Oct. 10, 2007
2007-08 Men’s Basketball Quick Facts
2007-08 Men’s Basketball Season Preview
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame men’s basketball team tipped off its 2007-08 season Wednesday with its annual Media Day activities at the Joyce Center. Eighth-year head coach Mike Brey has eight monogram winners, including three starters, back from last year’s club that posted a 24-8 record, finished fourth in the rugged BIG EAST Conference (including a trip to the BIG EAST Championship semifinals) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Here’s a look at what Coach Brey and the Irish players had to say about the upcoming season:
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey
On his feelings coming into the season…
“You feel like you’ve been in preseason a long time but that’s a good thing because our freshmen are here in the summer. So you think about this nucleus, this team has actually been working together since June 20th. You really have a group chomping at the bit for the official stuff because they’ve been doing it since June. I’m very excited to move forward.”
On the returning players and their impact…
“With the eight veteran guys coming back, I think we have a nucleus of young men who have tasted success. They want to do more than what they did last year. With those eight guys setting the tone, you feel good jumping into it.”
On the loss of Colin Falls and Russell Carter…
“I don’t think you can underestimate the loss of the two guys. The guys we lost were big money guys for us as seniors, first team all-league and put numbers on the board at high clips. I do have some concerns. Certainly they scored and, like I said last year, Falls was great at helping me run the locker room and translate to the other guys our system. Certainly there are some things that need to be replaced. When you have (Kyle) McAlarney coming back, you lose two starters but you have a starter coming back in my mind.”
On replacing the lost shooters…
“One of the things that really helped us lead the league in scoring and putting numbers on the board was that you had to come out and guard those guys as well as other guys. You always had the floor spread. We had great spacing last year and most years that I’ve been here because that’s the way we play. You feel very confident with McAlarney as a threat out there. I feel very good about Ryan Ayers because of what he gave us last year at key times.”
On replacing the lost leaders…
“I think Tory Jackson’s voice will become stronger and stronger each week. I really pushed that and orchestrated that this summer. He’s a very confident voice and a trusted voice by his teammates. He has earned (the right) to be listened to. Zach (Hillesland) will be that too. Zach has a great feel for our system. He has done a great job helping teach our system to our young guys.”
On summer work with Tory Jackson…
“I don’t know if I talked about any skill stuff with Tory. He got a lot of shots up because people may try to play off of him at times. It was more being confident taking this team, being the voice, telling guys what to do, starting to interact.”
On summer work with Luke Harangody…
“He has lost body fat, but he hasn’t lost any strength. He’s still the guy from down in the region that knocks people around. He’s excited that he can play longer and be even bouncier. He has been a left shoulder guy, but even if you take away his left shoulder he may come into you and break your nose.”
On Rob Kurz’s summer…
“He has done a great job as the lone senior setting the tone this summer. I think sometimes before he has turned down shots, and I’m going to start with him tomorrow not turning down shots.”
On Notre Dame’s culture of work…
“Our freshmen joined eight veterans who are amazingly motivated and really know how to work at a level that has got to be in the top two to three percent in college basketball. Our culture of work here and the tone have been set. Not one time this summer did any of those four (freshmen) pull any of those guys back.”
On Zach Hillesland’s role…
“I love him as an energy guy coming off the bench. Does that mean we’ll do that the whole year or to start the year? That’s why I can’t wait to get in the gym for like two weeks and really let it sink in and evaluate it. His voice and leadership will be there whether he’s a starter or if he’ll be playing a little more on the perimeter.”
On this year’s goals…
“We’ve never been one to say specific things. We’ve talked about themes. There were three themes we talked about on Labor Day. Respect our culture of work. Appreciate it. Understand what it has done. Eliminate distractions. Can we eliminate distractions and be really focused? The third one I said was that we can understand how to chase something as a group over five months better than anybody else in our league.”
On getting a feel for the NCAA tournament…
“It was over so fast, (I thought), `Were we in this thing?’ I was waiting to talk to (reporters) with Tory Jackson and (Luke) Harangody and I said, `Guys, don’t leave yet. Go out there and look around. I want you guys to absorb this atmosphere.’ It was a good first step to taste it.”
On carrying over last year’s defensive improvements to this year…
“The big step we made defensively last year was that we were better protecting our paint. We were physically able to protect our paint. I don’t think anything changes. I think we have to go right back to a lot of the same drills. The first time we were really challenged to do it and we did it was the Maryland game last year against older guys. That was a good reference point for us last year.”
Junior guard/forward Ryan Ayers
On filling the holes left by Colin Falls and Russell Carter…
“I can contribute with my all-around game. I can hit the open shot from three and get in to mix it up in the midrange game or finishing at the rim. I’m just excited to fill in the roles of those guys, because they had great careers here and had a lot of minutes and production.”
