. Lipscomb and Bowling Green have talent and older players. St. Bonaventure lost a lot of guys who decided to play a 5th year elsewhere. A lot of these mid major teams are just as good as Georgia or Louisville who are both down this season.

Thomas Noie

2:11

Psst...let you in on a little secret - they DON'T show for the big games. Never have. And come on. I'm a student and I'm not going to games because....of a six-man rotation? Please

GoIrishftr

2:10

Tom - huge fan of your work. Gotta say not a huge fan of arguing with students on Twitter about showing up to games. Unfortunately students at Notre Dame have better things to do with their Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons than watch Mike Brey trot out the same mundane 6 man rotation twice a week. No student at ND is going to want to go to all the games - they'll pick a handful to go to. Why go watch Youngstown State and SIU during exams week when they can watch Virginia Tech and UNC in February? Cut 'em some slack - they'll show up for the big games.

Thomas Noie

2:10

Wrong...times 10. It's the old competition argument which holds zero water. Who cares who Notre Dame plays? You go to see J.J. Starling. You go to see Ven-Allen Lubin. For years, back in the 2000s, all I heard from the students/fans to defend them not showing up was the "sub-par competition" argument. Want us to show up, they'd say. Play better teams. Like, that was all it would take? Better teams? OK, then. Fast-forward to the end of that home-crowd stinks-out-loud argument. Notre Dame scheduled a non-conference home game against Gonzaga. Name opponent. Ranked team. Guess what? Didn't sell out. Empty seats in student section. That was enough of that. Same here. When I was in school, I didn't go to University of Dayton games based on who they were playing - that was a bonus. I was going to watch guys I went to class with, who I saw in the dining halls, who I played pickup with in the rec center.

Gavin U

2:06

He Tom, I think that dude clapping back at you on twitter about a lack of student attendance is completely valid. I've been to every mens basketball game this season, but you cant be out here begging students to go to games when we're playing sub-par competition and not even playing that well.

Thomas Noie

2:06

It will be interesting to see this team whole. And healthy. No face masks...

Griff- St. George, Utah

2:05

I'll echo what Greg from Vegas stated. Not only would the Irish have lost to their first two opponents, there's a good chance USI would have beat us last night. Nate's presence in the FH made the difference in last night's game. Also, I was impressed with USI's team, this being their first season in D1. Looks like the Eagles will win the OVC, although are ineligible for the NCAAs. The Irish need a lot of work to be ready for the ACC wars.

Thomas Noie

2:05

Wade: Who really is a one and done? Was Blake Wesley? No, but it turned out to be the right decision. J.J. Starling could probably use another year of college, but if guys believe they're ready, they go. We'll see how that transpires moving forward.

Wadelite

2:04

Imo Starling is not one and done. He knows he needs next season to prove himself as the lead guard on offense. Burton will receive some minutes to take the pressure off him.

Thomas Noie

1:54

True...always have to stay engaged. You never know when it might turn for you. Just when you think it won't, it does.

Wadelite

1:54

I like having 3-4 guys who can handle the ball as opposed to 1 or 2. This should be a very enjoyable team to watch once Hammond is healthy and Lubin is acclimated. I also suspect Big Dom might have an opportunity to help later in the season.

Thomas Noie

1:53

Mahomes! IYKYK

Wadelite

1:53

I'm sorry I have to say it. Prentiss Hubb committed less turnovers last season because he handled the ball less. Wesley became the defacto point guard with mixed results, but at least he was not over dribbling like Hubb. Those ill advised step back treys that we saw for Hubb's first 3 seasons and at times last season will not be missed. He had a few clutch late game plays because he had a ton of opportunities

Thomas Noie

1:53

Pat: That's one of the arena maintenance crew! I'll ask them. But yeah, those rims do seem a little tight.

Pat from Bordentown, NJ

1:52

Hi Tom - watching the game last night (well, the second half, thanks ACCN), it looked like the rims were awfully tight. If we are reliant on an outside game and outside shooting, why such tight rims?

Thomas Noie

1:52

Bonzie, right? Freshman year, Bonzie Colson averaged 5.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.1 minutes. Ven-Allen Lubin is at 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21.1 minutes. So I'll go with, heck, yes!

Chris

1:51

Tom, Do you think Ven Allen can put up numbers like Bonnie did his freshman year?

