What was said in 12,000-plus word Notre Dame men's basketball chat?
Tom Noie
Thomas Noie: It's April, which means it's time to put a period on the 2023-24 Notre Dame men's basketball season, its first under head coach Micah Shrewsberry. There were ups (wins in six of the final 10 games, including an ACC tournament win) and downs (too many, really, to remember). But there was also progress. Notre Dame got better. It got Shrewsberry. It took the first step that it needed to take to get better, to be better, to go where Shrewsberry believes this program can go. Today, we look back and look ahead. To join today's chat, be sure to include BOTH your name and hometown with your question or comment. With that, you know the drill...let's light this chat candle...
Kevin: Do you see losing anyone to the pitiful (my opinion) transfer portal because that would be a shame. Thanks Thomas Noie: Kevin: I'll assume you also meant to say losing ...anyone else to the transfer portal. As of now (8:40 a.m. Thursday, April 4), there are three former Notre Dame players in the transfer portal, which currently carries the names of ....checks portal ... 1,388 players seeking a fresh start somewhere else. Former Irish players Alex Wade and Matt Zona jumped into the portal days after it opened on March 18. On Monday, freshman forward Carey Booth announced plans to transfer. Here's a link to that story: https://tinyurl.com/58e8z87a Thomas Noie: Carey Booth left open the possibility of returning to Notre Dame after weighing his options, but the chances of that happening are about as good as having Bruce Springsteen play my daughter's high school graduation party next summer. Don't hold your breath.
Guest: Fred, Phoenix. What can ND do in the off season get our bigs play in the paint rather than “ hover” around the perimeter? When you have presence in the paint; the whole offense will open up. We have size, now use it! Thomas Noie: Fred: Two-fold answer. It would be nice if Notre Dame could send junior-to-be Kebba Njie to some sort of big man camp (those used to be a thing in summer) to learn how to be a post player. Njie was hampered this year by a broken hand suffered early in preseason camp. He never really got confident catching the ball and making post moves. He's not that kind of player, which leads us to this - go get a legit, proven, experienced big man in the portal. Someone who has that presence, who you can throw the ball into and then play off of. That's not Njie, who may be better suited for more of a fit-in role than a front-line guy. He was asked/expected to do something he couldn't do this season. That can't be the case next year.
Linas from the O.C: Hey Tom, Loved the Zona article from senior night. Really captured what college hoops is all about. I actually thought he should have gotten more playing time this season, especially in the 2nd half of games. Then again, Zona should have gone to the basket a bit more too with teams expecting him to shoot the three. 3 questions: 1- Any chance Zona comes back if he doesn't get many nibbles from the portal? 2 - Do you see J.Roper taking over as that "glue guy" off the bench if Zona departs? 3 - Which of the three freshmen do you foresee really challenging for a starting position. Thx! Thomas Noie: Linas: Agree 200 percent that Matt Zona was a true team guy. Not so much about that he should've played more. He was one of four Irish to appear in all 33 games. He shot only .317 percent from 3 and, this is probably why he averaged only 11.2 minutes per game, .353 percent from the foul line. Can't lean any more on a big guy who can't make free throws. If Matt Zona wants to drop down a level (think Patriot League) he'll have no shortage of suitors. I know the popular opinion of (name the team's) fanbase is to have player A, B or C return, but at some point, it's best for all involved to get a fresh start. Zona cherished his time at Notre Dame, but it's time for him to go and do something somewhere else... Thomas Noie: I really liked the role Julian Roper settled into late in the year. He was a bit overwhelmed as a starter, but give him a chance to defend and make a shot in shorter bursts and he showed what he could do. Sixth man? Why not. As for next year, Sir Mohammed has a chance to challenge for a starting spot. Again, I hold off on anointing any incoming freshman ready for college until I actually see them play against college guys, but it would be a mild surprise if Mohammed isn't game ready when he arrives in June.
Jim Reagan, Charlottesville, VA: Hello Tom. I think the inexperienced Irish players improved in Defense and Rebounding this season. Do the Coaches plan for them to upgrade specific Offensive skills in preparing for next season? Say for example, Njie, interior footwork, Davis, outside shooting; JRK, catch/shoot and finishing at the rim? Thomas Noie: Jim: That would be the next logical step. Micah Shrewsberry knew this team would have its struggles offensively this season, which is why he put so emphasis on defense and rebounding. Now that emphasis has, has, has to shift to being better offensively. This team can rebound and defend all day, but scoring 64.0 ppg., isn't going to win you enough games to be good enough to get to where they want to go. Part of that improvement from Njie and Davis and JRK will come with just being in the system, playing together and knowing each other's tendencies. Remember, NONE of these guys had ever played together, let alone really knew each other as players this season. It was literally five guys thrown together like a noon pickup game. Reps in spring, reps in summer, reps in fall should lead to better offensive options, production, etc.
Mike,New Jersey: Hey Tom, coming off the Booth transfer news and just the overall mayhem of the portal in general , is there any push to lower the difficulty of getting a sophomore or junior transfer into the program ? Long term it will be difficult if the program can only go after a small portion of portal entrees. Thomas Noie: Mike: Julian Roper was a junior when he arrived from Northwestern. Tae Davis and Kebba Njie were sophomores when they arrived from Notre Dame and Penn State. It's more about fit than a specific class. Finding that is always going to be a long-term issue for Notre Dame. It's never been about quantity. It's been about quality. It has to be. That's not going to change.
Mike: With Booth leaving and everything going on in college basketball why would anyone want be a coach? Same for the fans. I am 77 and had season tickets for 35 or so years. With the state of college basketball will have to rethink it this year. Thomas Noie: Mike: It's definitely a Tylenol (or something stronger) moment for a college coach, who doesn't know who's going to be on his roster from year to year. Don't shed a tear for them, though. They're compensated well enough to have to figure all that out. It used to be not too long ago that you'd get to the end of a season and think, there may be one and maybe two guys who could/would transfer. Now you look at the roster and think that everybody MIGHT leave. It's college basketball 2024, where rooting for the name on the front of the jersey more than rooting for the name on the back of the jersey has never been so true.
Guest: How many employees does Notre Dame have in compliance within the Athletic Department? And none of this “Vice Presidents of Something Tangentially Relevant” identified the “nose-ring” issue in advance? The Athletic Department has never been the poster child for accountability, I don’t recall any firings in the SID Department after the Lennay Kenya debacle either. Thomas Noie: Notre Dame compliance catching strays here! Didn't see that coming. Think your frustration should lie more with the NCAA than Notre Dame about the great Hannah Hidalgo nose ring issue. Don't know how much of a factor not having Hidalgo for four minutes of actual game action (you would've liked the voice mail I received from someone who hollered that it was 17 minutes of real time, but I digress) that played in the (-18) rebounding margin or 40 points allowed in the paint...😃
Guest: Was Carey Booth entering the portal a surprise? Any reasoning why he entered? Thomas Noie: As mentioned earlier, in this day and age of the transfer portal and college basketball, it can't be a surprised if anyone enters the portal. It's a year-to-year proposition for basketball coaches and their rosters. When you give every single player the option of leaving with immediately eligibility, this is the result. Thomas Noie: Why did Carey Booth transfer? Let's just say it had nothing to do with NIL. Nothing.
Rob Thitoff: Are there any centers that the ND staff is targeting in the portal? Thomas Noie: Rob: Not sure outside of Zach Edey or Donovan Clingan that the center position really exists in college basketball. You get one of those guys, you have a center. How many teams have guys like that? Not many. Notre Dame is targeting power forwards, though. Experienced power forwards. Veteran power forwards. Power forwards who have proven they can do it at the college level. Power forwards who have averaged double figures for points and rebounds. Find someone who fits that criteria and Notre Dame will have interest.
Bob from chicago: what is the backstory on Booth and the portal ? Guessing it is NIL related, but could his lack of playing time until late in the season have anything to do with the decision ? Big setback for the program if he leaves Thomas Noie: Bob: Carey Booth's decision to transfer, and no, he's not coming back, has nothing to do with NIL. It's not academics. It's not his lack of playing time. He played nearly 20 minutes a game this season. Big setback for the program? Ten years ago, maybe. This may also be addition by subtraction. Micah Shrewsberry has many needs for his roster. What he really needs are players, be it freshmen or sophomores or juniors or seniors, who are absolutely in with both feet. Not in with both feet? There's the door.
J.J. P: It was a season of highs and lows for ND MBB this year, but one that I'd say ended more or less meeting most realistic preseason forecasts. Looking ahead to Year Two of Shrewsberry's tenure, what is the worst-case, best-case and realistic season prediction for the Irish? What are some storylines/developments that might occur over the offseason that could provide an indicator that said worst-case or best-case forecasts might be more accurate? Thomas Noie: J.J.: Good stuff. Worst case? Notre Dame treads water next season and again plays on the first day of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, something that Micah Shrewsberry was adamant that his program wasn't going to do. Best case? They add enough of the right pieces and develop such a chemistry that they finish somewhere in the top half of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Realistic case? Go from 7-13 in the league and 9-8 at home to somewhere around 10-10 or 11-9 in the league and 12-13 home wins. Notre Dame's staff will believe it can and should do more, but this is still a small-steps situation. Thomas Noie: As for offseason developments? Easy. The transfer portal. How does Notre Dame utilize it? Who are the needed roster additions to fill in the gaps that currently exist on the 2024-25 roster. Can Sir Mohammed have a freshman season anywhere close to the freshman season that Markus Burton had? Can the Irish avoid any long-term injury? How do they gel on the expected foreign tour? So many summer storylines.
Lenny G. from Cali: Ugh. Carey Booth. Ok, did you see this coming in terms of body language or something Booth said during the season? How does Shrews deal with this behind the scenes in terms of one of the best prospects at Notre Dame in decades entering the portal? Considering Booth left open the possibility of coming back, is Micah trying hard to keep him here or looking for replacements in the portal with the "you don't want to be here 100% then we don't want you here."? Thomas Noie: Lenny: Let's start with this. Carey Booth is a great kid. Never had an issue with him. Found him pleasant to deal with and thoughtful and wanting to be good, but at the end of the day, he was a freshman trying to figure it out. Let's tap the brakes on how "one of the best prospects at Notre Dame in decades" is transferring. You mean, like J.J. Starling? There was very little Booth showed this season that made you, Whoa, this kid's got it. He was so raw, so young, so still trying to figure it out. He'll have to figure it out somewhere else.
Chad from Toledo: Couple things :How does Burton go from “let’s give him an offer bc he’s local kid”! To ACC Freshman of the year?His game that suspect when Brey was recruiting him??Also love the growth of this team and its competitiveness!Name ND starting 5 next year that gets them in the NCAA Tournament??Thanks for the chats!! Thomas Noie: Chad: Why did Markus Burton become MARKUS BURTON!!!! Easy. He had to be all that just for Notre Dame to have a chance. Say Burton arrives in 2022-23 when Notre Dame had Cormac Ryan and J.J. Starling and Trey Wertz. He doesn't get the chance to lead the team in scoring and assists and steals and minutes and everything else. He's a back-end-of-the-rotation guy who has to wait his turn. Burton was the only pure point guard/handler on this year's team. He HAD to play. He HAD to score. He had to do what he did. Part of that is circumstance, sure, but part of it was the drive of Burton, who's all of 5-foot-10 on his best day, saying, yeah, they're doubting that I can play at this elite a level, but I'm going to show them. Shows again that you can't measure a kid's heart. Thomas Noie: And I'll take a pass on the second part of the question in naming a starting five. If Notre Dame does what it's supposed to do in the transfer portal, someone in next year's starting lineup isn't yet on the roster. Save that question for the fall when all the portal pieces are in place. The starting five offered in April as opposed to August may look a LOT different.
Mark Kruz from Mishawaka: Tom have you heard anything about the non conference schedule other than going to Georgetown and the tournament in San Diego? Also is coach Shrewsberry gonna bring back the Ring of Honor? With the 10 year anniversary of the ACC title coming up maybe put in Jerian Grant or Pat Connaughton. Thomas Noie: Mark: Notre Dame's non-conference will include the return trip to Georgetown, two games in the Rady Children's Invitational tournament in San Diego (with Arkansas, BYU and Purdue) and the ACC/SEC Invitational game, which Shrewsberry is already on record as saying it will be another road game for the Irish. No word on what they marquee home game might be, or if there is one. Honestly, that should be about it for "marquee" games for where Notre Dame is. I know Shrewsberry has been outspoken about how Notre Dame will play anyone anywhere at anytime, but that's for a few years down the road. It's more important if this program is to take that next step, to win way more than nine home games. With 20 league games and 18 ACC teams in 2024-25 (for now), scheduling can't just be about must-see home games.
Tony: Tom, any word on any more transfer visitors? Do you think the portal will ever get back to the way it was. I hope Shrews can do the roster with his recruits. Thomas Noie: Tony: This seems like a good time to address the transfer portal, so (deep breath) I'll jump in. Everyone wants to know WHO Notre Dame is looking at in the portal, which is needle/haystack impossible with nearly 1,400 names. It's more about WHAT Notre Dame is looking for, which you can't pinpoint just by looking at a name in a transfer portal. It's an experienced big who can give you 14-15 points and 10-12 rebounds a game. It's a wing who can just say (forget) this, and go get you 20 points without breaking a sweat. Example of that? See Marquette's Kam Jones or Pittsburgh's Blake Hinson. Not THOSE two players, but those TYPES of players. This program needs old dudes who can score. BUT, and this is a massive but (😃), they also have, have, have to fit with the culture that Shrewsberry is building... Thomas Noie: That's where it gets tough. Like I mentioned, needle/haystack tough. You can look at the portal and say, Oh, wait, wait, wait, Notre Dame has to get this guy or that guy, like, right now! But will they fit in the locker room? Are they old enough to accept that they may not have as much success as they want next season? They need old guys who can play and who can fit in. That really narrows the field of the 1,400 players in the portal. It's going to take three really unique dudes who check all those boxes and say, yeah, I want to be a part of that. Thomas Noie: Remember, Shrewsberry and his staff mined the portal all spring and summer last year in an attempt to get older, experienced guys to plug in with a painfully young roster. Shrewsberry said it in March - guys didn't come to Notre Dame because they thought the program would "suck." His words. Does that narrative shift after what Notre Dame did this season? If it doesn't, then what?
Joey: i noticed Burton wasn’t in the thank you video, should we read into that? Or was he just not available? Thomas Noie: Man, some of you people, and you klnow who you are, really, really, really need to dial it back a little bit. The ultimate conspiracy theorists. It's not who shot John F. Kennedy levels, but we're getting there. Here's the deal with the video that dropped earlier this week - it was a video of several Notre Dame players and head coach Micah Shrewsberry thanking fans for their support during the 2023-24 season. Markus Burton was not in the video, which has led people to conclude - or worry - that he's headed to the transfer portal. Kebba Njie was not in the video. Tae Davis was not in the video, and there's a discussion to be had (over cold beverages and some wings) that the development of Davis might be the biggest key next season. That's a chat for another day, though.... Thomas Noie: So, why wasn't Burton and Davis and Njie included in the thank-you fans video produced and distributed by Notre Dame? A decision was made - by Notre Dame - to use only the best statements from the players. Burton's message wound up somewhere on the cutting room floor. Now everyone can stop wringing their hands. For now.
Joey: also, chances of Booth coming back are slim to none, I assume? Thomas Noie: What's below slim and none? Go three levels below that, and you're getting warmer...😃
Paul R: Coach Shrewsberry talks a lot about building this program the right way. In this day of transfer portal and NIL, is that vision even possibly? Or will anyone who takes more than year to get minutes transfer out? Thomas Noie: Paul: It better be. It has to be. Rolling through rosters of other teams in advance of games this season against Notre Dame, I was staggered by the number of transfers - six, seven, five, eight, nine, five. That's the way of the world for college basketball, but that's not the way of the world for Notre Dame. Shrewsberry believes he can truly build a roster of three- and four- and five-year guys. That seems so far away right now, mainly because this program doesn't look anything like it's eventually going to look. So it seems impossible. Shrewsberry will build it back with guys who want to be at Notre Dame for more than just NIL or minutes or anything basketball related. This is not exactly new to Notre Dame, which got guys like Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell and Pat Connaughton who saw the bigger picture. Those kinds of kids are still out there. Mike Brey found them, coached them, won with them. Micah Shrewsberry can do the same. Watch.
Joey: Who do they have the best chance of landing from the portal? ND alum: Any names to keep an eye on in the portal? Any predictions? Thomas Noie: From this point on, I'll refer all questions about the transfer portal to my earlier comments in the chat. The answer to any portal question can be found there. Gonna make you work a little today!😃
ND alum: How does ND’s NIL look for basketball compared to other ACC schools, I would assume football takes a bulk of the NIL distribution Thomas Noie: Anything NIL related in terms of Notre Dame and specific sports are totally unrelated. There isn't one fund set aside for all Notre Dame sports. Football and men's basketball operate independently in terms of NIL. The focus for football, naturally, carries a little more 💰 than men's basketball. Notre Dame men's basketball isn't going to be at the forefront of anything NIL, but do they have enough to compete? To win? To max out what this program could be in line with the university? Yes.
Whitey from Wall Township New Jersey: Hi Tom. Always enjoy these chats. do you think Coach Shrews will look in the portal for the best available players or look by position? Thomas Noie: Whitey: See above, or below, or however this chat unfolds at my transfer portal manifesto for those answers. But Notre Dame will rarely - OK, never - take a best available transfer. Ever.
Russ Granger: Odds of Booth staying? Less than 50/50? Thomas Noie: Off the board negative. Is that how odds work? Asking for a friend...😃
Chris: how many transfers do the Irish bring in this offseason? Thomas Noie: Chris: As we sit here today (10:12 a.m. Thursday, April 4), that number likely is three. Maybe that changes. Maybe it doesn't. That's the transfer portal for you!
Ben: Hi Tom - Markus Burton and Tae Davis were conspicuously absent from the video ND put out on social channels earlier this week. How committed are they to returning to the team in 2024-25? And how would you describe the competitiveness of ND's men's basketball NIL operation generally? Is it going to be a problem retaining talent in this era? Thomas Noie: Ben: Asked and answered. Scroll up. Or down.
Digger: Based on your response earlier you don't sound surprised that Booth departed, any insight why? Insight into how ND will respond? Thomas Noie: Digger: Does this mean you'll stop calling me wondering what channel the NCAA tournament games are on? Please? 😃
Mike: Markus Burton. Stays or goes? Your guess on %? Thomas Noie: Mike: Ask me in August...😃
Guest: Are Burton and Shrewsberry going to be the starting backcourt next season or could Shrews look for a two-guard in the portal that slots in as a starter? Thomas Noie: Too early to tell. Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry had to start and had to play a lot because there were no other options. Next season, there HAVE to be more options. Maybe that's Sir Mohammed. Maybe that's out of the transfer portal. Notre Dame finished 342nd in the country in scoring offense, 320 in turnover margin, 289 in 3-point field goal percentage, 330 in free throw attempts, 304 in effective field goal percentage, 344 in assists and 335 in assist/turnover margin. Thomas Noie: Burton was the Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year and Shrewsberry had a strong case to make the league's all-rookie team, but for Notre Dame to be better, its guards have to be a lot better to improve all of those aforementioned numbers. Particularly, the A/T ratio and assist numbers have to improve. And by a lot. Want to get back to the NCAA Tournament? You better start with good guards. Really good guards.
Russ Granger: Is there still Abromaitis upside for JRK or has that ship sailed? Thomas Noie: Russ: A rhetorical question and not specifically knocking you, but really? The JRK ship has sailed? Wait....what? Has everyone who thinks that said ship has sailed for JRK forgotten that this past season was really the first time he's PLAYED an actual season since his senior year at South Bend Saint Joseph High School? JRK averaged 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds (third on the team) in 22.7 minutes. He shot .401 percent from the field, .330 percent from 3 and .837 percent from the foul line. He played in 32 games (missed one) and made 19 starts. That's pretty good for someone who hadn't been a main guy in three seasons. Nobody plays harder than JRK. Nobody wants to play more than JRK. His production nose-dived toward the end of the year, but he was bothered by a lingering foot issue that really should have shelved him for the last half dozen games. He instead chose to play through the pain and the discomfort. He's the last guy to say, ah, forget it, I'm just going to sit. Thomas Noie: Look at the numbers, look at the effort, look at the care factor. Look at all that and you see a guy who took a really big step in understanding what it takes at that level to play. That ship shouldn't sail yet. There's more there.
Mike, New Jersey: Tom I feel like unlike other schools (Arkansas for example) Shrews and staff are selective and strategic about what transfer portal players they reach out to. Are they looking for players that the staff has some type of connection with whether its through AAU or high school basketball coaches or is it just purely style of play and team fit? Thomas Noie: Mike: Great observation. It can't be style of play and team fit. It has to be player-coach fit. Look at the two players, really the three players, Notre Dame brought in as transfers this past season - Tae Davis, Kebba Njie, Julian Roper. Older guys with experience, but older guys who not only get Notre Dame, but get Micah Shrewsberry. Who were the three players that were barked at (I'll use that terms loosely) most by the head coach this year? Davis, Njie and Roper. Why? Because he knew they would respond. They'd take his coaching, understand the meaning of the message and help spread the gospel of Micah in the locker room. Notre Dame isn't going to get a guy or guys just to get guys. They have to fit the place. They have to fit the program. They have to be secure enough to be coached hard. It's a hard needle to thread.
Ryan Mars: Hi Tom What do you think about the Season Burton had he Had A Good Year GO IRISH ☘️☘️🏀🏀 Thomas Noie: Ryan: Nobody saw THAT coming from Markus Burton. Having watched him in high school, I was concerned that he was strong enough to hold up to the pounding that he took over 33 games, 20 in the ACC. There was something more inside him that no scouting service or in-person attendance could gauge. He was a revelation. To media., To fans. Maybe even to Notre Dame.
