The Irish did a good job on the boards Sunday (not too terribly difficult when the D2 opponent's tallest player is 6-7), outrebounding Stonehill 48-30. Along with Harangody's double-double, Tory Jackson and Luke Zeller finished with big days under the basket. I would be thrilled to see Zeller keep up a 7 or 8 rebound per game average over the course of the season. Kurz averaged 7.1 last year, hopefully Zeller can give us the same thing. Time will tell.
Ty Nash is another guy who can give solid minutes and add to that rebounding total. The sophomore played only eleven minutes, an increase from the first exhibition, but I would have liked to see him on the floor more. We also need to get guys like Aromaitis and Scott on the floor more before Big East play. Both did see a solid number of minutes against Briar Cliff with Hillesland out.
First half shooting was horrendous, only 38%, but was made up for by a strong final twenty minutes (57%). The game was also a little sloppier than the first contest, with two more turnovers and a weaker percentage from the foul line.
Recruiting early signing period begins Wednesday. We should have four guys locked in then.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Notre Dame 79, Stonehill 47
Basketball as therapy. A solid win gets me back in the right frame of mind after yesterday's disaster on turf.
I was sitting next to a friend of Randall Stallworth during the game. Interesting story about that guy. Received some interest from Seton Hall (his brother's alma mater) and other D1 schools out of high school, but went with the guaranteed free education and playing time at Stonehill. His high school coach knows 76ers guard Andre Miller through some camps and introduced Stallworth to Miller. Long story short, Randall spends his summers at Miller's mansion playing pickup with some guy in the neighborhood named Baron Davis. Just your average life as a D2 baller.
First half, the Skyhawks stuck around by playing solid methodical offense and letting the Irish miss a few layups under the basket. Notre Dame was a bit rusty from the start, but really took over in the second half.
First thought was how impressive Ty Nash looked. Nash has clearly established himself as the 8th man in the rotation. Lots of strength to play inside and has good fundamentals. He could step into the starting lineup next year.
Tory Jackson finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Two assists and two steals to go along with that. Nice solid overall game by the point guard with no turnovers. His shot has gotten a bit bitter, looking steady from the line and sinking half his shots from the field.
Kyle McAlarney waited until the second half to really start shooting. By not letting the shots fly early, he failed to establish a really good rhythm, but still was a solid 3-7 from beyond the arc for nine points. Missed a close layup, but was not the only culprit.
Ryan Ayers was not a great offensive force, with only eight points, but also grabbed three rebounds in 23 minutes. 3-7 shooting and 1-2 from long range.
Luke Zeller played very well in 24 minutes. 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists. Made half his shots from inside and outside the blue line and also tallied a blocked shot.
Harangody struggled a bit in the beginning with double teams, but got better as the game wore on. 21 points, 10 rebounds. Most importantly, the points came from a variety of looks. He will never look comfortable shooting from outside, but that awkward set shot is effective. His ability to step back and hit the jumper as well as anyone on the roster makes him a scary player. Reports have him turning into a reliable three point target as well. What can't he do?
Off the bench, Peoples was very good with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. No turnovers. The shot was not falling, but he did everything a backup point guard is required to do. Hillesland had 2 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists. Kind of a quiet game for him. Nash with 6 points and 5 rebounds in 11 minutes. That's a double double if he played just over half the game. Talk about production in a pinch. Scott, Kopko, and Andree all scored in the closing minutes. Abromaitis also got three minutes.
Overall, a very good second half in which we outscored the opponents 50-23 made this a fun game to watch. A little tight at the beginning, but the team never lost its cool and easily pulled away. I'll take that.
With the football team playing 6-3 Navy next week, I might be using Harangody and friends as my personal psychiatrist again. Hopefully they'll help me forget all about this football season by March.
I was sitting next to a friend of Randall Stallworth during the game. Interesting story about that guy. Received some interest from Seton Hall (his brother's alma mater) and other D1 schools out of high school, but went with the guaranteed free education and playing time at Stonehill. His high school coach knows 76ers guard Andre Miller through some camps and introduced Stallworth to Miller. Long story short, Randall spends his summers at Miller's mansion playing pickup with some guy in the neighborhood named Baron Davis. Just your average life as a D2 baller.
First half, the Skyhawks stuck around by playing solid methodical offense and letting the Irish miss a few layups under the basket. Notre Dame was a bit rusty from the start, but really took over in the second half.
First thought was how impressive Ty Nash looked. Nash has clearly established himself as the 8th man in the rotation. Lots of strength to play inside and has good fundamentals. He could step into the starting lineup next year.
Tory Jackson finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Two assists and two steals to go along with that. Nice solid overall game by the point guard with no turnovers. His shot has gotten a bit bitter, looking steady from the line and sinking half his shots from the field.
Kyle McAlarney waited until the second half to really start shooting. By not letting the shots fly early, he failed to establish a really good rhythm, but still was a solid 3-7 from beyond the arc for nine points. Missed a close layup, but was not the only culprit.
Ryan Ayers was not a great offensive force, with only eight points, but also grabbed three rebounds in 23 minutes. 3-7 shooting and 1-2 from long range.
Luke Zeller played very well in 24 minutes. 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists. Made half his shots from inside and outside the blue line and also tallied a blocked shot.
Harangody struggled a bit in the beginning with double teams, but got better as the game wore on. 21 points, 10 rebounds. Most importantly, the points came from a variety of looks. He will never look comfortable shooting from outside, but that awkward set shot is effective. His ability to step back and hit the jumper as well as anyone on the roster makes him a scary player. Reports have him turning into a reliable three point target as well. What can't he do?
Off the bench, Peoples was very good with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. No turnovers. The shot was not falling, but he did everything a backup point guard is required to do. Hillesland had 2 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists. Kind of a quiet game for him. Nash with 6 points and 5 rebounds in 11 minutes. That's a double double if he played just over half the game. Talk about production in a pinch. Scott, Kopko, and Andree all scored in the closing minutes. Abromaitis also got three minutes.
Overall, a very good second half in which we outscored the opponents 50-23 made this a fun game to watch. A little tight at the beginning, but the team never lost its cool and easily pulled away. I'll take that.
With the football team playing 6-3 Navy next week, I might be using Harangody and friends as my personal psychiatrist again. Hopefully they'll help me forget all about this football season by March.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Stonehill Preview
The Irish have their second and final tuneup game of the season, facing Division II team Stonehill from North Easton, Massachusetts.
Not a whole lot of information about the team itself, but Stonehill College was founded 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The C.S.C.s, of course, also founded Notre Dame. Should be a good experience for that team to travel up to South Bend and an opportunity for our guys to get more game experience in. More tomorrow after the game.
Not a whole lot of information about the team itself, but Stonehill College was founded 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The C.S.C.s, of course, also founded Notre Dame. Should be a good experience for that team to travel up to South Bend and an opportunity for our guys to get more game experience in. More tomorrow after the game.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Previewing the Irish
Our friend Chaz Rich from AOL Fanhouse and PittBlather.com has asked me to do a write-up for the Irish. They are putting together previews for the top 25 teams. The Irish are ranked 15th in their poll. Check the Fanhouse later to see the other team previews.
The Irish enter the 2008-09 season with their highest expectations since Digger Phelps roamed the Joyce Center sidelines. With an offensive juggernaut led by All-American Luke Harangody and sweet shooting Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame can outscore just about every team in the country. Supremely talented point guard Tory Jackson grows into an upperclassman with the expectation that he will keep the scoring machine running smoothly. Wings Ryan Ayers and Zach Hillesland enter the starting lineup to make up for the loss of last year's lone senior Rob Kurz.
Notre Dame can score from all over the hardwood, with McAlarney and Ayers knocking down threes and Harangody getting 20 points a game in the paint. The big question mark is how the team will defend. Last year ended in disappointment when Washington State was able to limit the amount of possessions in ND's second round tourney defeat. In such a low scoring game, lackluster defense shone through. Coach Mike Brey hopes that defensive stoppers Jackson and Ayers will be able to shut down the opposing team's top scorers and Harangody will develop into a better post defender.
