The Mock Delivers When We Least Expect...Again

Hello Friends.

A quick look at various Levels of Tardiness: TV repairman waiting purgatory; 2 week overdue library books; one aunt's Christmas present that dependably arrives in March.  Then there's We Is ND's acknowledgement of the fishes and loaves season unfolding before our disbelieving eyes.

Mea culpa on joining the praise party late.  Plenty of thoughts to unload on the eve of ND's first postseason game.  Apologies if I veer off topic in a few spots.

Preseason expectations were so below sea level that rallying to produce our annual roundtable preview in November seemed futile.  Abro's season ending injury after Game 6 (his 2nd game in uniform, thanks to a No Clue About Anything imposed suspension) all but anchored this 2011-2012 campaign to a dismal fate at the bottom of the BEast.

A small, yet vocal, part of me envisioned the bottom falling out and The Mock not surviving the fallout from a 13-19 train wreck of a season.  It wouldn't have been the first time Brey's tenure was called into question on these pages: Exhibit A & Exhibit B.  Maybe he'd lose control of the locker room amidst the noxious stench of losses piling up like soiled boxers in the corner of the Joyce Center.  Maybe he'd respectfully step aside and let someone else (Martin Ingelsby?) perform program triage.  Suffice it to say, my misplaced rumblings to oust The Mock blew up in my face.

Alright, where's Doug's petition to name the court after Michael Montgomery Brey?  I'm finally ready to sign.  (Sadly, the petition page and all of its signatories have been sucked into a cyberworld vortex of no return.  If the petition resurrects itself this Lenten season, I'll gladly throw my support behind it, even if Muffett McGraw has a few lengths lead on earning said naming rights). 

As the team prepares to tip off in MSG versus fellow surprise Big East story, South Florida, it's worth taking a closer look at how the Irish got here.  To say crashing the Big Dance this year was a long shot is an insult to the term understatement.  The improbable odds of Notre Dame finishing 3rd in the toughest conference in America and already stamping their ticket on Selection Sunday are mind-blowing.  About the same odds of this shot finding nylon.  Or this shot - I can't decide.    

Let's wrap our head around this season timeline:

4-0 vs. the Brey Non-Conference Pu-Pu Platter (198 avg. RPI): Very little litmus test of any sort, though Detroit ended up winning the Horizon League tournament bid.  Otherwise, an accumulation of wins with little merit playing with the team's best shooter in street clothes.

0-2 vs. Thanksgiving Tournament opponents: Missouri makes a big statement that they've backed up since; The best win for a mediocre Georgia; Abro tears his ACL in practice after these games and is reduced to street clothes on the bench for the rest of the season.

4-3 vs. the Abro Aftermath Adjustment stretch of games where the team learns new roles and Brey juggles lineups with the desperation of a street performer looking for his next meal. 4 wins vs. 297 avg. RPI (mind you, there are only 344 teams...this is the dregs of Division I); 3 losses vs. name brand teams with a 48 avg. RPI.  Overwhelmed by Gonzaga in Spokane; a tantalizing winnable game only to go sour against a rebuilding Maryland; and a worse than the score indicated in-state clash with a let-down-waiting-to-happen Hoosiers fresh off their win heard round the world vs. Kentucky...the letdown didn't happen.

Christmas brought an 8-5 team about to enter a brutal opening conference salvo with 4 ranked teams looming (Pitt, Louisville, UConn & Cuse) in the first 7 contests.  Thus far, not a single win to hang their hat on as a building block for success.  Squeaking by Detroit at home was the best RPI win at 135, while breaking the century mark in the last game before the holiday break was a welcome sight.  The Burn Offense looking spontaneously combustible.

If the Irish emerged as a .500 team after the Syracuse game, most fans probably would've taken it.  With a backloaded conference slate of weak teams, the NIT looked like an optimistic landing spot.  The opportunity to play another home game or two and give this young team a few extra games of postseason experience sounded reasonable.

3-3 Pre-Syracuse game, first 1/3 of conference schedule.  The Irish welcomed a reeling Pitt team who had just lost on their home court to Wagner.  Little did anyone know at the time that Jamie Dixon's squad were impostors this season.  But knocking off the Panthers was a refreshing jolt nonetheless.  Back to reality with a spanking on the road at Cincy, followed by the first shock of the season, a double OT nail biter in Freedom Hall.  The Irish dictated the flow with the Burn and, for the first time, gave fans a wild thought that Brey found a magic lamp on one of his Middle East desert trips and was using all three wishes this season.  Beating South Florida at home didn't seem like a good win at the time.  That was one of the few W's confidently circled on the schedule to start.  Following it up with a stinker vs. Connecticut and an even worse loss on the road to Rutgers had everyone reaching for the panic button again.  And then #1 visited South Bend...

9-0 Post court rushing mayhem and subsequent record-tying conference win streak.  It's still weird to look at Syracuse sitting at #2 in the polls with one tally in the loss column.  How in the name of Todd Palmer did that happen?  Shooting the lights out with your opponent's best defender out of the lineup makes for a memorable "were you there when" story.  Team confidence soared and the wins avalanched in every shape and size, as if Dr. Seuss were writing the year-in-review.  Road wins, home wins.  Crazy come from behind wins (Nova), equally crazy grab an early lead and never look back wins (Marq).  Freshman making a name for themselves wins (Naughty Time!) and previously unheralded players stepping into the spotlight and relishing the moment wins (Jerian Grant & Jack Cooley). By the end of the streak, Notre Dame was ranked and slotted comfortably in any bracket magic 8-ball exercise.  A glorious run that saw The Mock go multiple personality on us as he introduced (and continued for good luck) The Don, as well as the streak-busting The Bow.

1-2 All good things come to an end ending.  For whatever quixotic reason, Madison Square Garden has plagued Irish shooters for years on end, and a putrid day behind the arc halted the winning streak before it reached double figures.  As bad as they played vs. St. John's, the Irish still had a shot at the buzzer to tie.  Things were not as hopeful on their Hoya visit and the better team triumphed.  Thankfully, the boys saved one last shooting display to beat Providence and secure a double bye in the BET (and inadvertently score the easiest possible quarterfinal matchup vs. #6 seed South Florida).

Add it all up and The Mock delivered a 21-10 campaign with 6 wins over top 50 RPI teams and a couple signature victories to tell the grandchildren, doing so with the team's returning leading scorer and best shooter playing in 2 games.  This year more than any, Mike Brey soared past everyone's expectations, figuring out a rotation with 3 new chief contributors (Grant, Connaughton and Dragicevich) and changing the team's offensive mindset on the fly with an emphasis on post production from the criminally underrated Jack Cooley.  For all his flaws (which I'll delve into in a follow-up post), it's hard to argue with the results of the self-described "loosest coach in America."

Come Thursday night, we'll see if the team can conquer their fear of MSG's rims, as well as what fashion choice Brey opts for to extend this unlikeliest of feel-good seasons.

Buffet of Irish Goodies: Mardi Gras Edition

Plenty of ground to cover in a remarkable couple of weeks for Irish athletics.

First things first, Mike Brey deserves a standing applause for the job he's done this season.  So take a moment, stand up from your CPU and acknowledge the Mock with a hearty three cheers clap.

Ahh, that's better.  This season has felt like a dream where we keep pinching ourselves to snap back to the reality that's been ND basketball for 20+ years.  Except the team keeps rolling and is picking up momentum.  Even as the wins mounted against the upper echelon of the BEast, my stubborn reflex of expecting the other shoe to drop persisted.  But now I'm coming around to the fact that the 2010-2011 Irish squad should be judged on their own merits and not compared to past disappointments.  We've been watching legitimately one of the top teams in the country.  This team is really good!!  Start believing.  There's more noise to make.

With a reliance on team more than any other school in the country, Brey has done the unthinkable and positioned the Irish for a tantalizing #1 or #2 seed in the Big Dance.  Alright, I have to pinch myself again...a #1 seed wouldn't shock anyone?!  How in the name of Matt Gotsch did we get here?!

Nobody in their wildest dreams could have predicted this, and we certainly didn't come close in our season preview.  While I was confident the team would be dancing come March, I didn't think we'd be picking our partner, so to speak.  We got hung up on the athletic potential of other schools without giving enough credit to a tight core group who know each other's games inside and out and are willing to scrap, claw and gut their way to victory after victory.  From all accounts, the team is hell bent on advancing to the conference final in MSG, a feat that would be a program first.  Why doubt anything from this group now?

I can't see any way the selection committee can seed ND lower than a #2, which should be good enough to land the coveted Chicago pod.  Matchups are always the deciding factor in March, but playing two games in a quasi-home atmosphere should propel them to the 2nd weekend for the first time since 2003 when Torin Francis and Chris Thomas led the team to victories over Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Illinois.  That's a long freaking hiatus from making any sort of bracket commotion - hence the reluctance to wholeheartedly buy into the Mike Brey method.

But give the Mock his due (and he has, by Yahoo and the Big East today!).  He's finally struck upon the right balance of players who know their roles and can all do multiple things well.  Hansbrough has been a revelation, galvanizing the team as a lightning rod leader and gutsy clutch scorer.  He completely deserved being named POY over Kemba Walker.  Abromaitis fills the Brey "lean-on-him-to-a-fault" streak shooter, but Tim does much more as an active rebounder and a smart presence at all times.  Carleton Scott prowls the paint on defense and does a little bit of everything on offense.  He's also never afraid to shoot and knock down buckets in crucial situations.  Ty Nash brings a savvy "old man at the Y" flair to his post game.  He uses his butt better than any Irish player since Harold Swanagan.  Nash's improvement at the FT line has been a huge lift as he's not a liability at the end of games.  Scott Martin is capable of athletic plays when you least expect.  Eric Atkins is used as a change of pace guard and Cooley logs lumbering minutes and has shown more than enough capacity to bang and produce on both ends.

We'll check in with the team later in the week, but confidence is brimming in these parts.  Keep proving to the non-believers out there.

Power 10 - Most Dangerous Tourney Teams
1. Duke - Still have to go through the defending champs with two excellent playmakers on the inside and outside.

2. Ohio State - Solid senior nucleus complemented by the immovable freshman force in the middle.  If Diebler keeps up his NBA Jam "On Fire" routine, they'll be dancing in the streets of Columbus.

3. Kansas - Guard play is suspect, but they've been an absolute machine this season.

4. Pittsburgh - One of these years Jamie Dixon will make the leap.  The Panthers are the definition of tough.  Not a team you want to face.

5. North Carolina - Out of nowhere, Roy Williams turned this squad into the ACC champs.  I'm a little leery of the reliance on two freshman, but if you're good, you're good.

6. Purdue - Maybe the best 1-2 punch in the game with Johnson and Moore.

7. Notre Dame - It's crazy that this may be too low.

8. Wisconsin - Completely throttled by a revenge-seeking OSU at home on Sunday, but Bo Ryan works wonders and has two great players to lean on.

9. Kansas State - Jake Pullen can absolutely pull a Puckett and invite the Wildcats to jump on his back.  They're finding their team rhythm at the right time.  Maybe I should pick a 3rd Big East team here, like Syracuse, but the power of Pullen frightens me more than anything Cuse or Jimmer can do.

10. Butler - Representative of every Cinderella that opened the floodgates for every mid-major (Gonzaga, BYU, San Diego State, George Mason, VCU, etc.) to say why not us.  Well, Butler is back and returns much of the team that made everyone's heart skip three beats.  Seeing their name on the other side of the bracket is the last thing any coach or fanbase wants to see.

A Real Hoot
This headline would be much different if the basketball team had announced a 3-game series with Temple instead of football.  So be it.  Schedule news is always worthy of dissection on these pages.  The Owls were finally rising from the eternal grave of their moribund program with the Golden touch of Miami's new head coach.  Looks like the momentum should continue with up and coming former Florida coordinator Steve Adazzio finally getting his turn at head coach.

I wouldn't put this matchup on the level of Western Michigan's "buy" game, even though both schools hail from the MAC.  It serves a dual purpose of keeping the East Coast in the rotation for a barnstorming tour stop (which has been pretty successful so far, according to an excellent and insightful Swarbrick interview by SBT's Eric Hansen) and primes the pump of the Pennsylvania recruiting pipeline.  Look past the fact that Philly is a basketball town, though Brey could reap some spillover benefits.  Would I trade this 3-game series for a similar deal with someone like Clemson, NC State or Georgia Tech?  In a heart beat.  But it's nothing for ND Nation to wring their hands over.

Early Commits to Football Class of 2012 
Lost in the hullabaloo surrounding the basketball team has been Brian Kelly's first two verbal commitments for 2012.  California CB Tee Shepard (video) made the first splash in the recruiting pool, jilting USC and other top schools, to join the trending #NDdefenserules.  Shepard knows the secondary is up for grabs and will ample chance to push for playing time from the start.  Some guys have names built for their position.  Tee Shepard has a great ring to it for a disruptive defensive back (Lito Shepard might have something to do with that).  Whether he ultimately plays safety or corner, it's a solid first step out of the gate for the Irish.  And we didn't have to wait too long for the #2 commit as Dayton-area Taylor Decker made it official this week.  Decker has a huge frame at 6'9'', 265 lbs. and projects to be an OT.  Paul Longo's got to be licking his chops to start molding him into a physical specimen.  Love his candid thoughts about being so decisive in the process.  When it feels right, why wait?  He recognizes the good thing happening on campus and wants to be a part of it.  More power to both of these individuals.  Let's see this snowball.

WeIs Roundtable: ND Basketball Preview (Part 2)

Hope you enjoyed yesterday's discussion.  Now it's time for some ND Basketball predictions.

Most Valuable Player

Matt: Ben Hansbrough

Until Eric Atkins is ready to take over at the point, Ben will serve as the point guard.  Brey loves his veterans – his ‘men’ – and BH fits the bill.  He can do a little bit of everything, and quietly shot over 41% on three’s last year while everyone focused on Abro and Gody’s offensive exploits.  He’s a smart defender, has enough size to hold his own in the Big East, and I look to Ben to fill the leadership void left by Tory as the floor general. 

Mike:  Carleton Scott

While Tim Abromaitis is the team’s best bet to make one of the All Big East Teams this year and other players are more offensively challenged, Carleton Scott will be the most important, and hence valuable, player this season.  If recent history is a reliable guide, we can expect the Irish to execute at a high level on offense.  To finish at or near the top of the Big East standings, however, Notre Dame must be proficient at defense and rebounding.  Scott, who excelled in both of those areas last year, is the type of athlete that Notre Dame has sorely lacked in prior years, so his continued development is vital to this team.

Jimmy: Ben Hansbrough

You could argue a case for four guys here (five if Eric Atkins has a Chris Thomas-esque impact as a frosh, minus the primadonna act).  Abro will be the points leader.  Carleton Scott is the rebounding/blocks savant with a penchant for the dramatic play, ala Ryan Humphrey.  Scott Martin, an unknown commodity, might be the "most talented" player on the roster if you listen to what the coaches say.  Then there's Ben Hansbrough.

He may not lead the team in any categories, but Hansbrough should be the glue guy for this unheralded collection of players.  He'll be counted on to handle PG duties while Atkins assimilates to the role, along with knocking down open looks, spreading the ball around from his 1/2 position, play solid defense, crash the boards with aplomb and fill the Dutch Boy hustle sheet every night.  His versatility will make him indispensable to the team's success.  

Most Improved Player

Matt: Ty Nash

This looks to be a two man competition between Nash and Scott, but I think that Nash is really going to impress people with his newfound game.  For starters, he worked a ton on his free throw shooting, so look for that mark to improve from his 60% last year (Through two games he is at 79%).  Without Gody around, Nash will be the alpha dog on the boards, and the emergence of Scott as a shot blocking threat will only help the post defense.  Finally, Nash has an element of versatility to his game, as evidenced last year by his part time role of press-breaker.  He can handle the rock fluidly, and with the loss of Tory, Nash may find himself playing the point-forward role more this year.  Last year Nash averaged 8 and 5 – this year I think he ups that to 13 and 8.

Mike:  Ty Nash

Nash, like Carleton Scott, displayed flashes of brilliance last year, particularly in the rebounding department.  With an extra year of experience and offseason preparation, Nash should have developed an expanded arsenal of low post moves that will allow him to become a much needed scoring threat in the paint.  In addition, I expect the senior captain to become a more vocal leader of this team, as well as an important source of toughness and rebounding.  Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but continued improvement at the charity stripe would be nice too.

Jimmy: Ty Nash

If his first two games are any indication of what to expect from the big man in his final year, he may have already wrapped up this award.  The career 57% free throw shooter has already started 15-19 (79%) from the stripe in the first two games, a marked improvement with bigger ramifications.  If Nash reliably hits his FTs, he immediately becomes a post option in close games instead of an offense-defense substitute.  His developmental process has taken longer than most fans would've liked (thanks in large part to Brey's aversion to giving Nash minutes his first couple seasons), but he's saving his best for last.  Already a steady low-post defender who knows how to use his big frame, Nash will build on his strengths and put together an all-around solid campaign now that he's playing 25-30 minutes/game.  The Ty Nash- Carl Scott tandem will surprise a lot of teams this year.  Scott already enjoyed his breakthrough improvement late last season upon cracking the starting lineup and averaging a 10/8 over 9 games.  

Season Prediction

Matt: 21-9 regular season (11-7 conference)

6th in Big East, Quarters of Big East Tournament, 1st round of NCAA Tournament

Ultimately, I believe that this year’s ND squad will be a lot of fun to watch.  Personally, I had gotten a little tired of the Harangody show.  There was no denying his brilliance at times, but it never was truly team basketball, and I think the talents of other guys on the roster often took a backseat to getting Gody his points.  This year, we have the mystery and potential of Scott Martin, the breaking in of a new point guard, the athleticism of Carlton Scott, the multitude of big Big East bodies to throw at opponents…it really will be a different team. 

On top of all the roster upheaval, there is actually a schedule to get excited about for once!  In Kentucky!  Gonzaga at home!  Georgia and the possibility of Temple in a holiday tourney.  Those are exciting games and will be true tests.  Mike Brey, God bless him, will never stop loading up on the Chicago States and Liberty’s of the world, but at least we can get a real feel for this team’s strengths and weaknesses before diving into Big East play. 

A few thoughts about individual players.  I think Abro will continue to struggle.  The cat’s out of the bag on his game now.  Can he adjust into more than just a three point shooter?  I’m skeptical.  Scott Martin will be a David Graves type player, filling in the stat sheet on a nightly basis.  Carlton Scott will be the first legitimate Big East athlete that ND has had in….a long time.  Eric Atkins will have everyone forgetting about Tory Jackson by March.  Jack Cooley will emerge as an effective banger down low, and with his crewcut, the memory of the Mongoose will live on.  Hansbrough will be the glue guy – hitting big shots, breaking the press, playing tough defense.   Give credit to Brey, he has put together a roster that meshes very well.  It’s early in the year, but already roles are coming into focus on the team, and I am hopeful that the rotation will go deeper than only six or seven men. 

As for the schedule, let’s say ND goes 9-2 in nonconference with losses to Temple and Kentucky.  The start to the Big East season is brutal with home games against Georgetown and UConn sandwiched around a trip to the Carrier Dome.  Maybe two losses there.  But really, the overall schedule could be a lot worse, as the Irish only play Nova, Pitt and Syracuse once, while repeating against St. John’s, UConn and Marquette.  I’ll say the Irish go 11-7 in the Big East with losses to Georgetown, at Syracuse, at Marquette, at St. Johns, at Pitt, at West Virginia and to Villanova.  The back half of the Big East schedule is a lot easier, and that is where ND is going to have to make its run. 

Add all of that up, and it amounts to yet another year on the bubble.  Of course it’s impossible to predict what the matchup will be in the tournaments, both Big East and NCAA, but my faith in the Irish to perform in March is not strong given recent history. 

Mike:  20-10 regular season (11-7 conference)

6th in Big East, Quarters of Big East Tournament, 1st Round of NCAA Tournament

Although I usually view Notre Dame football and basketball with a jaundiced eye, I truly believe that this year’s squad can have a special year.  As an initial matter, John Gasaway at Basketball Prospectus, no other conference has suffered as much attrition as the Big East, so there is a prime opportunity for the Irish to contend for the league crown.  Moreover, the challenging non-conference schedule should allow the Irish to be more battle tested by the time they enter conference play.

From a talent and leadership standpoint, the pieces are in place for ND.  Obviously, it is somewhat scary to rely primarily on a true freshman point guard, but Eric Atkins should benefit greatly from being surrounded by plenty of veterans, several of whom (Hansbrough, Martin, Abromaitis) can handle the scoring load.  Furthermore, this team has a nice mix of talented players in the backcourt and frontcourt, as well as decent depth, assuming that Brey decides to use his bench for once.  More importantly, the Irish should be characteristically strong on offense and, with the loss of Luke Harangody, improved on defense.  Psychologically, Brey’s teams seem to perform better when expectations are low, so the 7th place projection in the coaches’ poll can serve as motivation for this team.

In light of the foregoing, I would love to pick this team to finish among the top of the league, reach the conference finals and advance beyond the Sweet Sixteen.  Until I see it happen under Mike Brey, however, I remain a skeptic.

Jimmy: 19-11 regular season (10-8 conference)

7th in Big East, Semis of Big East Tournament, 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament

After re-acquainting myself with the roster and perusing the schedule, I'm fairly optimistic about this season's potential.  For whatever reason, Mike Brey squads fare better the less anyone expects them to.  This year fits that description perfectly as most national pundits expect the Irish to struggle trying to replace their terrific twosome.  An adjustment is expected, but the team should find an identity by the time December rolls around. 

