Busting Brackets
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Notre Dame Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

By Lukas Harkins

SOUTH BEND, IN - JANUARY 16: Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans get ready before a game against the Louisville Cardinals at Purcell Pavilion on January 16, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - JANUARY 16: Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans get ready before a game against the Louisville Cardinals at Purcell Pavilion on January 16, 2018 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – JANUARY 16: Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans get ready. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – JANUARY 16: Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans get ready. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame basketball has been remarkably consistent under head coach Mike Brey. Can the incoming 2018 recruiting class help the Fighting Irish reload?

Notre Dame basketball missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the last four years this past season. Considering the Fighting Irish entered the year as the preseason No. 14 team in the nation, it is fair to say that the season was a disappointing one. However, this can largely be chalked up to injuries rather than the actual play on the court of coaching from the sidelines. With both Bonzie Colson (missed 15 games) and D.J. Harvey (missed 17 games) on the bench for extended periods of time, Notre Dame’s talent and depth took a serious hit.

Moving ahead to the 2018-19 season, the Fighting Irish are facing an uphill climb to get back to the NCAA Tournament. This is due to the fact that Notre Dame is losing a lot of talent from last year’s roster. Most notably, the following players graduated this offseason: Colson, Matt Farrell, and Martinas Geben (among others). Along with Temple Gibbs (who is returning as a rising junior), these three were clearly the best players on the roster for the past couple of seasons.

Because of these departures, Notre Dame clearly has some work to do in order to have a strong 2018-19 season. Obviously, the return of Gibbs gives head coach Mike Brey a college star to work with but there does not seem to be a lot of help around him. With Harvey *hopefully* returning from injury for the start of this season, Gibbs should get a running mate but let’s not take anything for granted. To be safe, John Mooney and Rex Pflueger will be expected to take on larger roles.

While these members of the supporting cast will help, there is still a lack of depth on the roster. This is where Coach Brey’s dynamite 2018 recruiting class. With five commits across multiple positions (four in the top-100), Notre Dame is bringing in the No. 15 ranked class in the country. Let’s break it down.

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