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NCAA Basketball: Ranking the state of Indiana teams for 2020-21 season

By Drew Schmelzer

PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 15: The Indiana Hoosiers logo on the back of their warm up jacket before a college basketball game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 15, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers defeated Indiana 59-50. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 15: The Indiana Hoosiers logo on the back of their warm up jacket before a college basketball game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 15, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers defeated Indiana 59-50. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 06: Prentiss Hubb #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 06: Prentiss Hubb #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

4. NCAA Basketball state of Indiana power rankings – Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Projected Depth Chart

PG- Prentiss Hubb, JR / Elijah Morgan, SO

SG- Cormac Ryan, SO / Robby Carmody, JR

SF- Dane Goodwin, JR / Tony Saunders, FR

PF- Elijah Taylor, FR / Chris Doherty, JR

C- Nate Laszewski, JR / Matt Zona, FR

The Irish lost it’s two best players from a 20-12 team that finished 6th in the ACC. While those losses hurt, Head Coach Mike Brey’s team wasn’t really in the NCAA tournament discussion and they had problems winning on the road. This was coming off of a 14-19 season in 2018-19, so a restart initiative in South Bend is a welcome sign to a lot of fans.

As Brey says goodbye to TJ Gibbs in the backcourt he says hello to Stanford transfer and former top 100 recruit Cormac Ryan. As a Cardinal, Ryan led the team in 3-point shooting and averaged 9 points per game. Adding Ryan gives Notre Dame what might be the best backcourt in the state, as he will play next to Prentiss Hubb (12.1 pts, 2.4 rev, 5.1 ast), Robby Carmody (5.4 pts, 1.6 reb, .6 ast) and Dane Goodwin (10.8 pts, 3.8 reb, 1.3 ast). Carmody, a former top 100 recruit in his own right had both his freshman and sophomore seasons ended in the first semester by injury. If he can come back 100% healthy the Irish will be a handful at the guard position.

In the frontcourt, replacing do it all big man John Mooney is going to be a tall task. Enter, Nate Laszewski. The junior to be and former top-100 recruit averaged 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in only 20 minutes per game last season. A bigger role for Laszewski, who demonstrated the ability to shoot the three last season and is a better foul shooter than Mooney could be just what Notre Dame needs.

Freshman Elijah Taylor should step in next to Lazsewski on the block and provide the physical presence down low that Laszewski lacks. The 6’8, 215 lb power forward out of Philadelphia turned down offers from nearby Seton Hall and Rutgers to wear a Notre Dame uniform and should have plenty of opportunities early in his career in a less than crowded big man film room.

The last three seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance at the Joyce Center have left something to be desired, but it would take a lot for Mike Brey to wear out his welcome in South Bend. The 437-233 record in 20 years at a school that is synonymous with football is nothing short of impressive. By the looks of things, Brey is still building something special. A backcourt littered with top-100 talent, and some strong building blocks in the frontcourt have the Irish in position to potentially be a surprise team in the ACC.

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