Last season's review is here.
A season with such high hopes got off track early in the Big East season and pretty clearly failed to live up to expectations. Throughout the season I said that the year would be judged on our ability or inability to make the Sweet Sixteen. Less than that would be a failure. Not making the Tournament constitutes a disaster.
This should have been a much better team. We lost a lot more than I predicted with Rob Kurz's departure and I'm sure Gene Cross leaving was also a factor. This team was simply not built to contend with the best teams in the country on a nightly basis. After the best player in this vaunted senior class became the #1 priority for opposing defenses, no one was left to consistently help out Luke Harangody on offense. And defense, well, it was just horrendous all year.
The team started well with a win over a top ten opponent in Texas at the Maui Invitational and a decent showing against #1 North Carolina. Losing to Ohio State was a disappointment, but most people wrote it off as just one tough non-conference game too many. After the St. John's disaster, the writing was on the wall for a disappointing year, but few realized it at the time.
Going into the first Louisville game, we knew the Irish would face an eight-game gauntlet that would challenge the viability of Notre Dame as a premier Big East program. Losing in overtime at Freedom Hall seemed to be a decent start, but a lack of leadership allowed the loss to affect the next several games. Before we knew it, the Irish had lost seven straight and were well out of NCAA Tournament contention.
A big win in the rematch with Louisville breathed a little life back into the program and the Irish played well down the stretch until a make-or-break game against Villanova in the second to last contest of the year. The loss to a future Final Four squad killed pretty much all hope of an at-large bid.
After two games in the Big East Tournament, the Irish returned home for the NIT. They rolled off three close wins against good competition at the Joyce Center to return to Madison Square Garden, but ultimately fell to Penn State in the semifinals.
Grades-
Coaching Staff- F
This would have been at least a D had the Irish simply failed to make the Sweet Sixteen. However, finishing in the NIT after spending the beginning of the year in the top ten is simply unacceptable. Coach Brey is back on the hot seat (justly), but will reutrn for at least one more year. With Virginia hiring Tony Bennett, there's very little chance of him taking another position as well.
I like Coach Brey a lot personally and he is a pretty good coach. Unfortunately, "pretty good" gets you to the NIT half the time with Notre Dame's resources. If the athletic department makes some strides to show faith in the basketball program (i.e. a practice facility and similar academic requirements to football), Coach will need to do his part to take this program to the next level. If we go to the NIT again next season, I think it's time to move on.
Kyle McAlarney- B-
Kyle finishes his career as my favorite Irish player of recent memory. The best pure shooter I have ever seen, K-Mac carries with him a good story and will graduate in May, something many people would not have predicted two years ago. Kyle showed a lot of heart in returning to school after his suspension and was a very effective player most of his career. Unfortunately, teams discovered him after the Ohio State game and kept Mac in check the rest of the season. When we was open, he was a terrific scorer. He just didn't get a lot of open looks this year. He gets a bit of a better grade because I don't want to give out all bad marks and I really think he would have succeeded with more help from his teammates.
Ryan Ayers- C
Ayers really strugged during the Irish losing streak and never came into his own as a reliable third scorer. His rebounding from the small forward position was never that great and he never developed to be more than a one-deminsional player on offense. On the other side of the ball, his wingspan allowed him to make up for a lack of athleticism and become our second best defender. Down the stretch, he stepped his game up a bit with consecutive double figure outings, but was unable to put up the kind of numbers we needed.
Zach Hillesland- F
In fairness, Zach played out of position all year. He is a 3, not a power forward. However, by the end of the season he clearly did not deserve to be on the floor. A poor shooter with a tendency to make bad decisions dribbling the basketball, Zach created heart attacks for Notre Dame fans when he touched the ball. His post defense left plenty to be desired and he never rebounded well enough for a 4. With all of his shortcomings, you have to have some respect for a guy who played through pain all year (plantar fasciitis, black eyes, multiple shoulder separations).
