Transcript of latest Notre Dame men's basketball chat with NDI's Tom Noie

Thomas Noie: College basketball is back! That means, so is the marathon Notre Dame men's basketball chat. There's still such a long way to go and so much we don't know about these Irish, about this head coach, about the future. We got a peek at everything Wednesday as Notre Dame opened (and closed) exhibition play with a 96-62 victory over Division III Hanover. What did you think? To join, make sure you include your name and hometown. And with that, you know the rest ... let's light this chat candle for 2023-24!

Jim from Berlin, Ct: Tom, let's be real. Shrewsbury has got his hands full heading into the new season. He has no depth or experience on the team and it looks like the Irish will be lucky to win more than eight games. Do you see Notre Dame heading into a long down period where they're not regarded as a serious factor in the ACC or nationally.Thomas Noie: Jim: You new around these parts? You new to college basketball? You have to be to take that stance. If you knew Micah Shrewsberry, you'd probably think otherwise. Let's set aside the 96 points and the 34-point victory in the exhibition. Is this season going to be rough? Probably, given the state of the program that Shrewsberry inherited. But the guy can flat-out coach, and maybe even build. It was easy to slot Notre Dame 15th - last - in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but given Shrewsberry's acumen, I picked ND to finish 13th. After the exhibition, that might be a bit low. The talent level needs to improve and the culture is being built from the ground up, but something tells me it's not as dire as everyone predicts. Or fears. It's still going to take time, but it's nowhere near as dire as you fear. Watch.

Bob from chicago: Hi Tom, do you have any insight into the secret scrimmage against Xavier ?Thomas Noie: Bob: What secret scrimmage? Did it really happen if nobody around Notre Dame will acknowledge it? It was zipped lips for any and all information on Notre Dame's end. Did get a few nuggets - the freshman guards (like Wednesday) were really good. The Irish turned it over a lot, but they also scored 90-plus points against a team that was going to get after them physically. All swings back to the belief that Micah Shrewsberry and his staff are going to scheme their ways into a few league wins that we don't see coming. Yes, Xavier was missed its two main bigs, but everyone figured it was still going to roll Notre Dame. Didn't happen.

Pat H., Springfield Illinois: What can you report about the not so secret scrimmage at Xavier? Thanks for taking the time to do thisThomas Noie: Pat: Asked and answered above. Or below. Or however the chat appears. To say it was a surprising outcome would be fair. No one saw that coming. Not from this group. Not this early. But when Micah Shrewsberry said in the days heading into the road trip to Cincinnati that he was preparing like it was the national championship, the thinking changed. Like, whoa, this guy's going to win. Maybe sooner than later.

Kyle Thibideau: Is there any plan of playing J.R. this year? He was the class with Wesley, so I felt like Brey did not play him because he wasn't ready to his standard.Thomas Noie: Kyle: J.R. Konieczny wasted a year of eligibility as a true freshman in 2021-22 when he played all of 22 minutes over seven games before sitting out last season to preserve a year. Why? Was he not ready? Well, yes, but also look at the rosters of those teams during JRK's first two seasons. He considered himself then - and still does now - as a guard. Where were those guard minutes going to come from? Was JRK going to play ahead of Prentiss Hubb or Blake Wesley or Dane Goodwin or Cormac Ryan? The argument could be made - and I wouldn't argue - that he should've been given minutes over Trey Wertz last season, but that's a discussion for another day. JRK wasn't ready to be a legit college player those first two years. He had to fall back in love with the game under Micah Shrewsberry. I love his stat line from Wednesday - 12 points (6-of-8 from the field), no threes, everything in the lane or going to the basket. He fancied himself a stand-still shooter. Now he's moving and cutting and playing and contributing.

Linas from the OC: Hi Tom, Not sure how many practices you've attended (or been allowed to attend) the past month, but wondering if there is a "buzz" around any of the ND players who have particularly impressed since practice started last month. ThanksThomas Noie: Linas: Prior to Wednesday's exhibition game, there was no buzz - actually, less than zero buzz - about Notre Dame men's basketball. Nobody knew really anything. Wednesday was our first look, like, oh, OK, I see how these pieces might fit. Maybe that buzz now builds, especially after Micah Shrewsberry's not-so subtle message to the student body (link: https://fightingirish.com/irish-show-out-in-96-62-exhibition-win/). This team might be fun to watch. Maybe they win a few games they're not expected. Only then, over on that campus where basketball is a tough sell, will the buzz build.

Guest: Mark from Kansas City: Love your work. I just read your article on the 11 scholarship players. Two thing: First, how about a story on the 5 Walk-on/Practice players? It would be interesting to know their backgrounds and abilities. Second, how does a player (Booth) who averaged 10 points and 7 rebounds as a high school senior get ranked 49th nationally as a recruit? I'm sure Brewster Academy was loaded and his dad was an NBA player, but that still seems a stretch.Thomas Noie: Mark: Absolutely. There are some great stories with the five walk-ons (which takes some getting used to seeing). They were only officially added to the roster last week. We had to see exactly how they would be acknowledged in that they were not part of the team picture. Were they walk-ons or just a practice squad during the week? Look forward to diving into a few of their stories as the season moves on. First, though, I have to get to know the main guys. Get to know the head coach.Thomas Noie: As for Carey Booth, you kind of answered your own question. Booth played at Brewster Academy, which sent nine seniors off last year's team (including Booth) on to Division I scholarships. So that roster was loaded, and Booth got a lot of long looks from recruiting guys. But again, it's recruiting, which is a migraine all its own. Who's really a one-star or a three-star? Micah Shrewsberry said it himself after Wednesday's game - Markus Burton at one point was a zero star. Braeden Shrewsberry and Logan Imes were barely three stars. Those three went for 46 points, 11 rebounds and six assists Wednesday. That's recruiting for you. And recruiting "analysts." 🙄

chad from elkhart: The Irish were picked last week to finish dead last in the conference. Where do you think they will end up?Thomas Noie: Chad: Not 15th. I know Wednesday is such a small sample size and it's hard to project anything that might happen in the Atlantic Coast Conference based on what Notre Dame did against an undersized and overmatched Division III team, but Notre Dame is not the 15th place team in the ACC. Having not seen anything of the Irish before the ACC ballots were due, I picked them 13th. After Wednesday, I might have slotted them 10-12. We still don't know how it's all going to play out, but there's something about everything that is that program that says they're going to be better than first thought.

chad from elkhart: How much playing time will Marcus Burton see?Thomas Noie: Chad: A ton. He led the Irish in playing time Wednesday (21:16) and had a team-high 18 points with four rebounds and two assists. He's undersized and he's going to have his moments, but he's been doubted every step of his basketball life. He's answered those doubts to date. Watch him do it again.

Tom Mulloy: In 2001 Mike Brey gave freshman Chris Thomas the keys to the offense. Do you picture Markus Burton having a similar role this year? ThanksThomas Noie: Tom: Markus Burton already has the keys to the Irish car in his pocket and he's not giving them up. He knew before summer school even started that he was going to be the starter at the point, and the only true handler. He's not as dynamic as Thomas, but that's OK. As long as he stays healthy during his career.

Tim Hale: There may not be many victories this year, but it will be nice to see a ND Mens team give maximum effort and play defense. Agree?Thomas Noie: Agree, but let's not get carried away with the whole "play defense" mantra with this group. They're not locking anybody down and they're not going to Virginia you on the defensive end. What the are going to do defensively is dig in collectively and finish out the possession. It's a group thing. Look at the defensive rebounding stats from Wednesday - Julian Roper had three, Markus Burton had three, Braeden Shrewsberry downplayed his board work, but he grabbed six. When your guards get in there and dig out some rebounds, your defense is better. As Micah Shrewsberry has said, effort is non-negotiable. He doesn't coach it, but you better bring it. They brought it Wednesday, at least in the first half. The head coach wasn't thrilled with the effort in the second half, but when you're up 28 at half, that slippage is going to happen.

Guest: I was disappointed that the exhibition game wasn’t even on the radio.Thomas Noie: Hopefully, you were able to find it on radio. We were told by Notre Dame that the game would not be broadcast and went with that for our pre-game info box. Notre Dame apparently learned Tuesday afternoon that the game would indeed be on the radio. Our apologies.

Zach: How long until we can expect to see some results (NCAA tourney bubble or better) under Coach Shrewsberry?Thomas Noie: If you listen to Micah, why not dream about it this year? Sure, they can dream that, but I don't know if that dream is based on reality. Wednesday was a good first look, but the lack of experience in that league is eventually going to catch up with them. So is the lack of size down low. It just is. That this was a complete rebuild had the back to the NCAA tournament timeline at three years. I'll stick with that rebuild schedule. But let's revisit it in March once we've seen this team and this staff navigate an entire season.

Andrew, Plymouth: The first thing that jumped out at me from the box score was the balanced scoring. Without having watched the game it looked like ND wasn’t jut jacking up 3’s all game and there was a flow to the offense. The second thing that jumped out was only having 13 assists on 37 made baskets. Was it just that easy to get to the basket and can Burton be the distributing kind of PG?Thomas Noie: Andrew: Good stuff, but here's the best part of the box score - the points in the paint. Notre Dame scored 50 without the benefit or concentration of a proven low-post presence. The Irish made it a point to get Kebba Njie, the only true power forward in the starting lineup, some touches early in the post. Then it was motion offense. Instead of settling for 3s (a good shot) they followed Micah Shrewsberry's mandate and found great shots (often, unimpeded drives to the rim). Plenty of layups against a team like that. The 3 still has to be a weapon, but it won't be the only weapon.

Toledojohnnyfromgeorgia: Hello Tom - miss your articles. Had to drop several subscriptions due to inflation, food, fuel and payroll. Listened to the Exhb. game and is it safe to assume that Coach Shrews rotation could be more than 7 and even up to 9 or more?Thomas Noie: TJ: Ahhhh, the annual rotation question. Some things never change. The head coach and the staff and the roster does, but we always circle back around to ... how many guys are going to play? I'd say nine is a safe number right now. Maybe some nights, it will be seven. But nobody playing more than 21 minutes? That's nice to see, isn't it? Maybe the days of heavy minutes are done. Maybe.

Patrick NYC: Tom, all ears for your impressions on how we looked: who surprised and impressed, what kind of early coaching emphasis did you see? But I'm sure there will be a lot of questions like that so let me ask a trivia question I could not find the answer to online. Has any NCAA men's coach won a championship with his son on the team? (Or, to make it a smaller list if there has been, as a starter) We likely have 4 years of the Shrewsberrys...Thomas Noie: Patrick: Love the enthusiasm (optimism) but let's see Notre Dame get back to the NCAA tournament before we cross that bridge. Still kind of sorting through everything there was to see - players, rotation, sets, Shrewsberry on the sideline. It was a lot to take in. You want to see everything, but just can't. Let's just say there was a lot to like.

Tyler from Granger: Tom, have you had any talk/touch with Coach Brey since the spring? I see the Hawks play at home on 01/10. ND is in Atlanta 01/09. Do you think he comes & watches or just lets it be?Thomas Noie: Tyler: Absolutely. You don't cover a guy basically every day for eight months over 23 years and just close that door. I plan to catch up with Mike Brey in ATL the day after the Georgia Tech game. Think he stays away for now. There will be a time and a place for him to return and be acknowledged for where he took the program. This season's not the time. Not yet.

Tyler from Granger: Whether for good or bad, Shrewsberry and Burton look to be super high volume shooters. Assuming both guys as healthy 4 yr players, I could see either one or even both as 1,500 point scorers. ND might need them to be too. Do you see Burton as the highest career ND scorer since Luke Harangody & a chance to top David Graves 10th best 1,746?Thomas Noie: Tyler: Whooooooaaaaaaaaa.... Markus Burton has played one exhibition game (and a secret scrimmage) and we're ready to put him in the same scoring company as ... 'Gody? Look at some of the names of guys who've gone for at least 1,500 points in school history - LaPhonso Ellis, Bonzie Colson, Kelly Tripucka, Jerian Grant, David Graves, Matt Carroll...other guys that are there include Dane Goodwin and Nate Laszewski, who got there because A) They played five seasons and B) They played a ridiculous amount of minutes. I can see Burton and Shrewsberry having careers closer to T.J. Gibbs (my guy!) who went for 1,576 points. I don't know if Micah Shrewsberry is going to give his main guys 34-38 minutes a game like Mike Brey did.

Tyler from Granger: Over/under on attendance in 23-24’ compared to 22-23’ and over/under on 10 home wins this season? I’ll take the over on both. I like 11-6 at home. What say you?Thomas Noie: It's the Tyler from Granger portion of the chat...you know we could just meet at the Side Door Deli at Heritage Martin's to talk hoops, right? Notre Dame averaged 6,118 home attendance last year (ugh!) I'll go with something closer to 7,500 this season. They won 11 games at home last year. Think they go at least one better.

Chris, wash DC: Tom, Do you think coach schrewsberry has a true appreciation for how hard it well be to get students to come to games? I thought the last question at his press conference was very good. Thanks.Thomas Noie: Chris: Knowing Micah Shrewsberry (and I'll be the first to admit that I don't know him well just yet) I don't know if student attendance has been anywhere near his radar since he arrived in March. So many other areas that have needed his attention. Maybe he looked up Wednesday as he walked out of the tunnel and saw that the student section was ... empty. He'll be more concerned with the product on the court than the people in the seats, but he'll know if the student body decides to embrace this program.

Patrick from NYC: Tom, if I were a student returning after a tough season for the team last year, I'd be pretty excited to check out an almost brand new team and a new coach. Is there any buzz on campus and has Coach Shrews done anything different to try and drum up student interest?Thomas Noie: Patrick: Nope. None. The days of the head coach having to go to the dining halls and stand on tables to drum up attention are over. Here's a new direction for the men's basketball program. Get behind it. Pretty simple, right?

Mark from Rochester, NY: Tom, glad to be back for another season! What is the biggest philosophical difference you have seen thus far between Micah and Brey?Thomas Noie: Mark: Work. Watching Micah Shrewsberry coach Wednesday night wore me out. The guy never stops coaching. It doesn't matter if it's offense or defense or ATO sets or his team down four or up 44. There's a standard there that wasn't there for myriad reasons the last few years. Hate, hate, hate that I have to constantly use the disclaimer of .... it's a small sample size, but was thoroughly impressed/encouraged by what I saw (then heard) from Shrewsberry last night. Like, OK, this program might be going places.

Mark from Rochester, NY: Got another one for you. I saw they had a 9 man rotation to start. Do you think that will shrink as the season goes or is Micah committed to playing more 8-9 guys? Thanks!Thomas Noie: Mark: I don;t know if it slips below eight or nine given the amount of effort that Micah Shrewsberry expects/demands. He's said that it's exhausting to play that style. It was nice to see nine men play, but it was even nice to see that no two or three guys monopolized the minutes. It was pretty balanced. That's what - that's who - this program needs to be this season.

Patrick from NYC: New coach for the first time in a couple decades. After the first game, albeit an exhibition, are there any apparent changes to the game day experience? Will we finally minimize all the clock malfunctions?Thomas Noie: Patrick: Happy to report that there were ZERO clock malfunctions/issues/meetings last night, but again, the season is young. Other than the house lights not going out for player intros, everything looks and feels pretty much the same - until pre-game wamups start and it takes a few minutes to figure out who's who. All good issues to have.

Dave: Do you think this roster is going to be talented enough to be competitive in the always tough ACC & what do you feel is a realistic goal for a number of wins for this team this season?Thomas Noie: Dave: Absolutely they're going to compete. If you know anything about Micah Shrewsberry, you know this - he's going to get his guys to compete for 40 minutes every single night from November to March. Now, that may not translate into many league wins, but it's not going to come from a lack of compete. That right there, I believe, can get Notre Dame two or three additional league wins. What does that mean? Notre Dame won three league games last year. It should win at least six this year. Need to see a little more (and see how they handle adversity) to nail down X amount of overall wins.

Ryan mars pa: Tom what do You Think About this year’s team it was nice to see the team get the win last night under Coach Shrewsberry i saw him the other day at the player walk for football and we was nice and looked over at me go Irish ☘️☘️🏀🏀Thomas Noie: Ryan: Good first start for this group, but a long way to go. They're going to be fun to watch and the head coach isn't going to accept anything but all-out effort. Micah Shrewsberry wasn't happy about Wednesday's second half because he felt his guys "checked out." That will be addressed.

Jeff from Schererville, IN: Enjoying the chat so far, and to answer Patrick from NYC's question, Andrew Hurley (son of Dan Hurley) dribbled out the clock for UConn in the national title game last year, but a coach's son with more impact on a national title team is harder to find. My question isn't quite ND-related, but do you have any thoughts on Bob Knight or any good or interesting memories from covering ND-IU games in the past, especially in the home and home days of the 80s and 90s and early 2000s? I'm an ND alum and season ticket holder and not an IU fan per se, but I appreciate what he did for the sport and for basketball in this state even if it came with some difficult moments. Would be nice to get that matchup on the schedule again (not in Indy) but I understand if schools have different priorities and timelines. Thanks!Thomas Noie: Jeff: That's some good Hurley knowledge there. Didn't have many (really, any) dealings with Bob Knight. He was a Hall of Fame coach. I'll just leave it at that. I'd rather Notre Dame play Purdue than Indiana. Why turn Purcell Pavilion into Assembly Hall North?

Aidan: I am going to flip the questions and ask about recruiting. Recently former Providence PG, Daquan Davis re-opened his recruitment. Is there any knowlegde on where we stand with him? I would say we finished as the #2 school the first go around. But, I have also heard rumblings of Indiana going after him. Just curious if you are hearing anything on that or if we are actively still even recruiting the 2024 cycle.Thomas Noie: Aidan: Recruiting being recruiting, anything can happen, but Davis' name is not one I've heard associated with Notre Dame - even before he committed to Providence. They're always actively monitoring the 2024 class, so stay tuned. It's recruiting, so you never know.

Woof Cookies: I really like being the underdog in the ACC this year. I'll be SHOCKED if they don't surprise the heck out of some teams in the ACC this year. I'm hoping Zona can turn into a Geben / Cooley type of clone. They need a big man who weighs more than 220. I was watching Coach Shrewsberry last night and he was way more engaged with his bench than Brey was. Not saying that's good or bad, but it was interesting to see the coaching differences.Thomas Noie: Woof: Preach! I wanted to keep my eyes on the court with the style of play, the combos, the substitution patterns, etc., but I also wanted to see what kind of game coach Shrewsberry is. He gets after it and gets into his guys. Love that he wasn't happy with one guy because his effort disappeared in the second half - HIS SON! Micah couldn't be any more nonplussed by Braeden's 14 points and six rebounds because he wasn't happy with his effort in the second half. Gotta love that. And, yeah, they're going to get a few wins along the ACC road that nobody sees coming. Watch. It's going to happen. As for needing someone who weight more than 220, Kebba Njie is 254. If someone is going to channel their inner Martinas Geben (still the team MVP in 2018, but I digress) it's Njie.

Aidan: I really think we could have a good start to the year. The non-con consists 5 power 6 teams (including Miami in that). I think we have a good chance of beating Georgetown and South Carolina. Both still weak teams in a transition period. Miami, Auburn and Marquette are all top 30ish teams so I'm not expecting wins but I wouldn't be suprised if we go in and make it competitve. Ceiling would be 9-2 and non-con floor would be 5-6 and my prediction is 7-4.Thomas Noie: Aidan: Good call, but I sense a trend, and it's not to pick on you, but I cringe at seeing the word "competitive" coming up time and again. It feels like a four-letter word. Like $%^# or &%@#. This team will compete. It may not have enough to win this game or that game, but the days of Notre Dame trailing in ANY game by 50 (yeah, we're not that far removed from that happening), those days are over. Micah Shrewsberry isn't going to stand for much less play guys who don't compete. As he's said, they're going to fight and scratch and claw and grind and then do it all again the next time out. They'll compete, but can they win? Let's find out, right?

Mike: Glad we're back for hoops, Tom! Any sense of how Coach Shrewsberry interacts with/talks to/relies on his assistants? Who is talking to players? Who is he talking to? I know it's a small sample size but we're all eager to know how this will look this year!Thomas Noie: Mike: You have the thought process of a beat writer! I wondered and watched the same and figured it's a story worth pursuing as we move forward. Looking at the bench from where we sit at Purcell Pavilion, it was Tre Witted, Shrewsberry's assistant, to his left and associate head coach Kyle Getter to his right. Then two players and assistant coach Mike Farrelly and Grady Eifert (development and recruiting coordinator) before two more players. Then assistant coach Ryan Owens before the rest of the bench players. Think each staff member has a pre-assigned role of what to say and who to say it to. I want to dive deeper into that. Stay tuned!

Todd from Charlotte: Not much from Tony Sanders last night?Thomas Noie: Sanders is the odd man out. The proverbial, it will be hard to get to him kind of a role. It is what it is.

Clint from Winnipeg: Who do you think will be (become?) the most dynamic player on the team this season? Is Markus Burton the easy answer?Thomas Noie: Clint: He might already be there. He was reportedly really good at X and he was good last night. He'll have his freshman moments. This is a roster with a lot of steady/heady guys. Burton's the one guy who will make you sit up and say, whoa...that was special.

Rich from Long Island: Hi Tom. Have captains been named?Thomas Noie: Rich: They have not, but if I had to spit-ball it, I'd say it would be Matt Zona (team guy) and Kebba Njie (Shrewsberry message guy). Captains this season might be a bit of a stretch. So many different/new/moving pieces.

Clint from Winnipeg: What does the ceiling look like for Matt Zona?Thomas Noie: Clint: Someone mentioned it earlier so we'll go with it - a lighter version of Martinas Geben. Not necessarily a main guy but a guy who maxes out the chances/minutes that he does get, Like last night - he only played 17 minutes, but he hit a pair of 3s, he moved down low and got a couple buckets. Grabbed a few rebounds. He looked the part of a D-I big. Small steps for the big guy right now.

Al-Elkhart: Who if anyone is left from last year's basketball staff (trainers, etc.)?Thomas Noie: Al: There are three holdovers from last year's men's basketball staff - Pat Rogers (director of operations), Nixon Dorvillen (trainer) and Jim Fraleigh (men's basketball administrator).

Al-Elkhart: I think we all can agree that the program got stale at the end under Coach Brey. Where did that show itself the most in your opinion?Thomas Noie: Al: Great question. You look back now and see that there were so many small signs that last season was headed in the direction it went. The near-miss home win over Lipscomb, the no-show against Saint Bonaventure on Black Friday. But when Notre Dame was completely undressed at home by Marquette in early December, you kind of sensed that this wasn't going to end well. That it was over. Marquette just came in and took Notre Dame's heart. And the Irish let them. Before that game - which was the John Shumate Ring of Honor game - Mike Brey walked into the arena wearing one of the throwback Shumate jerseys fans were given. Brey made his way to the student section and no one responded. If you watched that you're like, yeah, this run's about over. And then the game started, and it was further proof that the tank was indeed empty. It was over.

Illinois Fool: Fun game for the Irish last night even if it was against a D3 school. My worry is the lack of domination inside. If they cannot be better inside, how are they going to compete in the ACC?Thomas Noie: IF: Be better inside? They scored 50 points in the paint. This ain't 1970 where you dump it down to your big man and let him go to work. Game's changed my man. They'll compete in the ACC the way they competed Wednesday - it's a collective, comprehensive effort to defend and get on the glass. Not just have a big guy and say, yeah, you do it. The guards have to defend and rebound. The forwards have to defend and rebound. Lean on a big? Not in this game. Not anymore.

Bill: Is Cam Booth more of a perimeter player? Can he rebound well for his size?Thomas Noie: Bill: That would be Carey Booth, right? I get it. Rosters needed all the way around. Carey Booth is still figuring out where he fits. Where his game fits. He's so young - he turned 17 in July - that he might not figure it out this year. Offensively, that's OK, just as long as he rebounds the way he did Wednesday (seven rebounds).

Tim from Chicago: Hi Tom, excited that you are back for another year of ND Hoops, nobody does it better. Not a specific question on this year's ND team, but curious, did all of the former Brey assistant coaches last year land on their feet and find other comparable jobs elsewhere in college basketball this season?Thomas Noie: Tim: Always good to hear from you. Former Irish assistant coach Antoni Wyche returned to Siena as an assistant while Hamlet Tibbs landed as an assistant coach at Buffalo. Anthony Solomon, who was associate head coach, is not currently on a college basketball staff. He and his wife Tracy, still reside in South Bend.

Bill: This freshmen class of Burton, Shrewsberry, Imes and Booth. I know you only have had a small sample size to see these guys. How would you compare it to Carmody, Goodwin, Laszewski and Prentiss Hubb. ThanksThomas Noie: Bill: Easy. More advanced at this stage of their careers. Why? Easy. Better coached/developed. You got the sense that group was just told to go and play. This group is coached on HOW to play. Big difference.

Justin, Ft Wayne: Happy College Basketball season to you Tom! Curious as to you what you saw last night that makes you excited for this team and season? I’m super excited especially with how last season went. Feels like there’s been some serious new juice in this program.Thomas Noie: Justin: They play. With poise. With pace. With purpose. Not just stand around the perimeter and pass the ball around. Not told to just go out there and figure it out. They work. It's not the same five guys doing the same five guy things. And just watch Micah Shrewsberry on the sideline for a four-minute segment. Like that's what a head coach at this level is supposed to do.... COACH!

Illinois Fool: Very impressed by Imes last night. What would you imagine his ceiling will be?Thomas Noie: IF: Not sure, and not sure it matters. He'll be a four-year program guy who feels like he's been around for a decade. He makes the right play at the right time. He plays. He'll be a really good college guard.

Jim Tal, Valley Center CA.: Greetings Tom. I'd like to take a step back for just a minute or two. In your opinion, how could Mike Brey have allowed the program to fall into such a state of disarray that it was virtually threadbare by the time he left? I mean, one of the reflections of a truly good or great coach is the state in which he leaves the program, and at least on that account, Brey failed in a big way. Simply put, how could he have allowed that to happen? It is a stain that does, to a certain extent, tarnish his otherwise fine record at ND.Thomas Noie: Jim: Fair question. I think, though, the stain is to have let everything disintegrate from going 15-5 in the league the previous year to finishing his run at 3-17 and really, giving up in early January. A lot of that is on him - most of it is on him - but the players have to share the blame as to why 2022-23 unfolded the way it did. Remember, they were the ones who talked publicly about how they had the makings of a team that could win the ACC regular-season title. They talked about getting to the Final Four. They were into their feelings after nearly getting to the Sweet 16 the previous year....and we bought it. We bought all of it. Until they realized they didn't know how to win. Or how to take their games to the proverbial next level. To reach their ceilings. When that didn't happen, the ceiling caved in on them...Brey didn't have the heart or the energy to try and fix it, so he's like, yeah, this is it. THAT is the tarnish of his tenure....Thomas Noie: Everything else? Welcome to college basketball 2023 and beyond. Mike Brey counseled last year's freshman class to stick it out and give the new guy - whoever it was going to be - a chance before bolting. Not in this day and age. Instead of sticking it out, the three (J.J. Starling, Ven-Allen Lubin and Dom Campbell) ran to the portal. Better to get theirs than to wait around. Same with the three-man recruiting class - Brey said to them, hey. stay patient and see. Only Markus Burton listened. Brady Dunlap and Parker Fredrichsen were like, nope. We're out. So there's five guys that could've stayed but chose to bail. In today's college basketball, when you have immediate transfer eligibility, you go. They all chose to go. It happens.

Ray: Hi Tom. Shrewsberry iniherited a mess from Brey and obviously it will take at least two to three years for us to be thinking about dancing in March. There's a good chance most of our best players will be back next year plus we have a good group of players coming in next season. IMO ND will be dancing next season and will be a consistent tournament team again. IMO there's two keys for this season. We need to show consistent improvement and to play good defense. Shrewsberry has commented ample times that ND will be a tough team that never gives up and it would be a great sign if we can finish in the top #60 in defense efficiency this year.Thomas Noie: Amen!

Wadelite: Who is the primary ball handler if Burton is not on the floor and is Tae Davis a proverbial glue guy?Thomas Noie: It becomes handler by committee. Logan Imes can initiate the offense. Braeden Shrewsberry can handle. Tae Davis can handle. Julian Roper if needed. Let's get away from the "glue guy" label and go with Davis being a "trust guy" in that Micah Shrewsberry leans on Davis because he trusts he's going to play the right way. He knows who he is. He's a needed guy.

Joe Migas: Thought Zona was very active yesterday compared to the other "Bigs" how do you see playing time shaking out for the big guys???Thomas Noie: Joe: TBD because the other team didn't have any bigs. It was hard to get a read on anyone beyond Njie, who's established himself as a main guy because he best knows the system, and his role. But 12 points and three rebounds in 17 minutes from Zona? We'll take that.

John: Tom- Glad to see you have come around to Shrewsberry being a Superstar. The guy gets it and is incredibly well respected in industry. Read somewhere (maybe ACC preview) that Penn St screwed up big time in letting a generational coach go by not locking him up earlier. I would agree. In his PC last night he mentioned guys didnt want to be apart of the build that left, was he speaking of Starling, VAL, and Campbell? Out of those three, do you think he would have kept all of them around? Also- any news on 2025 recruits? Thanks for the chat!Thomas Noie: John: Wait, come around on Micah being a superstar? Huh? What did I miss? It's like a movie that everyone tells you is so great that you have to see it. You don't know about it ... UNTIL YOU SEE IT! 😃 Same goes for Micah - forget what others say, you need to see it for yourself. Right? Now we see.

Bill: Tom- How is Steve Vasturia doing? I always thought he was one of the those glue guys. Probably my favorite ND basketball player in my 40 plus years watching ND hoops. . Made a lot of big shots. Jay Bilas once described him as a great college guard. I am hoping Coach Shrewsberry attracts more players like him.Thomas Noie: Bill: Steve Vasturia tried the whole overseas thing for a few years. Hear he's now working on Wall Street. Putting that Notre Dame degree to use. Notre Dame is always going to need those good college guard guys, but the occasional pro prospect wouldn't hurt either!

Jim Tal, Valley Center CA.: Tom, how surprised are you that so few players from Brey's tenure have been able to make any sort of impact at the NBA level? Yes, there have been plenty that have carved out solid careers in foreign countries but here in the States, not so much. Also, given where he's at now and being given very little playing time, wouldn't Blake Wesley have been better served by returning for another year at ND? Yeah, the money was there but I can't help but think he wasn't anywhere near ready for the demands of the NBA.Thomas Noie: Jim: Not surprised at all, because that's not what Notre Dame was when Mike Brey was the coach. Could it have been an NBA feeder program? Maybe. Byut Brey understood his marchign orders - get solid college basketball players who MIGHT develop into NBA talents. But it was more the student part, then the athlete. So he recruited to that. He hit on Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton. He would've hit on Bonzie Colson, except the broken foot had other ideas. This has never been a program that is going to consistently attract NBA-level talent. Fringe NBA talent? Yes. But if you have NBA dreams, you're not dreaming of taking a Notre Dame course load, which brings us to...Blake Wesley.Thomas Noie: When you have a chance to go, you go. If the NBA people are telling you you're a first-round pick, you go. Blake Wesley had to go. He massaged that one year of school (really, one semester). There was no way he was doing the school thing another year. It wasn't going to work for him. It wasn't going to work for the program. And who really these days IS ready for the NBA? You take your shot, and then the rest is up to you. You got paid, then what?

Wadelite: Blake Wesley and Romeo Langford seem like birds of a feather. Did not want to be in college beyond a year but were not polished enough to become an NBA rotation player.Thomas Noie: Wade: Both had to go. College wasn't for them. It happens. He maxed out his one year, both for himself and for Notre Dame. Do it all again the same way, probably. In fact, I'm certain.

Wadelite: Curious who in the ACC really scares you in terms of talent and size? For me it's just Duke and UNC. Miami has minimal depth and size. They lost their 2 best players. Clemson has some dudes but none seem uber athletic. Virginia had the best coach, but they are replacing 4 starters. The portal and the roster shuffling makes it more possible for a team like ND to be competitive.Thomas Noie: Notre Dame will compete. That's not going to be the issue. Will Notre Dame have the talent and the know-how to win? That comes with talent, sure, but it also comes with culture. And that's going to take some time. It just is.

Ray: We should get a good idea early on if we can compete this year in the ACC. We play Alabama on a neutral court, @ South Carolina, and @ Miami in our first six games. If Notre Dame can go 4-2 in our first six games we could be looking at a decent season.Thomas Noie: It's the other Iron Bowl school. And that's a big IF...

Jim Tal, Valley Center CA.: Another one from me Tom. What will it take for Micah to win back the fan base and get the Irish fans and students juiced up about this program once again? That seems like a mighty heavy lift, particularly if it takes a couple of years or more to get this thing back on the rails.Thomas Noie: Jim: The great unknown. With Mike Brey it was, we want to win. They won. They still were slow to come around. It's a hard, hard sell. Like Duke football. Like Indiana football. A school's fan base can only prioritize so much.

Illinois Fool: Considering all of the youth and being Coach's first year, what would make the season a success? a .500 record? 7 ACC wins? Continued improvement? Winning the ACC tourney? (Okay so the last one might be a dream but you never know)Thomas Noie: Let's go with a .500 record overall and at least six league wins, which would double the output from last year. That, and this team COMPETES until March. They may not win every game, but if they'Thomas Noie: That will do it for today. Thanks to everyone for participating, but I've got a few piles of leaves calling my name out back. We'll do another one in December, Stay tuned!

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Don't look now, but Notre Dame men's basketball season is set to start