Known for loading up on cupcakes with the most frosting, Brey's non-conference scheduling typically causes plenty of head scratching.  By my count, there's three schools of faith to prepare a team year in and year out.  1) Load up with a murderer's row of competition as a true test of your team's abilities, sacrificing early losses for experience and sharpening skills for tourney time.  Tom Izzo demonstrates this scheduling principle better than anyone - and look where his team's ended up 3 of the last 4 years.  2) Strike a balance between a few top notch games (“double boosts”), a glut of decent mid-majors (“smart buys”)  and a couple bottom feeders (“stupid buys”).  It’s no secret that finding middle of the road schools who will turn in winning records from 2nd tier conferences (think MAC, MWC, A-10, MVC) is RPI gold.  3) The path of least resistance, which happens to be Brey's scheduling preference.  Sure, there’s a few high caliber teams hiding the fact that the rest of the non-conference slate is a veritable pu-pu platter.  Problem is, this hurts the team doubly as it poses little team challenge and acts as an RPI anchor come Selection Sunday. 

This year, the non-conference dozen is actually more palatable than others in recent memory, thanks to dates with Kentucky and Gonzaga, plus three solid matchups in the Old Spice Classic.  But the other 7 schools are gawd awful, closing things out with a true Christmas present in the form of Maryland-Baltimore County on Dec. 22nd.  Is that really an accredited college team or a YMCA Rec League All-Stars?  

It's one thing to schedule winnable games.  It's another to scrape the bottom of the barrel for said "buy" wins.  It’s a “stupid buy” in every sense.  I refuse to believe that if ND reached out to schools like Dayton, Creighton, Drexel, UAB, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Ball State that they’re not salivating to sign a deal to work on whatever terms ND sets.  Substitute half of those aforementioned schools on any year's schedule and it drastically improves the competition and RPI windfall.  It's not rocket science.  (Out of curiosity, I looked up all 10 years worth of data for Brey’s non-conference tendencies.  The results are telling.  Check back for a more in-depth review shortly). 

The schedule is what it is and Brey likes to beef up on wins because they're much harder to come by in the BEast, especially now with 18 conference games.  Paradoxically, Brey's best attribute is his consistent Big East record.  Only twice in 10 years has the team had a losing conference record, quite an achievement.  The schedule makers were fairly kind to the Irish with Home and Home matchups with a down UConn, St. John's (a year or two away from being fully rejuvenated by Steve Lavin) and Marquette.  Even with all the attrition and terrific talent that exited the BEast, there's still a number of solid to very good teams.  

Where are the losses?  Don’t think the Irish win the Old Spice Classic.  There’s one loss in there somewhere.  Kentucky and Gonzaga are tall orders, but good measuring sticks.  The 1-2 punch of Georgetown and ‘Cuse to start the Beast schedule will be a rude awakening coming off the third exhibition game.  Road games at Marquette, West Virginia, Pitt and UConn would be eye-opening wins, but losses in my book now.  There’s always room for a bad night, which I think will come in the form of either @ Providence or home to a frisky Seton Hall.  And a home loss to Villanova brings us to 11. 

It will be a fun season as it feels like a fresh start with plenty of new talent gelling before our eyes.  Still not confident enough in Brey to get past the first weekend of March Madness.  I hope I’m dead wrong, just like my Utah doomsday prediction. 

Final Four Picks

Matt:

Michigan State – In Izzo I Trust

Duke – In Coach K and Kyrie Irving I Trust

Syracuse – In Jimmy B and Kris Joseph I trust

Ohio State – In Jared Sullinger and David Lighty I Trust

Mike:

Duke

Michigan State (they should rename the Final Four the Tom Izzo Invitational)

Villanova

Gonzaga

Jimmy:

Michigan State

Duke

Pittsburgh

Ohio State

1^st Team All-Americans

Matt:

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State

Durell Summers, Michigan State

Kyle Singler, Duke

Harrison Barnes, UNC

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Mike:

Kyle Singler, Duke

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State

Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young

Austin Freeman, Georgetown

Jimmy:

Jake Pullen, Kansas State

Austin Freeman, Georgetown

Kyle Singler, Duke

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

WeIs Roundtable: ND Basketball Preview (Part 1)

Are you ready for some hardwood?!  As this roller coaster Year 1 of the Brian Kelly Era winds down, the infant basketball season provides a fresh canvas to extrapolate on what the seasonmay bring.  The WeIs braintrust convened to discuss the 2010-2011 season, to be rolled out in two installments - (1) relevant topics and (2) season predictions.

1) Who Will Be Missed More - Luke Harangody or Tory Jackson?

Mike: Jackson, without question.  Although Harangody was a unique and gifted scoring threat and a capable rebounder, his defense was, to be polite, awful.  Notre Dame has enough playmakers to pick up the slack offensively and the team will benefit from improved interior defense.  Jackson, on the other hand, will be missed badly, and not only because ND will be forced to rely heavily on a true freshman at point guard this year.  Tory showed a special knack for putting the team on his back when things weren’t going well and I do not see anyone on the current roster who shares that ability.    

Jimmy: Make no mistake, there's a significant production void with The Mongoose's graduation.  The school's only player with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds (he’s 2^nd all-time in both categories) could be counted on to "get his" nearly every night.  That said, Gody wasn't exactly a stalwart defender, to put it mildly.  And the offense sometimes fell into ruts as he forced entirely too many poor shots. I know its borderline blasphemous to disparage and minimize the impact of an NBA draft pick and a 4-year leader.  Luuuuke is one of my top 10 favorite ND players ever.  His lunch pail attitude, ability to score in the funkiest manner and knack for rising to the occasion were tremendous.  But the question is who will be missed more this year, Tory or Gody.  And my answer is Tory. 

The Warrior was everything you would want in a 4-year true point guard.  The team ebbed and flowed with his play more than anyone else.  When Gody posted his typical 26 and 12, Tory would quietly have 13 pts, 7 assists and 7 boards, with a huge steal or block sprinkled in.  After the bitter taste Chris Thomas' "leadership" left in everyone's mouth, Tory was Listerine for the soul.  You could tell it was all team, all the time for him.  

As an added bonus to any home game if you knew where to look, Tory's family always sat behind the bench and never shied from dancing in the aisles or yelling words of encouragement at #2.  It was easy to see where he got the joy and passion he played with.  

Taking my small bromance out of the equation and looking objectively at the roster composition, it's a helluva lot tougher to fill the shoes of a 4-year PG with little experience behind him than at PF.  Both will be missed, but I’m sure I’ll find myself pining for Tory much more as the season progresses.

2) Is the “Burn Offense” here to stay?

Mike: Not a chance.  As indicated in my response below, this squad has plenty of gifted offensive players that should mesh together quite well.  The pieces are in place for a return to traditional Irish basketball under Mike Brey, i.e., a relatively up-tempo style with an emphasis on sharing the ball and knocking down threes. 

Jimmy: Just when we though Mike Brey was heading towards a calamitous finish to the season with his best player hurt, the Mock reinvented the entire look and feel to his team by switching gears to the Burn Offense.  Instead of the up-tempo, if-we-can't-stop-you-we'll-outscore-you style, Brey opted for a methodical, plodding flow predicated on taking advantage of opponent mistakes and open looks created by effective spacing and ball movement.  Lo and behold, they became an efficient possession-centric team that dictated play.  Whether it was the personnel or the slower temp saving their legs (or a combination of both), the defense, in turn, became scrappier and more stingy.  The result?  A 6-game win streak, including surprise wins over Marquette, UConn, Georgetown and Pitt (twice!) that propelled the team into the Big Dance.  We'll leave what happened in the tournament out of this discussion for now.  

Has Brey been saving this change of pace style all this time in his back pocket for an emergency situation?  Did it happen organically in practice with the leadership of a veteran floor general?  Did Tinkerbell sprinkle common sense pixie dust into the basketball offices?  I wish I knew the answer to all of these, and I'm not discounting the last question's potential veracity.

