Mike Brey Notebook | 11.5
Notre Dame will open the 2018-19 basketball season up on Tuesday against the University of Illinois-Chicago at 7:00 p.m. ET. Brey spoke on Monday afternoon to preview the season-opener.
On season-opener:
“It’s a great challenge right out of the gate. They have old guards, and they won 20 games. We have a heck of a challenge. We need our fans and our students. This group needs help, especially to get started.”
On finding a starting five:
“We’re still looking on it. If we start a freshman, it would be the first freshman who would start the first game since Torin Francis. I guess that’s the ‘get old, stay old’ philosophy. It also probably keeps me in a job that we haven’t had too many first game freshmen.”
On factors to determine the starting five:
“You have two locks in our old guards, and then it has been a revolving door. We have played five games if you add the Bahamas, exhibition and the scrimmage. That’s 10 halves, and we’ve started 10 different lineups. That might be who we are. If some group grabs it, great. It could be night to night.
“I will tell the team that we’re trying to figure out who will finish for us. With this group, how you play in the first 36 minutes will determine if you’re one of the five finishers. That’s really where we are.”
On guard TJ Gibbs:
“We want the ball in his hands. He has to have it in his hands. When he wants to get off the ball, he can give it to a Rex (Pflueger), Prentiss (Hubb) or a Dane (Goodwin). He has a confidence coming up the floor and talking about our stuff.”
On Gibbs starting with the ball in his hands:
“Eric Atkins kind of spurred the discussion. He said Ben Hansbrough had the ball to start the game and then he would come in, and Ben would be able to get down the floor and play off stuff. That’s a pretty good game plan for where we are right now.”
On forward DJ Harvey:
“He will start. He’s the third guy.”
On Monday’s practice:
“We’re going to practice in our game jerseys today. We have so many guys who have won the game jersey one time. You have to get used to playing with the jersey on. I’ve never done it here because I haven’t had so many new guys who are part of it.
“We were in our practice gear in the scrimmage so let’s get a real feel.”
On points of emphasis since Central State:
“We’re still trying to get new guys comfortable and confident. I thought we settled for some jump shots early. Can we drive it a little bit more if we have areas to drive? Defensive communication - anytime you’re working new faces in, young guys tend not to talk enough. Old guys are better talkers.”
On needing surprises in the next few weeks:
“You’re trying to see who can emerge out of the new faces. I thought Dane Goodwin had a great presence with Robby (Carmody) the other night. Can someone really blossom? Can Nate Laszewski take another step forward? That’s the neat thing about having a young group. They’re talented, and they want to be good. When will the lightbulbs go on for one or two?
“They don’t have to wait for me. If your lightbulbs want to go on tomorrow night, let’s go. We know there is some patience involved with this group.”
On opening the 2019-20 season on the road with an ACC game:
“We will be on the road on that Wednesday next year. We don’t know who yet. It sounded like a great idea in the ACC meetings. Probably this time next year when we’re getting on the charter I’ll be thinking ‘I can’t believe I voted for that.’”