One might argue that there have been coaches who fit Notre Dame as well as Mike Brey has, but it would be hard to make a case that anyone has been a better fit. He embraces what Notre Dame is, quirky as that might be at times; and he wastes zero energy telling his bosses…
Mike Brey really likes his team. I’ve had that impression since he first addressed the media at the beginning of fall practice. He believes the 2016-17 Fighting Irish are better than pundits have predicted. As I have noted in past seasons. the story of a team’s season unfolds via Bruce Tuckman’s team development model. Tuckman,…
Notre Dame completed the 2014-15 regular season with a 26-5 record. The record was 20-10 this season. The 2015 conference record was 14-4, third best in the ACC. It was 11-7 in 2016, good for fifth place. The 2014-15 season always felt like it was building to something substantial. The 2015-16 season had as many…
2015-16 conventional wisdom considered the ACC weaker than usual, a conference with several good teams but no outstanding teams. Therefore Notre Dame’s 11-7 record was unimpressive, akin to 9-9 most seasons. Well, if the ACC is weaker than usual, college basketball is weaker than usual; and I don’t think that’s the case. We’re used to…
A surgeon walked into a hospital waiting room to meet with his patient’s family. “I have good news,” said the doctor. “All but one of your father’s organs are healthy enough to be transplanted into other patients.” Similarly, all but one of the Notre Dame basketball teams we saw throughout the 2015-16 season is good…