Notre Dame Men's basketball returns an old, experienced group this season, but each player still has a major area of their game that they can improve on. To get to the NCAA tournament at least a few of these players will have to improve on the area's in question. Here is a breakdown on one major question for each Notre Dame player heading into this season.
Prentiss Hubb: Can he consistently be an under control, true point guard?
It's no secret that Notre Dame starts and stops with Prentiss Hubb. When Hubb has been at his best Notre Dame is normally in a pretty good spot. However, when Hubb isn't at his best, things can get ugly. Throughout his career at Notre Dame the senior guard has struggled with consistency and being erratic at times. The veteran guard improved in that aspect a bit towards the end of last season but will need to continue that positive momentum into this season to truly unlock his potential as Notre Dame's best player and leader.
Cormac Ryan: Can he improve his consistency?
Cormac Ryan was Notre Dame's most well rounded player last season, but wasn't their best. Why? Consistency. In games like Ryan's 28 point performance against Duke, when Ryan is at his best, he is Notre Dame's best player. The only problem is that Ryan followed up that unbelievable performance with five straight games where he scored in single digits. In the 2020-21 season we saw how good Cormac Ryan can be, but didn't see it quite enough. Consistency is the key to Cormac Ryan taking the next step offensively and making Notre Dame's guards even more dangerous.
Trey Wertz: Can he get into the flow of ND's offense?
Trey Wertz is as talented as nearly everyone in Notre Dame's offense but was thrown to the fire because of the NCAA's transfer rules which resulted in him struggling to find his role alongside other similar guards like Cormac Ryan and Dane Goodwin. With a full offseason to mesh with Notre Dame's other guards on the floor, Wertz seems like he is in a nice position to maximize his offensive potential within Notre Dame's free flowing system.
Dane Goodwin: Can he improve defensively?
Outside of potentially being more efficient, Goodwin most likely is what he is offensively. Where the senior could improve is as a defender. Although the sharpshooting guard likely won't be a lockdown type guy anytime soon, especially considering the types of players he has to guard. However, in his first year under Anthony Solomon there is reason to believe the talented guard could improve on that end. If Goodwin can make a defensive leap it will be a welcome development for an Irish team that desperately needs it.
Nate Laszewski: Can he create more looks for himself?
In the first few months of the 2020-21 season, Nate Laszewski looked to be Notre Dame's unquestioned best player but as the season went on Laszewski wasn't as aggressive and started to fade a bit. A big part of that was because teams started to force the talented forward to put the ball on the floor and get looks for himself. Laszewski will always be a good offensive player in the ACC but in order to take his offensive game to the next level he will have to create more looks for himself.
Paul Atkinson: Can he defend and rebound at a high level?
In 2020-21 Notre Dame struggled to rebound and defend against physical ACC big men, things look a bit better in that regard if Matt Zona and Elijah Taylor can contribute, but most of Notre Dame's productivity on the glass and defensively down low will have to come from Atkinson. In 2019-20 the graduate student looked a bit outmatched at times physically against ACC big men like Armando Bacot and Aamir Simms, but since then the big man has put on muscle and gotten older. There's no doubt that Atkinson can give the Irish a nice boost offensively but if he can't defend and rebound things could go south quickly.
Blake Wesley: How fast can he adjust to the speed of the ACC?
Freshman guard Blake Wesley has no shortage of talent, that's for sure. The South Bend native is the complete package and looks to be one of the better true freshmen the program has had in recent memory. Wesley backed up that reputation by reportedly having a fantastic summer and being penciled into the rotation. The four star guard will have to adjust to playing the gauntlet of an ACC schedule and adjusting to the speed of the college game. Getting comfortable could take a bit for Wesley considering the league he played in throughout his high school career, but there is plenty to be excited about for the freshman.
JR Konieczny: Can he be efficient enough to be a microwave scorer?
JR Konieczny's game doesn't seem to be fully developed in some aspects but one thing is for sure, the dude can score. There's a reason the freshman swingman averaged 28.6 points per game in his final high school season. That being said, if Konieczny can carve out a role this season it will likely be as a microwave scorer off the bench who can provide a spark when the Irish get in ruts offensively. Konieczny is used to being a high volume scorer at the high school level but will have to adjust to being a more efficient scorer in spurts.
Matt Zona: Can he prove he is athletic enough to play in the ACC?
After being praised in the preseason by Mike Brey last season, Zona struggled to carve out a role at the back end of the Irish rotation. When Zona did play he showed nice tenacity and physicality down low, but struggled overall. That was in part because of his lack of agility and overall athleticism. Zona has lost weight and become more lean this offseason which could help him to stay in front quicker players. If the former three star recruit can become a serviceable defender and can prove he is athletic enough to play in the ACC, he will be a much needed presence down low for Mike Brey's team.
Tony Sanders JR: Is he ready offensively?
Tony Sanders can absolutely defend well enough to play in the ACC and has enough versatility to make an interesting case for a rotation spot. However, Sanders hasn't shown much offensively yet. If the sophomore forward can shoot efficiently enough from beyond the arc and can get to the rim once and awhile, he could be a valuable piece for a staff that has put an emphasis on defense. Sanders' offensive game has to be good enough for him to see the floor though.
Elijah Taylor: Can he Find a role in Notre Dame's Offense?
Elijah Taylor is in a similar position to Sanders in that his motor, athleticism, and physicality is where it needs to be to play in the ACC, however offense is where Taylor could have a tough time. The Irish have a dominant post presence already in Paul Atkinson and Taylor mainly scores out of post ups and faceups. The Irish will be looking to play fast and to space the floor, Taylor doesn't exactly fit that scheme unless he has developed more of an outside shot since his high school days. Taylor has a bright future with Notre Dame but to contribute this season he will have to find a role for himself in Notre Dame's offense.
Robby Carmody: Can he stay healthy?
We all know the deal with Robby Carmody at this point, the former four star guard is one of the most talented and athletic players on the roster but hasn't seen the floor much due to injuries. For us to analyze what Carmody can do for the Irish, he first has to be healthy. Carmody is Notre Dame's biggest wild card this season and the question of whether or not he will contribute starts with his health.
Elijah Morgan: Can he run ND's offense well enough to play spot minutes if needed
Mike Brey has said time and time again that Morgan is better than a typical walk-on. Last season we saw how confident Brey was with Morgan as the Junior guard as he was thrown into significant playing time against North Carolina and Miami. To continue to get minutes, Morgan will have to continue to run Notre Dame's offense at a high level. If a few of the scholarship ball handlers go down then Morgan will have to be capable of putting other guys into good positions to score and playing turnover free basketball.
Alex Wade: Can he challenge other guards?
Alex Wade won multiple awards throughout his high school career for his defense, as a freshman walk-on the young guard likely won't see the floor much but will have an opportunity to make things hard on other Notre Dame guards in practice which will benefit them immensely.
Notre Dame's season kicks off in just a few weeks, so be sure to follow us on twitter @NDbballanalysis for more Notre Dame Men's Basketball coverage.
Comentários