Matt from NWI: Mike Brey's teams generally did not have a lot of depth. A good chunk of them were around 7 deep. After watching this new regime for a year, what do you think Shrewberry's philosophy on that is? Will he be a guy that wants to have a 9 man rotation or do you see it being a shorter bench? Thomas Noie: Matt: Nine's a good workable number. Notre Dame had nine guys average at least 11.2 minute per game. Number aside, what I liked about Micah Shrewsberry and his bench, what I rarely liked about Mike Brey and his bench, was how the roles were mixed and matched based on whether a particular player had it that night or didn't have it. Mike Brey went with seven guys, but it was always those seven. He rarely deviated, believing that a guy could go through a rough patch but eventually work his way out of it. I like the way Shrewsberry sees if a guy has it or doesn't have it, and then adjusts. Sometimes, we saw a lot of Carey Booth. Or a little. Sometimes, it was Kebba Njie. Or Logan Imes. Or JRK. Tae Davis and Markus Burton rarely came off the floor, but that's because nobody else could do what they do. Let's go with a revolving door of nine instead of a set seven. Sound good?
Charlie from Chicago: Tom, you can just spell it out for everyone, Calvin Booth is too involved and forcing his son to transfer because of what NBA Scouts told him. Now that we got that out of the way... Thomas Noie: Charlie: There comes a time where as a head coach, you need a little leeway to develop your guys the best way you believe they should be developed. Everyone's path is different. I'll let everyone read between the lines on this one...😃
Charlie from Chicago: Genuine question, how's Coach Brey doing? Would love a summer check in or something, I truly hope he is loving his job with the Hawks and semi-retirement. Such a fun HC for two awesome decades, hope he gets to come back and be honored once Micah has established himself down the road. Thomas Noie: Charlie: You new around these parts? I spent a few hours with Mike Brey when the Atlanta Hawks were in Chicago in December. Wrote a column (https://tinyurl.com/59hk4eem) and had a Q and A with him (https://tinyurl.com/y5rr7u7c). Biggest takeaway? He gets that it was time for a change and that people got tired of him. But he also got tired of it. It happens.
joe from the south side: Tom, Agree with your assessment of transfer portal needs. However, I think one point being overlooked is athleticism. Losing Booth is a huge blow to that. What's left on the current roster is Davis, Burton, and maybe Roper. Trust me. Sundra and Certa aren't moving the needle in that category. Maybe Sir M can. IMO, if they can't fill specific needs via the portal, at least upgrade overall quickness and dexterity and hope that along with experience, you get to .500 in the ACC. Or somewhere close. Thomas Noie: Joe: Quick, no cheating. Give me the five Carey Booth plays this season where you said, wow, that athleticism! We've never seen anything like it. I don't mean to bang on Carey Booth, but there are those who have said what a "devastating" loss Booth is for reasons A, B and C. He may have been athletic, but his game was so raw, so untapped. That athleticism, given his other deficiencies, wasn't going to win Notre Dame games. Do you hold on to that athleticism just because? There have been a lot of Notre Dame teams who have won a lot of games with guys who weren't going to win a dunk contest.
joe from the south side: Tom, I think what gives me hope about Shrews and his "get old, stay old" carryover from Brey is his energy and drive to recruit. Seems to me he and his staff know there is no longer an "off season." Part 2 is you know, some how, some way, he is going to convince a program difference maker to come to South Bend (or 2nd one if you give Burton the nod). He's too credible and sincere not to. Your take? Thomas Noie: Show me. Don't just be involved with said difference maker or get him to campus for a visit. Get him on campus and get a commitment from him right then and there. Don't let him go see one or two more schools. I'm all in on Shrewsberry. It's going to happen. Watch.
Mike C: Tom -- season ticket renewals went out yesterday, the earliest I've received mine in the 30 years I've had tickets. Our tickets also went down in price. Is there a movement in the athletic department to price tickets more realistically to try and boost the home crowds? Thomas Noie: Mike: Wouldn't that suggestion of having realistic ticket prices to boost the home crowds make too much sense? Especially at Notre Dame, which really just needs to detonate everything about the gameday experience at Purcell Pavilion and just start over. Would love to see the thought bubble over Micah Shrewsberry's head at some of the stuff we saw this year. Like, this is what home games are all about? Make it stop. That the prices decreased after last year is a good sign. Home games with Virginia and Duke this year (always premium draws) are replaced next year with Louisville and North Carolina (which brings out a lot of fans). Next year's home slate isn't easy on the eyes. Hopefully someone somewhere in the athletic department realizes something's got to change. Soon.
Jim, Yorktown: Is Shrewsberry committed to playing at a bottom 10% tempo like his past three teams have done? Thomas Noie: Jim: If he is, the South Bend Tribune may have to find a new beat writer to cover this program. I kid, I kid, but man, last year was really rough. I go back to a Q and A that Shrewsberry did outside the bookstore the afternoon before the first home football game, and somebody asked him if his teams would play defense because, hell, the previous coach's teams didn't play defense and this fan got tired of watching Notre Dame win games 85-80. Seriously.... Thomas Noie: The fans in attendance cheered and nodded in agreement and I remember thinking, whoa, be careful what you wish for. I'd guarantee that those same fans complained about all those 50 and 60-point games we watched this year. Shrewsberry said in preseason that he wants his teams to play fast and play a pleasing style. We certainly didn't see it this season, but that was more personnel based than coaching philosophy based. Notre Dame may never be like Alabama or North Carolina in terms of space, but it will look better than it looked this year. Fingers crossed.
Cliff from Winnipeg: What's the word on Tony Sanders? I can't imagine there is any scenario under which he is on the 2024-25 team (and on scholarship). Might he just conclude his basketball career? Thomas Noie: Cliff: A couple hours ago when we started this chat thing, Matt Zona was the topic with somebody mentioning, hey, he's in the portal but what if he doesn't like what he sees/hears. Could he return to Notre Dame? The Tony Sanders situation is similar to the Matt Zona situation, which is ironic, because they're the closest of friends. Nobody knows what the basketball future is of Tony Sanders, including Tony Sanders. It won't include Notre Dame. It's just time for a change. For him. For Notre Dame. For everybody. Funny. If you asked what type of player Sanders is, I couldn't even begin to tell you. In four years, I never really saw him do enough to see what he can do.
Mike: Your tenure at SBT has been a good long one. ND MBB for a good chunk of that. First off, congrats on all that, especially in a day and age where continuity of papers/magazines, let alone our favorite writers, seem a thing of the past. Thomas Noie: Mike: I'll give you a shout when my next performance review comes up. Seriously, though, been with the Tribune since 1992, been on Notre Dame men's basketball since 1998. From suburban Chicago. Wife from South Bend. Never felt the need to see what else is out there. Rule No. 1 in this wacky business, in any business - don't mess with happy. Do the job until you don't want to do the job. The want-to is still real. Every day. 👍
J.J. P: You mentioned earlier Tae Davis' development perhaps being the biggest key of all for Notre Dame next season. Other than developing into a more reliable scoring threat from outside the paint, in what other areas of his game could ND fans expect (or hope for) a jump next season? More comfort/danger off the dribble given how Shrewsberry tabbed him early on for that 'secondary ballhandler' role? Greater consistency on the boards, where he showed tremendous promise but had as many two rebound games as games with ten? Thomas Noie: J.J.: Wait, didn't you kind of, sort of just answer your own question? 😃 If I'm Tae Davis, I'm locking myself in Rolfs and not coming out until my right arm falls off. After I've made like 20,000 jumpers from 3. He went (checks stats) 7-of-38 from 3. It's not that he shot .184 percent from distance, but that he took 38 shots when he kind of, sort of knew that those shots weren't going in. There's a sidebar story there, so I'll tell it - sitting baseline at Yum! Center late in the year for Notre Dame's game against Louisville. Davis is open in the corner (no accident) and the ball swings his way. He shoot it. It misses. Badly. Next timeout, Shrewsberry wonders what the #$%@ are you shooting that shot for? Davis proceeds to the bench and Shrewsberry goes on to vent to official Pat Driscoll how a guy who, at the time was 5-for-35 or something is shooting 3s. Driscoll just kind of shrugs. Thomas Noie: So it's perimeter shooting to start with Davis. Also, be more than just a straight-line driver to the basket, which worked more than a few times. When it didn't, he didn't have a counter to play off that. He was easy to guard. Don't be easy to guard and be more of a play-maker, be the point forward that so many teams have. Don't lose sight of defending. There's a lot to work with, which is why he's such an important guy.
Cliff from Winnipeg: What is the ceiling of J.R. Konieczny, and how close or far is he from it? Thomas Noie: Cliff: We touched a lot on JRK earlier in the chat, but he can be a double-digit scorer, main guy given how hard he plays. There's no substitute for experience, but there's also no substitute for effort. Nobody plays harder than JRK.
Mike C: In all seriousness, how is Coach Phelps doing these days? We still see him at games but it seems he's been out of the spotlight lately, which (as we all know) is very unlike him. Thomas Noie: Mike: Tangent time. Never did I ever imagine when I started in 1998 did I think that I would eventually count one Richard "Digger" Phelps as a friends, but here we are. One of the biggest surprises in doing this job. As gruff as he can be (and he can be), if you give it back and much as you get it, you can find some common ground. It's routine to hear from Digger a lot during basketball season. Like, every single day. He's calling. To talk hoops. To ask what channel this game is one. To just check in. There hasn't been a road trip I've taken in the last five, six, seven years that he hasn't called to make sure I've returned home safely. That the trip went well. He'll also call me on January 18 every single year with the reminder to wish HIM a happy anniversary the next day. I always kid him, what happened on January 19? These are sides that a lot of people don't get to see. Thomas Noie: He can still be his ornery self and has slowed down some at age 82, but the relationship that I have with him as the Notre Dame hoops guy? Priceless. Had a college friend whose son had applied to Notre Dame and was in town to visit campus. I took the two of them to Digger's house for him to talk to my friend's son about what Notre Dame meant to him. My friend was jaw on the ground speechless. I'm like, ah, that's just Digger. True story.
Charlie from Chicago: Do we expect all front court transfer targets Tom? Chances we bring in a veteran guard who can defend a little, feels like were gonna need a bigger stopper next year if we want a chance at winning some road games. Thomas Noie: Charlie: No, no, no. One big tops. Maybe two if the right two are there. But this team needs an experienced big and needs and experienced guard/wing/forward who can score and bring a little bit of an edge. That's the tricky part. How do you get a guy (guys) like that but still keep the culture where you want it?
Mike: In you tenure, what has been the biggest change? Portal? Expanded NCAA footprint/conference realignments? Huge coach salaries? Thomas Noie: Mike: You learn early on that change is part of the deal in college basketball, which always will run a distant second to college football. Always. From a men's basketball standpoint, Notre Dame never should've left the Big East. Ever. Not after working so hard to establish an identity in that league, then becoming one of the premier programs and doing all it did. But you get it. The Big East collapsed and Notre Dame needed a new home. So, the biggest change today has to be the portal. It's really become free agency in college. Every year, a team could lose nobody. It could lose everybody. That Notre Dame had only three returning scholarship players when Micah Shrewsberry arrived, that every single scholarship player left DePaul and left Louisville during its coaching changes. The portal has become something entirely different than anyone could've imagined (and not in a good way).
Cliff from Winnipeg: Braeden Shrewsberry surprised me last season -- he provided more as a freshman than I could have imagined. What were your expectations of him before last season and what do you think his contributions/role will be moving forward? Thomas Noie: Cliff: Braeden Shrewsberry was a blank slate for me last season, like a lot of guys were. He was in the same situation as Markus Burton. Like, you didn't know what he could do or what he might do, but you knew he had to play. There was nobody on that team with a similar skill set. I voted Shrewsberry for ACC all-rookie team after he averaged 10.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 28.3 minutes. He maybe played too much early, but again, he had to. Moving forward? Improve his shooting numbers (.398 percent from the field, .371 percent from 3) and his assists numbers (29). It would be nice to see him be more than just a catch-and-shoot guy. Put it on the floor a little more. Find guys. Be an overall good guard in a league that is full of them. He's on that arc.
Xavier: Why does it seem like we are having very little traction with players in the transfer portal? Thomas Noie: Xavier: Because this (stuff) is hard. It would be a snap if Notre Dame just needed any kind of point guard (they don't) or shooting guard (maybe) or wing (yes) or big man (absolutely). But it's more than that. Notre Dame needs experience. It needs proven players. It doesn't need someone who may also be looking to cash in with NIL. It can't be stressed enough - to find the right guys at the right time for where Notre Dame is, nothing about this is easy.
Mike from Rochester: Apologies if already addressed, but how do you see next year's non-conference schedule being constructed? Thomas Noie: Mike: If I was in charge of the non-conference scheduling, it would be constructed to optimize as many wins as possible. Forget going here to play this school or going there to play that school. Max out the non-league with wins and then take your chances in the ACC. This program may not be at a point where Strength of Schedule is going to be that big of a factor in terms of an NCAA tournament resume. That's for 2025-26.
joe from the south side: Tom, Let me add something to the "barked at" comment you made. It seems to me that everyone on the team, at one point or another, got an earful from Shrews. Except Burton. To me, whenever he screwed up, Shrews treated it like it was a "teaching moment." Thoughts? Thomas Noie: Disagree. He heard plenty from Burton in the few games that I was able to actually see and hear courtside. As an aside, that's the kind of stuff you can't get a feel for sitting where we sit at Notre Dame. In the times where I was able to see and hear more on the road, I was struck by how Shrewsberry will give it to just about everybody. About everything. There's a reason why he didn't want us anywhere near any of his practices, even in preseason. Can only imagine what those sessions are like.
X: I think Shrewsberry should take a look at 7 foot center Christ Essandoko who just left Saint Joes yesterday. Has 3 years of eligibility and would be a nightmare for opposing teams running the pick and roll with Burton with his size and 3 point shooting ability. Kind of under the radar which makes me think he'd be a good candidate for Shrewsberry to go after. Here is a link to his highlight tape: https://x.com/CBB_Europe/status/1775763991517688087?s=20 What do you think?Thomas Noie: Notre Dame assistant coach Mike Farrelly is a Saint Joseph grad/former player so there's a connection. I would wonder why at 7-foot, 285, he averaged only 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds. At that size and skill set, he should dominate the Atlantic 10. The Atlantic Coast Conference would be a big step up. Think you need to shoot/aim higher for more than an under-the-radar guy. The Irish need someone who can come in and be an impact guy from the jump.
Bob: Zona had a great game against Clemson when Njie had foul trouble. I thought he'd play more after that. But, after the Carolina game, Zona's playing time went way down. Any ideas why? Thomas Noie: Bob: None. And not even on the radar as to wonder why. Sorry, but it was never a case against North Carolina or Virginia Tech or Wake Forest where you thought, man, if only Matt Zona had played more, Notre Dame would've had a chance. It happens.
Matt from NWI: A revolving door of nine sounds much better than seven. What did you think of Cormac Ryans year at UNC? More, less, or about what you expected? I thought he had a pretty impressive year on the whole Thomas Noie: Matt: Full disclosure. I was a big Cormac Ryan guy. He had me after I watched him do what he did in the 2022 NCAA tournament. He single-handedly shot Notre Dame past Alabama in San Diego in what will be the ultimate beat writer grind/road trip. I voted Ryan a first team all-league guy heading into the 2022-23 season. How'd that turn out? LOL. His season at Carolina was about what I thought. You can't play in that program as a 25-year-old with that talent and not play well. Would've been nice to see him get an ACC tournament title. Or a Final Four. He's a guy who maxed out his college experience.
Mark Kruz from Mishawaka: Tom after watching the conference tournaments I sure do miss the Irish being in the Big East. I know it would be difficult for the Irish to win there now if they were in the Big East but I sure did enjoy watching Hurley and Pitino go at it in the Garden. The juice in the Garden on Saturday nite felt like the Big East of the 80's. Watching the ACC tournament from D.C. kinda felt like as you would put it "Meh". Is Greensboro the best place to keep the ACC tournament at a permanent site? Thomas Noie: Mark: Yes, yes, yes, times 10. Don't get me started on the Big East and Madison Square Garden. Those were the best days of Notre Dame men's basketball, aside from 2015 in Greensboro. But the ACC tournament has no business being in Charlotte (sorry, Jim Phillips) or Washington (still one of the best cities to visit) or definitely Brooklyn. If you're not in the Garden, you have no business being in NYC. You do get a real feeling of the history of the ACC in Greensboro that you can't touch anywhere else.
Drew: Do you current Arkansas transfer commit Josh Cohen could be in play if Musselman takes the USC job? Thomas Noie: NIL, my man. It's all about NIL.
Jim Tal, Valley Center CA.: Hi Tom, no matter the possible excuses and extenuating circumstances, the fact remains that over the last seven seasons, Notre Dame has suffered through four losing seasons and won a measly two NCAA tournament games, one of which was a play-in contest. Sorry but by almost any standards, particularly at a place like ND with such a proud hoop heritage, that is totally unacceptable and borders on the unforgiveable. In your opinion, what were the prime reasons that such a dramatic drop-off took place? What might have been done to prevent such a bad stretch that would have to be considered one of the worst in school history? Thomas Noie: Jim: Sorry, but I can't disagree more, and decline to jump into the whys and what fors and just say look at the history of some other "programs." Have heard time and again through emails and DMs how 2015 and 2016 seem like a lifetime ago. It's been eight years since Notre Dame was in the Elite Eight. So.... Take Illinois and Marquette, two really good men's programs with arguably equal/better history as Notre Dame. When Illinois played in the Elite Eight last weekend, it marked the first time since 2004 that it advanced that far. Last weekend was Marquette's first Sweet 16 since 2013. Totally unacceptable??? Outside of a handful of blueblood/fringe blueblood programs, it's always going to seem unacceptable. Nothing about the NCAA tournament - getting there, winning there - should be taken for granted. Ever.
Wadelite: Tom, not mentioned is Tae Davis has an older brother with one year eligibility left who you'd think will have graduated by this spring. He'd look really good as a scoring wing at ND. I believe his season concludes tonight. Thomas Noie: Stay tuned...
joe from the south side: Tom, No offense to Jim Tal but he obviously doesn't remember the John MacLeod era. That didn't test your love of ND BBL, it tested your will to live. Nothing, nothing, nothing compares to that. If Brey left a dumpster fire, MacLeod was Chicago with Mrs. O'Leary's cow. Thomas Noie: Joe: Nobody had more class than John MacLeod. People forget his parting gift to Notre Dame was Tory Murphy, David Graves, Harold Swanagan and Matt Carroll.
Wadelite: Fyi for Jim noting ND's ncaa tournament wins the last 7 seasons, here's some context: in the last 5 seasons ND has twice as many as ncaa tournament wins as Kentucky. Now that's a program drop off. Thomas Noie: No use piling on on my man Jim. I get the frustration, as misplaced as it may be. 😃
Jim, Yorktown: From speaking to people do you have an idea what type of annual NIL budget a program needs to have if they want to be one that is consistently contending for Final Four appearances? Thomas Noie: Jim: Nobody has ANY idea about anything NIL in any sport. You hear numbers, but can you believe those numbers? Can you verify the numbers that we hear not only for men's basketball but football? Not happening.
Bseaver: Hey Tom any chance with the kid from Oregon St? Any names out there as possibilities? Thomas Noie: I'll do a little more work on this one for you my man! Are we referring to Chol Marial, who decided Wednesday to go portalling? That would be 7-foot-2, 235-pound Chol Marial, a senior and native of Sudan who averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. If that's "the kid from Oregon State" my response would be .... why? Again, Notre Dame needs an experienced, proven big man for 2024-25. He doesn't check any of the necessary boxes.
Tim from Chicago: Hi Tom, thanks again for enhancing the journey this season with your articles, tweets, chats, etc. Nobody knows the program as well as you do and you really make it a richer experience for us fans. I've always been curious if you read (and maybe secretly post?) on the ND message boards, and what you think of the level of conversation on those forums. You must ready NdNation the Pit, right (what's your handle)? How far off are the fans on some of their rants on there? Are ND fans as crazy as other programs? Thomas Noie: Tim: Trust me - social media is quite the handful as it is. Message boards? Hard pass. At one time in my younger years, they were a necessary evil. Now, not so much. I feel like I've got a good pulse of the program without worrying/wondering what others say.
Wadelite: In fairness to Johnny Mac, he was left (outside of the Phonz senior class) a much bigger dumpster fire than Micah. A roster tied up with 9 guys who were at best MAC caliber with no transfer portal option and being in the college basketball abyss as an independent. If not for Monty coming back those were at best 5 win teams in his second and third seasons. Thomas Noie: Wade: Push-back time. I take exception to any notion that Micah Shrewsberry was left a Dumpster fire. Now, the 2022-23 season, total Dumpster/tire fire for different reasons. But look around. DePaul made a coaching change. Every player went to the portal. Louisville made a coaching change. Every player went to the portal. Notre Dame made a coaching change and had only three scholarship players remaining for Shrewsberry. That's not a creation of Mike Brey. That's a creation of college basketball. What do fans want? Keep the coach that they don't want to keep so they keep the roster intact? Or change the coach and start from scratch. This is the college basketball world in which we live - if you're going to go get a new coach, you're probably going to go get a new roster. Own it.
Blake in Albany: Tom - why do you and Rebecca Lobo hate Albany so much as an ncaa tourney venue? Just hop down I90 about 100 miles west and get your dinosaur bbq fix in Syracuse while you are there. Dawn Staley of South Carolina thought the city ran a fine regional. Thomas Noie: Blake: How did I catch the stray meant for Rebecca Lobo? My disdain for Albany is simply this - who in the NCAA thought it was a good idea to go from having FOUR regional sites to having TWO regional sites, with those sites being Albany and Portland? It didn't work last year when the regional sites were Greenville, South Carolina and Spokane, and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Greenville. Would retire there tomorrow if I needed to retire. The CLOSEST of the eight schools sent to Albany was Notre Dame, which is ... 729 miles away. That's just freaking wrong, as it is to have to weigh paying nearly $2,000 for a plane ticket to get there. There's no beef with Albany. The beef's with the NCAA. They have to do better than they've done.
Mike: Been watching chat since you started hours ago, but have to split. Four hour plus offseason stream ! Will catch up when transcript is posted. Just wanted to say thank you for the good thoughtful coverage. And looking forward to your post next year on X and elsewhere stating "back for season 27 !" Looking forward to Shrews Part II Thomas Noie: Mike: Not done yet! Circle back around...we'll still be here!
Bobby: Hi Tom, in looking ahead to the 2024-25 roster, Sir Mohamed is a guy who catches my eye. 6-6 guard who can pass and shoot. Also posts up a bit from what I saw, which reminded me of Jalen Pickett. Was that part of the pitch to get him to ND, and what are the general expectations for him as a freshman? Thomas Noie: Bobby: I usually hold off predicting what freshman can do what until they actually get on campus and get around other college players, but I'd be surprised (stunned even) if Sir Mohammed didn't carve out an important role. Of the three incoming freshmen, he's a DUDE, and this program needs more dudes.
Jim Tal, Valley Center CA.: Hey Tom, thanks for coming to my defense as it relates to any further beatdown. Ouch. In your opinion, which of the ND players that transferred out after last season out had the best showing for his new school? Thomas Noie: Jim: Cormac Ryan, and it's not even close. J.J. Starling was better as a sophomore than he was a freshman, but still far from his recruiting hype. Dom Campbell had his moments at Howard (except for that intentional foul in the First Four) and Ven-Allen Lubin was just kind of there at Vanderbilt. Robby Carmody had a solid season at Mercer, but if he was ever going to play again, it was going to be at level lower than the ACC.
Mick: Not a shot at him, but Brian Snow's comment about watching where the sons of NBA guys go to college hasn't aged well. Should temper some of the hyperbole. Thomas Noie: Mick: No shots at my guy Brian Snow. After all, it sounded good at the time, right? 😃
Mick: I would hope that Shrews and Company reached out to Trent Perry after he reopened his recruitment. I would take him over a transfer, and this would fit with Shrews' spoken philosophy about developing players over four years. Thomas Noie: Mick: Maybe on Trent Perry. Maybe, too, Notre Dame feels good where it stands with the 2025 recruiting class and wants to keep that continuity where it is. Honestly, I would prefer a veteran guard who's seen and done a lot in college. We saw the inexperience stuff last season. Time to get old my man!
Bobby: Also, kinda came as a surprise to see Hampton's Jerry Deng basically announce ND and FSU as his top two options. Was wondering if you had any insight as to where we stand with him. Thomas Noie: Bobby: None. As someone once said, trust the process...😃
Drew: One thing the transfer portal has done is put an end to the one and done era, it seems. Do you think a team bringing in a plethora of 5 stars, like Duke, can compete for a national title? Seems like having veterans has become more important than getting a class full of five stars. Thomas Noie: It's hard. We've seen what loading up on strictly five-star one-and-dones have done at Duke and at Kentucky. To localize it, it's similar to what Notre Dame did with its roster. Had three freshmen and two relatively unproven sophomores all playing main roles. You may compete and hold your own, but you're not going to consistently do what you need to do - win. Gotta find the right balance of young talent and proven guys.
Matt from NWI: Haven't checked in on the class that graduated last year. Goodwin, Laz, Hubb all overseas? Thomas Noie: Nate Laszewski and Prentiss Hubb are playing in Italy. Dane Goodwin has spent his rookie season in the G League with the Stockton Kings. I usually circle back in the spring and do a recap of the former Irish and what they're doing and where they're doing it in pro ball.
Brian: Will the Irish and Steph Curry ever come together or find common ground on a true partnership that helps promote ND basketball at the grassroots AAU level or has NIL basically eliminated that? Thomas Noie: Brian: Don't think that's been on Stephen Curry's radar now .... maybe ever. There was a thing he used to do when Notre Dame moved to UA having a camp in the Bay Arena for college players whose schools were UA schools. I want to say Demetrius Jackson went one year and maybe Steve Vasturia, but other than Curry and Notre Dame being linked with UA, the relationship's never gone any further than that. Curry's focus has been winning NBA titles, not growing Notre Dame's hoops image.
Jim Tal, Valley Center CA.: OK, Tom the Marathon Man, of all the former Golden Domers that are currently playing professionally overseas, based on the caliber of play and overall impact, who are the two or three that are truly standing out and making a name for themselves? Thomas Noie: Jim: Three guys come immediately to mind without doing a shred (kind of) research - Jack Cooley, who has achieved cult-hero status in Japan playing for Ryuku and averaging 14.6 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.0 minutes. John Mooney, also in Japan with Chiba, 18.6-11.6-2.2 in 31.6 minutes and Bonzie Colson for Maccabi Tel-Aviv, 13-2-5.6-0.6 in 28.7 minutes.
Thomas: Why is it so hard to actually care about the ACC/SEC challenge? I say that as someone from the SEC footprint. Over the years, we have seen the “elite” programs matchup and it just doesn’t have any juice to me. Thomas Noie: Thomas: Maybe timing? This year's Challenge was held the week after Thanksgiving and days before the SEC championship in Atlanta, so everybody at least down your way probably was still in college football mode. Nobody's ready for college basketball yet, at least in SEC where, as you know, it just means more! 😃
J.J. P: As you mentioned earlier, Shrewsberry has mentioned wanting to be an "anyone, anywhere" program in terms of scheduling. Even if its not next year, what are some programs you would want to see Notre Dame play as a one-off or on a yearly basis? Either venues/cities you'd want to cover a game in, fun matchups on the court, or however else you might want to approach it Thomas Noie: A plethora of possibilities. Marquette's always going to be there given the history and the quick trip/A+ venue it plays in at Fiserv, but as I mentioned in December (long before it was 18-0) to Marquette AD, and former assistant AD in charge of hoops at Notre Dame Bill Scholl, Notre Dame needs a few more years of development before playing a team like Marquette. DePaul is another, but that program has to get at least respectable before you entertain that possibility. Gotta think something with Butler coming. UCLA's always going to be there because, well, duh. Kansas? Only if you have a team like 2011 or 2015 that's stocked with veterans. Even then, you might get run out of Allen Fieldhouse. Villanova to keep that Big East connection open. Dayton? Again, duh...Texas would've been a good hook (sorry) but now that SMU is going to the ACC, that gets you into Texas. Any high level/high quality/high visibility non-conference game. Now that the Big Ten/ACC is done, a home and home with Purdue seems inevitable.
Aidan: Probably not what you want to answer but talked to some people that are credible that Burton has been shopping around looking at offers. Not saying he's leaving but definitely entertaining others. Wanting to know if you've heard some of those things and if a large offer came would ND try to offer and really prioritize keeping him? Thomas Noie: Aidan: This isn't a slam on you, but that's a sun rises in the East and sets in the West kind of deal. You knew as this season wound down that that would be the case with Markus Burton. Like, Notre Dame is expected to take care of him from an NIL standpoint to keep him home, but what if some SEC school swoops in with some crazy offer. You have to listen. What would you do - take the money and run or stay home? Not easy, is it?
SFirish: I understand NIL wasn’t a factor in Booth leaving, but how big a factor is it in attracting players in the portal, and how well set up is NDMBB as it relates to NIL? Thomas Noie: If a main reason - no THE reason - you want to go to Notre Dame is to maximize your NIL opportunities, you probably aren't going to Notre Dame. It's just not ever going to be a school where high school prospects or college transfers look at it and say, I'm going for the big payday. I'm going to Notre Dame.
