Notre Dame Basketball: What to expect in 2016

Back-to-back Elite Eight appearances will mean nothing for Notre Dame come November 12th

The last two season have brought much success for Notre Dame basketball. More then what they have seen since 1979. But this year the Irish face new problems.

Similar to the beginning of the 2015 season – after the Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton era – the Irish were counted out. Preseason ranked19th, Notre Dame gave everyone a reason to discount them, losing to Monmouth and Alabama before entering December.

This season Mike Brey will have to find a way to replicate their recent success without the likes of Demetrius Jackson and Zach Auguste. Their absence alone is enough to leave the Irish unranked in preseason polls and predicted to finish in the bottom tier of the ACC.

What do the Irish bring into 2016-17?

Small ball…Okay now that we’ve got the obvious out of the way, lets talk about the exciting part.

The return of Steve Vasturia and V.J. Beachem.

Last March we saw Beachem emerge as a stand out player and found his voice. The confidence built in March rolling over to this season is what this team will depend on. A version on Beachem that we have only seen glimpse of, has to break out this season. Moments of the Fort Wayne native ripping to the rim with an aggressive style only seen in the Tournament, must be on full display this in 2016.

Vasturia will continue to be the silent killer from the wing. His skill set fits in very well with Brey’s style of play. With him taking a key role this season as a go-to player, expect Brey to design a decent amount of his offense towards Vasturia.

The (not so) big men

A major concern going into this season is going to be the lack of a true big man. With Auguste gone, Martinas Geben becomes a very important player. The 48 minutes, 15 rebounds and 22 points Geben accumulated last season is not providing any satisfaction for someone trying to prove the Irish’s ability to compete this year.

What we do know is that Geben cut down some body fat and Brey is simplifying his position. Which, he rightfully can with the rosters talent. Geben’s role this year is going to be to play solid defense in the post and pull down rebounds.

He’s going to have to be the type of player that has a bigger impact in the game compared to on the stat sheet. Look for Geben to make his impact on offense with screens. If defenders have trouble getting through Geben to get to Vasturia or Beachem, it’s going to reflect on the scoreboard.

Point Guards

Hidden behind the talent of Demetrius Jackson last season, It’s now Matt Ferrell’s team. The point guard position will go through almost the same situation its been in the past. In 2014 Jackson played and learned behind Eric Atkins.

As the next season ended with a loss in the Elite Eight and the departure of Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton, Brey told him that it’s now his team. With Jackson now gone, Ferrell will have to take a role that he was he seems comfortable with. The majority of time Ferrell was on the court came during the tournament and he fit in well.

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One freshman that Brey said will definitely be in the rotation is Temple Gibbs Jr. Gibbs was the first commit to this class for the Irish knowing that he would be coming in to take Jackson’s roll once he left.

Whether he thought he would be put into this roll this soon or would take a season to sit and learn behind Jackson, the time is now for Gibbs. One of the biggest recruits Notre Dame has brought in has a great amount of potential if Brey can find a way to tap into it.

Next man up

Rex Pflueger didn’t get a vast amount of minutes last year, and when he was in we saw some insecurities. We have to recognize the situation though.

Pflueger was a freshman who didn’t have an identity on the team. This year, he’ll have a little better understaning. What is important to remember is that Pflueger has the capability to handle this role. The speed, handling and shooting are all there. The decision making and confidence are the major factors of improvement we need to see this season.

Overall

2016 has the potential to be a special one. At the same time, 2016 has the potential to derail the Irish from their recent success. There will be many ways to beat Notre Dame, if the players don’t play their roles properly. Brey will need to have this team running like a well oiled machine well before ACC play comes around. The potential and assets are there for the Irish to have another big season in 2016-17.