Until Brey finds what he’s looking for at the PG spot, the Burn should be employed as it spreads responsibility to all 5 players.  Last season’s small sample size indicates the team is better off operating on both sides through the Burn.  Now, what should happen isn’t the reality our head coach lives in.  Will Brey suddenly change 20 years of reliable patterns of coaching?  Highly unlikely.  I’m sure the offense of old will be back for the better part of this season.  Brey is a bit stubborn and wants to win “his way” instead of evolving and ditching his traditional methods for a formula that works.  At some point, the Burn will resurface, though more out of desperation than design. 

So to answer the question is the Burn Offense here to stay with one word, no.  

3) Team Strengths

Mike:  Offensive Efficiency and Senior Leadership

Throughout the ups and downs of the Brey era, the one constant has been Notre Dame’s ability to score points in bunches.  With a roster full of skilled passers, shooters and scorers, this year should be no different.  The loss of Luke Harangody may seem to be significant at first blush, but the surrounding players, who often became relegated to spectators when Harangody touched the ball, should be able to fill the void.

Jimmy: Veteran Experience

ND is the polar opposite of Kentucky.  Whereas the Wildcats must reload their roster yearly because of the allure of the NBA, ND rarely shares the concern of losing its best early.  And perish the thought that multiple players would bolt early.  Even with the loss of four-year mega-contributors in Jackson and Harangody, the roster is still stocked with experienced players who have years of familiarity in the system.  Such veteran savvy will be leaned upon to hopefully make a Sweet 16 trip for the first time since 2003.

4) Biggest Weakness

Mike:  Quickness/Defense

Some things never change, huh?  Carleton Scott will finally give the Irish a shot blocking threat inside, but this team still appears to lack length and quickness on the perimeter, particularly when compared to its conference brethren.  Accordingly, the emergence of several consistent rebounders is paramount.

Jimmy: Offensive Closer

Total team athleticism aside (which can’t be fixed this year), a gaping void left by Luke and Tory is a go-to player when the team needs a bucket(s) down the stretch.  Gody was an alpha dog offensive beast, while Tory never shied away from big pressure situations.  Plan A and Plan B are gone – what now?  Abromaitis is the best shooter, but he faded fast last year and has to rebuild his confidence.  Carleton Scott might be the de factor option, building on his clutch 3 that sent the Marquette game to OT.  He’s athletic enough to create shots in the post or perimeter.  Hansbrough has the bloodlines to be a go-to guy, but he’s not the same interior presence as 6-inches taller older bro.  Scott Martin is the wildcard unknown commodity as he hasn’t played the college game for 2 years.  He’s receiving some good buzz for his offensive talents.

I’ll be very curious to see what Brey draws up for close contests.  Until someone emerges, this is an Achilles heel that may be the difference in 5-6 games.  How’s that bubble feeling?

5) State of the Program

Mike:  Same As It Ever Was

After a lopsided loss to Syracuse that I had the misfortune of attending in 2009, I wrote an article on this blog regarding Notre Dame’s lack of commitment to excellence in basketball as it relates to Mike Brey’s future at ND.  From the time of that article until the Georgetown game last year, which I also attended, it appeared that the program was hopelessly mired in mediocrity.  In fact, I wrote letters to John Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick to express my disgust with the state of the program and to suggest multiple solutions.  Still waiting for Savvy Jack to write me back.

Anyway, last year’s late turnaround was encouraging and Brey certainly must be commended for rallying the troops after the injury to Luke Harangody.  Still, as is always the case with Notre Dame basketball, one step forward was matched by an immediate step back, as the disappointing loss to Old Dominion reinforced that Notre Dame is still far from the nation’s elite on the hardwood.  As such, I expect another standard season under Brey:  solid offense, weak defense, a big win or two, an early exit in the Big East tournament and an NIT berth or first round exit in the NCAA tournament.

Jimmy: Groundhog Day

It has become a bubble existence for Notre Dame basketball in year 11 of the Mike Brey Era.  The average RPI rank over the last five years is a quasi-respectable, yet tenuous, 52 – very bubbalicious.  Apparently the Mock thrives on the whimsy of a committee determining the fate of his hard work year in and year out.  Needless to say, it’s a little maddening for the devoted fanbase who follows this little brother program as religiously as its gridiron counterpart.

We pretty much know what to expect at this point from the head coach - 3 scoops of vanilla & 2 scoops of chocolate leading a perimeter based offense that rides hot hands for scoring.  Brey's teams have never been confused with lockdown defenses that impose their will without the ball.  Much too often over the years, the team has been susceptible to allowing easy buckets in the paint.  Once in a blue moon, a Mike Brey team surprises people with their athleticism.  Brey has notorious substitution patterns, relying on a short bench for reasons only he knows.  

Brey gets credit for waking the echoes of the hoops program, returning the team to the NCAA Tournament in his first 3 years - the first visit the Irish made since 1990 (thanks for the memories John McLeod).  Those first three trips (2nd round in 2001, 2nd round in 2002 and Sweet 16 in 2003) equal the three best tourney finishes under Brey.  The team has made three subsequent trips to March Madness, but have flamed out early in all three instances. 

One significant step forward for the program is the recent, and long-awaited, Joyce Center renovation.  Included in the more cozy environment is the installation of a jumbotron screen, which, from what I hear, is loud and confusingly displays the game action for those not-really-nose-bleed seats.  I’ve embraced the pyrotechnic hip-hop intro for starting lineups.  It’s fun for the players and fans.  Give Brey credit for this technologic improvement as a necessary recruiting tool.  Not that what ND does is better than other schools, but at least it’s something. 

Basketball will always play second fiddle to football at ND.  Once you get past that, there's still room for growth.  Brey’s merits are praiseworthy, while his shortcomings continue to stunt the program from reaching higher on the apple tree.  We have yet to see whether Swarbrick has bigger visions of grandeur to chase that opportunity or continue embracing the warm, fuzzy (and stagnant) feeling that Michael Brey's expansive assortment of mock turtles provides.  For now, why don’t we throw in a Michael Bublé album and play some Trivial Pursuit with our lovable bubble team. 

The Cradle of Coaches (Part 2)

Here's part 1 of the Big East Coaches breakdown. On with the countdown:

7. Bob Huggins, West Virginia

Vitals: 13-8 (Big East, 1 year); 616-222 (Overall, 25 years); 22-16 NCAAs

Coach Thuggins is a relative newbie to the Big East brand of basketball, but his Bearcat teams of yore (remember the days of the Metro and Great Midwest Conferences?) would have fit right in. In 23 years, including an early successful stint at Akron, Huggins-led teams won 20 or more games 20 times! His overall record is certainly an impressive body of work, except for the unfortunate history of early round flameouts. Out of 14 Bearcat Big Dance recitals, 10 talented teams perished in the first or second round, plaguing Huggins' legacy which started promising with trips to the Final Four and Elite Eight in his 3rd and 4th seasons in the 'Nati. Now he returns to his alma mater to continue building the tradition that John Bielein started. His teams aren't always the most talented, but they get after the ball and make things difficult for the opposition. Let's just hope that this scene doesn't unfold again on the country roads of West Virginia.

