Notes from Notre Dame Basketball Coach Micah Shrewsberry
Notre Dame basketball will return a strong core of players who experienced the tough growing pains last season as the program transitioned to a new head coach and a limited roster in one of the nation’s top conferences.
Fast forward a year, and Notre Dame continues to work quietly, but that doesn’t mean head coach Micah Shrewsberry isn’t excited to see where this group can go.
Shrewsberry sat down last week to provide an update on his program before the Irish travel to Spain for 10 days in August.
On progress since March and how he knows Notre Dame is improving:
”One, it’s July. We have approached things a little bit differently. I don’t really get as upset. There’s a lot of learning and teaching. We’re doing some new stuff, even for the guys who are coming back, there’s some new stuff being thrown at them.
“We’re trying to figure out the best style for this team. What you see from one year to the next might be different because each team is different. I have to adjust to our team. That part has been fun. It’s fun for me to try to find out what’s best for this group.
“There are days where the ball is moving, popping and swinging side to side and we’re running really good offense. We haven’t done much defensive stuff, so the offense should be further ahead, but when you see stuff like that, it’s really encouraging as a coach to see the progress that we’ve made from where we were at the start in early June to where we are now. There’s still a lot of room to grow.”
On how deep schematically he can go with this group offensively:
”You see encouraging things or things we’ve talked about that they didn’t quite see. Now, they’re recognizing it on their own just in practice. Markus has a switch and he recognizes it and now someone is coming to set a ball screen and he is like, ‘No.’ Just little things like that as a group that we didn’t see. We didn’t see it at all last year. You see the progress being made.
“They understand what’s going to be better for me in these situations.”
On team learning how to win:
”It just takes time. Doing different situations whether we’re in practice - understanding everything we do is about winning. The first drill of the day is really important, as is the last drill of the day. There is a competition piece to it. Yesterday, we had six different segments and I’m trying to get to four wins before you get to four wins. The first drill is really important, but even if I lose it, I have a chance to come back.
“That’s the game of basketball. You want to win the first five minutes, but it doesn’t guarantee you’re going to win the game. Winning each of those segments is really important. We try to put those into practice where we do a teaching component and then we do a winning component, a competition component. It all matters and it all stacks up. Putting them in those situations non-stop throughout this summer - playing games this summer, all of that stuff is going to help these guys understand what’s important in winning.”
On Markus Burton understanding he can do less and be more productive this year:
”I told the team after practice that we’ll be a really good team when we trust each other whether it’s 40 minutes on the clock of one minute. We have to trust each other the same the entire game. If I get down to the last second of the game and there is a pocket pass to be made, I have to make that play. We’re still not there yet. We’re way closer and way better than we were last year.
“We also have a lot more pieces too. I can trust the dude next to me because he’s a good player. The guy next to him is a good player. I think they are seeing how much better they can be because the talent around them has risen.”
On what Burton’s summer and what he got out of the NBA Draft process:
”He’s been really good. That’s a byproduct of the work he did this summer. He really worked. He was constantly here and other places where he went and worked out. I know I’m not supposed to be here late at night in the summer, but I don’t have any hobbies. A lot of times when I was leaving, he was in here. He spent a lot of time in this gym and you see it in how he’s playing. You see it. It’s standing out even more with the guys he’s playing with and how much more space he has to play, which I think is going to open up a lot of stuff.
“He’s being unselfish with his passing. He’s been a really efficient player offensively. Part of that is he doesn’t have to do as much, so the shots he’s getting are better shots and he’s making those shots. His efficiency has been great for us.
“That’s part of what the NBA guys were looking at as well. His efficiency needed to go up. It would in time. He’s not going to be a high turnover guy like he was because he’s not going to have to force the issue as much.”
On the leadership of guard Matt Allocco:
”Constant chatter. When the scoreboard gets turned on, his chatter and competitiveness goes to a totally different level. It raises everyone else's level. Whether you’re trying to win, trying to lose, on his team or not on his team, you’re engaged, and you’re a part of that competitiveness. It drives people. It drives the dudes on his team and it drives the dudes against him because they hate him in those moments. Absolutely hate him in those moments. Our practices have been really fun because how competitive they’ve been and he’s a big part of that. He’s a competitor that lets you know. He’s talking non-stop. He encourages his teammates and going at the dudes on the other team at the same exact time.”
On the growth of forward Tae Davis:
”It’s been a good summer. We’ve done some different things, but also I think part of our growth as a coaching staff is knowing how to coach guys better, knowing how to get the best out of them.
“There’s a guy I work with that does some different things to help us understand learning and teaching. Meeting with him and talking with him and then going back and evaluating last year - it’s like the best way Tae learns and how he can be better. I didn’t put him in those situations to do that last year because he had to move so much. He had to go from one spot to the next and they were totally different.
“When he’s comfortable, he’s really good. Being able to put him in a single role in what he’s doing is pretty similar on a daily basis has really opened up his game. He knows what to do. There’s not a lot of thinking about what he’s doing and how he’s playing. He’s just kind of playing, which has been great.
“We’ve added some new stuff, but there’s some things that are similar. You’ll see growth from year one to year two because guys aren’t thinking.”
On improvements from Braeden Shrewsberry:
”He’s putting the ball on the floor a lot more. he’s coming off pin-downs and getting into the paint. He’s attacking off the dribble. He’s utilizing his shot fake in the paint. He’s being a little more physical. He’s gotten strong, so his body has changed a little bit.”
On JR Konieczny’s summer:
”JR really worked as well. He was out of town working. We were getting updates on what he was doing. No. 1 for him was just his health. He’s back to being healthy and playing the right way. He understands what we’re doing and where his spots are coming and when to attack. He’s been really good at that.”
On forward Kebba Njie’s summer:
”Kebba is who he is. Once you get to a certain point in your career, it’s not like you can make huge, drastic changes. We’re trying to make him better in different ways. I have to lean into who he is a little bit as well.
“He’s never going to be a guy we post up and throw it back to the basket and give him 25 touches Zach Edey style. Like why? If you’re not going to get the same efficiency, you shouldn’t do it.
“He’s getting the ball in different ways. He’s using his speed more. He’s trimmed down, so he’s a little bit bouncier. I think he was a little heavier last year. He spent the summer preparing for Big Ten basketball and he played in the ACC. I think he understood that a little bit. The way he’s running, jumping, dunking - he’s had multiple different catch-finishes and putting two or three dudes int he rime with him. That’s where he’s changed a little bit.
“He’s spacing the floor and he’s shooting more threes. He’s catching the ball in the seam because there is more space because there is more shooting. There aren’t as many people in there that is disrupting his catching, so he’s catching the. ball better. All those things have really changed, but I think putting him in a better position has really helped him.
“The guys are trusting him. That’s confidence and it’s a huge thing for him. He’s made good steps.”
On guard Julian Roper II finding a role:
”It’s still to be defined. They’re going to tell me what it’s going to be. He’s another that things are slowing down for him. He’s understanding when to pick his spots, where they are, how to do certain things. He’s playing a lot better, especially offensively. Defensviely, he’s a disruptor. He’s around the ball and constantly tipping balls away. He’s constantly in passing lanes and getting steals. That’s who he is. That burst of energy, a burst of disruptiveness and physicality is something you always need. Getting him to be comfortable on the offensive end is huge. He’s worked. He’s shot the ball really well in catch-and-shoot situations, which we’re trying to get him to do more of. He’s worked at it and that’s why you see the improvements.”
On guard Logan Imes development:
”One of the things we’ve really focused on with Logan is quick decisions. Logan is a processor and a thinker. He’s really been making quicker decisions out of pick and rolls, getting the ball out of his hand and keeping it moving. Those things have really helped him. You can see the steps he’s making. He’s working really hard on his shooting and everything else. Him being a quick decision maker gives us another ball handler and who can get our offense flowing. He’s another guy who has experience and a year into the system. He’s pushing for minutes like everyone else is. It’s hard to play 14 people.”
On freshmen Sir Mohammed and Cole Certa:
“Sir Mohmmaed is injured and Cole Certa. They’re both banged up right now. They won’t practice. They’ve been out about a week or so. They’re a little bit behind just because they haven’t gotten the reps that everyone else has gotten. It’s also July. I’m not pushing them to rush back or get reps. Their health is the most important thing. Being injured gives them plenty of time with Greg in the weight and they probably don’t like that as much as everyone else.
