ND Men's Basketball 2015-2016 season

[gkIrish]

In case anyone is curious, here are the remaining opponents for the teams ahead of Notre Dame in the ACC standings.

Notre Dame holds tie-breakers against North Carolina, Duke, and Louisville

We also have the easiest schedule remaining by far. I really like our chances.

 

[arrowryan]

We also have the easiest schedule remaining by far. I really like our chances.

Agreed. There should be a great crowd for the Miami game and our toughest road game left is @ Florida State. Considering this team is significantly weaker than last year's Irish team, its crazy that they are one game out of first place

 

[irishfan]

They can still win the regular season championship, thats why I put them in there

Very true.

 

[House16]

In case anyone is curious, here are the remaining opponents for the teams ahead of Notre Dame in the ACC standings.

Miami
@ North Carolina
Louisville
@ Notre Dame
Virginia Tech

North Carolina
Miami
@ NC State
@ Virginia
Syracuse
@ Duke

Virginia
@ Miami
North Carolina
@ Clemson
Louisville

Louisville
Duke
@ Pitt
@ Miami
Georgia Tech
@ Virginia

Duke
@ Louisville
Florida State
@ Pitt
Wake Forest
North Carolina

Notre Dame holds tie-breakers against North Carolina, Duke, and Louisville

If we tie for first against Miami, we'll most likely hold the tiebreaker over them as well. If we beat them at home we split the season series, and the next tiebreaker is record vs top teams. With wins over UNC, Lville, and Duke, and their loss against UVA, we should be set up well for that.

 

[Cali_domer]

Updated ESPN Bracketology.

1 seed- Virginia
2 seed- UNC
3 seed- Miami
4 seed- Duke
6 seed- Notre Dame
9 seed- Syracuse
11 seed- Pittsburgh

2nd team out- Clemson
7th team out- FSU

 

[irishfan]

Updated ESPN Bracketology.

1 seed- Virginia
2 seed- UNC
3 seed- Miami
4 seed- Duke
6 seed- Notre Dame
9 seed- Syracuse
11 seed- Pittsburgh

2nd team out- Clemson
7th team out- FSU

I'm seeing us listed as a #5 still?

 

[irishfan]

ACC, Big Ten, SEC coaches offer honest evaluations of conference foes

Notre Dame (18–7, 9–4): "Their weakness is defense. When they're playing well from the perimeter, they are really hard to beat. [Junior guard Demetrius] Jackson is really dynamic at getting into the paint. He's strong, competitive, tough. [Sophomore forward Bonzie] Colson is an X-factor. He makes a lot midrange shots. [Junior forward VJ] Beacham is the weak link defensively. He's just not into that much, to be honest with you. His scholarship paper said shoot a lot and don't defend too much. [Senior forward] Zach Auguste is the best ball screen roller in our league. It's not close. Literally, the whole possession he's just running to follow the ball to set a screen. They want to turn it into a scoring contest and they're probably going to beat you if it is."

Beachem line cracked me up. Nothing on Vasturia is funny....he's always overlooked by everyone but the announcers.

 

[mtnd15]

Lol that's pretty good. Great point on Auguste too, he might not have a polished back to the basket game but he and DJ on pick and rolls is borderline unguardable, while yielding highlight dunks routinely.

 

[RDU Irish]

Malone/Stockton pick and roll all day. Can you imagine if college was required to play man like the NBA? August would be averaging 30 points a game.

Please, all of college basketball, please keep overlooking Steve Vasturia.

 

[Ignats]

Malone/Stockton pick and roll all day. Can you imagine if college was required to play man like the NBA? August would be averaging 30 points a game.

Please, all of college basketball, please keep overlooking Steve Vasturia.

If he averaged 30 a game in that scenario that would mean he should be scoring 40 a game given his lack of any touch or finishing skill around the rim.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Malone/Stockton pick and roll all day. Can you imagine if college was required to play man like the NBA? August would be averaging 30 points a game.

Please, all of college basketball, please keep overlooking Steve Vasturia.

Auguste, not August, isn't a 30 a game guy. And as already mentioned, we just need him to finish consistently St the rim.

He is way, way too soft and avoids contact far too often.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

ACC, Big Ten, SEC coaches offer honest evaluations of conference foes



Beachem line cracked me up. Nothing on Vasturia is funny....he's always overlooked by everyone but the announcers.

What makes people believe that teams are overlooking Steve?

