Busting Brackets
Fansided

Notre Dame Basketball: Irish powered by experienced roster

By Carmine Carcieri

Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey reacts during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey reacts during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward V.J. Beachem (3) dribbles against Wisconsin Badgers forward Vitto Brown (30) during the second half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward V.J. Beachem (3) dribbles against Wisconsin Badgers forward Vitto Brown (30) during the second half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Who will create shots for the Irish?

Shot creation is a legitimate concern for Notre Dame in 2016-17. Demetrius Jackson and Jerian Grant are obviously not walking through the door, plus the Irish will not be as efficient and effective in pick-and-roll situations.

Related Story: Notre Dame commits D.J. Harvey

V.J. Beachem is the Irish’s top returning scorer, but he normally plays his best basketball when he is spotting up from the perimeter. While he is capable of attacking the rim and making plays off the dribble, he is more comfortable playing off the ball.

Steve Vasturia is a similar player. He’s a great shooter, veteran presence and a solid on-ball defender, but casting him as a shot creator would be too great of a task.

Matt Farrell and Temple Gibbs are going to have to create often for their teammates on the offensive end (more on this on the next slide).

More from Busting Brackets

But if the Irish are going to have a shot to be dangerous when March rolls around, it will have to be all about their defensive energy. Their lack of rim protection is an obvious cause for concern, as well as their quickness. However, Brey will coach ‘team defense’, molding his roster into a unit that is oriented around his system.

Beyond shot creation, Notre Dame really doesn’t have a player that the guards can throw the ball down to in the post. Even though Elijah Burns, Martinas Geben and John Mooney all have great potential, can they really be counted on to score in key situations? Can they really be trusted in one-and-one match-ups on the block, at least early in the season?

Bonzie Colson may be the only player that is reliable down in the paint and he faces a significant size disadvantage.

Brey is going to have to coach the heck out of this team, focusing on ball movement and defensive energy.

Home/Notre Dame Fighting Irish