Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 23, 2019 47 MEN'S BASKETBALL But his 34.7-percent shooting from the floor and 31.8-percent three-point shooting were both career lows. "I know he wants a big bounce- back year," Brey said. "He had a tough year last year." Early indications were that he was capable of doing just that. In Notre Dame's first two games this season, Gibbs averaged 17.0 points per game while shooting 50.0 percent (10 of 20) from the field and 63.6 percent (7 of 11) from three-point range. He shot just 1 of 6 from the floor and scored three points in game three, but with less to worry about this season it will be easier to get back on track. While Gibbs was trying to work through his own shooting woes last season, he was also responsible for corralling and coordinating five new freshman on the court, four of whom became rotation regulars. "My God," Brey said, "[Gibbs] was babysitting all year with all of our young guys." A year older, and hopefully a little wiser and a lot better, Gibbs is confi- dent that patience, not panic, is the best course to a team turnaround this season. "We really don't need to change anything," Gibbs said. "The biggest difference this season is that we're older. We already have a rapport, we have a chemistry about us, which is already established." So why all the enthusiasm? "We went through all of those tough times together last season, and that made us stronger as a unit, as a team," Gibbs said in mid-October. "And that's the biggest thing that is going to lead us through this season." With sophomore backcourt mate Prentiss Hubb (14.7 points and 4.7 assists per game during the 2-1 start) also playing well early in the season, Gibbs is cautiously optimistic about the remainder of the season. "Each day is a new day," Gibbs said, "and I just got to keep shooting, got to keep working, watching film, doing the little things, that's what Coach [Brey] preaches. "Little things matter and don't take anything for granted." HOLDING SERVE Notre Dame is in the middle of a six-game home stand that won't nec- essarily make its season, but it cer- tainly could spoil it. The Irish went only 11-8 at Purcell Pavilion in 2018-19. The eight losses at home were the most in a season since the 1981-82 team went 8-9 un- der head coach Digger Phelps. Brey didn't waste any time letting his team know that it needs to be much better at home this season. In fact, back at Purcell Pavilion imme- diately after last season ended, and just off the bus following a return trip from the ACC Tournament in Char- lotte, N.C., Brey rallied his troops. "After a very tough year, we cir- cled up before we got into the locker room," Brey recalled. "We have to make a stand here if we're going to bounce back. "We lost eight games in this build- ing last year, we have to make a stand here." Ten of the first 13 games this sea- son are at home for Notre Dame, most in quick succession. "I love the fact that we have a lot of games coming at us," Brey said. "We need to keep putting the jerseys back on, and being on the stage and under the lights." ✦ Three-Point Play 1. Coaching Reunion Irish head coach Mike Brey had a reunion of sorts with the home game against Howard University Nov. 12. First-year Bisons head coach Kenny Blakeney played for Duke (1992-95) when Brey was an as- sistant coach there. Blakeney also served as an assistant at Delaware (1997-2001) when Brey was the head coach of the Blue Hens. One of Blakeney's first moves as the new Howard coach was hiring former Notre Dame point guard Eric Atkins as an assistant. Atkins played for Brey from 2010-14, and most recently held the job of video coordinator for Notre Dame basketball. 2. Super Sophomores Much to the delight of the Irish coaches, their group of sopho- more substitutes — forward Nate Laszewski and guards Dane Goodwin and Robby Carmody — are playing with noticeable as- sertiveness, confidence and physicalness this season. That especially holds true of Carmody, who Brey said, "came out of the womb driving to the basket and knocking the crap out of people, and that's OK." 3. Home Cooking As hard it is to believe, Notre Dame's easy 79-50 win over How- ard Nov. 12, coupled with its 92-57 rout of Robert Morris Nov. 9 marked the first time since last December that the Irish won consecutive home games — Jacksonville State (Dec. 20) and Coppin State (Dec. 29). — Todd D. Burlage Irish Run Winning Streak To Three No coach can be completely comfortable watching an early 17-point lead disappear in less than eight minutes, but Irish top man Mike Brey saw his team handle the "uh-oh" moment Nov. 15 and get out of Purcell Pavilion with a 74-64 win over a pesky Marshall unit in a positive perspective. "I never thought it was going to be easy against those guys," Brey said of a Marshall team that won 24 games and the CollegeRPI.com postseason tournament last year. Notre Dame used 6-of-8 overall shooting, which included a 3-of-3 effort from three-point range, to build a 25-8 advantage only eight minutes into the game. Senior forward John Mooney was vital in that run, and every other one for the Irish on the night, finishing with a career-high 28 points and adding 16 rebounds for his third straight double-double. Senior guard T.J. Gibbs chipped in 15 points and sophomore guard Dane Goodwin had 11 points to round out the lone three Irish in double figures. Notre Dame never trailed, but nothing was ever certain after that early lead. Marshall rallied with a 19-6 run after the Irish's opening barrage and came within three points twice in the second half, the sec- ond at 51-48 with 10 minutes to go, but Notre Dame closed the game on a 23-16 run to seal the verdict. "We had a good start, we were flowing, we were hitting shots," Mooney said. "We slowed down a little bit and they started making some shots. But the thing about this is you gotta regroup, get your guys together. It's a game of runs sometimes." — Todd D. Burlage ROBBY CARMODY