That's just fans, and announcers, creating that narrative. Do you honestly think that coaches are not going to do their proper scouting to see who has preformed for us?

He's been putting up numbers for 2 full seasons now. He's arguably one of our best leaders. Coaches across the country have complimented his play.

The only demographic that doesn't know him are casual basketball fans. He's not a household name, but he's not being overlooked by opponents. So stop perpetuating that narrative, it's silly.

 

[RDU Irish]

What makes people believe that teams are overlooking Steve?

That's just fans, and announcers, creating that narrative. Do you honestly think that coaches are not going to do their proper scouting to see who has preformed for us?

He's been putting up numbers for 2 full seasons now. He's arguably one of our best leaders. Coaches across the country have complimented his play.

The only demographic that doesn't know him are casual basketball fans. He's not a household name, but he's not being overlooked by opponents. So stop perpetuating that narrative, it's silly.

lolwut? The article claims to be using ACC coaches for the short scouting reports. Every starter is mentioned except Steve, obviously not top of mind fro the guy being interviewed. Believe it or not, he is our secret weapon hiding in plain sight. Just like announcers a few weeks ago talking about how Steve has developed his game so much, freaking joke b/c he was doing the exact same stuff last year when his number was called. His number just wasn't going to be called as much with Jerian, Pat, DJ and Auguste out there with him.

That absolutely should not be the case for any half aware individual who has seen us play the last two years. Vasturia is as indispensable as anyone on our team IMO.

 

[Irish#1]

What makes people believe that teams are overlooking Steve?

That's just fans, and announcers, creating that narrative. Do you honestly think that coaches are not going to do their proper scouting to see who has preformed for us?

He's been putting up numbers for 2 full seasons now. He's arguably one of our best leaders. Coaches across the country have complimented his play.

The only demographic that doesn't know him are casual basketball fans. He's not a household name, but he's not being overlooked by opponents. So stop perpetuating that narrative, it's silly.

Thank you Red Aurbach!

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

lolwut? The article claims to be using ACC coaches for the short scouting reports. Every starter is mentioned except Steve, obviously not top of mind fro the guy being interviewed. Believe it or not, he is our secret weapon hiding in plain sight. Just like announcers a few weeks ago talking about how Steve has developed his game so much, freaking joke b/c he was doing the exact same stuff last year when his number was called. His number just wasn't going to be called as much with Jerian, Pat, DJ and Auguste out there with him.

That absolutely should not be the case for any half aware individual who has seen us play the last two years. Vasturia is as indispensable as anyone on our team IMO.

That's just announcers being announcers, they assign stories to guys and just rehashing the same story.

My God, look at Joe Schmidt. I can't believe how many times I'd hear his story from the announcers and how they'd talk about how he's one of the best players on the defense. Obviously he's not one of the best, but why do they say it? Because it makes their story sound better.

They've assigned Steve as "the underdog" and as "flying under the radar" and they'll continue to rehash that story.

And if you haven't heard Jay Bilas and Doris Burke confess their love for Steve (for the past two seasons) then I don't think you've been following ND Bball as closely as I have.

Also, Steve is EASILY the second best player on this team. The gap between him and DJ is closer than the gap between Steve and 3rd.

Do you honestly think any D1 coach is going to miss that?

I'm sorry, but this "overlook" is a crafted story that has stuck around, because some announcers rehash it.

 

[RDU Irish]

Uh, yeah, like the coach that was supposedly quoted in the original post you are lamenting about.

Hate to break it to you but casual fans, lazy/ignorant commentators/analysts all think ND is a 3pt shooting bunch of 6'3" white guys with no athleticism. If you don't understand where that stereotype comes from then you must have been absent for 20 of the last 25 years of ND basketball.

Bilas and Burke are neither lazy or ignorant but I do believe it was Bilas who said SV "really expanded his game over the summer" after smoking someone off the dribble and using a sweet reverse to neutralize the shot blocker helping on D. He did that dozens of times last year, not a new move for him but guess what - they cover the entire country and expecting them to know that is ridiculous. For everyone gushing over Steve there are 10 that expect him to be nothing but the token white, unathletic, spot up 3 point shooter who is a defensive liability. He is in DJ and Zach's shadoe and Bonzi periodically putting on a show. Steve silently destroys the opposition in the shadows with absolutely no waiver in emotion. Stone cold blooded assassin.

As for anyone saying Joe Schmidt was one of the "best" players on defense - I can't recall ever hearing that. Top "leaders" sure, "great story" - yep. But "best players" - not so much. You might want to pay closer attention because "SMITH" was used in that context all the freaking time for good reason.

