Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward V.J. Beachem (3) drives against Wisconsin Badgers forward Khalil Iverson (21) during the second half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
What questions does Notre Dame basketball have to answer before the 2016-17 season tips-off?
No Demetrius Jackson? No Zach Auguste? No problem.
At least, as long as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have head coach Mike Brey and a roster loaded with experience.
Brey has led the Irish to two straight Elite Eight appearances and six NCAA Tournament berths in the last seven years. The last two seasons, the Irish haven’t had a ton of depth and were lacking size beyond the presence of Auguste.
The 2016-17 Irish won’t have a single player as talented as Jackson, Auguste and former Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant, but they have experience up-and-down their roster.
17 years of college experience…! You cannot beat that in the world of college basketball.
V.J. Beachem is the top returning scorer for the Irish, while they also return Steve Vasturia, Bonzie Colson, Matt Ryan, Matt Farrell, Rex Pflueger, Martinas Geben and Austin Torres. The Irish are a bit deeper and once again possess great shooting from the perimeter (Vasturia, Beachem and Ryan).
They also have an intriguing freshman class coming to South Bend. Four-star point guard Temple Gibbs is the headliner, while three-star power forward John Mooney and shooting guard Nikola Djogo will provide extra depth.
In addition to the veteran returnees and the intriguing freshman class, center Elijah Burns is returning after sitting out the entire 2015-16 season with an ankle injury. The former four-star recruit in the class of 2015 will give the Irish another body and extra size in the front court.
The ACC is stacked once again this year, as they could legitimately send 9-to-11 teams to the Big Dance. Notre Dame won’t be in the mix at the top of the league, but they are likely to have a shot at making a run in the NCAA Tournament if they answer these three burning questions before the season tips-off.
Dec 13, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Rex Pflueger (0) passes to forward Martinas Geben (23) as Loyola Ramblers guard Donte Ingram (0) defends in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame won 81-61. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
3. Lack of size in Notre Dame’s front court…again?
This is normally a concern for the Irish, at least for the last few years. Zach Auguste is not returning to South Bend, so it’s up to Bonzie Colson, Martinas Geben, Elijah Burns and Austin Torres in the front court.
The problem: Geben is the only rotation player on the team that is taller than 6’9″.
Colson stands at just 6’5″, although he plays way bigger than his size. Geben and Torres have very little experience at the college level, and Burns and freshman John Mooney haven’t played a single game at Notre Dame.
The Irish will likely take advantage of the versatility that they possess though. V.J. Beachem could slide down to the four position, opening up the entire floor because of his shooting ability. They could also opt to put Steve Vasturia in a similar position, as he is also a veteran player that is consistent enough beyond the arc.
But against teams like Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisville and Syracuse, will Notre Dame be able to hold their own against powerful front lines?
It’s unlikely. Colson is a great rebounder because of his motor and passion, and he can also finish around the rim with ease. However, savvy veteran big men will be able to take advantage of his lack of size and athleticism.
Notre Dame better hope that they are given the proper match-ups when March rolls around. They used to have Demetrius Jackson and Jerian Grant to bail them out of their front court troubles. But now, if they are matched up with an above-average front line in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Irish won’t have the best chance to advance.
Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward V.J. Beachem (3) dribbles against Wisconsin Badgers forward Vitto Brown (30) during the second half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
2. Who will create shots for the Irish?
Shot creation is a legitimate concern for Notre Dame in 2016-17. Demetrius Jackson and Jerian Grant are obviously not walking through the door, plus the Irish will not be as efficient and effective in pick-and-roll situations.
V.J. Beachem is the Irish’s top returning scorer, but he normally plays his best basketball when he is spotting up from the perimeter. While he is capable of attacking the rim and making plays off the dribble, he is more comfortable playing off the ball.
Steve Vasturia is a similar player. He’s a great shooter, veteran presence and a solid on-ball defender, but casting him as a shot creator would be too great of a task.
Matt Farrell and Temple Gibbs are going to have to create often for their teammates on the offensive end (more on this on the next slide).
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But if the Irish are going to have a shot to be dangerous when March rolls around, it will have to be all about their defensive energy. Their lack of rim protection is an obvious cause for concern, as well as their quickness. However, Brey will coach ‘team defense’, molding his roster into a unit that is oriented around his system.
Beyond shot creation, Notre Dame really doesn’t have a player that the guards can throw the ball down to in the post. Even though Elijah Burns, Martinas Geben and John Mooney all have great potential, can they really be counted on to score in key situations? Can they really be trusted in one-and-one match-ups on the block, at least early in the season?
Bonzie Colson may be the only player that is reliable down in the paint and he faces a significant size disadvantage.
Brey is going to have to coach the heck out of this team, focusing on ball movement and defensive energy.
Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Demetrius Jackson (11) and North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) go after a loose ball during the second half in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
1. Is Demetrius Jackson replaceable?
Like other elite players across the country, Demetrius Jackson is irreplaceable. His speed, quickness in the open floor, competitiveness, jump shooting ability and attacking mentality is tough to match, especially with just one single player.
There is a reason why the Boston Celtics chose Jackson in the second round of the NBA Draft and there was also a reason why Mike Brey trusted the then-junior point guard to take over for Jerian Grant.
Jackson, like Grant, was an elite player in pick-and-roll situations, running Brey’s offense to perfection. He was a good decision maker and a solid passer, even though he got sped up and turned the basketball over on occasion.
The two players who will step in to fill the void at point guard: junior Matt Farrell and freshman Temple Gibbs.
Farrell only played 13.4 minutes per game last season, but he found his stride late in the year and started all four of Notre Dame’s games in the NCAA Tournament. Farrell took the reigns as the team’s lead ball handler in March, pushing Jackson off the ball to give him better angles to attack the basket.
The guard didn’t just step into the role, but also succeeded. Farrell played over 20 minutes in all four NCAA Tournament games as Brey had confidence in his playmaking abilities and decision making. Farrell averaged 6.5 points and 3.5 assists per game in the Big Dance after putting up only 2.6 points and 1.5 assists per game during the entire regular season.
Farrell limits his turnovers and makes his teammates better, but he certainly won’t bring the flashy play and the score outbursts that Jackson brought to the table.
Then there’s Gibbs. The four-star freshman is the brother of former Pittsburgh Panther Ashton Gibbs and former Seton Hall and UConn guard Sterling Gibbs. He has no where near the quickness of Jackson and experience of Farrell, but he can shoot the ball from the perimeter, can score the rock and possesses a solid basketball IQ.
Farrell is the true point guard, where as Gibbs is more of the attacker. Gibbs can play in the backcourt with Farrell for stints, especially if the Irish opt to play small.
Expecting elite production from Gibbs right away could be pushing it a bit too far. However, he should play a pivotal role in conference play and down the stretch in March.
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