Patrick from NYC: Hi Tom, I noticed in the past few years you've taken on more coverage of our women's team in addition to our men's team. As someone who only gets to see either team when they come out east, I'm curious to hear what you see as similar and different in their game day experiences at home. On tv, the women's crowd seems more engaged if not larger. Is there a lot of overlap or difference in the fan base and overall gameday experience (which, for the men's program as you said below, needs a total makeover) Thomas Noie: Patrick: Night and day. I get dinged (sometimes justified, sometimes not) for drawing a line in the sand between men's and women's basketball, but it's drawn because the programs and how they're run/viewed/etc at Notre Dame are so different. It's comparing apples and oranges. Or bananas. Or kiwi. The Notre Dame women's program has a niche fan base (elderly, young girls) and have maxed that out. Notre Dame men? Feels like they're stuck in a time warp. 1970s? 1980s? Present day? It's hard to say. I don't look at them and compare them in any way, shape or form, though others believe that to be the case. They play the same sport, but they're totally different.
Tim in Chicago: Tom - if you are open to a non ND related college basketball question...the women's college game is seeing record high viewership this spring. Do you think it falls off after Caitlin Clark graduates this year, or is it sustainable? Thomas Noie: Tim: Two words. Hannah Hidalgo.
Patrick from NYC: Tom, one season in with a new staff after two decades covering Brey, how (if at all) has your access to the players and staff changed? Do you see that access changing more over time? Thomas Noie: Patrick: It's like a long-term relationship. We're still in the figuring it out stage. Can they trust me? Can I trust them? It will take time, but it will get there.
Zach: Apologize if his has been asked, but do you expect any of the freshman coming in to have a significant impact let’s say on a scale of B. Shrews to Burton Thomas Noie: Zach: Two more words. Sir Mohammed.
Rick from Long Island: Tom, some box scores include +/- ratings I have noticed, so they must be relevant. Do you know how the ND players ranked in that regard this past season? Do you think they are relevant? Thanks. Thomas Noie: Rick: More of a conversational piece of data than anything. Was going to do something one time about plus-minus and what it all meant. Then had an analytics guy tell me that they really don't look at it. End of my enterprise piece. 😃
Patrick from NYC: Tom, when Coach Shrews was hired a lot was made of his Indiana roots and his desire to make ND more of a player for in-state talent. Have we seen any progress on that front, if not yet the fruits of those efforts? Thomas Noie: Patrick: It's coming. I think of the top eight current high school juniors in Indiana, Notre Dame is mentioned and mentioned prominently with six of them. They're going to get an Indiana kid, and maybe more, in 2025.
Mick: Too many of these Ivy League/Patriot Conference transfers do nothing at the highest level. Yes, some of them pan out, like Atkinson, but most don't. Duke and UNC alone, have taken several of these types of players over the past five years, and they've done nothing. Thomas Noie: Mick: That might not be the fault of the Ivy League/Patriot League guys. That might be because they're choosing the wrong school. They fall in love with getting love from a Duke or a North Carolina, and can't see the forest through the trees. They get a chance to go to one of those schools, they go, almost forgetful of the fact that the talent, even the back end of the rotation talent, is still pretty good. Notre Dame doesn't do what it did in 2021-22 without Paul Atkinson. The guy was all-league consideration worthy.
Mike, New Jersey: Tom, Where's the Fighting Alumni TBT Squad??! Thomas Noie: Mike: A question I ask the guy who's supposedly in charge of putting it together every year. I do know that there had been plans the last couple years to do something TBT related, but it doesn't work out. A lot of the guys still playing overseas have such a small window of opportunity to be home that they basically have to choose between TBT and vacation. They choose vacation. The Notre Dame guys have said that if and when they ever do it again, they want to do it right. Which means A-list kind of guys.
Mike from Rochester: Will you be writing your annual "where are they now?" summary on all of the ND alumni playing professionally? Thomas Noie: Mike: Always in spring. One of my favorite research/writing pieces of the offseason. May. Maybe.
Mick: Who was an ND player during your time who you thought would become a coach, but never did? Thomas Noie: Of course, there's only one answer. He knows it. I know it. Tom Knight. 😜
Mark Kruz from Mishawaka: Tom with Coach Shrewsberry having ties with Matt Painter at Purdue is there any chance there could be a home and home with Purdue once the ND program is established on solid ground? I know you were not a fan of the Crossroads Classic and I agree it ran its course. Thomas Noie: Mark: Absolutely. I mentioned something about Purdue in an earlier question. Think with both Butler and Purdue, given Micah Shrewsberry's connections to both, it's more a question of WHEN and not IF something starts with Notre Dame. Both would be way better choices than Indiana. I know it's IU (are the Hoosiers still a bluebood? Asking for a friend) and it's the state of Indiana, but if Micah Shrewsberry knew that anytime Indiana played in South Bend and Purcell Pavilion basically turned into Assembly Hall North, he'd have second thoughts of scheduling the Hoosiers.
Bobby: Does Notre Dame have any chance with Jalen Haralson or are we a courtesy finalist? Thomas Noie: Bobby: Hear they're going to be right, maybe to the end. Magic Eight ball says...."Ask again later."
Michael, Steubenville OH: Tom - are you surprised Jerian grant and Demetrius Jackson didn't have more successful NBA careers? Follow up, how big of a difference do you think Blake Wesley would have made if he returned for his sophomore season? Thomas Noie: Michael: A little bit. Jerian Grant couldn't stick in the NBA because he couldn't shoot. He's found his game is better suited for Europe. Demetrius Jackson had to go when he went to max out his NBA chances. He was a little too small to stick. Both didn't because they didn't have that one trait that they did really well. Elite well. The Blake Wesley question isn't worth wondering about. He wasn't coming back. He had to go. Imagine, though, the nightmare pileup of guards that year - Wertz, Goodwin, Starling, Ryan, Wesley. No way that would've worked. That following season already was a nightmare for so many reasons. Not enough shots or dribbles to go around would've been even more.
J.J. P: As a follow up to the "men's fanbase feels stuck in a time-warp" comment -- what steps can be realistically taken to improve the gameday environment at Purcell Pavilion? Is this simply a "if they win consistently people will come" situation? I feel like the mostly strong attendance in early 2022-23, and subsequent drop-off once the team's play fell off a cliff seemed to indicate the crowds were largely performance related, but is that simplifying things too much? Thomas Noie: That's a question for someone with a higher pay grade than me. That nonsense of "win consistently" has been trotted out for years. It's almost like the Mike Brey Era, which got stale and was in need of a reboot. The Purcell Pavilion experience has gone stale. Blow it up, start over and bring in someone with a different vibe. What's that vibe? Ask someone whose job it is to create it.
Wadelite: ND big man coach is? It seems ND big man play has slipped a lot since Humphrey left. Thomas Noie: Mike Farrelly was working with the bigs when I watched the open practice - the only open practice the media saw this season - the day before the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Slipped a little? In the two years that Humphrey has been gone, Notre Dame really had no post play in 2021-22 and had a sophomore (who should really have been a freshman) working through a broken hand as post players. Slippage? More of incomplete than anything. Thomas Noie: And with that, we put a period on the 2023-24 Notre Dame men's basketball season. Solid effort today with all the questions and comments. More than six hours worth. We'll give hoops a rest (for a little bit) before circling back maybe in May or June before everything gets started again in mid-June with summer school. Stay tuned to NDInsider for the latest Irish hoops news. Thanks again to everyone.