 

[gkIrish]

Uh, yeah, like the coach that was supposedly quoted in the original post you are lamenting about.

Hate to break it to you but casual fans, lazy/ignorant commentators/analysts all think ND is a 3pt shooting bunch of 6'3" white guys with no athleticism. If you don't understand where that stereotype comes from then you must have been absent for 20 of the last 25 years of ND basketball.

Bilas and Burke are neither lazy or ignorant but I do believe it was Bilas who said SV "really expanded his game over the summer" after smoking someone off the dribble and using a sweet reverse to neutralize the shot blocker helping on D. He did that dozens of times last year, not a new move for him but guess what - they cover the entire country and expecting them to know that is ridiculous. For everyone gushing over Steve there are 10 that expect him to be nothing but the token white, unathletic, spot up 3 point shooter who is a defensive liability. He is in DJ and Zach's shadoe and Bonzi periodically putting on a show. Steve silently destroys the opposition in the shadows with absolutely no waiver in emotion. Stone cold blooded assassin.

As for anyone saying Joe Schmidt was one of the "best" players on defense - I can't recall ever hearing that. Top "leaders" sure, "great story" - yep. But "best players" - not so much. You might want to pay closer attention because "SMITH" was used in that context all the freaking time for good reason

I don't really know what everyone is arguing about but you are definitely wrong about this. Happened more than once.

 

[RDU Irish]

That is hilarious then. Might explain why I don't pay much attention to what the commentators are commentating about. Then again for football I usually have my little gremlins running all over - basketball is usually after bedtime.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

I don't really know what everyone is arguing about but you are definitely wrong about this. Happened more than once.

It's pretty clear he doesn't know what he's talking about.

It was damn near once a game where an announcer would talk about how "he's one of the best". They'd also talk about his "sure fire tackling" too. They just had a story about the guy, and rolled with it. Announcers do this to have talking points during dead air periods to fill in the gaps and cheap the fans "entertained". And I know those stories work on casual fans, like my mom, because she repeats the announcers verbatim, while discussing games over the phone with her.

 

[RDU Irish]

It's pretty clear he doesn't know what he's talking about.

It was damn near once a game where an announcer would talk about how "he's one of the best". They'd also talk about his "sure fire tackling" too. They just had a story about the guy, and rolled with it. Announcers do this to have talking points during dead air periods to fill in the gaps and cheap the fans "entertained". And I know those stories work on casual fans, like my mom, because she repeats the announcers verbatim, while discussing games over the phone with her.

You are right, you are a better fan than me. Now go upstairs and tell your mom how you won the internet. Sheesh.

 

[irishfan]

Louisville just beat Duke. Pretty good for us in terms of securing a top-4 seed for the ACC Tournament.

Right now:

UNC: 10-3
Miami: 10-3
Virginia: 10-4
Louisville: 10-4 (not eligible for ACC Tournament)
Notre Dame: 9-4
Duke: 9-5
Clemson: 9-5

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

1 for 8 to start the game. Only down 5 though.

Colson looks absolutely lost on both ends of the court.

The whole team is playing terrible though. A few miserable shots and turnovers. We look like a team that has had a week off...

 

[NDgradstudent]

Getting murdered on the boards.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Zach is having his typical awful game. Terrible on both ends, 3 turnovers. 3 or so, awful shots.

Dj isn't trying to score.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Our biggest problem is, we're playing a 2-3 zone, and no one is blocking out on shots. We're incapable of rebounding in a zone.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Down 37 to 30 at half.

GT has 24 second chance points (no typo).

If we can start to rebound in our zone (or freaking revert to man to man), we have a good chance of coming back.

 

[Rocknes Ghost]

That was a brutally frustrating half to watch but only down seven. It's amazing how bad we can be on the defensive end at times (including defensive rebounding). Getting zach back will help. Bonzie is just too undersized to play the 5 with these guys.

We need to push the tempo more as well. That was much too much of a grind it out game in the first. Just get some stops and try to turn that into transition points and we should be good.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

We're on an 8 to 0 run. Up 50 to 46 with 10ish mins.

VJ is at 13 points with a couple 3s in the past couple of minutes.

 

[IrishLax]

In what universe is that not a foul on the loose ball? Unreal.

 

[NDgradstudent]

In what universe is that not a foul on the loose ball? Unreal.

That decided the game. Pretty unbelievable.