Expectations in Notre Dame Basketball (Are they too low?)

[Granger Irish]

Do you think Notre Dame can get back to being a Top Ten program as it was in the 1970s through the early 1980s?

I think the problem that is causing us to not be as "up there" as I believe we can IS expectations. I think, not only the administration, but, also, the fans have low expectations for Notre Dame basketball. We need to raise them to be able to reach the next level.

We were once a Top Ten program in the 1970s. Why can't we be again? In order to do it, I think we need two main things:

1.We need to verbally (both the administration, the coach and the fans) state that we need to get back to where we should be. Thus far, this is not happening. Every one of the three groups mentioned is satisfied with just winning. Things will not change as far as having a "ceiling" on how much we can win unless we say we want to go farther.

2.We need a coach who is dynamic enough to recruit the top players. Is Brey that guy? Has he shown it, so far? Look at what Charlie Weis has done in recruiting when the two previous coaches could not do it. The same thing can happen in basketball. After 2009, the rennovation should help. I believe we can have a spurt of recruiting excellence during the few years' after rennovation.

What I need to hear as a fan is a coach saying, out loud, the goal is to reach a Final Four. I have not heard Coach Brey state it. You can't do it unless you want to get there. We fans need to stop accepting merely winning in basketball. We should all want more. Notre Dame can do it. We are not some mid-major basketball school. We should be upper echelon.

[domehead]

Amen to that....I agree with what you are saying. What we need is a high flying above the rim playing athlete (ala Carter). I have to admit that I have a lot more trust in Breys coaching than I did 2 years ago when we were losing games in the final minutes. I do agree that recruiting needs to be taken to the next level. Love the season that we are having...cant wait for tournament time.

[fightenmick2]

Brey doesn't seem to be very vocal as a lot of the other coaches.. Just his way I guess. But he does a good job of fixing things at half time

[irish_bobcat]

Mike Brey is a great coach. He has done a great job at Notre Dame. I do agree that we do need to higher our expectations. I imagine the expectations will be higher next season and the goal would be trying to reach the Final Four.

[IrishR#1]

Brey is a great coach, and his assistants are also great. Together they make one hell of a system. Recruiting in basketball is overrated. Russell Carter was a 2 star. Harangody was a 4 star instead of the infinite stars he deserved.

[daytonirish]

It would be nice for the Irish to return to a top notch program. Brey seems to moving in the right direction, I hope he keeps getting the type of team polayers that he has this season. This team seems to enjoy playing together and have impressed me alot this season. I also can't wait to see how they do in the tourny. I will be disappointed if they don't make it to the sweet 16 at least.

[Granger Irish]

I think they have a chance to go far this season. The key to playing well in the tourney is to play relaxed and play your game. If they do that (which they have in many big games this season), they will advance. You can usually tell if we are on in the first five minutes of a game.

[The New Louis]

Big game tonight boys. Sorry I won't be rooting with you. I am a UCONN fan for bball.

[Granger Irish]

Big game tonight boys. Sorry I won't be rooting with you. I am a UCONN fan for bball.

I figured out a plan for Thabeet. Pump fake, when he goes up, throw the ball against his nads, get the ball and dunk.:)

[notredomer23]

haha, i know your joking, but the real way to get after him is not to do the hook shot like 'Gody tried to do. You have to do a pump fake, and then go under him. it draws a foul everytime.

[daytonirish]

The New Louis be careful around here mentioning your a UConn BB fan. You will get IUB all fired up and make him crumpy, not a good thing to do. :D This should be a great game tonite for the IRISH, beating UConn at home is going to be sweet. :p

[domehead]

They need to move Gody outside and let him shoot the 15 footer...opening up the lane for Hillesland and Jackson. I have down that the game is on ESPN..but now they are saying espnu? Dont have the U so I will catch it on espn360. Go IRISH.

[notredomer23]

My Prediction 81- 78. Tied on the Uconn final possesion by Thabeet with a dunk. 5 seconds pass it to jackson who passes it to Kmac. pump fakes, takes a step over and nails the 3.

[irish_bobcat]

Irish 78-73. Harangody 26pts. 15 rebs. Oh yeah i get the U so I can watch the game.

[IrishR#1]

I figured out a plan for Thabeet. Pump fake, when he goes up, throw the ball against his nads, get the ball and dunk.:)

Harangody will just muscle the hell out of him. He's skinny and can be pushed around. Harangody just has to back him under the basket and lay it in. If the defense tries to collapse, kick it out to McAlarney, Ayers, or even Jackson. ND is shooting pretty well right now.

[The New Louis]

Sorry boys but my Huskies pulled it out. No answer for AJ. Harangody played his ass off he has made huge strides this year.

[domehead]

Player of the year numbers again...bummed about the loss but we held our own.

[Sureal]

Sorry boys but my Huskies pulled it out. No answer for AJ. Harangody played his ass off he has made huge strides this year.

I didn't know there was another UConn fan on here beside me. (IUB is a closet UConn fan;) )

[Sureal]

Harangody has made huge strides in the past 2 months. It was like night and day from the first time he played Thabeet compared to the second time.

[The New Louis]

Sureal I am down in East Lyme, near New London. Big Huskie Bball fan. How sick will it be when ND plays UCONN? I know they won't play in east hartford but at least ND will be closer than usual.

[daytonirish]

Congratts to UConn for their win, the BE tourny is going to be wild this yr. Georgetown, UConn, N.D., Louisville , Villanova all playing having pretty good seasons. I know I forgot to mention a few teams who will make the tourny but these are the top 5 in my opinion.

[irish_bobcat]

The Big East is crazy tough this year. I am just happy that our next big road test isn't till we play Louisville on the 28th. That should help us out.

[Sureal]

Sureal I am down in East Lyme, near New London. Big Huskie Bball fan. How sick will it be when ND plays UCONN? I know they won't play in east hartford but at least ND will be closer than usual.

I went to school in Griswold for one and a half years. I played B-Ball against East Lyme back in the mid 90's. They always had a good wrestling team out there.

The selfish part of me would love for them to play in the Rent but as you know UConn football fans are lukewarm as it is. A ND game in the Rent would be 60-40 Irish as far as the attendance is concerned...

[Sureal]

Here is what's funny, IUB lives in Connecticut and is not a UConn fan.

Yeah I know. I try not to tell too many people for his own protection!!!

He has to wear UConn gear on purpose to fool the secret police. It's a known fact that if you don't like Calhoun or voice opinions in opposition to Calhoun then they will call you a heretic followed by a march to your door at night with torches/pitchforks...

[daytonirish]

I'm surprised he hasn't shut this thread down with all the mention of UConn. :D

[The New Louis]

Just think all this ND info so close to home. IUB lets party at the gold club!!

[Sureal]

Maybe he's not paying attention...

In that case:


IUB+UCONN= Match made in Heaven


IUB stated that Calhoun should run for Governer of Pennsylvania.

He also said that he would send his kids to play basketball for Calhoun.

[Sureal]

He's too busy posting sensible stuff so let me be the Anti-IUB:

IUB just bought season tickets for the 08-09 Mens basketball season...

:)

[Granger Irish]

I am not a Calhoun fan. He recruits thugs and everyone (well, not everyone. Those on ESPN and in the media who glamorize college basketball as a city game - a playground game) thinks he is wonderful for doing it. He recruits punkasses. I feel the same way about Boeheim of Syracuse and Thompson III of Georgetown. No one ever calls them out for it.