ACC Basketball: Duke, FSU leads early power rankings for 2021-22 season
. . Fighting Irish . 11. team. 443.
2020-21 season record: 11-15 (7-11)
Usually, when a team returns over 90% of its production from the season prior, there is a lot of optimism for them for next year. However, what if the overall production is average and it’s not likely to get better? That’s the case for Notre Dame, who outside of forward Juwan Durham, brings back three double-digit scorers and a pair of guards that was close to 10 ppg.
That includes star point guard Prentiss Hubb, who led the team with 14.6 ppg and 5.8 apg. The All-ACC isn’t very efficient, with a career 37% shooting percentage but is a great passer and had four games of double-digit assists. He and big man Nate Laszewski (13.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg) is one of the better duos in the ACC and has a solid supporting cast of guards, including Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin, and Trey Wertz.
This is a core that on paper, should be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament. But there are two problems here. The first is that there was no depth, with only seven players getting any meaningful minutes. That can wear down a team, especially if there aren’t many all-conference caliber players there.
The second is that the Fighting Irish plays little to no real defense. With the exception of rebounding, they’re a good offensive team outside of Hubbs shooting. However, they rank towards the bottom in many defensive categories and unless something changes with the individuals, that’ll likely be the same next season.
Adding Yale transfer Paul Atkinson will add the size needed for the Irish to be more effective inside and take some pressure off of Laszewski and Hubbs has the case to be the best point guard in the ACC next season. But it’s hard to see the same core that went a combined 17-21 in ACC play the past two years be expected to be more than average once again, even if they are a year older and more experienced.