Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 JANUARY 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Freshman T.J. Gibbs has already played an important role for the Irish in his young career. The West Orange, N.J., native averaged 5.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.4 rebounds in his first 10 games while serving as the primary backup to junior point guard Matt Farrell. BGI: What do you think you've done well in the first eight games and what can you improve on as the season goes? Gibbs: "The defensive end. I think that's where I've been able to come in and make an impact. I think that the bench has really helped us out with the defense. "I think I can work on the turnovers. Limiting myself to not having turnovers and making the right plays each time." BGI: What is the biggest challenge in making the jump from high school to college? Gibbs: "Definitely the speed of the game and how physi- cal the players are. The players are a lot bigger, a lot faster. … It takes a little bit of practice and game experience [to get used to it]. In practice you have to work on slowing down, making the right reads. That way when you get in the game it is more of a habit. "I'm a creature of habit. Just knowing the right things in practice and let- ting it translate." BGI: Being a point guard and a freshman is there any pressure on you to perform when you are in the game? Gibbs: "I trust all my guys, all the seniors. Matt [Farrell] has done a great job leading me and showing me the right things to do. I've been following his lead and trying not to let there be a drop-off. "The older guys have definitely gotten on me when they feel I need to be taught something or when I'm doing something wrong. They've been very accepting of my mis- takes. They know I'm learning and I'm trying my best. It lets me know they trust me." BGI: How do you see your role now that a handful of games have been played? Gibbs: "Just to come in and play hard. It starts on the defensive end. I try to give the team energy. When I get the ball on the offensive end I try to get it to the right players [or] whether it is me making a play, too … I play my game. "I know what I can and what I can't do. It's my job to know what everyone else can and can't do as well, and give people the ball at the right spots and have the opportunity to make the right play." BGI: What have you learned that you can use to take your game to the next level? Gibbs: "I definitely need to slow down. I had a few early turnovers. I need to relax and take deep breaths while I'm playing and to let the game come to me." — Corey Bodden Five Questions With … MEN'S BASKETBALL FRESHMAN POINT GUARD T.J. GIBBS Physicality Along Both Lines Must Be Established By Matt Jones While any number of areas could serve as the answer to this question, I kept coming back to one in particular that Notre Dame struggled at through- out 2016. Improving the line play on both sides of the ball — blocking on offense, and stopping the run and getting to the quarterback defensively — would go a long way toward a successful 2017 season. Notre Dame was subpar in both regards this past season, and it was the main contributor to a lackluster 4-8 record. The Fighting Irish were one of the country's best teams offensively in the first quarter, able to run and throw with a purpose. But as games wore on, that edge was dulled, and they never proved they were an overly physical team on the offensive line. This was a major disappointment, perhaps more than anywhere else on the team. Defensively, the pass rush from its linemen was extremely bad. Notre Dame linemen finished with just three sacks and were a non-factor in most games. And while the run defense improved steadily over the course of the year, finding a way to limit opponents consistently is still high on the to-do list. If Notre Dame can somehow become more physical on the line of scrim- mage in 2017, it would trickle down to all aspects of the program. Physically weak teams do not win in college football. As new Texas head coach Tom Herman said at his introductory press conference, never has a coach credited a championship to his team's finesse. It starts with being physical, especially on the line of scrimmage. Everything Begins With The Head Coach's Tone By Lou Somogyi Where to begin after a 4-8 meltdown? A more dominant physicality is an ideal start and encompasses a lot of areas, including the strength and condi- tioning operation. Special teams cannot continue to be a liability. A new defen- sive coordinator must make a profound impact, and there needs to be a clear chain of command on offense. Whatever the answers or potential so- lutions, everything comes back to Brian Kelly, who will be entering his eighth season as the head coach on the hottest seat in his profession. All of the tangible big-picture decisions come back to him, and only time will tell whether they will be the correct ones. The intangible is Kelly and the tone he sets. Does he truly believe the best is still ahead for him — not by what he says publicly but what he believes deep down privately — or has he "maxed out" at Notre Dame and needs a new challenge elsewhere to reinvigorate/reinvent his career? You don't have two 12-0 regular seasons at separate schools without know- ing what you are doing, but Kelly looked like a befuddled man this year with- out any answers. He was miffed about the team's "indecisiveness" this year, but he set the tone, first by not picking a quarterback in the preseason and then by standing adamantly behind maligned former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder before suddenly firing him after a 1-3 start. This season took a lot out of Kelly, but Notre Dame can't afford to have it spill over into 2017 as well. His leadership and decisions will dictate the path. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHAT WILL BE THE MOST CRUCIAL ELEMENT TO VAST IMPROVEMENT IN 2017? Gibbs came off the bench in each of his first 10 contests with the Fighting Irish, and averaged 5.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS Improving at the line of scrimmage will be one key to a better sea- son next year for the Irish. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL