After a seven month hiatus, Notre Dame Men's Basketball will finally return to the floor at Purcell Pavillion. This Friday the Irish will face off against Nazareth College at 7:00 eastern in their first scrimmage. It'd be silly to overreact to a game against a division three opponent, but it'd also be silly to not take anything away from it just because it's a scrimmage. Here's what to watch for in Notre Dame's first scrimmage.
The Back End of the Rotation
The biggest outstanding question for Notre Dame heading into the season is the back end of the rotation, Mike Brey has said in the past that JR Konieczny and Blake Wesley would both be in the rotation but as time has gone on it's become harder and harder to make sense of Brey's plan for the rotation and who will be in it consistently. We will get a look (or a listen) at what Brey is thinking on Friday night.
Notre Dame's rotation will certainly include Trey Wertz and Blake Wesley coming off the bench, but after that who is the third guy off the bench? Will it be Konieczny? Will it be one of Notre Dame's young big men? Are we sure there will be a third guy coming off the bench? An exhibition like this is an interesting opportunity to get a look into the mind of Mike Brey before real game action.
Mike Brey has plenty of guys to look at on his bench, each bringing a unique skillset. On Friday, we will probably get closer to an answer to the questions that come with each guy. Will Robby Carmody play? Does he look like himself? Does Tony Sanders look natural offensively? How Does Elijah Taylor fit? Does Matt Zona move any better than he did last season? Can JR Konieczny make an impact? How much does Brey use his bench when the game is close?
Will the defense look a little different schematically
When meeting with the media this summer, Anthony Solomon didn't get into much "clinic talk", as he calls it, but there is reason to believe the Irish defense this year will look a little different technically than it has in past years. The main way the Irish can improve their defense is simply giving more effort and communicating more. But in terms of scheme, Mike Brey has talked about making more of an effort to keep the ball out of the middle. Dane Goodwin also mentioned staying with guys through ball screens and not helping as much off the corners.
The Irish have players up and down the roster who can become good defenders with technical improvement and more effort. The long term success of Notre Dame's defense will come down to those two things, but the scheme of Notre Dame's defense is absolutely still important. There likely won't be a drastic change from Brey's traditional man and 2-3 zone defensive concepts, but with a new man in charge it is something to watch.
Blake Wesley
Friday night is the first time that most Notre Dame fans will get to see Blake Wesley on the floor at Purcell Pavillion, the buzz around the incoming freshman guard is building faster than it has for nearly any other freshman in recent memory. One scrimmage certainly isn't going to push Wesley into the first round of the NBA draft or to the end of the bench, but seeing the young guard on the floor with Notre Dame's veterans, how many minutes he plays and seeing how he contributes defensively is something to monitor.
How is Paul Atkinson Used?
If we know one thing about Paul Atkinson, it's that not many people can stop him with his back to the basket. The grad transfer is crafty as they come around the basket and can finish effectively with both hands. However, Notre Dame's roster is heavily guard driven, the Irish offense has been predicated on getting looks in transition and taking a high volume of threes. None of that fits Atkinson, but if the Irish carve out possessions to let Atkinson work in the post he will be a huge addition to Notre Dame's offense. Friday night will be an interesting place to see how the former Yale forward is utilized.
Regardless of whether Atkinson is properly utilized down low, the grad transfer's impact is still worth watching for. There have been rumblings all summer and fall about the former Ivy League player of the year improving his stroke from beyond the arc, if the 6'10 forward can add that element to his game he will fit into Notre Dame's offensive system with ease. Atkinson's defensive ability is also something to watch for, how well does he move his feet? Can he elevate enough to block shots?
Nazareth College doesn't have much size down low so it shouldn't be too surprising if Atkinson has a big night, at this point in the season though, the big man finding his role is more important than his production.
Robby Carmody
Robby Carmody is the biggest mystery on Notre Dame's team and for good reason. We haven't seen any of the guard since COVID started because of injuries. Carmody seems to be back in action at Rolph's athletic hall but there are still more questions than answers surrounding the 23 year old.
How does the wear and tear impact his athleticism? Will he still attack the rim? Has his jump shot improved since we last saw him? Will he even play?
Friday is a chance for us to finally get another look at Carmody and to answer at least a few of the questions surrounding him.
Friday night's scrimmage is another opportunity for players without defined roles to earn meaningful regular season minutes and it is an opportunity to answer some outstanding questions that surround the program. It won't be surprising at all if the Irish run Nazareth College out of the gym, but it's important to remember that this is a D3 opponent and the result of this game isn't going to make or break the season for Notre Dame.
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