Thomas Noie

1:47

Wade: i wondered that this week and asked Mike Brey about it. He said Hammond is more offensive-minded than defense, but his length and quickness could help. And if you're an Ivy big looking for a transfer home, dial up Mike Brey. Paul Atkinson did and that turned out pretty well.

Wadelite

1:46

Tom, once healthy what type of effect do you see Hammond defensively? Imo him and Lubin becoming acclimated are keys to improved defense. FWIW the big guy Polakovich I believe was a HS teammate of Marcus Bingham who ND recruited. This is his 5th year in college, so it seems unlikely he has another season to play but it's hard to keep track. There is some interesting potential transfer portal options in the ivy league who might want to reclaim the season they lost. Princeton and Harvard in particular.

Thomas Noie

1:45

Just as embarrassing. But when I say that, it's just the salty beat writer being the salty beat writer. Home atmosphere for men's basketball? Right there in bottom third of the Atlantic Coast Conference with Miami (Fla.), Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh and Boston College.

Clint from Winnipeg

1:43

Putting aside the lack of student support, what has the support been like from the "locals"? The whole place seemed fairly empty last night.

Thomas Noie

1:43

Tim: If he continues to shoot 50 percent from 3 and produce double doubles for points and rebounds the way he does, then yes. As a starter or 10-year veteran or main bench guy? Probably not. But if he finds the perfect situation, he might stick.

Tim from Chicago

1:41

If you are an NBA scout, do you think Nate Laz has a spot in the league?

Thomas Noie

1:41

RY: That's the beauty of college basketball - just when you think your team SHOULD do this or do that, it doesn't. It's not easy. If it were, everyone would do it. Just look where Notre Dame basketball was in the 1990s - it was a wasteland. Few coaches would've done what Brey has done. That includes Digger. And I've told him as much.

Guest

1:40

Ray from Southern California. Tom regarding the whining comment. Yes there are some fans like this but there are fans like this for every team. Some people are just miserable and need to complain. There are some fans who rightfully bring up that Brey does not have a good record in the dance. He has been our coach for over two decades and has only made the second weekend of the tournament three times. That's not a good record and claiming that its an approvement over the 90's is not a legit answer. Comparing the 90's to today is like comparing the Digger years to today. Neither are comparable. Nobody is expecting Notre Dame to make the Final Four but we definitely should have made the Sweet 16 at least three more times under Brey.

Thomas Noie

1:39

Tim: Cease with any conspiracy theories. There are none. The redshirt was a mutual decision between Brey and Konieczny. It also has to be HIS decision. He could say, yeah, no, I think of myself as a four-year guy (hello, Carleton Scott) and I don't want to be on the five-year plan. He didn't redshirt last year, in part, because he believed he could play,. Then when he didn't, it was easier for him to see a path - right now, he'd be the sixth guard - SIXTH - in the rotation. With all old guys ahead of him. It would be another year of minimal minutes. Or redshirt, work on your game and be a three-year starter. Seems like a pretty good deal, right? He went overseas on a foreign tour - nothing USA Basketball related. And he's the first one to say, yeah, I'm not ready. He's like a baby deer trying to figure out how to stand/walk. He'll be a key guy for three years. Patience.

Tim from Chicago

1:35

Thanks for another season of chats, Tom. I'm late to the chat today but don't believe I've seen the question asked yet as to why J.R. Konieczy redshirted this season. He played garbage time last year, why not redshirt your freshman season instead? Also, I believe he played for a USA team overseas over the past summer, and he still isn't ready? What's up, something doesn't feel right.

Thomas Noie

1:35

Steve: Back to the old never-say-never adage but until Notre Dame is denied an avenue into the College Football Playoff, there's no reason to join the Big Ten. And keep in mind - SEC commissioner Greg Sankey will be a HUGE champion of keeping Notre Dame independent. Last thing Sankey wants is to push Notre Dame to join a league - and then joining the Big Ten. It would strengthen a league he doesn't want to strengthen. So yeah, it looks like for now, it's Independence for Notre Dame.

Steve

1:31

It seems ND is content on remaining independent in football and staying in the ACC for basketball and most other sports for the time being. Should I give up my dream of seeing ND join the B1G?

Thomas Noie

1:30

Usually low six figures is the going rate...

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