2007-2008 Big East Conference Preview- #10

#10- Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Joyce Center, South Bend, IN.

Last season: 24-8 (11-5). Lost to Winthrop in NCAA 1st round.
Head coach: Mike Brey, 8th season. 142-78 at Notre Dame.
Associate head coach: Sean Kearney.
Assistant coaches: Gene Cross, Rob Balanis.

New additions: Tim Abromaitis (2 star SF), Tyrone Nash (3 star PF), Ty Proffitt (2 star PG), Carleton Scott (3 star PF).

Losses: Russell Carter (17.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 39.4% 3 pt shooter), Colin Falls (15.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 39.6% 3 pt shooter), Joe Harden (1.2 ppg, 0.9 rpg), Kieran Piller (0.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg).

Roster: (#, Ht/Wt, Pos., Class, Hometown, last year’s stats)

21 Tim Abromaitis 6-8/224 F Fr. Unionville, CT
41 Tim Andree 6-8/210 F So. Colts Neck, NJ (0.4 ppg, 0.2 rpg)
42 Ryan Ayers 6-7/210 G/F Jr. Blue Bell, PA (2.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.4 apg)
44 Luke Harangody 6-8/251 F So. Schererville, IN (11.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.2 apg) (out 4-6 weeks)
33 Zach Hillesland 6-9/233 F Jr. Toledo, OH (5.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.2 apg)
2 Tory Jackson 5-11/193 G So. Saginaw, MI (7.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.3 apg)
31 Rob Kurz 6-9/232 F Sr. Lower Gwynedd, PA (12.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.7 apg)
23 Kyle McAlarney 6-0/196 G Jr. Staten Island, NY (10.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 5.4 apg)
1 Tyrone Nash 6-8/220 G Fr. Queens, NY
20 Jonathan Peoples 6-3/215 G So. Bellwood, IL (1.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.7 apg)
13 Ty Proffitt 6-4/206 G Fr. London, KY
34 Carleton Scott 6-7/198 F Fr. San Antonio, TX
40 Luke Zeller 6-10/239 F/C Jr. Washington, IN (3.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.5 apg)

Backcourt:

Perhaps the biggest key to Notre Dame’s season will be the return of Kyle McAlarney. Suspended from the team for most of last season after a marijuana arrest, McAlarney is back and hopes to build on his outstanding statistics in limited action last season. Notre Dame has a gaping hole in its backcourt with the departure of Colin Falls and Russell Carter. Those two players combined for 32.4 ppg and shot almost 40% from three point range last year. Tory Jackson and McAlarney will try to fill that hole, but after them there really isn’t much depth at all. Notre Dame is another team loaded with forwards but at the same time light on guards. I do expect Jackson and McAlarney to have pretty good years, but they really only have two other guards to back up the two starters. Jonathan Peoples should see some more time on the floor, but he didn’t really have a great season last year. Freshman Ty Proffitt wasn’t highly rated out of high school, but he is likely to be thrust right into the action off the bench.

Frontcourt:

The Irish’s strength lies up front. Led by Rob Kurz and Luke Harangody, the Irish frontcourt will lead them this season. For the fans, you’ll see a much different Notre Dame team this year, one that puts less emphasis on the three point shot and more on the mid range and post game. In the past, ND could rely on guys like Colin Falls, Russell Carter, Chris Quinn, and Chris Thomas to light it up from downtown. For now, those days are gone. Tory Jackson and Kyle McAlarney can shoot the three ball, but they won’t do it at nearly the clip Falls and Carter did. This forces Notre Dame to focus on getting Harangody and Kurz involved in the offense. Harangody is a beast on the low block, but he’ll be out 4-6 weeks at the beginning of the season. For ND’s sake, they better have him back for their December 4th date with Kansas State and Michael Beasely and Kansas State at Madison Square Garden. It’ll be along night if they don’t. Ryan Ayers, Zach Hillesland, and Luke Zeller need to contribute more this season in order for the Irish to have success. If they do, Notre Dame will have a very deep frontcourt. Add in freshman Tyrone Nash and it only gets better.

Schedule:

11/12- vs. Long Island University
11/16- vs. Monmouth (US Virgin Islands)
11/18- vs. Baylor or Wichita State (US Virgin Islands)
11/19- vs. Charlotte, Winthrop, Georgia Tech, or Illinois-Chicago (US Virgin Islands)
11/24- vs. Youngstown State
11/26- vs. Colgate
12/1- vs. Eastern Michigan
12/4- vs. Kansas State (New York, NY)
12/8- vs. Northern Illinois
12/22- vs. San Francisco
12/29- vs. Brown
12/31- vs. North Florida
1/3- vs. West Virginia
1/5- vs. Connecticut
1/12- at Marquette
1/15- vs. Cincinnati
1/19- at Georgetown
1/26- at Villanova
1/31- vs. Providence
2/2- vs. DePaul
2/6- at Seton Hall
2/9- vs. Marquette
2/13- at Connecticut
2/17- at Rutgers
2/21- vs. Pittsburgh
2/24- vs. Syracuse
2/28- at Louisville
3/2- at DePaul
3/5- vs. St. John’s
3/8- at South Florida

Projected record: 19-11 (9-9).
Postseason: NIT.