Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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and Jerian," said Atkins, who experienced a similar role as a freshman when seniors Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin started. "We need him to be just as aggressive when we're out there as well. We're gonna keep en- couraging him in practice and games." With Notre Dame's continued issues with finding a second player to fill the team's post presence next to fifth-year senior center Garrick Sherman, Brey said the best starting five for the team Three-Point Play 1. Fifth-year senior forward Tom Knight's minutes rapidly declined in the early going of the regular season, but it appears he is trending upward for head coach Mike Brey. After recording 22 minutes in each of the first two regular-season games, he posted a total of 29 in the subsequent five games combined and did not enter the Dec. 3 loss at Iowa. However, he provided 33 important minutes in the Dec. 7 win over Delaware and Dec. 9 victory over Bryant. Heading into the season, Brey's rotation seemed jumbled. In addition to the starting lineup of five (which included Knight), freshman Demetrius Jackson and sophomore forwards Austin Burgett and Zach Auguste were locks to see minutes. Brey also insisted the freshman duo of V.J. Beachem and Steve Vasturia would contribute at times as well. Remember, the Irish have rarely used knight a rotation larger than Brey's preferred seven-man unit during his time at Notre Dame. It was only a matter of which players would perform and which wouldn't once the games began. For a stretch, Knight fell into the 'underperforming' category, but Brey knew the team's best option is for him to play. That's why he's back out there, and that's why he needs to assert himself as the No. 2 frontcourt member alongside fifth-year center Garrick Sherman. 2. Perhaps the most disturbing development during non-conference play has been Notre Dame's struggles with putting away inferior opponents — especially at home, where the Irish have shined so much in recent years. After losing at home to Indiana State in November, Notre Dame won close games against Delaware and Bryant in a stretch of three games in five days. In both games, the Irish jumped out to large leads in the first half before allowing the Blue Hens and Bulldogs, respectively, to storm back and claim the advantage. To this point, poor perimeter shooting and a lack of consistency in the frontcourt (other than Sherman) has held Notre Dame back. Brey and the players said it's a good thing to be tested early, and certainly there is virtue in learning how to win close games before ACC play begins, but there is no reason for inferior opponents to consistently take the Irish to the wire. 3. After traveling to Indianapolis to face Indiana in the Crossroads Classic, one test remains for the Irish prior to beginning ACC play. On Dec. 21, they will face off with Ohio State, which was ranked No. 2 in the USA Today coaches poll and No. 3 in the Associated Press poll as of Dec. 9, at Madison Square Garden in the toughest non-conference game on the Irish slate. Unless the Irish improve dramatically in the lead-up to that game, it will be hard to expect them to hang with Ohio State. The Buckeyes are an incredibly athletic squad and complement their athletic ability with a smart approach, led by senior point guard Aaron Craft. Even without forward Deshaun Thomas this season, Ohio State is very good and should be a Final Four contender in April. — Andrew Owens