What’s wrong with Brey’s Notre Dame squad?
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Correspondent
Fresh off one of the worst home defeats under Coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame finds itself in late January searching for answers.
The 24th-ranked Fighting Irish were pummeled Monday night by unranked Georgetown, 63-47, prompting Brey to say the game was like “men vs. boys,” when he stepped to the microphone to address the media in the postgame press conference.
Notre Dame was dominated on its home floor in every facet. It was outrebounded by a dozen, outshot and scored a season-low 47 points.
Interestingly enough, Georgetown also held the Irish to a season-low 41 points last season.
The 2012-13 Irish have now dropped three of their last four games, not exactly what a veteran team like Notre Dame is supposed to do.
It’s a team that should be much better than .500 six games into the BIG EAST season, too, but it’s not.
Not only are the Irish now in a logjam tied for sixth in the 15-team conference, but they virtually have no shot at catching league-leading Syracuse, which sits at 6-0.
Furthermore, Brey has led Notre Dame to double-digit conference wins in each of the last three seasons, but figuring out how the Irish win at least seven of their last 12 is tough.
Figuring out what’s going on with this team, particularly at home recently, is even more perplexing.
Usually Brey’s teams are practically unbeatable at Purcell Pavilion. Not this year, however. Notre Dame has dropped two of its last three home games after winning 46 of 47 in South Bend.
As a result, could the 15-4 Irish be in jeopardy of making their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance? Probably not as they currently have an RPI of 54 and strength of schedule at 83.
But lose the next two to South Florida and Villanova with still two more games to play against Louisville and one on the road against Syracuse, and Notre Dame won’t like its seed come Selection Sunday.
In the meantime, what is of big concern to Brey is Scott Martin’s surgically repaired left knee. It’s bothering him so much that Brey said today, “We have to plan like he’s not coming back, and if he does come back, it’s a pleasant surprise.”
After the Georgetown game, Brey knew Martin wouldn’t be able to practice much of the rest of the way. Now he knows Martin won’t play for at least another two to three weeks and may in fact never play for Notre Dame again.
Losing Martin is a big blow.
This wasn’t a deep team to begin with and with the Valparaiso native now relegated to the bench, Notre Dame will miss so many of the little things he does that coaches love.
So without one of his veteran starters, a sixth-year captain, Brey is searching for another starter. He admits it might be a revolving door to fill Martin’s starting spot.
If Brey elects to go with experience, Garrick Sherman or Tom Knight will be in the lineup. If he opts for youth, Austin Burgett or Zach Auguste will be the choice.
Regardless, it’s safe to say Brey and his coaching staff are searching not only for another starter, but to figure out how this team will play going forward.
“Yesterday for me, I was like, how are we going to play?” Brey said. “I still don’t have those answers. I think you’ll see a little bit of everything on Saturday (when the Irish play at South Florida).”
It’s safe to say this Notre Dame team is in trouble. What appeared to be a very promising season when the Irish started 14-1 has materialized into what could be a very disappointing campaign.
If things continue to go south and players like Jack Cooley, Jerian Grant, Pat Connaughton and Eric Atkins don’t really elevate their games in the coming weeks, Notre Dame could watch its bubble burst on March 17.