Why they are ranked here:
Returning Big East Player of the Year Harangody can carry the team in spurts and some young athletic players in Carleton Scott and Ty Nash enter the lineup to give some more spunk to an overall very talented team. They have gone unbeaten at home the last two years and have finished in the top 4 two years in a row in a scary-good Big East. They will get beaten up a few times with a strong nonconference schedule and lots of competition within the league, but should be battle hardened once May comes along.
Why they should be ranked higher:
On a good night, this team can beat any team in the country. Both Harangody and McAlarney can drop 20 a night, with as many as five or six others contributing double digits from time to time. The balance on offense, with Harangody on the inside and Mac on the wing, is very difficult to stop. Often teams have to focus on one and pray that the other just has a cold night. Jackson's ability to break down a defense adds another deminsion to the Irish attack. With everything running well, Notre Dame is an 80 point team even against good opponents.
Why they should be ranked lower-
Harangody can be stopped with double and triple teams. This places an emphasis on shooters like McAlarney and Ayers who will be given open looks. Kyle has a streaky history and can go 1-9 if he does not find his stroke early. Ayers has a similar problem if he does not get enough looks to find his rythm. Defensive problems in last year's NCAA Tournament are a worry if Irish shooters cannot get going early. They will need to prove an added emphasis on D in the Maui Invitational to relieve those fears.
The Irish enter the 2008-09 season with their highest expectations since Digger Phelps roamed the Joyce Center sidelines. With an offensive juggernaut led by All-American Luke Harangody and sweet shooting Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame can outscore just about every team in the country. Supremely talented point guard Tory Jackson grows into an upperclassman with the expectation that he will keep the scoring machine running smoothly. Wings Ryan Ayers and Zach Hillesland enter the starting lineup to make up for the loss of last year's lone senior Rob Kurz.
Notre Dame can score from all over the hardwood, with McAlarney and Ayers knocking down threes and Harangody getting 20 points a game in the paint. The big question mark is how the team will defend. Last year ended in disappointment when Washington State was able to limit the amount of possessions in ND's second round tourney defeat. In such a low scoring game, lackluster defense shone through. Coach Mike Brey hopes that defensive stoppers Jackson and Ayers will be able to shut down the opposing team's top scorers and Harangody will develop into a better post defender.
Why they are ranked here:
Returning Big East Player of the Year Harangody can carry the team in spurts and some young athletic players in Carleton Scott and Ty Nash enter the lineup to give some more spunk to an overall very talented team. They have gone unbeaten at home the last two years and have finished in the top 4 two years in a row in a scary-good Big East. They will get beaten up a few times with a strong nonconference schedule and lots of competition within the league, but should be battle hardened once May comes along.
Why they should be ranked higher:
On a good night, this team can beat any team in the country. Both Harangody and McAlarney can drop 20 a night, with as many as five or six others contributing double digits from time to time. The balance on offense, with Harangody on the inside and Mac on the wing, is very difficult to stop. Often teams have to focus on one and pray that the other just has a cold night. Jackson's ability to break down a defense adds another deminsion to the Irish attack. With everything running well, Notre Dame is an 80 point team even against good opponents.
Why they should be ranked lower-
Harangody can be stopped with double and triple teams. This places an emphasis on shooters like McAlarney and Ayers who will be given open looks. Kyle has a streaky history and can go 1-9 if he does not find his stroke early. Ayers has a similar problem if he does not get enough looks to find his rythm. Defensive problems in last year's NCAA Tournament are a worry if Irish shooters cannot get going early. They will need to prove an added emphasis on D in the Maui Invitational to relieve those fears.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Tom Knight Commits
Irish added another man to the recruiting class of 2009, with the commitment of Tom Knight. Knight is a three-star power forward. At 6'8", 245 pounds, he is bigger than classmates Mike Broghammer and Jack Cooley. Hopefully he will turn out to be a good mix of power and athletic ability. You'll notice I don't comment a lot on recruiting, which is mostly due to what a crap shoot this can turn out to be. Nonetheless, good to add another guy to the Notre Dame family.
Also, Brady Quinn gets his first NFL start and looks very impressive (knock on wood) through three quarters. Good luck Brady!
Also, Brady Quinn gets his first NFL start and looks very impressive (knock on wood) through three quarters. Good luck Brady!
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