Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com DECEMBER 2016 39 MEN'S BASKETBALL "Our experience and this nucleus being in big games, tough games and having to finish, that's a group out there that's done that a bunch," Brey said. "We certainly had to draw on all that to escape." MATT FARRELL AN EARLY SEASON STUD The question entering the season was where Notre Dame's scoring would come from behind the top three of seniors V.J. Beachem and Steve Vas- turia and junior Bonzie Colson. Through five games, junior point guard Matt Farrell appeared to be that guy. Farrell, who came on strong in last year's run to the Elite Eight, scored a career-high 20 points in an 89-83 win over Colorado and 18 in a 70-66 vic- tory versus Northwestern. Against the Wildcats he made a driving layup as he was being fouled to retake the lead with 15 seconds left after Notre Dame led by as many as 11 points. "I've had some really good ones [at point guard]," Brey said of Farrell. "When it's all said and done, now everyone saw it nationally, he'll be there with any of them. "This has been blossoming since March, watching him in the summer. I don't think the staff or his team- mates are shocked. There's an edge about him and a fearlessness about him. I am just so thrilled he's really coming out of here a confident guy and knows he has the keys to the car." Notre Dame stole the win from Northwestern in the final seconds, when the Wildcats failed to in- bound the ball and turned it over to the Irish. Farrell then took the ball straight to the basket. "I wasn't really sure where they were throwing the ball because me and Steve were both right around there," Farrell said of the steal. "V.J. was going to take it. He just kind of threw it to me at the top of the key. I don't know who was on me, but I had a mismatch. There was a big on me. So I just wanted to get in the lane and try to make a play. "Ultimately, I end up making a good play. It was just kind of surreal in the moment, just trying to make a play and I end up falling." Through five games, Farrell was averaging 12.6 points in 28.0 minutes per game. He's also more confident shooting the ball — which shows in his 8-of-21 mark from three-point range. Farrell shot just 34 three- pointers all last season. Farrell has also been skilled dis- tributing the ball. He had 25 assists through five games, including six- assist efforts against both Colorado and Northwestern. MARTINAS GEBEN FINDS HIS NICHE Notre Dame's lone true post player in the starting lineup — junior for- ward Martinas Geben — wasn't stuff- ing the stat sheet through five games, but he was giving Brey enough for the coach to be pleased. Geben was averaging 3.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in his 15.6 minutes per game to open the season. The 6-10 Lithuanian big man was often benched in crunch time through the year's first five games, much like he was last season. Brey went with sophomore wing Rex Pflueger in place of Geben late in games, preferring the smaller lineup without Geben on the floor. Geben, who thought about trans- ferring before the season but had a change of heart after a conversation with Brey, shed about 20 pounds in the offseason. He's described his role as someone who rebounds and gets teammates open, and those skills will be needed as the Irish face tougher teams. FINDING BENCH MINUTES Brey was torn over rotating in his bench players against Colorado and Northwestern, trying to balance two factors: giving those younger play- ers valuable experience late in games while still securing two important non-conference wins that will be no- ticed in March. Against Colorado, Pflueger, fresh- man point guard T.J. Gibbs, junior forward Austin Torres and sopho- more wing Matt Ryan all saw action as reserves, playing a combined 50 minutes. Then in the game against North- western, those same four players logged a total of 47 minutes. In the two games combined, the bench scored 15 points and grabbed only 11 rebounds. "I loved the bodies we had coming off," Brey said after the game against Colorado. "… We have nine, 10 guys that can play and we're going to keep them all ready to go throughout a night and throughout the season." Players like freshman forward John Mooney and sophomore forward Eli- jah Burns did not see the court in the two games at the Barclays Center. Finding depth in the frontcourt will be a key task as Notre Dame finishes its non-conference schedule. "I like playing more guys because we still take care of the ball," Brey said. "A lot of times when you play more than seven or eight guys, your ball handling maybe can dwindle; your assist-to-turnover [ratio can too]. But we really have a group of guys that are great with the ball." ✦ 2016-17 NOTRE DAME MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Nov. 1 Mercy! W, 119-58 Nov. 7 Catholic! W, 103-48 Nov. 12 Bryant W, 89-64 Nov. 16 Seattle W, 92-49 Nov. 18 Loyola (Md.) W, 83-48 Nov. 21 vs. Colorado# W, 89-83 Nov. 22 vs. Northwestern# W, 70-66 Nov. 26 Chicago State 7 p.m. Nov. 29 Iowa& (ESPN2) 9 p.m. Dec. 4 North Carolina A&T 5 p.m. Dec. 6 IPFW (ESPNU) 9 p.m. Dec. 10 vs. Villanova% (CBS) 12 p.m. Dec. 17 vs. Purdue^ (ESPN2) 2 p.m. Dec. 19 Colgate 7 p.m. Dec. 28 St. Peter's 7 p.m. Dec. 31 at Pittsburgh* (ACCN) 2 p.m. Jan. 4 Louisville* (ACCN) 9 p.m. Jan. 7 Clemson* (ACCN) 3 p.m. Jan. 12 at Miami* (ESPN/2) 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at Virginia Tech* (ACCN) 2 p.m. Jan. 18 at Florida State* (RSN) 7 p.m. Jan. 21 Syracuse* (ESPN/2) 12 p.m. Jan. 24 Virginia* (ACCN) 8 p.m. Jan. 28 at Georgia Tech* (ESPNU) 12 p.m. Jan. 30 Duke* (ESPN) 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at North Carolina* (ESPN/2) TBA Feb. 7 Wake Forest* (ESPNEWS) 7 p.m. Feb. 11 Florida State* (ESPN/2) 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at Boston College* (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Feb. 18 at NC State* (ESPN/2) 12 p.m. Feb. 26 Georgia Tech* (ESPNU) 6:30 p.m. Mar. 1 Boston College* (ACCN) 8 p.m. Mar. 4 at Louisville* (CBS) 2 p.m. Mar. 7-11 ACC Tournament$ TBA ! Exhibition; # Legends Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y.; & ACC-Big Ten Challenge; % Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, N.J.; ^ Crossroads Classic in In- dianapolis; * ACC game; $ at Brooklyn, N.Y.; ACCN — ACC Network; RSN — Regional Sports Network