Notre Dame adds another transfer to the squad in 6'8" Scott Martin from Purdue. This is a bigger signing than Hansbrough in that Martin adds some size and rebounding plus an extra year of eligiblity.
Though the team didn't pick up any high school recruits in this cycle, adding Martin, Hansbrough, and Coach Solomon will really help the team develop beyond next season. As a rising sophomore, Martin will sit out next season but have three years of eligibility remaining. Adding an experienced player like Scott to the lineup in '09-'10 is very important with the loss of our four rising seniors.
Welcome to all three of our additions and best of luck to them during the summer transition.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Solomon Returns to Replace Cross
Reports have Anthony Solomon returning to South Bend for his second stint as an Irish assistant. Solomon coached the Irish from 2000-2003. When he left for a head coaching job at St. Bonaventure, the Irish seemed to lose a toughness that they did not regain until Gene Cross' arrival for the 06-07 campaign. Indeed, many would argue that Solomon is a step up from Cross on the bench. So that's very exciting news. Hopefully Anthony will fit right back in with the team and give us another great two or three years before delving back into the head coaching world.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Hansbrough Transfers to Notre Dame
In a bit of old news, Ben Hansbrough has decided to leave Mississippi State and restart his career for the Irish. The 6'3" brother of player of the year Tyler, Hansbrough should be a nice addition to the backcourt in two years. He will help out in practice next season as he sits out his required year.
ESPN Profile
Sorry about the delay, but I was hoping to pair this post with one about Scott Martin of Purdue. The four star recruit from a year ago has decided to leave the Boilermakers. Odds are on either ND or Valpo. He would be the bigger catch of the two transfers if completed, so I'll postpone my full transfer post until further notice.
ESPN Profile
Sorry about the delay, but I was hoping to pair this post with one about Scott Martin of Purdue. The four star recruit from a year ago has decided to leave the Boilermakers. Odds are on either ND or Valpo. He would be the bigger catch of the two transfers if completed, so I'll postpone my full transfer post until further notice.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Cross to Toledo
Congrats to coach Gene Cross who has agreed to take the head job at Toledo.
This guy will be missed. He made the most noticable impact as a new assistant coach that I have ever seen. The players seemed to relate to him and he was the go-to guy on the bench from day one. At every substitution, Cross knelt down by the player being taken out and broke down his performance. In addition, Cross was a dedicated recruiter who could always been seen with high school players after home games.
Best of luck to Coach Cross as he enters the head coaching realm. He should be a good one. I will certainly miss seeing him on the bench and talking to him from time to time. He's one of the nicest and hardest working guys in the business and a true up-and-comer.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Looking Forward to 2009
Happy Easter, first of all.
Looking at next season, there are several positives. 4 starters return, four rising sophomores enter the equation, and both the Big East Coach of the Year and Player of the Year will be back.
Projected Starting Lineup-
PG- Tory Jackson
SG- Kyle McAlarney
SF- Tyrone Nash
PF- Zach Hillesland
PF- Luke Harangody
Sixth Man- Ryan Ayers
Question Mark- Carleton Scott
Backcourt-
Tory and Kyle return with the same roles. Tory will run the offense while K-Mac looks to shoot three pointers. Jonathan Peoples will again see about 10 minutes a game backing up both guards. Ty Proffitt may get some playing time as another backup, but is currently at the back of the depth chart.
Wings-
Zach Hillesland played the 3 for most of the season this year, but I am looking for him to take the most responsibility for Rob Kurz's role next season. In Zach's absence, there are plenty of options. Ryan Ayers will certainly get a look. He started the first half of the year and can provide an extra deep threat. However, Notre Dame lacked a good penetrator from the perimeter this year. With a good shooter in McAlarney and an inside threat with Luke Harangody, I see Ayers playing the same sixth man role that he held at the end of the season.
Who will provide that needed athleticism? Tyrone Nash is the first choice, a former three-star recruit from Queens. His 6-8 frame will provide a needed mismatch against three guard lineups with the ability to get to the rim. Redshirt Carleton Scott should be in the mix, but his broken foot will keep him out of summer practice. If he keeps the muscle added during this season, Scott could be ready for serious minutes off the bench at the beginning of the year. Tim Abromaitis has shown athleticism in practice and could be a Zach Hillesland clone. If one of the three is ready to start, the Irish will be in good shape.
Frontcourt-
Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody returns. He still has plenty of room for improvement and may visit a big man camp in the summer. With some added post moves and a more polished attack, the post will be fine. Zach Hillesland looks to make up for Rob Kurz's departure. He can pass well out of the high post and perimeter and can drive against slower forwards. Time will tell if he can be a post scorer with Harangody on the bench or in foul trouble.
Luke Zeller will also get a look for a starting position on next year's team. He is the obvious choice for a power forward at 6'10", 239. However, he has never shown the ability to be an inside scorer and lacks the physicality to defend the big guys in the Big East. He could be a Pittsnogle type who blossoms in his senior year with limited rebounding and a strong three-point stroke, but will have to improve his defense to deserve the playing time.
Overall, I think we look strong for next season. Most of the top players return and there are a lot of unknown talents entering the rotation. If at least one of them turns out before October, this team could be even better.
Finally, thanks to everyone who read and contributed to the blog over the past several months. It has always been a great experience writing these posts and I look forward for next season.
Special thanks to Bryan, Lucid, Luke, Golden Monkey, Sebastian, Craig, and everyone else who contributed over the course of the year (I'm sure I left out plenty of you, so leave a comment to remind me). Knowing I'll be ripped to shreds for some of my comments is great for keeping this blog fresh.
So I'll be on hiatus until October unless anything comes up before then (a coaching change, surprise recuit, etc). If you have any important news or tidbits to add, drop me a line at hondahusduc@sbcglobal.net. Thanks again, and have a great offseason!
Looking at next season, there are several positives. 4 starters return, four rising sophomores enter the equation, and both the Big East Coach of the Year and Player of the Year will be back.
Projected Starting Lineup-
PG- Tory Jackson
SG- Kyle McAlarney
SF- Tyrone Nash
PF- Zach Hillesland
PF- Luke Harangody
Sixth Man- Ryan Ayers
Question Mark- Carleton Scott
Backcourt-
Tory and Kyle return with the same roles. Tory will run the offense while K-Mac looks to shoot three pointers. Jonathan Peoples will again see about 10 minutes a game backing up both guards. Ty Proffitt may get some playing time as another backup, but is currently at the back of the depth chart.
Wings-
Zach Hillesland played the 3 for most of the season this year, but I am looking for him to take the most responsibility for Rob Kurz's role next season. In Zach's absence, there are plenty of options. Ryan Ayers will certainly get a look. He started the first half of the year and can provide an extra deep threat. However, Notre Dame lacked a good penetrator from the perimeter this year. With a good shooter in McAlarney and an inside threat with Luke Harangody, I see Ayers playing the same sixth man role that he held at the end of the season.
Who will provide that needed athleticism? Tyrone Nash is the first choice, a former three-star recruit from Queens. His 6-8 frame will provide a needed mismatch against three guard lineups with the ability to get to the rim. Redshirt Carleton Scott should be in the mix, but his broken foot will keep him out of summer practice. If he keeps the muscle added during this season, Scott could be ready for serious minutes off the bench at the beginning of the year. Tim Abromaitis has shown athleticism in practice and could be a Zach Hillesland clone. If one of the three is ready to start, the Irish will be in good shape.
Frontcourt-
Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody returns. He still has plenty of room for improvement and may visit a big man camp in the summer. With some added post moves and a more polished attack, the post will be fine. Zach Hillesland looks to make up for Rob Kurz's departure. He can pass well out of the high post and perimeter and can drive against slower forwards. Time will tell if he can be a post scorer with Harangody on the bench or in foul trouble.
Luke Zeller will also get a look for a starting position on next year's team. He is the obvious choice for a power forward at 6'10", 239. However, he has never shown the ability to be an inside scorer and lacks the physicality to defend the big guys in the Big East. He could be a Pittsnogle type who blossoms in his senior year with limited rebounding and a strong three-point stroke, but will have to improve his defense to deserve the playing time.
Overall, I think we look strong for next season. Most of the top players return and there are a lot of unknown talents entering the rotation. If at least one of them turns out before October, this team could be even better.
Finally, thanks to everyone who read and contributed to the blog over the past several months. It has always been a great experience writing these posts and I look forward for next season.
Special thanks to Bryan, Lucid, Luke, Golden Monkey, Sebastian, Craig, and everyone else who contributed over the course of the year (I'm sure I left out plenty of you, so leave a comment to remind me). Knowing I'll be ripped to shreds for some of my comments is great for keeping this blog fresh.
So I'll be on hiatus until October unless anything comes up before then (a coaching change, surprise recuit, etc). If you have any important news or tidbits to add, drop me a line at hondahusduc@sbcglobal.net. Thanks again, and have a great offseason!
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