6. Mike Brey, Notre Dame

Vitals: 83-58 (Big East, 7 years); 266-138 (Overall, 12 years); 5-7 NCAAs

Man, I wish the two-time defending Big East Coach of the Year could be higher, especially on the heels of a stirring victory over the Hoyas. But I can't in good conscience bump him ahead of Jimmy B. Yes, ND has won the last 3 games vs. 'Cuse, but in the 9 previous meetings, the Irish were victorious once. Brey is still coming into his own in South Bend, establishing a program that excels with offensive fluidity and a healthy reliance on the long ball. Brey's teams traditionally have lacked a consistent lockdown defense, their Achilles heel come BET and NCAA tourney time. For all of the regular season success ND has enjoyed in the Big East, including one regular season championship, Brey is only 3-8 under the lights of Madison Square Garden in the Big East Tournament. At this point, going deeper into the tournament is essential for the program to reach the next level of success. All but one of the coaches ahead of him has taken a team to the Final Four. He learned at the foot of Coach K for 9 years and knows what that kind of success is built on. His penchant for unearthing diamonds in the rough is evident with the resounding success of Luke "The Mongoose" Harangody, as well as Rob Kurz, Chris Quinn, and Russell Carter. Brey is the ultimate player's coach who doesn't ride his guys too hard and expectations are clear. On top of all of this, Mike Brey is the unofficial founder of the CMOB (Coaches for Mocks On the Bench), a movement that saw it's membership swell to at least 2 in 2005. The mock personifies Brey's class and personable demeanor as a man of the people. In the Mock I Trust.

5. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

Vitals: 342-192 (Big East, 29 years); 771-278 (Overall, 32 years); 40-24 NCAAs

The institution man, Boeheim is a rare breed who married himself to the Orangemen, through good times and bad. Except there haven't really been any "bad" times (well, there was that microphone problem). Boeheim was an overachieving walk-on who became a starter, helping lead the Dave Bing-led Orangemen to the Elite Eight. He joined the bench as an assistant coach in 1972 before taking the reins in 1976, going a ridiculous 100-18 in his first four years on the job. The man has never felt the pangs of a losing season in his 32+ years at Syracuse. He's reached the summit of the basketball world three times, claiming the championship prize in 2003. A stellar 12 combined Big East regular season and tournament championships banners hang in the Carrier Dome. The Big East has bestowed top coach honors three times. He's on his way to his 30th 20-win season. It's no shock that he's the all-time winningest coach in conference history. The man already has a bust in Springfield and the ultimate reward, his home court named after him (Doug still holds out hope that Brey will reach this level of accomplishment. You can help!) Scores of NBA-caliber players harnessed their skills under Boeheim's direction - Pearl Washington, Rony Seikaly, Sherman Douglas, Derrick Coleman, Billy Owens, John Wallace, Lawrence Moten, Etan Thomas, Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick, the "overrated" Gerry McNamara and the illustrious Danny Schayes. His trademark 2-3 matchup zone distinguished Syracuse teams for years. Now, it's growing a little stale. How can a man with this resume fall to 5th? Because this is a snapshot with his recent body of work weighing more heavily on the ranking. In the five seasons since winning the title, 'Cuse made one Sweet 16, two first round exits, and two NIT's. The man has accomplished plenty, but his time is drawing nigh. If Mike Brey comes out of the Carrier Dome with a victory on Jan. 17th, you can bet I'll be swapping their places.

4. John Thompson III, Georgetown

Vitals: 54-23 (Big East, 4 years); 168-78 (Overall, 8 years); 7-5 NCAAs
The successor to his father's powerhouse program, JT3 has quickly asserted himself as a top-notch coach who preaches disciplined defense and the motion offense perfected at Princeton. SI wrote an excellent article on the man finding his way from underneath his father's large shadow. Learning from the Yoda master, Pete Carril, from 1995-2000, Thompson led Princeton to 3 Ivy League titles and two NCAA trips in his four seasons. It's a testament to his coaching prowess that Georgetown has excelled with the same system while Bill Carmody struggles with very little success at Northwestern. Granted, the Hoyas enjoy a higher profile as a basketball school, but Thompson has proven to be a capable teacher of the deliberate style. He wasted no time making a splash in 2004, righting the ship from Craig Esherick's torpedo job. The Hoyas made the Sweet 16 in his second season, giving eventual champs Florida their hardest battle. He followed that up with a BET championship and a run to the Final Four in 2007. The Hoyas dominated the Big East last year, adding a regular season banner before being upset by the tournament's Cinderella, Davidson. Now that JT3 has tasted the sweet nectar of the biggest stage, you can bet he'll have his teams hell bent on returning to that level. He added a major piece for such a run with dominant freshman big man Greg Monroe. JT3 will only get better as his Georgetown roots grow. Get accustomed to the Hoyas churning out quality teams like an Amish butter maid.

3. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut

Vitals: 254-141 (Big East, 21 years); 750-328 (Overall, 35 years); 39-16 NCAAs
Credit belongs to one man for putting Connecticut basketball on the map - James "Montgomery" Calhoun. Starting with his first college job at Northeastern in 1972, he laid the groundwork for his first successful program. 14 seasons later, with 5 NCAA tournament appearances and one NBA All-Star under his belt, he left in 1986 for the opportunity to ply his trade in the best conference. It was a rude awakening, going 9-19, only his fourth losing season in 35 years. It would be the last losing season at UConn. The following year, the Huskies won the NIT. By 1990, UConn had risen to the top of the Big East and advanced to the Elite Eight. Already, Calhoun had transformed an unheard of program in Storrs, CT, and he was just getting started. Since his arrival, Connecticut has won two titles, reached seven Elite Eights, raised a combined 12 Big East regular season and tournament banners, and opened the gates of talent flowing to the NBA. For as much hype as North Carolina and Duke receive, no other school has as many alums currently in the NBA as Calhoun's Connecticut. The list of Calhoun bred professionals reads like an All-Star roster: Reggie Lewis, Cliff Robinson, Donyell Marshall, Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Caron Butler, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Rudy Gay. That's not even half of the players who made the league. For all of the talent that has passed through the door, UConn has underachieved in recent years, not living up to the lofty expectations that come with a dominant program. Since winning the 2004 championship, UConn has lost in the 2nd round, Elite 8 (when they were everyone's proverbial favorite), missed the postseason for the first time since Calhoun's first year in Storrs, and lost in last year's 1st round to San Diego. Calhoun, like Boeheim, is an institution on campus. He's also been elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame. But the end is near for this legend, especially in light of his ongoing cancer treatment. Will the Huskies send him away in style or buckle under the hype again?

2. Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh

Vitals: 66-31 (Big East, 5 years); 131-41 (Overall, 5 years); 6-5 NCAAs

Consider me a Jamie Dixon apologist. I love his style and the way his teams play. I love his fiery disposition, yet he rarely blows a gasket. I love how he does more with the talent on his roster than any other coach in the league, save one. Dixon jumped around assistant coach spots from 1991-1999 before joining Howland's original staff at Pitt, having already shared a bench with Howland at Northern Arizona. In four short years, Howland and Dixon changed the culture of basketball at Pittsburgh, a program with 1 winning season over the 6 previous years. After a transition year, the fruits of their labor were in place as Pitt made the finals of the BET two successive years before winning in 2003, Howland's final year. The fate of the program lay in the hands of a guy who had never been a head coach before. To say he's exceeded expectations is an understatement. Dixon's 105 victories in his first four seasons is the second highest win total ever for a coach to start his career. In five years at the helm, he has won 10 conference games every season, including one regular season and one tournament championship. Regular season consistency is a hallmark of the program, but Pitt truly thrives in the BET, amassing an 11-4 record and playing in the championship game 4 of his 5 years. The biggest feather missing from his cap is guiding the Panthers past the Sweet Sixteen. With their recent ascension to the #1 ranking, this year's team looks primed to accept that challenge.

