Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 29, 2018 47 MEN'S BASKETBALL BY COREY BODDEN O n Oct. 8, Irish sophomore wing D.J. Harvey did his best Michael Jordan impression when he went to Twitter and stated "I'm backkkk." His tweet was in reference to return- ing to the basketball court following knee surgery earlier this year. Notre Dame men's basketball sports information director Alan Wasielewski followed up with a tweet stating Harvey was closing in on a return to practice and could be back to full participation in the next two weeks, which was also tweeted Oct. 8. Harvey initially went down with what was diagnosed as a bone bruise in January during a game against Louisville. While nearing a return to action, Harvey re-injured the knee and ended up undergoing microfrac- ture surgery in February. Throughout the offseason, head coach Mike Brey always stated the Irish would re-evaluate Harvey in October and see where he stood be- fore deciding the right course of ac- tion. Brey consulted a former player to find out more about the road ahead for Harvey. "I've talked to a couple of people who've had the procedure, with one being [former Irish point guard] Chris Thomas," Brey said. "He actu- ally told me it took him almost a year and a half to two years to feel that he had his legs all the way back." A redshirt will remain on the table if something were to occur before the sea- son, but that was never at the forefront of Brey's mind when it came to Harvey. "We don't want to get into that," Brey stated at the time. "We think he can return for the season, but it's nice to know you have flexibility to do that. "I think everyone understands this procedure takes time. You have to be careful with it." In 19 games last season, Harvey av- eraged 5.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per outing while showing flashes of his potential. Once Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell went down with injuries, Harvey was in prime position for ad- ditional minutes to showcase his abili- ties and further his development. Unfortunately for Harvey, though, the injury bug bit him as well and kept him from what would have been a huge developmental opportu- nity as a freshman. If Harvey is completely cleared for practice and returns to game shape relatively quickly, his presence would impact the Irish rotation and likely the starting lineup. J u n i o r g u a r d T. J . Gibbs and senior guard Rex Pflueger are locks to be starters, and junior forward John Mooney is also very likely to open games for the Irish. Senior forward Elijah Burns likewise is a strong candidate to start. That would leave one open spot for Brey and company with multiple options. A healthy and in-shape Harvey could slide in due to his athleticism, and his ability to rebound and defend multiple positions. He notched four double-digit scoring per- formances in 19 games a year ago, so the scoring potential also is there. Freshman guard Pren- tiss Hubb was recruited to step into a starting role and take some of the ball-han- dling responsibilities from Gibbs. An ACL injury last year, though, could keep that from happening right away, with Hubb getting cleared to return to prac- tice just last month. If neither Hubb nor Harvey is ready to shoulder starter minutes, Brey could go with a veteran such as junior forward Nik Djogo, or a fresh- man in Robby Carmody or Dane Goodwin to round out the perimeter. Either way, Brey and company are relieved to have a healthy roster once again. ✦ D.J. Harvey Closing In On Return Harvey played in 19 games last season before being sidelined with a knee injury that required surgery in February. PHOTO COURTESY FIGHTING IRISH DIGITAL MEDIA Irish Making Use Of New Practice Court Although the facility is not complete just yet, Notre Dame is already making use of the renovated Rolfs Athletics Hall. When practice began this October, the Irish started their preparations for the 2018-19 season playing on the new court inside what will be the new men's and women's basketball facility. Both programs will have their own court, along with two half courts, which will eliminate any potential scheduling conflicts. Full completion is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 1, with the renovated facility also including coaches' offices, locker rooms, film rooms, strength and conditioning areas, and more. Creating a separate facility for the men's and women's programs has been on the to-do list for Notre Dame for more than a decade, and it has finally arrived. In doing so, it should help a little when it comes to recruiting. Though it would not be the sole reason for a prospect picking the Irish, having a comparable facility to the rest of the ACC and other programs na- tionally would help each respective program's pitch when it comes to the basketball side of the equation. — Corey Bodden The renovated Rolfs Athletics Hall facility is almost near completion for the Irish men's and women's basketball programs. The men's team has already taken advantage of the finished practice courts. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN