JotCast | Notre Dame Hoops Season Wrap Chat

Notre Dame Hoops Season Wrap Chat

Thomas Noie

3:16

And with that, five hours and 22 minutes after we started, every question in the queue has been either addressed or deleted because it had already been asked. Solid effort. I've got nothing left, except maybe a nap. Might have to do this again in a few weeks depending on what coronavirus does to our world. Thanks for hanging in there. Hope I was able to offer a little diversion to the real world. Take care!

3:14

Robb: No, Brey's near the end of the line and I think he knows the end's coming. Maybe not next year, but definitely sooner than later unless he discovers the fountain of youth and figures out how to solve the recruiting riddle and wins a few more games and beat a ranked team and well, just about everything else!

Robb, Colorado

3:13

Hey Tom, So, you feel Brey is coming back. Is the NCAA a must next year for him to stay on, his choice or Jack's, or does he basically have a lifetime contract, aka Muffet?

Thomas Noie

3:12

Gary: See, here's the thing, whether it's about T.J. Gibbs or Rex Pflueger or, I can't believe I'm going to say it, Nik Djogo. NOTHING I say about them as basketball players is personal. So don't take it that way. Sometimes others do. Sometimes they do. That led to some uncomfortable moments. They're all top-notch kids and class acts. But we're talking about the elite of the elite in college basketball - the ACC. If I'm critical of a guy's game, it's because this is a cruel and unforgiving league. Yeah, they're great guys, but you gotta play in this league. You gotta make a difference every single night. Otherwise, you're going to get beat. It's not personal. It's basketball. It's ACC Basketball.

Gary from Goshen

3:10

Tom-you touched on Rex a few questions below, but his career is a mystery to me. Most unathletic athletic guy is the perfect statement. He's such a great kid, such a great leader/team guy, and definitely made winning plays throughout his career...but for the entire 4 years he was at ND, they were playing 4 on 5 on the offensive end when he was on the floor. For a program build on offensive efficiency and offensive potency, why was this guy a 35 mpg guy and not a 10-15 mpg guy? and as much as he always struggled offensively, why did Brey never really stray from keeping him as a key guy? He had to know the 4 years Rex was on the floor that the offense was considerably worse, right?

Thomas Noie

3:10

Mark: Glad you asked. I didn't do anything with Konieczny for much of the year, basically because I know he's going to be there next year and then on to Notre Dame after that, so I wanted to chase columns on several of the other kids in the area. So I saved Konieczny for last. I watched him play against Mishawaka and left that night a little perplexed. He was the biggest kid on the court, but played more like he was 6-1. Didn't take over. Wasn't aggressive. Didn't like a lot of what I saw. Then I stepped into practice two days later and watched him shoot. Ah, hah! Now THAT'S what Notre Dame sees in him. Then later that week when he went for 42 against Marian. I saw what i expected to see someone headed to the ACC. He was really good. Best part about it is, he knows he has to get better and will work to get there. Intrigued to see where it all goes for him.

Mark Kruz from Mishawaka

3:07

Tom what were your impressions on seeing ND recruit JR Konieczny in person for the first time? I got the chance to see him put up 42 in the sectional game v Marian. Looks like he would play the off guard or small forward at the next level. The good thing is he has another year to work on his game and his frame before setting foot on campus

Thomas Noie

3:06

Well, there was one media regular who had plans to be there while I was traveling back from the Camping World Bowl, but he landed back in SBN and went home and fell asleep instead. I wouldn've been there that day as well! lol

MattyFree

3:05

Tom. Were you the first media member to the press box for every game this year?

Thomas Noie

3:03

Kevin: I'm long over it. Doesn't do any good wishing about this or about that....when everything was shut down a week ago, I gave myself about three days to wish it wasn't, and then moved on. It's almost like it never happened. Like the new normal is sitting in your house all day.

Kevin from Detroit

3:02

No offense but the 3rd Thursday in March we should be watching basketball instead of chatting about it. I’m wearing out One Shining Moment on YouTube

Thomas Noie

3:02

Andrew: You crazy, but at this point, crazy might work. Make it happen!

Andrew from Plymouth, IN

3:01

Call me crazy but I think Brey needs to try to convince former Warsaw and current Indiana Wesleyan NAIA DII Player of the Year Kyle Mangas to give the ACC a try for his last year. In all seriousness, I always thought he was a D1 player, maybe not in the ACC, but that kid is good.

Thomas Noie

2:57

Ryan: Too early to tell. It really is.

Ryan, Lexington, KY

2:57

Do you think Martin inglesby has the best chance to succeed Brey at ND?

Thomas Noie

2:57

Bill: Cough, cough, might've been the shoes....cough, cough.

Bill

2:56

Do you have anything specific as to what pushed Dickinson to Michigan over ND? The usual academic requirements?

Thomas Noie

2:56

Quincy: All the time....sometimes twice a day. Sometimes three times a day. Doing a column on him next week for how he's handling the coronavirus. Never thought I'd have the relationship I have with him after throwing toilet paper rolls at him and chanting "Sit down, Digger!" during my undergraduate days at Dayton.

Quincy

2:55

You brought up Digger's name, not me. Do you talk to him much? Does he ever give you a good quote or share anything of value? Or is every conversation about beating UCLA?

Thomas Noie

2:54

Dylan: I think there's a level of athleticism from Goodwin and Laszewski and Carmody that's there...we just haven't seen it yet. Now, not to a level of a Connaughton, but something better than the last two years.

Dylan from MN

2:53

I understand Notre Dame will never consistently land blue chip recruits... but isn’t a caliber of athlete comparable to what we had on the 2014-2015 team a very reasonable expectation? Other than DJ, everyone on the roster was similarly rated to the guys we have today. Why doesn’t Brey address athleticism more when he recruits?

Thomas Noie

2:53

Justin: One year at a time, my man. Then one game at a time.

Justin, Fort Wayne

2:53

Do you think Hubbs senior year and Taylor sophomore year could be something worth looking forward too. Both guys have extreme swagger and like you said, Taylor has something to him Notre Dame hasn’t had in a long time?

Thomas Noie

2:52

Wow, clown show much? In the words of Bryce Harper, that's a clown question, bro. Why even ask it. It's just flat-out dumb.

Jerome

2:52

Wow. Sexism much?

Thomas Noie

2:52

Absolutely

Justin, Fort Wayne

2:51

If ND can find the right grad transfer who fits the style of play and is very good, any way he can start or do you see all situations of a grad transfer coming off the bench?

Thomas Noie

2:51

Bill: Might be one in the same - it plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference

Bill

2:51

What would you say is the biggest weakness of this program and what is its biggest strength?

Thomas Noie

2:50

Stan: I'll call Digger and see what he says. If there's anyone who'd know, it's him.

Stan in Indiana

2:49

Is there a notre dame policy that you can only attempt a three point shot if no one is in position to rebound?

Thomas Noie

2:49

Like a distant destination that might never be reached.

Nick South Bend

2:49

How does ND look in the Blake Wesley sweepstakes?

Thomas Noie

2:49

Collin: Um....no. He doesn't even know.

Collin from Elkhart

2:48

ND already has one local recruit on commited, any insight on where Blake Wesley is leaning?

Thomas Noie

2:48

Nick: One word - no. Honestly I'm Djogoed out the last two years. If it hasn't happened now, it's not going to happen. Best we just let it all go.

Nick South Bend

2:48

do you think the practice hero we heard about a lot these past few years in Djogo finally translates to the game in his 5th season? Maybe he can offer 10 minutes or so? Saw you say something about a Torres role for him. Thats something nexts years team could use IMO, a momentum guy (gets the crowd hype)

Thomas Noie

2:48

Melissa: A whole truckload of patience and understanding that you're coaching at a football school. So get in line and wait your turn, sometimes decades down the line, before your employer takes care of you. And you better want to grind it in the league you're in because nobody else in the Big East and now the ACC will have to do it the way you have to do it. Oh, and you better win, sometimes more than a lot, which still won't satisfy the fan base. Good luck.

Melissa

2:45

Not asking for names...What are the qualities that the Notre Dame men's basketball coach needs to have?

Thomas Noie

2:45

Mark: Think he'd have been good for a four-game league swing, so 10-10 becomes 14-6. They beat Indiana, give more of a game to Maryland. Give some of the older guys some swagger, which is weird to say, but the sophomores raise their games knowing the guy a class below them is elite.

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