Summer Update #3

It's been too long since the last one, but following the football team's 33-3 loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday, we all need something to look forward to.

So what's new? The schedule is official (as of today). It looks like ND's 20 game home winning streak should not be in jeopardy until, well... January. This year's Syracuse-esque non-conference lineup pits the Irish against fierce rivals such as North Florida (coached by former Irish assistant Matt Kilcullen) and Youngstown State. The Paradise Jam should be interesting, with a possible rematch of Winthrop waiting in the wings, but the only concrete matchup there is Monmouth.

The eighteen game conference slate will prove to be plenty challenging. Unfortunately, without an opportunity for quality non-conference wins in 2007, making the '08 Tournament as an at-large will be somewhat difficult.

The Big East Basketball Report always does some good work. Check out that season preview for a good guide of this year's action.

An Overview:

Big East Schedule Rank- 6th
Historical Conference Record- 9th, 101-99
All-Time BET Record- 4-12

Tory Jackson- 8th Overall PG- "This year, McAlarney is back, but expect the PG position to be Jackson's as he adds more quickness to the Irish attack and to be paired with McAlarney at the guard position."

Kyle McAlarney- SG Player to Watch- "McAlarney is a tough competitor who is an excellent shooter and if Jackson can get in the lane, look for him to find a spot-up shooter like McAlarney ready to fire. The Irish offense is known to take advantage of that kind of skill set."

Honorable Mention Backcourt- "The Irish are definitely not the deepest group, but Tory Jackson and Kyle McAlarney will form a quality backcourt duo. I was impressed with the play of Jonathan Peoples as well last year as he and Jackson were both thrown into the fire when McAlarney was lost due to suspension just prior to conference play. "

Ryan Ayers- Wing Player to Watch- "Ayers is the best candidate and showed a little potential last season in a couple opportunities. He will be pushed to produce this year, as a junior, because it could be his last shot."

Rob Kurz- 1st (1a) Overall PF- "Despite battling injuries throughout the conference season, Rob Kurz still managed to put up 10 pts and 7 rebounds a contest in conference action. Kurz does everything well for Mike Brey's squad and his ability to go inside and out opens the middle for Luke Harangody. Kurz is an excellent passer underneath as well and, if he stays healthy, should be a very efficient player for the Irish this season. "

Luke Harangody- 6th Overall C- "Every other center on the list might have more upside for the next level, but here is one of the most fundamentally sound young post players I have seen come into the league in a LONG, LONG time. Harangody has the footwork down and when he develops position inside, he has an array of post moves to use with excellent touch that he is nearly automatic at getting to the line or dropping in a bucket. He uses his body very well to establish position and he aggressively chases down rebounds."

Good to see the high praise for Kurz. The rest of the starting lineup gets some credit as well (see the paragraph on Bamm-Bamm). I'll some more thoughts of my own for you as the season draws closer, but for now feel free to enjoy the great work done by NBEblogger and a bunch of other sites around the net.

'Til next time, I'll be watching Jimmy Claw and the rest of the football boys in action. Let's hope it gets better than it was Saturday.

Tom Noie on Summer Practice

Feel free to listen to Noie's bit on the squad so far: http://www.wsbtradio.com/upload/sportsbeat/tuesdaysportsbeat.mp3

He was a guest host on last night's WSBT Weekday Sports Beat.

A couple notes-

• McAlarney thankfully looks back in synch with the rest of the squad and should pair nicely with Jackson
• Both Ryan Ayers and Luke Zeller have gotten bigger (not having seen either in person yet this year, I'm hoping Ayers can fill out like a taller Russell Carter... Zeller's worth as a big man can dramatically improve if he adds some weight)
• As for the freshmen, Ty Nash looks like a solid contender as does Carleton Scott
• Niether of our two-star recruits, Abromaitis and Proffitt, should see much action if at all this year
• Five-star potential recruit Tyler Zeller still has ND in the mix, but probably not for much longer... although Matthew Humphrey and Iman Shumpert are possibilities for a shooting guard signing in the freshman class of 2008
• Also possibility of adding a big man in the spring via transfer

Most of this news is pretty exciting. Hopefully both Nash and Scott will contribute next season. Nash is more likely to break into regular action, but Scott is supposed to have a solid outside shot (may see Ryan Ayers type minutes from last season).

No expectations for this upcoming recruiting season, although I had hoped Zeller would sign. Hopefully I will get a chance to see the players in action and get some better analysis next time.

Summer Update #2

As the summer rolls on, a few more notes. Russell Carter is looking for a job after missing out in the NBA Draft. Good luck to him as he tries to break into the pros via the free agent route, a la Chris Quinn.

Speaking of CQ, he may have an opportunity for more minutes next season if Gary Payton retires. That would be great news for him.

Other than that, life in the wide world goes on as much as it has this past age. If you're looking for some good all-sports banter, feel free to check out Armchairgm.com

Until next time, so long.

Summer Update #1

While I have been enjoying some time off from the hectic sports-writing experience that is this blog, I received some news yesterday that deserved comment.

Joe Harden is set to transfer to another school, citing playing time as a concern. He does however say he will miss what has been his home for a year, "I've only been here for one year, but it feels like I've got roots here."

He will be missed, but hopefully freshmen Ty Nash and Carleton Scott will be able to successfully make the move to college ball and take up his lost minutes.

That's it for now, most of the boys are on campus and enjoying the beautiful South bend weather. Let's hope these summer sessions don't go to waste.

Gators/Buckeyes

Just when you thought the postseason couldn't get any more boring from a Notre Dame perspective, a rematch happened. Not only is Florida a win away from back-to-back championships, but it could win an unprecedented basketball-football-basketball three-peat over the course of 16 months.

Throw in Ohio State, who came into this year's BCS Championship game as the heavy favorite before falling to whom? Florida. ESPN will certainly break down every corner of this historical significance over the next two days.

While the game has many great historical reasons to watch, I will be hard-pressed to view a minute of it. Both teams are techically sound and it should be 40 minutes of solid basketball. However, with both being gigantic powers on the national athletic scale, it's very hard to pull for either of them. I'll predict that tOSU will pull it out in their LeBron jerseys (maybe the nation's most famous non-alum will even be on hand).

Greg Oden and Mike Conley are the real deal, but I wouldn't waste a scholarship on either of them at Notre Dame. While I would love to see a great big man like Oden stay in college, it's only a matter of time before the pull of the NBA is too much. No matter if they stay one year or two or three, I would much rather have a team of future college graduates grace the court of the Joyce Center for years to come.

Congrats to G'Town for a great season. Did not see a Final Four run in them even after our big loss in D.C. Great to see the program be revived. Until tomorrow, have a good April Fool's Day.