This recruiting class looks to be the best Brey has had. That is good. But let’s not get out over our skis with the current ranking. It will drop as the 5 stars start to make choices.
I do not accept that Brey’s Historical inability to recruit is because everyone else cheats. Certainly Pitino has cheated and we now have proof of what we all knew: there are others. But there are plenty of great basketball players who were good ND-quality students whom Brey could not land, primarily, in my opinion, because he did zero with the few highly ranked recruits he did land. If you are a dad or a mom with a high school hoops star whom you aspire to have a shot at the pros, would you send him to Brey? I think not.
I applaud Brey’s and ND’s commitment to true student-athletes and not cheating. But before I swallow the “we’re lucky to have Brey” garbage I would like to see him actually win when it counts. For God’s sake, he has been there eighteen (18) years with ONE league championship. No Sweet 16s — Digger had one and had consistently better recruiting classes before he fell in love with his own persona (think Narcissus), no NCAA finals, and lots of one-and-dones.
He is better, no question, than he used to be. 18 years of OJT will do that for a person. Is he as good as he can be? I hope not. I hope he continues to get better. Is he better than anyone ND could get? Almost certainly not. Remember ND could have hired Jay Wright when it hired Brey. Butler had Brad Stevens. Coach K built Duke — no academic slouch — into a power house with no apparent Pitino-type cheating.
I am resigned that Brey is coach-for-life at ND. I envy the reward for nearly a life time of mediocrity. But I applaud the sheer talent for pulling it off. Now, if he were only as talented a BB coach, he would be John Wooden.
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From time to time we get gem recruits but are not really in competition for the elite one and dones. Brey is perfect for us... he develops talent over 4 years and his teams play competitively and can upset anyone on a good night. I am more than pleased with the program. I root for our athletes to succeed in life off the field or court.
While I understand that we don't rent one-and-dones like Kansas, Kentucky et al, we are very uniquely in the top 10 all-time wins in NCAA football (2nd/3rd) AND NCAA basketball (8th). No other school can claim this and it's not even close. We are ahead of "basketball schools" like Indiana and Villanova. Interestingly, Louisville, NC St. and Michigan St. are 26th, 27th an 28th.
I believe we are a football school and a basketball school.
but almost always for upsetting someone ranked very high... or ending a win streak... or exceeding expectations. That sort of thing doesn't happen at basketball schools. They always have high expectations, they're the ones with winning streaks as well as the ones we upset.
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and a missed lay up by the opponent near the end.
You aren't suggesting Brey doesn't have a sweet 16 appearance are you? He had one in '15 and '16. He has done more with less talent than just about anyone out there. He has won games with schemes ranging from a 3 point blitzkrieg, to a 4-1 attack the basket to the burn.
He has garnered a bunch of COY awards and been in the running for others. Unlike Digger, he is universally respected.
The blemish on his record is March prerformance. I have always explained it to myself because that is when his lack of athletes catches up with the team. He has basketball players traditionally but not athletes. Actually, that is what worries me a bit about this year. The only flat out athlete who is quicker and can jump higher packaged in a long body is Pflueger. Djogo might be one.
Ir should be noted that he has accomplished what he has bagged with the worst facilities by a major program in BB. Actually, they are the same facilities that Digger used 25 years ago. New ones are truly on the way and recruitting immediately improved. The last 6 guys to join the program are all top 100.
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Brey did have back to back elite 8s. The first one they should have beaten Kentucky if it wasn't for some questionable calls from the refs in my opinion. The basketball program is operating well, and until the wheels fall off, why fix what isn't broke.
If there's one in-game criticism I have with Brey, is he takes the air out of the ball with late leads against equal or better teams. The shot clock runs down to 10 and then they start the offense. It fails almost every time, with the other team either winning or coming back to make it closer than it needed to be.
with student-athletes vs semi-pro KU one-and-done players.
so, there's that.
Totally agree.
does this.