Photo by Rick Kimball/ISD
Notre Dame Basketball
Beachem Ready to Get Back State Bragging Rights
December 17, 2016
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Saturday’s matchup with No. 15 Purdue is a big game for Notre Dame, as state bragging rights are on the line and some of the top recruits in the area will be in attendance at BankersLife Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. For Notre Dame senior forward, VJ Beachem, it’s all about state pride, as the Fort Wayne native prepares to take on his mother’s alma mater.
“It’s a great day of basketball for the entire state,” Beachem stated. “It’s something I think everybody from the state of Indiana loves. It’s a great event and we want to have a lot of fun down there. In my three years here, we’ve only lost one, so hopefully we can escape Saturday with a win too.”
The Irish fell 80-73 to Indiana last year in the Crossroads Classic and the Fort Wayne native doesn’t want to hear about losing to Purdue for the rest of his life.
“Last year’s game and not getting the win against IU, it’s something us Indiana guys will have to hear for the rest of our lives,” laughed the Indiana native. “To get one this Saturday would be huge against Purdue.”
For Notre Dame to pull off the upset, the Irish need the start player to get back to normal after an off game against top-ranked Villanova a week ago. Beachem shot just 2 of 11 from the field and ended the game with just four points, well below his 15.5 points per game average.
“I really treated the first few days of this week like the summer,” explained Beachem. “I didn’t really have any finals, so I could just get in the gym, workout, eat, work on my body and play video games. I think I’ll be fine on Saturday.
“After the game on Saturday, I didn’t really watch TV or anything. I just watched some movies and got away from the world for a little bit. Sunday came around and I had to get back in the gym. I think it’s just a thing about getting in more work and having confidence.”
“It’s kind of hard,” Beachem said of blocking out basketball. “I try to just watch some movies and get away from the game. I try not to think my game or our team, so it’s a little hard, because I love watching the game and studying film. For those few hours, I just have to get away from it.”
Bad games are something no player can avoid, but one area Beachem knows he can control and improve is his start to games. At times this season, the 6-foot-8 forward has been passive and settled for shots in the first half.
“I think I missed my first shot in every game this year, so if I can get an easy one early, I think that’d help me out a lot,” he said. “I think where our team is, personally, I think if I play better it could take us to another level. We’re really good right now, but if I can take my game to the another level, the sky is truly the limit for us.
“I had a couple go in and out, but that’s just how the game goes some nights. I have to find a
way to bounce back on Saturday against a great opponent in a great atmosphere.”
As a senior, Beachem isn’t stressing over the bad game and isn’t letting it impact his mentality for this weekend’s showdown with the Boilermakers. Beachem knows his experience and ability to know how to handle himself is going to pay off for himself and the team.
“I think this one instance and having the time off was actually great for me,” Beachem explained. “I got to not worry about the game for a little bit and I got to work on improving my individual game before getting back with the team. I think for once not playing two days later was actually good for me.”
To beat Purdue, it will all come down to rebounding for the Irish. The Boilermakers have one of the best big men in the country in Caleb Swanigan, but also 7-foot-2 Isaac Haas. Beachem plans to be more aggressive on the boards to help out his undersized squad.
“We have to really get on the glass and if we’re really on the glass, we have chance to run,” said Beachem. “If we can make those big guys run in transition, it will be huge for us.
“We have to have the same mindset. Colorado, the entire team was going to the glass, but Purdue really has just the two bigs going to the glass and it’s going to be a team effort to keep them off the glass. It’s going to be a team effort to push it right back down their throats.
“I think we have the ability to rebound and offensively it might be a matchup nightmare for them too.”
“It’s a great day of basketball for the entire state,” Beachem stated. “It’s something I think everybody from the state of Indiana loves. It’s a great event and we want to have a lot of fun down there. In my three years here, we’ve only lost one, so hopefully we can escape Saturday with a win too.”
The Irish fell 80-73 to Indiana last year in the Crossroads Classic and the Fort Wayne native doesn’t want to hear about losing to Purdue for the rest of his life.
“Last year’s game and not getting the win against IU, it’s something us Indiana guys will have to hear for the rest of our lives,” laughed the Indiana native. “To get one this Saturday would be huge against Purdue.”
For Notre Dame to pull off the upset, the Irish need the start player to get back to normal after an off game against top-ranked Villanova a week ago. Beachem shot just 2 of 11 from the field and ended the game with just four points, well below his 15.5 points per game average.
“I really treated the first few days of this week like the summer,” explained Beachem. “I didn’t really have any finals, so I could just get in the gym, workout, eat, work on my body and play video games. I think I’ll be fine on Saturday.
“After the game on Saturday, I didn’t really watch TV or anything. I just watched some movies and got away from the world for a little bit. Sunday came around and I had to get back in the gym. I think it’s just a thing about getting in more work and having confidence.”
We’re really good right now, but if I can take my game to the another level, the sky is truly the limit for us.
Beachem turning to a Brad Pitt and George Clooney movie, ‘Burn After Reading’, and an action video game, ‘Battlefield 1’, to get away from basketball life. “It’s kind of hard,” Beachem said of blocking out basketball. “I try to just watch some movies and get away from the game. I try not to think my game or our team, so it’s a little hard, because I love watching the game and studying film. For those few hours, I just have to get away from it.”
Bad games are something no player can avoid, but one area Beachem knows he can control and improve is his start to games. At times this season, the 6-foot-8 forward has been passive and settled for shots in the first half.
“I think I missed my first shot in every game this year, so if I can get an easy one early, I think that’d help me out a lot,” he said. “I think where our team is, personally, I think if I play better it could take us to another level. We’re really good right now, but if I can take my game to the another level, the sky is truly the limit for us.
“I had a couple go in and out, but that’s just how the game goes some nights. I have to find a
way to bounce back on Saturday against a great opponent in a great atmosphere.”
As a senior, Beachem isn’t stressing over the bad game and isn’t letting it impact his mentality for this weekend’s showdown with the Boilermakers. Beachem knows his experience and ability to know how to handle himself is going to pay off for himself and the team.
“I think this one instance and having the time off was actually great for me,” Beachem explained. “I got to not worry about the game for a little bit and I got to work on improving my individual game before getting back with the team. I think for once not playing two days later was actually good for me.”
To beat Purdue, it will all come down to rebounding for the Irish. The Boilermakers have one of the best big men in the country in Caleb Swanigan, but also 7-foot-2 Isaac Haas. Beachem plans to be more aggressive on the boards to help out his undersized squad.
“We have to really get on the glass and if we’re really on the glass, we have chance to run,” said Beachem. “If we can make those big guys run in transition, it will be huge for us.
“We have to have the same mindset. Colorado, the entire team was going to the glass, but Purdue really has just the two bigs going to the glass and it’s going to be a team effort to keep them off the glass. It’s going to be a team effort to push it right back down their throats.
“I think we have the ability to rebound and offensively it might be a matchup nightmare for them too.”
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