1. Rick Pitino, Louisville

Vitals: 51-38 (Big East, 5 years); 521-191 (Overall, 22 years); 35-12 NCAAs
If there were a Mount Rushmore of Big East coaches, Pitino wouldn't be on it since his greatest success occurred in Lexington. Yet he's still guided two different Big East schools to the Final Four - the only coach ever to lead three different schools to the sport's promised land. (You may be wondering who my Mt. Rushmore of Big East coaches would be? Without dissecting the numbers, I'd go with Boeheim, Calhoun, Thompson, Sr. and Luigi Carnesecca - the George Washington type figurehead. Apologies to Rollie Masimino as the odd man out). Pitino is the quintessential college coach, having proved that his style isn't conducive to the NBA. His teams make life positively miserable for the opposition with full-court pressure defense. An up-tempo offense spreads the wealth to everyone on the court, epitomizing the adage that the sum is greater than its parts. Try and name 5 players from Pitino's teams with Providence, Kentucky and Louisville who had meaningful careers in the NBA. I'm stuck at Jamal Mashburn, Tony Delk, Ron Mercer and Francisco Garcia. He's unlike Calhoun, who's been blessed with prodigious talent, in that he coaches up hen-picked players to run (and keep running) in his system. A master motivator, he consistently gets his teams to believe in their abilities and accomplish great things. He's only experienced one losing collegiate season out of 22, his 3rd year with Boston University. Providence, of all schools, reached the Final Four in his second year. He bolted to the Knicks and enjoyed success before the allure of restoring to prominence a once proud Kentucky program presented itself. Mind you, this was a program on probation for 2 years. Undaunted, Pitino ripped off 7 seasons of extraordinary success from 1991-1997, never losing more than 7 games. In the six seasons they were eligible for postseason play, the Wildcats reached two Elite Eights and three Final Fours, capturing the crown in 1996. The failed Celtics experiment brought Pitino back to the Big East in 2001, where the Cardinals have won 20+ games six times over seven seasons, including a trip to the 2005 Final Four. Squaring off against Rick Pitino is like playing dice with the devil. The chance to get burned is omnipresent. You know walking out of the locker room that he's the smartest person in the arena and you'll need a monumental effort to pull a victory out. How much longer Pitino will prowl the Louisville sidelines is anyone's guess with his propensity for chasing bigger challenges. But while he's still in the Big East, there isn't a better coach out there.

Anthony Crater leaving OSU and considering ND

Big big news out of Columbus this weekend with the decision of freshman point guard Anthony Crater to transfer from Ohio State. I must say that I was shocked to hear it. Crater was a pretty big recruit and the future at point guard for the Buckeyes, and I think he probably would have been starting by the mid-point of this season. He is saying that he didn't like the style of play at Ohio State, and he thought he was going to be starting from day one (he is currently behind a JUCO pg on the depth chart).

Anyway, the article in the Columbus Dispatch seems to indicate that Crater has ND down as one of the schools he is considering. ND has had some good luck with transfers in the past, and I think he would be a good get for the Irish if he has his head on straight. I've only seen Crater in a handful of games, but he has talent and great potential. He's sort of a Tory Jackson type player who can get to the bucket, but he's a good passer and good defender. In the ND style offense, he could be really successful.

ND needs to find a point guard in one of the next two recruiting classes. If we got Crater, he could be ready to play as a backup to Tory by next January and then take over the point guard job in 2010. Could be an intriguing scenario. It would be nice to have another point guard on the roster next year, so that we have don't have growing pains in 2010 of a freshman point guard.

On the other side of the coin is the crumbling empire of Thad Matta and Ohio State basketball. I don't know what is going on with his program, but they can't seem to hold onto guys or create any stability. They've now had 4 one and dones (Oden, Conley, Cook, and Koufos), one more likely one and done (Mullens) who is whispering that he wants out, and two high-profile transfers who left in their freshmen years (Crater and Evan Wallace). That is some serious turnover. If Mullens leaves after this year, this vaunted 2008 recruiting class will basically be wiped out. In other words, it was a complete waste to spend 3-4 years recruiting those guys.

I don't know how Thad is going to ever build a stable program at Ohio State when he has to revamp the roster every year. Matta is creating a scenario where he is going to be relying on freshmen and sophomores every single year. You can't win that way. One of the most important aspects of being a head coach in college is that you need to be a good program manager. You need to have a long term plan for how to build a program in terms of recruiting and roster management. I think Thad Matta is a very good basketball coach, but we've never really had a chance to see him at a program for more than a couple of years. He was only at Butler for 2 years and only at Xavier for 3 years. Now that he's in his fifth year at Ohio State, he's starting to show some serious flaws in terms of building a roster. It seems like Thad is either chasing one and done superstars or JUCOs and marginal guys. There's no middle ground of 4 year quality starter types.

Managing your roster is half the battle in college basketball. If you can't get your players to commit to the team and think long term as being part of the program, you aren't doing your job. Even though I knocked Rick Barnes for his coaching abilities, there is no denying that he knows how to manage a program and keep his blue-chip recruits happy and hungry. Can I take back what I said about Matta compared to Rick Barnes? That might be the dumbest thing I've said.

If I was Thad Matta, I would get out of the AAU scene for awhile. He somehow convinced himself that he needed to get into the AAU scene to win at Ohio State, and I just don't think he's an AAU kinda guy. Matta is a young guy, but he's more of an old school coach who likes to win with defense. And yet I'm getting the impression from the players and their AAU coaches that Matta was out on the recruiting trail promising all these guys that they'd be starting from day one and that the team would be up-tempo and that they'd build the offense around them. Those are flat-out lies. It's almost like Thad told his recruits whatever they wanted to hear just to get them to come to Ohio State even though he had no intention to follow through with his promises. You can't do that with players, and Thad is going to start getting a bad reputation in the AAU world if he doesn't watch it. Koufos's high school coach was bashing Thad last spring, and now we have Crater's AAU coach just killing Thad in the paper. Not a good sign. He has 2-3 "Burger Boys" coming in for 2010, but why wouldn't a guy like Tom Crean or some other coach be calling those guys right now and saying that Thad can't hold onto his players?

If you are going to recruit AAU types, you better be prepared to deal with egos and handlers and all that. And if you tell recruits that you are going to be up tempo and then play slowdown Big 10 basketball, you better be prepared for players to start getting upset and wanting out. Thad is a good coach who can win with rugged Midwest kids who are team players, and that's the type of kids he should be going after for the next few years. Get the 3-4 star types to build a foundation and then go after the right fits from the elite level.

As an ND fan, I like what Mike Brey has done with regards to recruiting. I know he gets some flak from ND fans about his recruiting, but I'd rather have underrated, committed 3 stars than some hot dog 4-5 star who doesn't want to play team ball and starts griping if he isn't getting his shots or minutes or whatever. Brey finds these underrated kids who know how to play the game and care more about the team than their stats.

On second thought, I don't know if I'd even want somebody like Crater on ND's roster unless he really just didn't like Thad and needed a change of scenery. His AAU coach was basically implying that Crater was on the "2-3 year plan" to the NBA, which is complete nonsense. That kid is going to be LUCKY to get drafted after a four year career no matter where he goes.

Finally, I wanted to put in a plug for my man Bob Huggins. When it's all said and done, Bob Huggins will go down as the most underrated basketball coach of the last 25 years in my opinion. He absolutely took Thad Matta to school on Saturday. I've seen him do it for years, so it wasn't exactly a surprise. And for anyone who thinks that Huggins can only win with "thugs", take a look at his WVU teams. Those kids are regular college kids, and he went to the Sweet 16 last year and most likely will have another dangerous team this year.

Huggins is a WINNER, period. He could win anywhere. He won at Walsh College, he won at Akron and took them to the NCAAs, he won UC when they were a hoops dormat, he won at Kansas State, and he is now winning at West Virginia. Huggs is an Ohio guy, and I actually think Ohio State should have hired him a decade ago after Randy Ayers got fired in 1997. He would have been phenomenal at Ohio State, and it's a shame that OSU didn't have the guts to go after him back then.

Notre Dame-Ohio State at the Luke

Man, there are some great sporting events this weekend. I couldn't be more excited about the college football and basketball that we'll have at our disposal on Saturday. I'm headed to Indy for the Lucas Oil doubleheader. Should be an outstanding event.

Some quick thoughts on the ND-Ohio State game.

1) No Harangody - How will we respond to playing without our best player on Saturday?? With the announcement that Harangody is not playing on Saturday, it seems like people are starting to worry about the game against the Buckeyes.

Guess I'm just not that worried about how we'll play without Harangody. Luke is obviously a very important part of our team, but Mike Brey coached teams have never shied away from lighting it up on the perimeter. Until Harangody arrived on campus, we were a perimeter-oriented team. As long as guys like McAlarney and Ayers are knocking down shots from the outside, we'll find ways to score plenty of points. Ohio State relies on a zone defense this year, so KMAC and Ayers will get plenty of looks from three point land. Harangody will be missed, but I expect that we'll use a Harangody-by-committee to make up for him.

Harangody is not exactly a premier defender, so we won't suffer much if at all defensively. I am a little worried about our rebounding, but Ohio State is even shakier on the boards than us. I've watched every Buckeye game this year, and they are not a good rebounding team at all. They are starting a 6'4" power forward (David Lighty) who is not exactly a power rebounder. BJ Mullens and Dallas Lauderdale are their other big men, and both those guys are very raw and still learning how to play college basketball.

2) Tory Jackson - Tory is always a key player for the Irish, and he has a great matchup on Saturday. Ohio State is currently starting a junior college transfer, Jeremie Simmons, at the point, and their backup point guard is a highly-touted freshman, Anthony "Noopy" Crater. Simmons is a pretty good shooter, but he's still getting into the flow of the Buckeye offense. He doesn't appear to be a guy who can get to the bucket and distribute. Crater looks like he has some potential, but he hasn't played that many minutes so far.

Either way, Tory Jackson is an experienced, All Big East caliber junior. Big mismatch in favor of the Irish.

3) ND supporting cast - With no Harangody, we are going to need the Zellers and Hilleslands and Nashes to step it up.

Just a hunch, but I have a feeling that Hillesland might have a nice day on Saturday. With his size and skill set, he has a potential mismatch on Lighty if he takes advantage of it.

4) Experience - KEY factor in this game. Ohio State is a VERY young team. Ridiculously young. They start 3 true sophomores, 1 junior, and a JUCO transfer at point guard. Their bench is basically all freshmen. I think they will be much better at the end of the year, but they are going to have some struggles until guys discover their roles on this team.

From what I have seen about Ohio State, they are very streaky. When they get a little confidence, they can get into a rhythm offensively. But on the whole, they have problems scoring. In that Miami game, they could not do anything offensively in the first half, and they had a lot of games like that last year. It just seems like they are going to need some time until they start to gel as a team. In college basketball, you need defined roles, and you need to know who can rely on game in and game out. While I think Ohio State has some big time talent, they've had issues last year and this year with guys being on the same page.

On the other hand, this Notre Dame team seems like it has been together for 10 years. Ayers, Jackson, KMac, Hillesland, and Zeller have been playing together for 3 years. They have experienced just about every situation in every environment. There are very few teams in the country as experienced as this Notre Dame team. The Maui trip was a great way to get our team ready for the season right out of the chute, so we should be in midseason form heading into Saturday.

5) Buckeyes young guns -

I've watched most of the Buckeyes' games so far, so here's my quick rundown on their key players.

Evan Turner - sophomore shooting guard; probably the best all-around player on the team, but he is still very inconsistent. Case in point, he picks up two charges in the first five minutes of the Miami game, sits out for about 18 minutes, and then dominates the last 15 minutes of the game. He's going to be a star if he stays all four years at Ohio State, but he's not ready to be the go-to guy just yet. He's a slasher with a good mid-range game, but probably needs to work on his shot. Turner is a good defender, good passer and playmaker, but he's not quite ready to carr the team at this point.

Jon Diebler - Probably the most controversial player on the Buckeyes team; highly-touted, all time leading scorer in Ohio high school hoops history, but he was turrrrrrible last year. He just didn't seem to be ready physically for D-I hoops, but he has looked much better this year as a sophomore. Very streaky shooter who can absolutely light it up when he's hot. Should be an interesting matchup with Ryan Ayers.

BJ Mullens - Mullens came to Ohio State as a five star recruit and likely NBA lottery pick, but I haven't seen it with this guy yet. He's a legit 7 footer, but I haven't been as impressed with him athletically as I thought I would be. He's still pretty raw, and sort of lumbering. I don't know, maybe he's just not comfortable in D-I hoops yet, but Mullens is a long way from being a big time player. At the moment, he's not even starting for the Buckeyes. His biggest strength at the moment is rebounding, but he's pretty soft defensively and hasn't shown much offensively yet.

Dallas Lauderdale - Yet another sophomore. This dude is a physical freak with a big time body and a 7'3" winspan. Looks like he should be playing tight end for the Buckeyes. He's still very raw though and has limited offensive skills. He's been starting at the center spot, but he's basically splitting time with Mullens. Lauderdale has a bright future if he keeps working on his game.

William Buford - Five star freshman recruit who has not played a whole lot so far. I'll say this about Buford. He might be the most talented player on the team. Honest to god, he has a Lebron type body, and he can jump and shoot. But he also looks like a typical freshman who doesn't know what he's doing. I don't expect to see him much in the game against ND though.

The Buckeyes have some serious talent in the freshman and sophomore classes, but these guys are all really inconsistent. If Thad can actually hang onto some of them, they could be a real good team down the road.

6) Michael Montgomery Brey vs. Thaddeus Montgomery Matta!! -- Two of my favorite coaches in all of sports and two of the classiest guys you will ever see. Should be fun to see those two pacing the sidelines on Saturday. Hopefully Brey will be sporting his trademark mock turtleneck, and hopefully Thad will be chomping on that bubble gum.

Quick Thad update: It seems like his foot still hasn't healed. His limp has been even worse this year. Sounds like the nerve damage in his foot may not ever be fixed, so the talk is that his condition may become permanent. He's been using a cane at times this year. Very sad stuff. I hope for the best for Coach Matt.

Pick: ND 75 Ohio State 65

ND has too much experience for the Buckeyes in this game. We obviously need some people to step up without Harangody, but I feel confident about this game. The Buckeyes could be formidable down the road, but they are still growing up as a team. ND has already grown up, and guys like Tory and KMac have been playing in these types of games for years. We are battled tested, and will be ready to go.