“You can see how locked in they are when we’re doing teaching moments. When it’s time to learn, they’re really locked in and focused. I’m not concerned about those two guys. When they were out there, they were really good.
“Sir is going to be a really good player for us. I’ve always talked about his ability to pass and process the game with the ball in his hands. It’s about as high-level as I’ve seen for an 18-year-old kid. Cole Certa has the confidence - he’s the ultimate gunslinger. That dude has never saw a shot that he doesn't believe is going in. You love guys that have that. You can reel that in. Guys that don’t have that confidence, it’s hard to get them to that point. I love that about him.”
On freshman forward Garrett Sundra:
”He’s a guy who is getting a lot of reps because other guys have been out, which has been great. He’s had really good days and he’s had freshman days. That’s typical for young kids coming in. He’s been good. He’s going to be a really good player for us.
“He is the ultimate glue guy. Down the line, he’s going to be a guy people are talking about how good he is as a Notre Dame basketball player.”
On what he was looking for in the Transfer Portal haul:
”You have to find a positional fit and then you have to go for a cultural fit as well. I think we found that. We knew about Matt Allocco for a really long time. Everyone in the country knew he was leaving Princeton. The other two guys, Nikita (Konstantynovskyi) and Burke (Chebuhar), as you go through and you watch and study what you’re looking for and what they can add, then you meet them as people, you’re like, Ok, these dudes fit. They fit what we want to do.
“It’s been fun to see them. There’s stuff that is still new, even Nikita at times, he’s played a lot of college basketball. He can do some things pretty quickly that maybe some younger guys can’t, but it’s all still new to him. He’s had days where he got the best of Kebba and Kebba has gotten the best of him. Those two guys really push each other on a daily basis, which is helping them both grow.
“Burke, in the same way, is still learning what we want him to do, but he’s been a great catalyst for our offense. We play through him a lot. He’s making shots, he’s a good passer and he can do a lot of different things that opens up more for us as a team.
“They’re great people. Nikita is more vocal. You might not understand what he’s saying, but he’s more vocal. Burke’s a little more quiet, but he’s got that warm personality that’s easy for guys to gravitate to.”
On what he’s looking for in the 5-spot:
”Whoever we play with, the most energy and whoever can rebound for us. They’re both going to play. We’re playing at a much quicker pace than we were. We have named a lot of people, but it’s hard to play that many guys. There’s competition. When I come out to practice and I look at the dude across from me, it’s a real basketball player standing across from me.
“I told them in order for us to play like this, then our tempo and pace has to improve or we’re going to play slower and I only have to play seven guys. We’re playing at a faster tempo, which will allow people to max out even more and they will need a sub.
“Kebba and Nikita are so different that it gives you a change of pace when each comes in. They each do different things that they’re better at. Kebba is above the rim. He’s catching lobs, catching and dunking it. Nikita is a great passer in the seam. He’s a really good passer and hitting guys on back cuts and slips and getting from one action to the next, catching in the seam and spraying it out to guys for shots. You can throw the ball to him in the post. He can score in different ways.
“They are so different. You need them both to really max out.”
On the trip to Spain:
”These games are really important in Spain, but these practices are really important for me. I’m going to almost treat it like summer league and let the assistants take a game and coach. I’m going to sit at the end of the bench. I might put a hat on, sit in the stands and be a parent for the game. I haven’t decided quite yet. Actually, some of the places are really nice. I might not even show up. I’ll be on the beach in Valencia watching the live stream on my phone.
“We’re gone for like 10 days. We’ll go to Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. The most important thing for us is being together. We do have a lot of guys back, but we have a lot of new guys as well. Just being together during this time is really important.
“They are going to be ready to play against other people, so that part will be fun for them to compete. I want to see some certain things. We don’t have a lot of stuff in, but we have enough to play. There will be some situations that we’re not going to be quite ready for. How can we on the fly figure it out? I’m trying to increase our creativity as a team. How can we do some things on the fly when we get in these situations?
“We’re learning in practice and doing stuff. We’re not going to be great defensively because we’re not spending a lot of time on it. I’m really going to gage our offense. We’ve played with a 24-second shot clock since the spring, which has helped us because I want to play with more pace and faster.”
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
