Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/744639
54 NOV. 7, 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED MEN'S BASKETBALL BY MATT JONES A t the Atlantic Coast Confer- ence's basketball media day last week, Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey was posed a simple question by a reporter. Does Brey's team use back-to-back Elite Eight appearances as motiva- tion for the 2016-17 season, or do those remarkable runs need to be shelved as the Irish challenge for an- other NCAA Tournament bid? "It fuels it," Brey said, not missing a beat. Whether Notre Dame — which has a combined record of 56-18 over the past two seasons — makes it back to the Elite Eight has as much to do with how it replaces the loss of four NBA players over the past two years as how the ACC plays out. The Irish were picked to finish sev- enth in the 14-team league at me- dia day, and no Notre Dame players were selected on the preseason all- conference teams. In order to try their hand at replicat- ing recent history, or even surpassing it, Brey knows his team has to take care of business in the regular season. "You've got to get access to the [NCAA Tournament] before you can have fun in March like we've had the last two years," Brey said. "And it will be harder for us to get a bid this year than it was the previous two years given what we've lost and that the league is amazingly deep. Hav- ing said that, we have a great chance of doing that." Notre Dame returns three stand- outs in senior guard Steve Vasturia, senior wing V.J. Beachem and junior forward Bonzie Colson. Those are the veterans Brey will lean on this season in his quest to advance back to the NCAA Tournament. "People always really respected our program before the last two years," Brey said. "We were solid, how we did it, how we groomed guys, but the BACK TO THE DANCE? Even with NBA talent gone, the Irish believe in a return trip Senior guard Steve Vasturia is one of three returning starters for an Irish program that has posted a 56‑18 record and a pair of Elite Eight appearances the past two years. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND "IT WILL BE HARDER FOR US TO GET A BID THIS YEAR THAN IT WAS THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS GIVEN WHAT WE'VE LOST AND THAT THE LEAGUE IS AMAZINGLY DEEP. HAVING SAID THAT, WE HAVE A GREAT CHANCE OF DOING THAT." HEAD COACH MIKE BREY