Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BY ANDREW OWENS Z ach Auguste's performance last season reflected his emotions from game to game: up and down, with promising highs and unsatisfying lows. Throughout his college career, Au‑ guste has been warned by head coach Mike Brey that the roller coaster of emotions must cease if he is to reach his potential for the Irish. Now, in year three, Auguste acknowledges he's fi‑ nally hearing the message. During the offseason, Notre Dame welcomed a sports psychologist to campus to help a team coming off a 15‑17 season realize what was missing beyond just more wins. "We all got together and we recog‑ nized each other's weaknesses in front of each other and talked about it, and took it head on," Auguste said. "We talked about it ... and I just have to take a deep breath. It's easy for me now to be able to stay calm." Now that 2012‑13 and 2013‑14 big men Garrick Sherman and Tom Knight have graduated, the onus is on Au‑ guste to produce in the frontcourt. Brey expects Auguste to have a calm‑ ing feeling from knowing that he is a starter. "One of the things we were able to achieve and I really wanted to achieve over the summer was [sophomore point guard Demetrius] Jackson and Auguste feeling as main guys," Brey said. "When you get the call and you're a starting guy, you give one of them the ball and tell the other guy, 'You're our starting center.' "It's a pretty good place to start for them feeling like, 'Okay, I'm in there now. More is expected of me. I'm go‑ ing to get the chance to do it.' I do re‑ ally think that from a maturity stand‑ point, they're ready to accept that." Auguste said he can already feel the effects of his coach's confidence in his game. This year represents not only a second chance for Notre Dame in the ACC after a 6‑12 conference record last year, but also a new slate for Auguste. "[I've learned to] take my time," he said. "I was rushing a lot of stuff indi‑ MANNING THE MIDDLE Notre Dame hopes Zach Auguste will follow the path of past players in the program and emerge as a junior