Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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before you get going. "I think last time it was three weeks before the first game or something like that, so now we get two or three more weeks, and I just think it's a big confidence booster." Practice Observations • Sophomore forward Zach Auguste played at full strength in practice and participated in all the drills. He suffered a minor ankle sprain in early September and briefly wore a walking boot. • Freshman forward Austin Torres was limited in practice to mostly drills that did not risk physical contact with other players after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Sept. 12. During those drills, he rode a stationary bike and observed the drills. • Head coach Mike Brey began the session by gathering the players and showing video clips from past prac- tices. Among the lessons he emphasized: help-side defense and the transition game. Brey said junior guard/ forward Pat Connaughton could be playing a good amount of post defense "with the lineups we'll be running this year." • To no one's surprise, senior guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant were clearly the team leaders in practice and also receiving the most recognition for their play from Brey. • Sophomore forward Eric Katenda practiced and looked inexperienced after sitting out his freshman season. Katenda is permanently blind in his left eye following an accident in a July 2011 pickup game that nearly ended his career. • Media day is Oct. 9, with the first exhibition game at Purcell Pavilion on Oct. 28 against Indianapolis. The Irish kick off the regular season at home against Miami (Ohio) Nov. 8. ✦ Recruiting Update Barrington, R.I., forward Bonzie Colson visited Notre Dame's campus during the Oklahoma football weekend for his official visit and, days later, trimmed his list to two finalists: Notre Dame and Florida State. Colson, who is ranked as the No. 114 player in the 2014 class by 247Sports, said he thoroughly enjoyed the trek to South Bend and got to know the coaches and players very well. "It was a great campus with a great atmosphere," he said. "The coaching staff was great and I learned a lot from them and how they interact with the players." The 6-5, 218-pounder is viewed by most as a small forward, but he sees himself as a versatile athlete who can also make an impact at power forward. "[Notre Dame] has attracted many undersized fours who have gone to the next level and succeeded," said Colson, who also noted the university's academic reputation as a reason for his interest. Colson, who attends St. Andrew's High School, is rated a three-star prospect, the 26th-best small forward nationally and the top player from Rhode Island in the 2014 class by 247Sports. Phoenix Sunnyslope High standout Michael Humphrey, who is rated as the No. 2 recruit in Arizona, the No. 16 power forward in the land and the No. 84 overall prospect nationally by 247Sports, also made his official visit that weekend, but declined to comment. He is projected to stay west and attend either Arizona or Stanford. — Andrew Owens