Luke Zeller- D+
The former McDonald's All-American played his way out of the rotation by the end of the season. He never developed as a post player and was a good, but not great, three point shooter this year. Played single digits after the losing streak and never lived up to expectations.
Tory Jackson- B-
The junior point guard improved his assist/turnover ratio to over two and shot better this season. His free throw shooting has improved with practice and he became a viabile three point threat over the course of the year. Though he still continues to make the dumb decisions with the basketball that have plagued him from time to time since his freshman year, he has grown into one of the better point guards in the conference.
Luke Harangody- B
It's hard to get a bad grade when you're a second team All-American. Luke put up more gaudy numbers this season, but his percentages dropped significantly. I attribute this to an attempt by the big guy to carry the team during long stretches of games. He works as hard as anyone and has developed a really good shooting touch to go with his inside game. Needs to quit complaining to refs and diving to get fouls, however. If he plays within himself next season and gets help from other guys on the roster, his stats may not be as good but he will be a more effective player. First on the to-do list is an emphasis on following his own shot and giving greater effort on defense.
Jonathan Peoples- C-
The backup point guard did his job this season and improved his assist/turnover ratio. Unfortunately, the shooting was down significantly and he finished with only one game in double figures scoring. When you're playing sparingly, it can be tough to get into a rhythm. That seemed to be the case this season.
Carleton Scott- INC
Really don't understand why this guy was kept under wraps all year. Five or six minutes a game could have been beneficial, but he never saw any real competition. Hopefully he will make his way into the rotation next season.
Showing posts with label Non-Conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Non-Conference. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Season in Review
November, December, January, February, March... it's been a long five months.
I predicted a 22-8 record for the Irish through the regular season. They would finish 24-6, a two game improvement. Losses to Baylor and Georgia Tech at the Paradise Jam started the season off roughly, but the team rebounded with a neutral site win over Kansas State. The rest of the cake nonconference schedule rolled by without incident.
In the Big East, the Irish took on an 18 game schedule for the first time and were very successful. A 14-4 record landed the Irish in a tie for second in the conference. After lopsided losses at Marquette and Georgetown, Notre Dame closed out the season 11-2. Another unbeaten year at home kept the winning streak alive for another summer.
In the Big East Tournament, another disappointing finish sent the Irish home after a quarterfinal loss to rival Marquette. Notre Dame picked up a 5 seed in the NCAAs and used solid defense to send first round opponent George Mason home early. Unfortunately, the Irish came up short of their Sweet 16 goal by losing badly to Washington State.
Grades-
Coaching Staff- B
This could have been an A two weeks ago. Mike Brey picked up his second straight Big East Coach of the Year award in the leading the Irish from a predicted bottom half finish to a tie for second in the league. However, another early exit from New York and a blowout loss to Washington State ended the year on a sad note. Overall, a great performance in the regular season, but marred by another disappointing end of the year.
Rob Kurz- B-
Brought leadership to a team that desperately needed it after the graduation of Colin Falls and Russell Carter. However, he seemed to disappear in some close games. Rebounding dipped a bit due to the emergence of Luke Harangody, but also turned the ball over more than in the past. Shooting percentages were down considerably as well. Made most of his impact off the court and as a leader on the floor.
Kyle McAlarney- B+
Welcome back. He was expected to make an impact as a three-point shooter, but no one knew how he would play side-by-side with Jackson in the backcourt. It turned out very well. In 36 minutes a game, he scored 15 and dished out 3.5 assists. A shooting percentage of 44% from beyond the arc placed second in the conference with the most threes made. Became a scorer from the oustide that was definitely needed. Had a few cold shooting nights that really hurt the team but should improve even more with a second year playing the 2.
Zach Hillesland- B
Came off the bench to the starting lineup halfway through the year. Added life in a squad that looked flat out of the gate far too often. Not a big stat guy, 6.2 PPG/5.3 RPG/2.5 APG, but does a lot of little things. Was the only attacking wing, a problem that should be remedied with Nash and Scott next season. Shot 51% from the floor, a product of his ability to get to the basket for layups. Biggest problem is lack of an outside game. If he can develop a consistent mid-range jumper with some threes, he will have more opportunities to get to the basket.
Tory Jackson- B
Played well with McAlarney in the backcourt. Proved that he deserved the starting PG role. Scoring got a little bump from last year, but rebounds and assists shot to new heights. 3.2 turnovers a game is a little high. Still not a great shooter, but got smarter from outside as the year wore on. Though he was 30% from three, his shot selection became more surgical as we went 12 for 27 (44%) from the end of January until the first round of the tournament. Still needs to cut down on mistakes and continue to develop his finishing ability when driving, but made some strong steps forwad.
Luke Harangody- A-
What do you say about this guy? Went from unknown to Player of the Year over the course of the season. Averaged 20 and 10 and showed the ability to knock down outside shots. 22 rebounds in the final game demonstrates his ability to control a contest even while being terrible offensively. Needs to play within himself next year. He got a little frustrated at times and forced shots. Also needs to stay on the block and limit his touches 7-10 feet from the basket. Overall, he is still not ready for the NBA (good for us) due to his size and still unpolished style. The thought of him improving even more is scary.
Ryan Ayers- B-
Took his benching with dignity and was able to contribue off the bench. Can be a dead-eye shooter when he looks for a shot. Became more confident as the year went by. Still needs to be able to create scoring opportunities and become more of a part of the offense on the floor. Can grow into a Colin Falls-type scorer with very good defensive skills.
Luke Zeller- C+
Some flashes of improvement, but still not where we was expected to be at this point. Will never be a force down low, but could provide meaningful minutes on the outside. Shot 39% from three and had a very good rebounding games down the stretch. Must continue to develop with the departure of Kurz due to his extended minutes next year.
Jonathan Peoples- C
He and Zeller didn't get a lot of chances to show their stuff this year with 12 minutes a game. Partly due to Coach Brey's strategy, but their ability certainly plays a factor. Peoples showed a little range with 36% beyond the arc, but didn't get enough looks per game to really prove himself as a scorer. Has been a steady hand at the wheel when Jackson needs a break, but not much more than that. Needs to improve his scoring ability or defense or will continue to be used sparingly.
Freshmen- INC
Coach Brey decided to go with an eight-man rotation this year. Should Nash and Abromaitis have been used more? Probably. Should they have been reshirted? No. Although the freshmen were very small parts of the lineup, they picked up valuble experience off the bench. Scott has the upside to be a five-year guy, but the others do not look like candidates for a fifth year, so the redshirt was probably well played. In the end, the lack of depth was not the cause of their final defeat, so Coach Brey's strategy worked well enough.
It will be interesting to see who of the four scholarship freshmen breaks from the pack to merit serious playing time (even a starting spot?) next year. Nash gives the team a playmaker that we were lacking. Scott is even more talented towards that end, when healthy. Abromaitis and Proffitt were less heralded recruits who could enter the rotation as well.
That should put a cap on this year. Later today or tomorrow I will look forward to the next season.
I predicted a 22-8 record for the Irish through the regular season. They would finish 24-6, a two game improvement. Losses to Baylor and Georgia Tech at the Paradise Jam started the season off roughly, but the team rebounded with a neutral site win over Kansas State. The rest of the cake nonconference schedule rolled by without incident.
In the Big East, the Irish took on an 18 game schedule for the first time and were very successful. A 14-4 record landed the Irish in a tie for second in the conference. After lopsided losses at Marquette and Georgetown, Notre Dame closed out the season 11-2. Another unbeaten year at home kept the winning streak alive for another summer.
In the Big East Tournament, another disappointing finish sent the Irish home after a quarterfinal loss to rival Marquette. Notre Dame picked up a 5 seed in the NCAAs and used solid defense to send first round opponent George Mason home early. Unfortunately, the Irish came up short of their Sweet 16 goal by losing badly to Washington State.
Grades-
Coaching Staff- B
This could have been an A two weeks ago. Mike Brey picked up his second straight Big East Coach of the Year award in the leading the Irish from a predicted bottom half finish to a tie for second in the league. However, another early exit from New York and a blowout loss to Washington State ended the year on a sad note. Overall, a great performance in the regular season, but marred by another disappointing end of the year.
Rob Kurz- B-
Brought leadership to a team that desperately needed it after the graduation of Colin Falls and Russell Carter. However, he seemed to disappear in some close games. Rebounding dipped a bit due to the emergence of Luke Harangody, but also turned the ball over more than in the past. Shooting percentages were down considerably as well. Made most of his impact off the court and as a leader on the floor.
Kyle McAlarney- B+
Welcome back. He was expected to make an impact as a three-point shooter, but no one knew how he would play side-by-side with Jackson in the backcourt. It turned out very well. In 36 minutes a game, he scored 15 and dished out 3.5 assists. A shooting percentage of 44% from beyond the arc placed second in the conference with the most threes made. Became a scorer from the oustide that was definitely needed. Had a few cold shooting nights that really hurt the team but should improve even more with a second year playing the 2.
Zach Hillesland- B
Came off the bench to the starting lineup halfway through the year. Added life in a squad that looked flat out of the gate far too often. Not a big stat guy, 6.2 PPG/5.3 RPG/2.5 APG, but does a lot of little things. Was the only attacking wing, a problem that should be remedied with Nash and Scott next season. Shot 51% from the floor, a product of his ability to get to the basket for layups. Biggest problem is lack of an outside game. If he can develop a consistent mid-range jumper with some threes, he will have more opportunities to get to the basket.
Tory Jackson- B
Played well with McAlarney in the backcourt. Proved that he deserved the starting PG role. Scoring got a little bump from last year, but rebounds and assists shot to new heights. 3.2 turnovers a game is a little high. Still not a great shooter, but got smarter from outside as the year wore on. Though he was 30% from three, his shot selection became more surgical as we went 12 for 27 (44%) from the end of January until the first round of the tournament. Still needs to cut down on mistakes and continue to develop his finishing ability when driving, but made some strong steps forwad.
Luke Harangody- A-
What do you say about this guy? Went from unknown to Player of the Year over the course of the season. Averaged 20 and 10 and showed the ability to knock down outside shots. 22 rebounds in the final game demonstrates his ability to control a contest even while being terrible offensively. Needs to play within himself next year. He got a little frustrated at times and forced shots. Also needs to stay on the block and limit his touches 7-10 feet from the basket. Overall, he is still not ready for the NBA (good for us) due to his size and still unpolished style. The thought of him improving even more is scary.
Ryan Ayers- B-
Took his benching with dignity and was able to contribue off the bench. Can be a dead-eye shooter when he looks for a shot. Became more confident as the year went by. Still needs to be able to create scoring opportunities and become more of a part of the offense on the floor. Can grow into a Colin Falls-type scorer with very good defensive skills.
Luke Zeller- C+
Some flashes of improvement, but still not where we was expected to be at this point. Will never be a force down low, but could provide meaningful minutes on the outside. Shot 39% from three and had a very good rebounding games down the stretch. Must continue to develop with the departure of Kurz due to his extended minutes next year.
Jonathan Peoples- C
He and Zeller didn't get a lot of chances to show their stuff this year with 12 minutes a game. Partly due to Coach Brey's strategy, but their ability certainly plays a factor. Peoples showed a little range with 36% beyond the arc, but didn't get enough looks per game to really prove himself as a scorer. Has been a steady hand at the wheel when Jackson needs a break, but not much more than that. Needs to improve his scoring ability or defense or will continue to be used sparingly.
Freshmen- INC
Coach Brey decided to go with an eight-man rotation this year. Should Nash and Abromaitis have been used more? Probably. Should they have been reshirted? No. Although the freshmen were very small parts of the lineup, they picked up valuble experience off the bench. Scott has the upside to be a five-year guy, but the others do not look like candidates for a fifth year, so the redshirt was probably well played. In the end, the lack of depth was not the cause of their final defeat, so Coach Brey's strategy worked well enough.
It will be interesting to see who of the four scholarship freshmen breaks from the pack to merit serious playing time (even a starting spot?) next year. Nash gives the team a playmaker that we were lacking. Scott is even more talented towards that end, when healthy. Abromaitis and Proffitt were less heralded recruits who could enter the rotation as well.
That should put a cap on this year. Later today or tomorrow I will look forward to the next season.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Schedule Strength and Bench Depth
With a couple days before the opener in the Virgin Islands, I've decided to take some time to research the two biggest complaints about Coach Brey this season: non-conference schedule strength and an eight-man deep bench.
Overall, I am not too concerned with the non-conference schedule. It presents a problem if, and only if, the Irish fail to convince the committee through a strong performance in the Big East slate. If this team finishes 7th or lower in the Big East standings, they will have larger problems than an unimpressive string of games before January. In addition, the lack of top competition out of conference guarantees wins and minimizes the chance for an embarrassing upset here and there. You can fully expect Notre Dame to carry no more than two losses and a continued home winning streak into 2008.
That said, let's break down the opponents. In-season tournaments are withheld.
Team- Final 2007 RPI- Conference Prediction (Sporting News)-
Overall, I am not too concerned with the non-conference schedule. It presents a problem if, and only if, the Irish fail to convince the committee through a strong performance in the Big East slate. If this team finishes 7th or lower in the Big East standings, they will have larger problems than an unimpressive string of games before January. In addition, the lack of top competition out of conference guarantees wins and minimizes the chance for an embarrassing upset here and there. You can fully expect Notre Dame to carry no more than two losses and a continued home winning streak into 2008.
That said, let's break down the opponents. In-season tournaments are withheld.
Team- Final 2007 RPI- Conference Prediction (Sporting News)-
- Long Island- 310- 11th Northeast Conference
- Youngstown State- 173- 9th Horizon League
- Colgate- 261- 6th Patriot League
- Eastern Michigan- 234- 4th MAC West
- Kansas St.- 56- 3rd Big XII
- Northern Illinois- 301- 5th MAC West
- San Francisco- 162- 4th WCC
- Brown- 230- 5th Ivy League
- North Florida- 333- 9th Atlantic Sun
Pitt-
- NC A&T- 271- 2nd MEAC
- St. Louis- 74- 8th A-10
- Mississippi Valley- 200- 5th SWAC
- Buffalo- 238- 6th MAC East
- Boston U- 210- America East
- Toledo- 94- 3rd MAC West
- Duquesne- 222- 9th A-10
- Washington- 81- 8th Pac-10
- Oklahoma State- 51- 5th Big XII
- Duke- 15- 2nd ACC
- Dayton- 75- 4th A-10
- Lafayette- 284- Patriot League
Syracuse-
- Fordham- 108- 5th A-10
- UMASS- 61- 6th A-10
- Tulane- 145- 6th C-USA
- Virginia- 55- 5th ACC
- Rhode Island- 109- 3rd A-10
- E. Tennessee State- 123- 1st Atlantic Sun
- Colgate- 261- 6th Patriot League
- Cornell- 169- 1st Ivy League
- Northeastern- 184- 8th Colonial Athletic Association
Pitt and Syracuse display two very different styles of scheduling. The Panthers will play a very hit and miss non-conference schedule, with 6 teams out of 12 ranked 200+ and the other half in the top 100. Syracuse has a less ambitious, but equally effective schedule, with only one opponent out of the top 200 and two top 100 teams.
Pitt will certainly lose the most games before the Big East season starts, with Duke, Oklahoma St., and a trap game at Dayton coming up. If you're looking for a good way to improve Notre Dame's schedule, Boeheim has compiled a strong list. No 300+ cupcakes, only two top-100 contests. The Orange should escape their nonconference schedule with few losses and an added boost to their strength of schedule.
The second subject for tonight's post comes from a variety of complaints I overheard during yesterday's game. With such a cupcake schedule, why not deepen the bench and give more playing time to freshmen and walkons? I can't speak specifically for yesterday, but I did a little research into the use of bench players over last season overall. If Coach Brey's unwillingness to go more than 8 deep is such an irregularity, certainly other top coaches around the country must use their substitutes with more frequency.
One large part of this equation is the tempo at which a team plays. That is hard to determine, so I used a variety of teams in my research. The first 4 schools are Big East teams who lost two top players before this year. The other two are the defending champs and one of the most talented squads from year to year.
Notre Dame-- Carter- 30.4 MPG
- Falls- 34.3
- Kurz- 28.0
- Jackson- 27.8
- Harangody- 20.6
- Hillesland- 19.6
- Zeller- 12.4
- Ayers- 11.9
- Peoples- 6.4
DePaul-
- Chandler- 31.7
- Mejia- 33.5
- Burns- 25.9
- Clarke- 20.7
- Currie- 19.0
- Walker- 14.9
- Clinkscales- 11.9
- Green- 11.7
- Handler/Moses- 4.3
- Buckley- 35.7
- Mattis- 32.7
- Howard- 31.1
- Bozeman- 30.6
- Gransberry- 28.5
- Verdejo- 23.1
- Williams- 17.6
- Saaka- 17.0
- Lovett- 5.6
West Virginia-
- Young- 32.0
- Summers- 21.6
- Nichols- 34.8
- Ruoff- 33.2
- Alexander- 25.0
- Butler- 23.3
- Smalligan- 14.4
- Bawinkel- 9.0
- Mazzula- 8.7
- Smith/Talkington- 7.8
Florida-
- Brewer- 28.7
- Green- 33.1
- Horford- 27.7
- Humphrey- 30.0
- Noah- 25.8
- Hodge- 17.7
- Richard- 18.0
- Werner- 8.9
- Mitchell- 6.2
- Speights- 5.7
Duke-
- McRoberts- 35.3
- Scheyer- 33.7
- Paulus- 32.4
- Nelson- 31.9
- McClure- 21.7
- Henderson- 19.3
- Thomas- 14.9
- Pocius- 7.1
- Zoubek- 7.3
So what does all this mean? While the non-conference schedule is quite weak, especially when compared to similar Big East teams, Coach Brey's use of the bench is overall quite normal for top-level college hoops teams. Even Coach K, with a more talented team in Durham, was content with a short bench over the course of the year.
Whew. This post was supposed to be done an hour ago. Sorry if the delay inconvenienced you at all. Tomorrow we'll talk about the Paradise Jam...
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Harangody Out Until Mid-November
Bamm-Bamm tore a ligament in his right thumb Monday and looks to be out 3 to 6 weeks. Word on the street is that Mike Brey was not too worried when speaking at Dillon Hall last night, mentioning the opportunity to develop another post player down low. Hopefully he can be back for the Paradise Jam on the 16th.
A little off topic, I spoke to a Georgetown grad who's already planning on buying tickets to San Antonio. It would be nice to see the Irish disappoint him at the Joyce, but the only game this year is in D.C.
And Mike Coffey has some insights on how to bolster our Non-Conference schedule. Pretty good stuff, but the schedule's already set. I'd rather focus on staying undefeated until January.
Look's like Joey Harrington's out as starting quarterback for the Falcons, so there's no longer any reason for to care about pro football. I wonder if it was confusing having a Pitino and a Petrino at Louisville last year... nevermind.
A little off topic, I spoke to a Georgetown grad who's already planning on buying tickets to San Antonio. It would be nice to see the Irish disappoint him at the Joyce, but the only game this year is in D.C.
And Mike Coffey has some insights on how to bolster our Non-Conference schedule. Pretty good stuff, but the schedule's already set. I'd rather focus on staying undefeated until January.
Look's like Joey Harrington's out as starting quarterback for the Falcons, so there's no longer any reason for to care about pro football. I wonder if it was confusing having a Pitino and a Petrino at Louisville last year... nevermind.
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