Mike Brey Notebook | 1.10.19
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey spoke on Thursday afternoon as his team prepares to face Boston College on Saturday afternoon.
On the week off:
“It’s been good. It gives you a chance to get some reps. Some of the new guys we have being able to play together throughout the week and go through different situations together - they need experience. You can set up game situations and tweak a few things you think that could help moving forward.”
On schedule coming up:
“I’ve glanced ahead. It’s unbelievable. It’s the ultimate challenge. Two teams will be fighting for their life on Saturday. We’ve been in this position before where you just need one. We’re going to have to be good to beat BC.”
On the importance of getting a win:
“It’s a big one for us. Both teams are dying for a win. We could use one. The league season is a long road. We started 3-0 last year and then lost seven in a row. We played 21 league games last year when you talk about the ACC Tournament. At the end of the day, we were 10-11 and that was good enough to get us in the bracket for a day until the Davidson upset.
“You always have chances and Saturday is a huge one with what’s coming the rest of January. We have to keep teaching and plugging because crazy things happen in this league and last year was a great example of it.”
On winning streak against Boston College:
“11 in a row. We had a pretty good run against them. They are working in some new faces. Hopefully, we don’t get up 46 points to somebody like we did last year, but if we win, I’ll take that.”
On Boston College:
“They are gifted offensively. They run their stuff. The post player can score and they have a really good guard who is an NBA prospect. What scares you is they didn’t shoot it great last night, so you feel like the law of averages and they will shoot it better.
“Both teams are searching a little bit and trying to get some confidence.”
On the starting lineup:
“I think it’s up for grabs. I’m not sure we’ll start the same way. We’re evaluating everything this week. We could come out of the gate in a different way, but there’s only so many options with eight dudes.”
On freshman guard Dane Goodwin:
“Up until the two league games, he was on a heck of a tear. I think the cold reality of the speed and athletic ability of league knocked him back a little bit. I was happy how he got into the gaps of Syracuse’s zone in his first time playing against it.
“He’s only going to get better. He’s going to play 24-25 minutes a game. We feel there is a lot to work with there and you have seen flashes. The more he plays, the more comfortable he gets. There’s a great toughness.”
On similarities to Steve Vasturia’s quiet personality:
“He’s a little quieter than Steve. It’s funny because I’ll watch him and he cuts it up with the guys, but he’s a quiet guy. He’s a confident guy and he’s unafraid. There’s a mental toughness about him. He’s got a stubbornness about him which gives him an edge.
“I think he has a chance to be a great college basketball player.”
On Goodwin’s stubbornness:
“He has an edge. He gets pissed off quick, which is a good thing.”
On freshman point guard Prentiss Hubb:
“When we’ve had guys go through not shooting the ball well, I’ve tried not to sit there and over coach it and get them thinking too much. He’s sixth in the league in assist-to-turnover and he’s really taking care of the ball and finding people. He’s a pretty athletic defender and gets his hands on stuff.
“One of the things that he can do is shot selection and I thought he did a better job of it on Saturday (Syracuse). He might have forced a few to get himself going at Virginia Tech and in previous games. If he has an open look, he has to take it because he’s made them for us in the early non-league wins. His scoring can help us.”
On Hubb struggling to get to the line:
“The two teams we played in the league, it was hard for him to get into the league. Him in transition driving the ball and getting fouled are good. He doesn’t need to hunt it and force bad ones to jumpstart himself.”
On Hubb’s all-around game not suffering:
“I won’t let it affect his game. I think enough people talk to him about it and he hears it. These kids are plugged into how they are analyzed. I texted him the other night after Syracuse and told him he was great with the ball and he sat down in a stance. The other stuff will come and I love coaching him.”