Comments on: Notre Dame 2010-11: The Hindsight Version

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:50:05 +0000

If people are satisfied with a team that does well in the regular season and chokes in the NCAA tournament, that’s fine – but don’t sugarcoat the tournament losses. Quit acting like its poor ol’ ND/Sisters of the Poor with its canvas converse shoes and its rundown outdoor playing facilities losing to teams that are just stacked with one and done NBA caliber talent, playing in Mark Cuban-esque facilities.

In 3 of the last 4 NCAA tournaments Notre Dame has lost to double digit seeds: Winthrop, Old Dominion and Florida State. Winthrop has one (1) game in its 9 year NCAA tournament history; Old Dominion – three games in its 11 year tournament history. I’m not sure that Winthrop has ever had an NBA player and I don’t think Old Dominion has had one in 10 years. Florida State is rarely thought of as a ACC powerhouse.

The constant excuse making that Notre Dame can’t win/succeed in the tournament because of the facilities, recruiting standards, athletes, etc , is not only tiresome, but illogical when it comes to Notre Dame’s play the last 4 years of the tournament and especially this year. If ND can handle, survive and thrive week in and week out in the Big East, why is it such a challenge to win a game or two against double digit seeds. Don’t say on one hand that Notre Dame overachieved in the hardest league, the Big-East, but then somehow got overmatched by some double digit seed. An early exit one year is annoying, but excusable. An early exit 4 years in a row is not excusable.

By: Nick Schoenfeld

Nick Schoenfeld — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:20:10 +0000

I thought with a team comprised of so much experience and leadership that we could have done more this year with this team. I think as a fan of this program you cannot let the post season disappointment cloud your judgment though….we did have a fantastic year. And when I say I thought this team could do more, that is said only in hindsight. I did not thing at the BEGINNING of the year that we’d come close to what we accomplished. I knew right away that we had a chance to be good, but COY and POY in Big East? Hell no. 1 game shy of the regular season B.E. crown? HELL NO! When I think back of this season I think 1 thing will stand out more than anything: Brey has probably shut his critics the hell up for the most part. (Me being one of them). It’s clear when we get into postseason play against other schools that the depth of athleticism just isn’t there…even compared to schools like FSU. Although I would have loved to go against VCU, I think even their ability would have dictated they would have run circles around us. What Brey has done with this team though is great…and I feel like with our new upgrades and momentum we could have set the stage from something better. We can now recruit players showing off not only a terrific arena, great facilities, (maybe minus practice facilities), and a solid fan base, but we can also boast of 3 COY awards and 2 B.E. POY awards in 3 years as well. We need some quickness and overall speed though, and until we get those difference makers, I’m not sure what level of post season success we’ll ever see. Atkins will be great…Grant has some ability, and players like Cooley will be better than most people think. (I think a lot of people think Cooley is a big loof, but I saw the guy really get up on a rebound dunk put back against Georgia Southern…guy can get up!) If Scott and Abro can show some more toughness (especially Abro), I think we could be looking at 22-24 wins again next year. If Brey can show more willingness to adjust to different defensive schemes earlier in the game (full court press, trapping, etc) I think long term we can see some post season success eventually. Still….that’s a lot of “ifs”.

By: jeff

jeff — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:28:49 +0000

In reply to jowenskc.

In my opinion, Mike Brey will not lead ND on a “magical March” run like Butler or VCU because of something you said in your post — the recruiting constraints he must deal with, and will likely have to deal with, for the duration of his stay at ND. Do you think any player on the 2010-11 Irish team will play in the pros? I didn’t see any. And players of professional grade are the key to making a deep run in March. All of the Final Four teams have pros on their roster, as did all the teams in the Elite Eight. Unless ND figures out a way to get some of these “one-and-done” kids, they’ll be a top-tier Big East program at best and will continue to falter in the NCAA Tourney when it comes up against teams with longer and more athletic players in the post.

By: jowenskc

jowenskc — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:12:07 +0000

The question for Brey is not one of one game or even one season. The question is, can he, given the constraints inherent (and not likely to change) with coaching basketball at Notre Dame, ever coach us to that magical March? He’s done everything else we, as fans, could ever ask for. He’s brought in great, smart kids who represent our University well both during and after their time on the basketball team. He’s ensured that they remain students as well as athletes, something that can’t be said for a lot of teams who’ve had more success than the Irish. He’s coached many players and teams to far exceed their expectations – which is why he’s won so many awards. All of that has been great. The question now being asked is, can he ever take the next step, or will we forever be a very good Big East team that should be thrilled with a 2nd to 4th place finish in the toughest league in America? Can he parlay success into strong recruiting and build a team that can do even more? Or will the engine simply not go any faster? It’s not an unfamiliar question. There are many teams out there that have been in the same place the Irish have been for years on end. As a Chiefs fan, they come immediately to mind. Always part of the conversation. Sometimes making the playoffs. But haven’t won a playoff game since Joe Montana was quarterback. Can Brey ever take us on that magical run that we see from teams with far less to work with – the Gonzagas, the George Masons, the Butlers? Would we rather be a 9th place team in the BE that makes a run to the Final Four a la UConn this year? If you had asked ND fans 11 years ago if they would be happy with a team that is always in the mix, always posting 20-25 win seasons, and almost always in the tournament, my guess is that most fans would have said enthusiastically, “Yes.” 11 years later, we’ve become accustomed to that and we want more. We want that magical March. Mike Brey, can you do it? or have we seen everything we’re going to see from you and the ND Basketball program?

By: Scranton Dave

Scranton Dave — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 02:21:32 +0000

I just hate when people bash Brey. Besides Scott Martin, there was not 1 4 star recruit on this team. He did a tremendous job getting the most out of these guys. Kayo, I think in addition to Florida St being a really bad matchup for us, I think the pressure to make a deep tourney run got the best of them. I saw it in the Akron game, they looked terrible, and it wasnt the same team we saw from when Carleton Scott came back from injury til halftime of Friday night at MSG. I was terrified before the FSU game because of what I saw against Akron. Dont get me wrong, I am as disappointed as anyone, I cant even describe the empty feeling I had coming home after wathcing the FSU game, but I dont blame Brey, I think he did a terrific job this year. Hopefully Grant or Connaughton can step up and take some of Hansbroughs void and we can give it our best shot next year. Go Irish!!

By: Kayo

Kayo — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:58:47 +0000

In reply to jj. "Don’t get me wrong, I like Brey." Based on the assumptions you've decided to make, I don't think you do.

By: jj

jj — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:42:14 +0000

‘No’ on both counts of meeting BH and knowing details of their relationship, but it appears the program might want to consider recruiting more guys that ‘step out of line’ in light of this year’s overachieving group. Maybe they are the RKG’s that can bring out the be(a)st in Brey. Funny you would choose Pat Summit since I reside in Tennessee. She’s very passionate and her teams are a perennial power. I disagree that he would challenge her… she commands respect. Perhaps he sensed a vacuum of leadership with Brey. The lasting memory I take from this year is the completely lost look on Brey’s face when he was interviewed going into halftime against FSU. It was clear he had no idea what was happening nor what to do about it. You cited a few instances to Kayo where Brey showed his coaching moxy during the season – funny you didn’t mention how, during the second half against Louisville in the BE tournament, how he stayed with man-to-man even after UL guards started decimating the Irish with the high pick and rolls at the top of the key. Where was the “23” then? The guards penetrated at will the entire second half. Don’t get me wrong, I like Brey. He’s good for 20 wins a year and a strong graduation rate, he just falls short on the big stage when it’s on the coach to elevate his game as well. Digger was guilty of the same. Marty Schottenheimer’s of basketball. But who knows, Brey’s mentor was once considered a guy who couldn’t win the big one, but coach K eventually found a way. Either way, Psycho B is gone and Brey moves on to coach his next group of role players until the next Murphy, Harangody, or Hansbrough comes along to make it exciting… until tournament time that is.

By: Kayo

Kayo — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:50:20 +0000

In reply to jj.

“It also says something that Hansbrough at times challenged Brey in the huddle – that’s a sign that there was a lack of command and leadership.”

I have two questions:

1. Have you met Hansbrough?
2. Do you know what happened when Hansbrough challenged Brey?

I can tell you that 45 minutes after a game is over, Ben Hansbrough is still the most tightly wound person I have ever met. An innocuous question from a reporter is cause to get worked up about too many turnovers or too few assists. “That’s not Notre Dame basketball,” he’ll darn near shout. “That’s not Mike Brey basketball.”

The young man has no filter. He would challenge Pat Summit.

So what do you think happened when Hansbrough contradicted Brey? Did Brey capitulate, or did he tell Hansbrough to shut up? Brey can be a real bastard with guys who step out of line. Did you see Brey yank Hansbrough from the game after jacking an indiscriminate three with about 2:40 to play in the first half of the FSU game? Hansbrough got a pretty good earful for the last 20 feet of his trip to the bench. He didn’t sit long because Cooley, who had subbed in for Hansbrough, took about 20 seconds to get his third foul and had to be replaced; but the episode contradicts your assumption/conclusion.

My sense of the Brey-Hansbrough relationship is that they have a lot of respect for one another.

By: jj

jj — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:02:40 +0000

I thought this team showed real character and poise unlike past teams – even Digger’s teams seem to unravel under pressure. The shortcomings always surface in the post season when elite athletes bring their A game to the table. There was nothing more frustrating than seeing Nash, Abro, and even Scott go in the paint just to be swatted away by long arms and great leapers. I realize that Duke, NC, KY, etc. get more 4 star players in any given year than ND gets in a decade and that though ND will never attract blue chip athletes and that a group of older, second tier, mostly high court IQ players can’t be expected to make a deep run in the NCAA’s – bit then I think of Butler. As far as Brey is concerned, he reminds me of Digger in that he seems to coach ‘not to lose’ as opposed to ‘coaching to win’… even in his interviews, he is almost apologetic and uses phrases like ‘we were lucky to get out of here with a win’. It also says something that Hansbrough at times challenged Brey in the huddle – that’s a sign that there was a lack of command and leadership. Maybe Brey could attend a Jim Harbaugh coaching clinic on how to be fiery; Now that BH is gone, there’ll need to be another source of inspiration for future success.

By: Scranton Dave

Scranton Dave — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:46:11 +0000

Very good article and great work all year! Brey is a very good coach as the team overachieved big time to get the 2 seed ( I still think based on resume they deserved the 4th 1 seed over Duke), but in a single elimination tourney against a team they didnt matchup well against, anything can happen. I thought going in this team could make the Final 4, and I also thought ( before the brackets came out) they could lose in the 2nd round if they got a bad matchup which they did. To say this team is no different than any of the other Brey coached teams, I think is very innacurrate.