On the value of his tournament experience…
“Leadership is showing the freshmen and other young guys what it takes to win at this level. A lot is putting the work in to lead by example. We’re excited to get back and it gives us more inspiration to keep striving harder to go even deeper this year.”
Sophomore forward Luke Harangody
On how he got in better shape for this season…
“At the end of last season I sat down with the coaching staff and we talked about what I needed to do, how I needed to get in the weight room, and how I needed to condition to get my body in the best shape so I could make it through the season. I got in the weight room, watched what I ate and I think I met my goal.”
On the team and his personal goals for the season…
“I think we have high goals for the season. We definitely want to go back to the tournament, that’s one of the high priority goals for the team. As for individual goals, they pretty much just go towards having a good season with the team.”
On how the loss in last year’s tournament affected him…
“I thought about it every night before I went to bed. I think it was the lowest point of our season. I have pictures walking off the court. I still remember the plane ride home. It was one of the worst feelings ever. But that was last season, we really have to forget about that, and move on to this season.”
On the chemistry of this year’s team…
“Some of the best chemistry in the big east. We all get along; everyone knows each other; everyone knows each other’s game. Also, the four freshmen got a chance to come in here this summer and work out with us, so they are getting more comfortable with us too. It just makes us more confident. “
Junior forward Zach Hillesland
On the this year’s team…
“We have a lot of great guys and the team is looking really good right now so we’re very excited.”
Sophomore guard Tory Jackson
On training over the summer with the team…
“We all were together. It was like a big family. Anything we did we did together. Anytime someone went down, you could look to one side or the other and you would always have a player to pick you up. We are all brothers out there.”
On playing alongside Kyle McAlarney…
“It might be a little different but we played like that before. Last year, we played together during the Alabama game and did a great job of controlling the game. It will give us a nice balance. We can run a lot and beat teams that way, just out running them. It will help me stay under control. That was my problem last year, and this year we came back and worked on it in pick up. We worked on staying under control and each of us working off the ball.”
Senior forward Rob Kurz
On the team’s expectations…
“Inside the team I think we expect to make it to the NCAA tournament again and hopefully get a little deeper this year. Obviously our goal every year is to be successful in the league. We want to win the league, that’s our goal.
On being a senior…
“Unbelievable. It has been a great experience so far and we’re all excited for this year. I just can’t believe how fast it has gone by.”
On what one year of success can do for the confidence of a basketball team…
“I think last year was a great experience for us and even though we had that tough game, I think the whole year and the success that we had really gave us something that we build on. We tried to do that all summer long. Taking our experience from last year and that bitter loss in the tournament really made us work hard all summer and it gave us something to come into this season and really work towards. That experience in the tournament was awesome and we want to get back there.”
On the advantage of having two combo guards in the backcourt…
“I think it will be really exciting to watch those two play together. They are both a little different but they both do so many things. In terms of putting so much pressure on the defense, I think those guys are hard for every team in the country to match up with. Not many teams have two guards like that. I think it is a great opportunity to play with them and I think they are going to be a nightmare for opposing defenses.”
On his role of being a captain…
“The biggest thing is you always got to lead by example. If guys see me working hard and doing the right thing, I think that will carry over to the young guys. Leading by example and having a good voice in the huddle and the locker room. Knowing when to encourage guys, I think those things are very important. College basketball is a long season and a lot goes on. You must be strong and steady emotionally. Kind of like a rock for the younger guys. If they need anyone to talk to or anything like that, you’re always there.”
Junior guard Kyle McAlarney
On playing alongside Tory Jackson…
“I can fill in some of the shooting that we lost in Colin and Russ which will take some pressure off of him that he had on him through the second half of the season. We can mentor each other out there instead of relying on one guy to be the main point guard we can help each other out, pick each other up when we are down. We compliment each other in our styles of play.”
Sophomore guard Jonathan Peoples
On how he wants his role to expand or change and what he expects to get personally…
“Whatever coach needs me to do. I know that I’ll be playing more this year. Last year we had Colin (Falls) and Russell (Carter) so we need somebody to pick up their minutes and I think I’ll be able to get in some time.”
Junior forward/center Luke Zeller
On what this team can take from last year…
“To get that (tournament) experience and to play against that kind of team helps a lot. Confidence is the biggest thing. We’re a more confident team and there isn’t that question going into the year wondering what we can do.”
On being one of the team’s most experienced players…
“It’s a huge responsibility that comes with that, but the two year’s I’ve been here I’ve been able to grow as a player and a person. Leadership is something that comes with age, but there’s not any magical thing about it, just as you get older you have to learn to be a leader.”
On the team’s defensive identity…
“On defense we just have to focus on playing as a group. Offense is something we’ve been good at, but on defense we want to work at it to earn an identity for being a tough team defensively. We probably will evolve as the year goes along, but developing a defensive identity is something we’ll be focusing on.”
— ND —