Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2018 71 MEN'S BASKETBALL ing 6 of 10 from three-point range, and his production continued in the Bahamas (see chart on page 70). The Irish will need at least two of the group to take the next step in their respective games. WHO BECOMES THE SECOND SCORER? It is no secret that junior guard T.J. Gibbs will be counted on to lead the Irish offense and be Notre Dame's go-to figure in 2018-19. He averaged 15.3 points per game last year and is the clear choice to be the team's top option as a scorer. The broader question mark cen- ters on which player can consis- tently complement Gibbs in the scoring department. Senior guard Rex Pflueger — the second-leading returning scorer from last year at 8.0 points per game — is the most logical candidate. However, he is asked to do so much defensively that it can impact his consistency on the offensive end. Pflueger has looked more confi- dent this summer, but again it is a question of whether his game on of- fense can get to that second scorer level when he is being asked to guard the opposing team's best perimeter player most nights. After Pflueger, the options get a little dicier in terms of pinpointing another scorer. Rising sophomore D.J. Harvey's status is still a little uncertain and will be evaluated in October when practices start. Before the knee injury he suffered during the middle of the 2017-18 campaign, he was earmarked as a top scoring option. But he's been out since Feb- ruary and it could take time (maybe even next year) before he is ready to resume a prominent role. Mooney has the outside shooting ability to be a consistent scorer, but he struggled with his own inconsis- tencies last season from deep. It wouldn't come as a surprise if it is a revolving door each night in terms of who impacts the game most on offense behind Gibbs. HOW MUCH DO THE FRESHMEN IMPACT THE ROTATION? During the open period before the team departed for the Bahamas, it seemed apparent the 2018 class would be part of the main rotation in some capacity, which hasn't always been the case under Brey. The group was given an opportu- nity to showcase in the Bahamas and did not squander it. Forward Nate Laszewski put to- gether the best statistical perfor- mance, averaging 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest, while guard Robby Carmody wasn't too far be- hind at 13.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Fellow guard Dane Good- win put up 8.0 points and 3.0 re- bounds per outing. The trio accounted for more than 30 percent of the team's point pro- duction during the three-game trip. There are still several months before the rookies hit the court for meaning- ful games this fall and winter, so they will need to continue to develop and build on the foreign tour. Freshman point guard Prentiss Hubb, who has been recovering from a knee injury, should be a full- go by the time October rolls around and also will be part of the guard rotation. Freshman forward Chris Doherty missed the Bahamas trip while returning home after being "a little overwhelmed," per Brey. He returned to campus when classes re- sumed Aug. 21. After watching the freshmen in ac- tion in South Bend this summer and their early efforts in an Irish uniform, it is clear they will play a vital role in the rotation this season. In particu- lar, they should be able to provide something the team lacked last year — shooting prowess. "I'm very proud of our three young guys — Laszewski, Goodwin and Carmody," Brey said before the trip. "They had a great initial feel and they've fit in well. Our older guys have done a good job teaching them when I'm not around on how we play around here. … "This summer our spacing has been good because we have threats out there. That opens up T.J. on a drive or Rex on a drive." How big that impact is remains to be determined. ✦ 2019 RECRUITING UPDATE Notre Dame has remained active on the recruiting trail and is still in the mix for one of the nation's top players in 2019. Roeland Park (Kan.) Bishop Miege five-star power forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl nar- rowed his recruitment down to five schools Aug. 17 — Notre Dame, Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina and Villanova. "I really like their coaching staff," Robinson- Earl told Rivals when asked about the Irish. "Coach [Mike] Brey is a great coach and a great person. Coach [Ryan] Humphrey, I have a great relationship with him and have really gotten to know them more as people. "The university is a great school and they are really connected for after basketball, so when that's done you can find a job and stuff." At the time of the announcement, Robinson- Earl was in the process of setting up visits to his five finalists. Rivals' No. 9 overall player nationally doesn't have a timetable to make a commitment, but will likely sign during the early period this November. On Aug. 24, Notre Dame was set to host top-40 power forward Zeke Nnaji of Lakeville (Minn.) Hopkins. The nation's No. 34 player per Rivals, he set up a Midwest swing in early August to check out the likes of Creighton, Kansas State, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue and Illinois, along with the Irish. Brey and company offered Nnaji after watch- ing him during the July evaluation periods. "Not only are they a good basketball school, they are a very good academic school," Nnaji said of Notre Dame. "Academics are very im- portant to me and my family. "I'm not going to be playing basketball my whole life, and I'll need a fallback plan." — Corey Bodden Freshman forward Nate Laszewski finished as the team's second-leading scorer at 15.7 points per contest during the foreign tour taken by the Fighting Irish. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN