Making A Case For Each Of the Three Notre Dame Freshmen to Crack The Rotation

Typically under Mike Brey underclassmen have to pay their dues and develop before earning a spot in the rotation, however this year that may not be the case. With Notre Dame guard Robby Carmody set to be sidelined until at least December and the overall lack of reliable depth pieces the Irish have going into the season, the freshmen will likely fill at least one rotation spot. It remains to be seen if the Irish will decide to go with a 7 or 8 man rotation but either way fans will probably get a look at a few of the freshmen over the first few months of the season.

Outside of the three newcomers 5th year senior Nik Djogo and sophomore guard Elijah Morgan are also competing for a role with the team. Although neither of them had a legitimate role in the 2019-2020 season, Mike Brey expressed confidence in both of their abilities earlier in the year when he said "why can't Nik Djogo be our 6th man" along with the statement that Elijah Morgan probably would've been his starting point guard at Delaware which makes it seem like the staff believes in them both.

Even with the belief that Brey has in his returning players he said in April that they're " gonna need one or both" of Zona and Taylor this season so there is a huge opportunity for both of the freshman big men and Tony Sanders to have a role immediately. The competition among the freshmen is extremely interesting because of how different all three of these players are from each other along with the fact that it is arguably the biggest storyline heading into the season. Over the course of the next few months the freshmen will be tested in practice which will ultimately determine who Brey decides to go with. The result of the three newcomers competing for those last one or two rotation spots will be huge to the team's success so here is a case for each of the three to have a role this season.

Elijah Taylor

Notre Dame's class of 2020 recruiting class started off last winter with 6'7 forward Elijah Taylor who could provide a lot of value for the Irish immediately. While the Philadelphia native may not project as a number one option offensively, he can do a lot of things that the Irish lack now that John Mooney is gone. Taylor is a true bruiser down low with an effective face up game and great athleticism to go along with his college ready body. The 6'7 forward is different than most players on the roster because he is a blue collar player who is going to bring energy and do the dirty work down low even if he isn't a high volume scorer. While the two starting big men are all but set in Nate Laszewski and Juwan Durham, Elijah Taylor can add a new dimension to the team with his physicality and athleticism so he is a prime candidate to earn a spot in the rotation.

Matt Zona

While Zona is somewhat limited athletically and won't play above the rim like Taylor does, he may end up being the most skilled big man on the roster. The New Jersey player of the year is able to stretch the floor with his shooting ability along with being a low post threat which could be a big help to the Irish considering most big men on the roster can do one or the other but not both. For example Juwan Durham can be a low post threat but he isn't a threat from beyond the arc and Nate Laszewski is a big threat from deep but he hasn't shown that he is a legitimate low post guy yet (although he seems to have bulked up since we saw him last). Overall the 6'9 forward is probably the best freshman offensively right now and he could be able to thrive in a variety of different lineups because of his ability to stretch the floor. Zona's skill set offensively is very appealing but some of his weaknesses defensively could hold him out of the rotation. It should be interesting to see if Zona can earn playing time this season and what he can do with it.

Tony Sanders JR

Early in the Spring the Irish landed their last commitment in the class of 2020 from lanky wing Tony Sanders JR. Although Sanders doesn't seem to be all there yet offensively he can still provide a ton of value as an underclassmen because of his defensive ability and versatility. After losing arguably the two best perimeter defenders on the roster in T.J. Gibbs and Rex Pflueger, Brey and the staff may turn to Sanders for his defensive ability, the freshmen has the length and athleticism to guard a team's best player and make plays by getting in the passing lanes. Outside of his defense, Sanders' versatility is arguably his best asset. The 6'7 swingman can play the 2,3, and sometimes even the 4 offensively and on defense he can guard 1-4 against some teams which will be extremely valuable when competing for playing time because he can be used in almost any situation.

Although Notre Dame is known to not give freshmen an abundance of minutes, this year they may be in a position to rely on at least one or two of them for portions of the season. All three of them are extremely different which is why this is such an important and interesting decision that the staff will make in the coming months.