Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1081575
88 MARCH 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED MEN'S BASKETBALL BY LOU SOMOGYI S ome elements that have defined head coach Mike Brey's 19 sea- sons at Notre Dame have re- mained in 2018-19. Entering mid-February, Notre Dame still was among the best at protect- ing the basketball, ranking seventh nationally in fewest turnovers, and also committed the third-least fouls in the nation. Excellent basketball IQ and stellar passing that has usually resulted in strong marksmanship for its shooters have been among the pri- mary hallmarks of his program. That is why nothing has cut more to the heart of the matter of why Notre Dame was 13-11 — and 3-8 in the ACC — heading into its Feb. 16 matchup at top-5 Virginia than its woeful inability to convert baskets. As of Feb. 11, the Fighting Irish ranked 327th among 351 Division I teams in field goal shooting percentage with a 40.5 figure. Among 65 Power Five schools, only fellow ACC member Wake Forest was worse. The three-point shooting wasn't much better at No. 268 with a 32.5 mark. Both shooting percentages are easily the lowest in the Brey era. The pre- vious six seasons on the aggregate it was 46.7 percent from the field and 37.2 percent beyond the arc, an enor- mous difference. The Elite Eight team in 2015 converted a remarkable 50.9 percent from the field and 39.0 from three, while the Elite Eight unit the fol- lowing season was at still a robust 47.6 overall and 37.4 beyond the arc. With six newcomers to the lineup, especially five freshmen, this was go- ing to be the most dramatic transition season in Brey's career. The modus operandi of the program has been to "stay old" to give itself a chance against perhaps more physically tal- ented rosters in the unforgiving ACC. However, transfers and injuries have left the 2018-19 unit with zero healthy scholarship seniors while 70 percent of the remaining roster is in only its first or second season of college basketball. The Fighting Irish "recruiting aisle" generally requires two to four years of development to reach maturation — as junior forward and All-ACC candidate John Mooney is showing this year. However, three primary cogs have had significant struggles this sea- son: • Junior guard T.J. Gibbs is averag- ing 13.8 points, but without running mate Rex Pflueger in the lineup, he has put an inordinate burden on himself that has affected his shooting — 35.4 percent from the field and 32.4 from three. "He's gotten caught at the end of the [shot] clock," Brey said of Gibbs. "He's had to force some stuff for us at times. I've talked to him about being a little calmer with it and calmer feet when he shoots it. He can't pass to himself. "A lot of the times he's been our playmaker if you look at his assist-to- turnover ratio [second in the ACC to Duke's Tre Jones]. He's getting every- one else shots." • Freshman point guard Prentiss Hubb displays moxie and fearlessness plus ACC-caliber athleticism at point guard, but he missed his entire high school senior year with a torn ACL. Still, he is sixth in the league in assist- to-turnover ratio. His shot selection is getting better, which has upped his percentages to 31.9 overall and 26.8 from three. "He's playing very well for us – and playing well for a young guard in this league," Brey said. • Speaking of major injuries, soph- omore wing D.J. Harvey, the team's best athlete, had microfracture surgery on his knee last winter that not only truncated his freshman development, but there was some doubt about how effective he could be this season. Per- haps more than anyone, he has scuf- fled in the offensive flow, averaging 10.8 points on 38.8-percent shooting (28.0 from three) while recording only 17 assists in the 23 games he's played. "D.J. Harvey should get 17 or 18 points," Brey said. "He should get to TROUBLE SHOOTING An uncharacteristic lack of marksmanship compounds a tough transition year for the Irish Junior guard T.J. Gibbs was averaging 13.8 points through 24 games, but was shooting just 35.4 per- cent from the field and 32.4 percent from three-point range. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN