JotCast | Notre Dame basketball February 2025 chat

Notre Dame basketball February 2025 chat

Tom Noie

3:50

Think that's a good spot to end it. Seven-plus hours of hoops and hand-wringing and, just maybe, some hope. We'll try to circle back around one more time before the end of the season. If you have a question or comment that cannot wait, drop me a note at tnoie@sbtinfo.com. Take care and stay warm! We're almost through another winter...almost.

3:47

Mike: Yes. I don't buy the explantion from Micah Shrewsberry that more goes into earning minutes in the rotation than just practice. That can be part of it, but another part of it has to be common sense as a coach when you ask yourself - am I playing everyone who gives me the best chance at winning on a given night? Not sure Notre Dame is. It's clear Micah Shrewsberry wants to invest in others on the roster - others that he and his staff recruited. J.R. Konieczny will leave and go somewhere where he can play with a free mind and everyone back home will be like, see?!?

Mike from NY

3:45

Hey Tom, appreciate these chats. Why do you think JR has been overlooked by the staff? Seems like he can offer more offensively/still has some untapped potential. Is it because he's a holdover from the prior regime, and Shrews prefers his own guys (aside from Burton)? Thanks!

Tom Noie

3:39

Chris: Kyle Getter is the associate head coach, so he better be offering something. It's hard to really see or say what given that the media is in the upper press box. Yet another dope move from Notre Dame - we're going to move the media from behind the basket closest to the Notre Dame bench because we want to sell those seats. Those seats are occupied maybe 62 percent of the time, and often by fans wearing the opposing teams' colors. Great move there, guys.

Chris from Southern IN

3:37

Would like to see more out of Kyle Getter. Seems like he serves no purpose when he is on the bench. Coming from Bennett’s system(I think) at VA, I feel like he may have more to give then what we see.

Tom Noie

3:12

Apologize, but again need to duck out for a few minutes. Will circle back around one more time in about 25 minutes and check the queue. Last chance for questions...comments...

3:05

LIght a candle for us Mase!

Mason

3:05

At the Grotto as we speak. Thanks, Tom!

Tom Noie

3:05

Sean: They'll make the tournament. A two-game lead in the win column over North Carolina State and Boston College, who are tied for 16th with the tiebreaker over Boston College. Again, this feels like the Twilight Zone, running scenarios and tie-breaker rules on how Notre Dame can avoid not making the ACC tournament. Stunning.

Sean - Chicago

3:03

Re: Shrews saying they wouldn't play on day 1 of the ACCT again...it's entirely possible given the current state of affairs that they don't play a game that day this year, but not for the reason everyone assumed.

Tom Noie

3:03

Matt Allocco can't be that guy when he's 0-for-0 from the field or 1-for-3 or 0-for-3 or misses three free throws while trying to gut his way throw a wrist issue. Can't be that guy when you make that decision he made against North Carolina. Need a killer.

Linas from the OC

3:02

Hi all, Remember the looks in the eyes of Pat Connoughton, Jerian Grant, Bonzi, Matt Ferrell etc.? These guys were confident, cocky and brash. Don't see that fire, that passion in the eyes of any of our current players. Maybe Alloco. Thoughts?

Tom Noie

3:02

Better keep them crossed. And say a few Our Fathers....

Mason

3:01

Tom, I wouldn’t bet my bottom dollar that. I’d be happy with a tourney appearance, expecting the NIT, and wouldn’t be surprised if we stick around .500 the way things are going. At least we have Burton, hopefully Davis, and some real talent to look forward to next year. Fingers crossed

Tom Noie

3:01

I'll have to revert back to today's stock answer - I don't know. I don't know what the rest of the season holds. I don't know what next year holds. I don't know how the roster pieces fit. There are a bunch of maybes, which rolls back into my last answer. Every optimistic person in the fan base is pointing to next year and saying wait until then, that will be our time. How can we be sure?

Phil from South Bend

3:00

A big reason why the 14-15 team was special is you had 2 guards who could beat their man off the dribble and one was an excellent passer. Do you see next season that Muhammad or Haralson could be the second guy? Currently we have one guy that's a shooting guard in (even for college) a very undersized body who is not an instinctive passer. I believe Shrews thought Allocco could take ballhandlng l pressure off Burton this year, but the problem is he is no threat to get to the basket. Currently ND's secondary drive threat is David and he is a 2 outcome player (a shot attempt or a turnover)

Tom Noie

2:55

They may win 20-plus game next season overall and win 12-13-14 league games. They may snag a top four seed in the league tournament and have their sights set on a bid come Selection Sunday. But given what we've seen of late, given what we still might see, putting everything about the program - its past, its present, its future - into guaranteed long-term success next season is an unbelievably risky propostion. You want to make a bet with a mortgage payment or two or three that Notre Dame takes a quantum leap forward next year? Proceed with caution.

Mason

2:52

That’s exactly how I felt about that team. We had plenty of talent, but we also flat out brought it every single night. It was peak Brey-ball with some real tenacity. I’d love to have any of those guys on this year’s squad. Tough call between Bonzie or Connaughton. Definitely similar vibes with the football team this year. I see that fight in a few of our guys but for the most part we play soft. Hopefully we can right the ship next year with Haralson and co.

Tom Noie

2:52

Mike: Keen observations from down there in Austin, my man. I have it from a pretty good soruce that when Shrewsberry took off on his post-game rant after the Louisville game that his comments about people having opinions about whether he's a good coach or the right coach were directed at one specific member of the media - the same one typing out these words right now. Then, on the ACC coaches call the next day, I asked Shrewsberry that given the 13 hours since his presser, if he thought he might go at it in a different way. He responded by saying how much he loved his job and loved Notre Dame. That had to be directed at his boss, saying, look, I want to be here.

mike - austin

2:49

Hey Tom - appreciate your stories of late. I am paying a lot more attention in the last two weeks as this spirals more out of control! Do you ever feel like a coach like shrews is talking to 1-2 people / voices in particular in a setting like that, when the coach is kind of losing control at the postgame a la last week? I know he wasn't talking to John Gaffney! I was never all that worried about coach's long term ability with the program until lately, the signs to me are very concerning and all of this posturing about what's to come feels forced all of a sudden.

Tom Noie

2:49

James: Sorry my man, I'm just not going there because if I do, that speaks into existence a possible coaching search and it's waaaaaay too soon to start venturing down that road. it just is. For the record, Pat Kelsey and Dusty May were both on my "wish list" in 2023. Those doors have closed.

James

2:47

hey Tom, earlier you mentioned you would’ve gone with Pitino years ago. Which coaches do you have an eye on in this cycle or the next? Would you rather go big like Pitino or take a chance on someone young and upcoming like Marcus Freeman? We might’ve just got lucky there though

Tom Noie

2:47

So man. So, so many, to the point that it's a master class of what not to do to drum up fan interest. Yeah, we get it, you're eight years old or nine years old and have been a Notre Dame fan your entire life. That bit has been done to death. Can we hear and see and experience something different?

Nyonalake1

2:46

Talking about fans and what N.D. do. Last night you had the football team that came within 10 points from winning it all on the floor for two minutes during a time out. Then at half time you had three little girls they called a dance team on the floor for ten minutes and did not see any dancing to it. Really think it should of been the other way around. Then after the football team left the floor three fourth of them left before half time. How do you think they would of felt if three fourth of the people would of left half way threw the first half of the No. Ill. game. I know this has nothing to do with game play but there are so many things the school could do to make it a little more fan friendly.

Tom Noie

2:45

Absolutely, and that's OK. See my previous answer to the talent question. If you have a team that lacks talent of your opponent, if you're a true X and o guru, you can scheme your way into wins in games you have no business winning. Look, we've said it before hours ago and we'll say it now for the afternoon crowd. The concern about Notre Dame basketball isn't the roster makeup or the lack of athleticism or the lack of a big man. It's the lack of progress. This is a team that this head coach and this staff put together, and one that they told you back in the summer had the chance to do something. Why, then, haven't they done it. That's what draws the concern, criticism if you want to call it that, of the local beat writer/columnist. Progress isn't being made. Nobody said Notre Dame is supposed to be a Top 3 team, but Shrewsberry said it himself last year at the ACC Tournament - they were never going back there to play the first game on the first day. Turns out they just might do that. Again.

Chris from Southern IN

2:42

Is it safe to say this team just isnt that talented. They’re hard workers. We know it. Shrews knows it. It’s always said talent can only get you so far but it also could be said hard work only gets you so far.

Tom Noie

2:42

Ah....therein lies the dilemma, and the shortcomings of this coaching staff. They need to find a proper balance of both. The athleticism and the basketball IQ is lacking on this team, which where the Xs and Ox have to be superior, but have instead been subpar. The real tell of a coach who knows his #*$* is that he finds ways to win with a roster that might not be up to the standard of elite in your respective league. We haven't seen that from Notre Dame.

Joe from the south side

2:40

Tom, I find Louisville and SMU to be good teams, but certainly not great. Aside from a cohesiveness that Notre Dame lacks, they also demonstrate a level of lateral quickness and agility on both ends of the floor , that is missing from the Irish. Do you get that read as well? Should we recruit some”athletes” rather than “high iq players “?

Tom Noie

2:40

In a minute. It's easy to say now, but it was easy to see then. Notre Dame gets by Kentucky, it was winning a national championship. We've talked today about this team being scared or panicked and everything else these last few weeks, there's been no team in my 27 years on the beat that had that look in its eye late in the year like the 2014-15. Almost like the 2024 Notre Dame football team. You didn't know how they were going figure it out, but you knew they would. That Kentucky game is still atop the list of games covered during my time. When thoughts of the building, of the game, of the night, of crowd still can give you chills 10 years later, that means something.

Mason

2:38

That’s true. Some guys can translate their game, others struggle. Last one, if you could change the outcome of any Notre Dame game, would you also choose ND vs Kentucky in the Elite 8?

Tom Noie

2:38

Duke, Auburn, Wisconsin, St. John's...disclaimer...given how late the college football season lasted (hint: forever), I'm only now getting into the swing of college hoops.

Trevor from Florida

2:37

What’s Your final 4 projection?

Tom Noie

2:07

Keep the questions/comments coming. Need to step out for a minute, but will circle back and continue the chat. Let's go for eight hours today. Who's ready?

2:06

JM: Last night was the first time I saw it, sensed it. Like the weight of the world was on Notre Dame's shoulders. And then it's 6-0 and 13-3 and Notre Dame had no chance. You could see that one coming.

Jersey Mark

2:05

You used the word "panic" to describe the mood in the locker room at some point earlier in the chat. How long have you felt that vibe? Just recently or has that been a longer trend? IMO a sense of panic, in addition to the effort issues, could be related to players sensing a coach that is out of answers. Tough to go 110% for a leader that you're not confident in as a player.

Tom Noie

2:05

That's way above my pay grade. Don't you know that writers know nothing of the sport they cover. Or at least, that's what I'm told.

johngipp Lititz, PA

2:04

Tom, I don't know if this was mentioned but Shrew is fired and in a surprise move you are hired. In your 1st game out comes the starters, Who are they and why. The 3 players at the end of the bench are, Why?

Tom Noie

2:04

Wild it is. Better adapt or get left behind. For good.

Joe from the south side

2:04

Tom, Larranaga had the best quote of all when he quit. Paraphrasing “ I took Miami to the final four. Everyone seemed happy. No one complained and 8 guys transferred out. I knew my days were numbered. “ such is the game today. It’s a little too Wild West for me.

Tom Noie

2:03

No clue. Hard to have any idea of how a freshman might fit until you see them on the court with other college players. Then it's like, ah...ha...or uh...oh...

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