Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/616353
MEN'S BASKETBALL us because we're longer, we have some length and some size — and with these two guys on the top of a zone, they're so instinctive defensively and they were able to guard shooters. "We were having such a hard time in man to man that you have to try some‑ thing else. … My feeling was, we're go‑ ing to ride this until the end because I think it's the only option we've got. We've done this before, but it was in‑ teresting to see us win a game playing zone. I thought it would be a strength of ours, and I think it's something that we have to keep tuning up and have it ready." So a key going forward could be more zone for Notre Dame — or at least improving the man‑to‑man de‑ fense. BENCH SETTLING IN Notorious for only using his bench in limited roles, it seems Brey is close to finalizing his rotation barring injury — freshman forward Matt Ryan, sopho‑ more guard Matt Farrell and junior for‑ ward Austin Torres. The substitutions have been especially key in Notre Dame downshifting to a smaller lineup, one that moves the ball a little more smoothly and reminds of last year's team at times. Ryan's light‑ ning quick shot release and accuracy from long‑range enabled him to earn 15 minutes per game early in his Irish career. Of Ryan's 38 field goal attempts through nine games, 34 came from long distance and he connected on 41.2 per‑ cent (14 of 34). Farrell has helped run the offense and handle the ball during his play, commit‑ ting only five turnovers in 151 total min‑ utes. Torres has played limited minutes, but his energy and rebounding have helped in small doses. "I thought he'd be more of a liabil‑ ity than he was when we practiced in June," Brey said of Ryan, after the fresh‑ man scored 14 points in an 81‑61 win over Loyola Chicago Dec. 13. "I thought, 'He's probably a shooter, we're going to really have to cover him up' — nope. He's tough, man. "There's a great toughness about him. He's physical; he gets his chest on peo‑ ple. He knows how to rotate over and help his teammate, and a lot of young players don't know how to do that. He can rebound; he's got a big body. He was ahead of where I thought he'd be defensively, and he's picked up teaching and coaching. Playing him on the back‑ line of the zone, I thought he was good back there. … He's got good instincts." The next man up could be freshman guard Rex Pflueger. The most touted of Notre Dame's three‑man 2015 sign‑ ing class, Pflueger lacks the long‑range shot capabilities that Ryan and Farrell provide, but his defense and athleticism have him knocking on the door should anyone go down with injury. "He's right on the edge," Brey said of Pflueger. "He's been really good in practice. He gives you a great defensive presence, and he's gotten better with the ball — which was key. "It's just hard to get him in there now, but I talked to him last week about the Bonzie Colson saga [last season]. He just needs to keep working … keep him fo‑ cused on the big picture. He's been very good in practice." ✦