Mike Brey Notebook: ACC Tournament
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey spoke before the Irish headed to Brooklyn on Sunday evening for the ACC Tournament.
On the logistics of ACC Tournament:
“We’ll get in tonight, and we have an hour in Barclay’s tomorrow, which is great to get a feel of the place and to remember the place. We can get into our routine on Tuesday. I’m glad we’re getting in tonight and get a chance to wake up in the town and prepare."
On success at Barclay’s Arena:
“I wish I could put my finger on it. This group has loved playing in there. I had our SID put together every ACC schools record in there, and we have the most wins in the building. I’m going to share that with our guys tomorrow night.
“There’s a little bit of belief driven by our seniors that it's our place to play well. I’m not going to do anything to talk them out of it.”
On where the team is at:
“The first thing I told the guys yesterday was that we’re back. It felt like the team in Maui. It looked like it, felt like it and competed like it. Bonzie was a key part of it for 37 minutes.
“I do feel really good about where we are at right now.”
On recent success:
“We were 3-7 at one time. To go 5-4 on the back nine to give ourselves a chance, I’m proud of them. All I know is the last 24 hours we’ve been the discussion. What do you do with Notre Dame?
“If you would have told me in the midst of the seven-game losing streak that a week from Selection Sunday they would be trying to figure us out, I would have taken that in a heartbeat.”
On Bonzie Colson’s health:
“His body is sore. He was cramping a little bit yesterday, but his coach plays him too much. You know how that goes. Today is a good day to stretch it out. He’ll loosen up tomorrow in a short practice.
“He’s just so excited to be back and competing. He makes us confident when he’s playing like that.”
On boost of Colson being back:
“It’s an unbelievable statistical boost being a double-double guy. It’s a big confidence boost. He plays with a great edge and toughness. Its always been contagious to the rest of our guys.
“It was lacking. We all saw it up close and personal at times when he wasn’t here. He gives us a little bit of that edge he plays with.”
On NCAA Tournament discussion:
“We’re going to be really analyzed. We have to do some more, and we’re fully aware of it. I love that they are thinking and talking about us.”
On not overlooking Pittsburgh:
“With everything we’ve been through this year, who are we to be looking past anybody. We’ve been smacked around so much. We don’t take anything for granted. We’re going to prepare for Pittsburgh like we prepared for Virginia.
“It’s really about us now. It really is given the unique dynamics of this situation.”
On Virginia game:
“I thought we had some of that Maui edge and swagger that we hadn’t seen in a long time. I didn’t think we’d ever see it again.”