Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME Former Irish basketball player Jordan Cornette (2001-05) now sees the game from a different view as a television analyst for Campus Insiders and on Notre Dame radio broadcasts. He discussed those duties recently with Blue & Gold Illustrated. Blue & Gold Illustrated: How did you get involved with calling games on the radio? Cornette: "I had several bad games as a senior and there was a stretch during those bad games where I was always being quoted in the papers and during postgame shows and stuff. … Coach [Mike] Brey called me into his office one day and said, 'If you played as well as you talk about the game after- wards, you'd be an All-American. Why don't you stop worrying about giving good quotes and worry about practicing?' "That was one of the things in my life that made me realize it's what I wanted to get into. … Coach Brey took it upon himself to get me involved with Jack Nolan, who's been a great mentor in radio and transitioning to TV." Blue & Gold Illustrated: What is your approach during broadcasts? Cornette: "I'm trying not to be too hard on the guys and beat them up and focus more on the analysis of the game. I don't ever want to be one of those guys that's aggressively critical. "They're just kids who are trying their hardest and trying to put their best foot forward to represent the university to the best of their abilities." Blue & Gold Illustrated: Considering your experi- ence playing at Notre Dame and for Brey, does that make you more hesitant to be critical? Cornette: "What I bring to the table is a feel of the guy who has been in the Coach Brey huddle. I know exactly what that team is experiencing and what Coach is saying in the timeout. "A lot of times I know ahead of time the decision he's going to make because I played for him for four years. I have unique in- sight into how the program is run because of the experiences I had there." Blue & Gold Illustrated: What do you do during the offseason and what are your long-term plans? Cornette: "For me, in the off- season I do a lot of nothing to be honest. I have a studio show and I work here full-time at Campus Insiders [on studio shows and game broadcasts across the coun- try], which is a venture owned by [Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner] Jerry Reinsdorf. "The Notre Dame work I do on the radio, it's more or less a job on the side from my full-time job." Blue & Gold Illustrated: How do you see Notre Dame faring this season? Cornette: "I have Notre Dame projected as a tournament team. I think they got over the growing pains of joining a new conference. … "Pat Connaughton is going to be solid and Jerian Grant is going to be great in his return. I have him becoming the ACC Player of the Year. He's that spe- cial of a playmaker." — Andrew Owens Five Questions With … NOTRE DAME MEN'S BASKETBALL RADIO ANALYST JORDAN CORNETTE Cornette was a two‑time team captain and the program's all‑time leading shot blocker (201) during his playing days at Notre Dame. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS