Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 12, 2018 55 MEN'S BASKETBALL BY COREY BODDEN N otre Dame closed out its prep- arations for the 2018-19 season Nov. 1 with a 76-54 exhibition win over Central State University, a Divi- sion II program out of Ohio. Junior guard T.J. Gibbs led all Irish scorers with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, and contributed two re- bounds and two assists. Junior for- ward John Mooney was second in scoring with 11 points and grabbed five rebounds. Freshman guard Dane Goodwin was the only other double-digit scorer with 10 points, making 4 of 5 shot attempts. Sophomore wing D.J. Harvey and freshman guard Robby Carmody each had nine points, while junior forward Juwan Dur- ham notched eight points and six rebounds in his first action inside Purcell Pavilion. The Irish began the game by knock- ing down just one of their first six at- tempts from the floor before rallying a bit later in the opening 20 minutes to finish 13 of 29 (44.8 percent) over- all and 6 of 17 (35.3 percent) behind the arc. Notre Dame put together a 14-2 run on its way to a 42-26 half- time lead. The struggles from deep continued in the second half, with Notre Dame making just 2 of 12 in the final 20 minutes to finish at 27.6 percent from three-point range. The Irish shot 43.8 percent overall (28 of 64), limited Central State to 30.6-percent shooting (19 of 62) and forced 15 turnovers while pulling away for the 22-point victory. "I told them in the second half we have a long way to go, but we're all signed up for it," head coach Mike Brey said. "It's a long road with this group, but they're awesome to be around. They come to work. "We're going to have to work hard for five months to realize what they dream about." Brey and company used several lineup combinations throughout the night, which may not stay the same in the regular season when it begins against Illinois-Chicago Nov. 6. "We were really running guys through to get them in there," Brey explained. "I'm not sure that will be the case [in the opener]. At the end of the half, we found a little bit of a rhythm. … I'm not sure who we start [versus UIC], and it will be a discus- sion over the next few days." ✦ Irish In The Top Six For Five-Star Point Guard Notre Dame remains in the race for the nation's No. 3 overall player according to Rivals. On Oct. 29, Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy 2019 point guard Cole Anthony narrowed his recruitment down to Georgetown, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon and Wake Forest. Anthony eliminated Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Villanova from a top 12 he made public in late August. The 6-2, 180-pounder has been a top target for Brey and company throughout the process and took an official visit to South Bend during the weekend of the Vanderbilt football game. "I loved it there," Anthony told Rivals. "Coach [Mike] Brey and his staff really made me feel a part of the family, and all of the dudes on the team made me feel a part of their family. "The campus was a lot nicer than I was expecting. It was a really nice trip." With just two scholarships available in the 2019 class, Notre Dame can certainly afford to leave a spot open for Anthony if he decides to be Irish. He would be the highest-ranked player in the Rivals era to sign with Brey's program. A decision is not expected until this spring. — Corey Bodden THREE-POINT PLAY 1. T.J. Gibbs The Go-To Man: It was no sur- prise to see Gibbs lead the team in scoring in the exhibition. Throughout the offseason, head coach Mike Brey mentioned it may be better to have Gibbs work more off the ball, leading to freshman Prentiss Hubb starting at point guard. However, Brey noted following the exhibition he may put the ball in Gibbs' hands earlier to get him into a flow offensively. 2. Offensive Efficiency Will Take Time: With six new faces and five set to be consistently part of the rotation, finding a rhythm offen- sively may take a little longer than previous years. There will be growing pains, but the Irish have the capability to develop into a bal- anced offensive unit. 3. Finding A Second Scorer: Gibbs seems certain to be the leading scorer this season. If he isn't, either there was a major surprise or the Irish struggled mightily. Sophomore D.J. Harvey had showed well coming off injury and could be that figure. Junior John Mooney filled the role in the exhibition, while fresh- man forward Nate Laszewski did so during a three-game trip in the Bahamas. — Corey Bodden Irish Searching For A Starting Corps After Exhibition Win Junior guard T.J. Gibbs scored 17 points to lead Notre Dame to a 76-54 exhibition win over Central State University Nov. 1. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN