Aug. 5, 2004
There’s a definitive twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face when head coach Mike Brey has the chance to talk about his 2004-05 Notre Dame basketball team and the opportunity that awaits he and his veteran squad this season. As Notre Dame basketball celebrates its 100th season, there is a sense that this could be a special year. The the Irish will take to the court with one of their most talented, balanced and experienced teams in recent memory. The return of four starters, including All-America candidates Chris Thomas and Torin Francis, and the addition of Arizona transfer Dennis Latimore, headlines a group that Brey believes will allow him to field his deepest squad since taking over in July of 2000. But as the fifth-year coach knows, you can’t always proceed without caution. After coming off an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2003, Notre Dame faced a season of high expectation. A persistence of injuries prevented the Irish from playing with any type of consistency throughout the season because of constant lineup changes. To the credit of Brey, his coaching staff and players, Notre Dame was on the proverbial NCAA tournament bubble when March rolled around. The Irish narrowly missed out on their fourth consecutive bid and went on to play in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Notre Dame ended its season with a quarterfinal loss to Oregon, but showed great character in the light of adversity. The Irish ended the ’03-’04 campaign with a 19-13 record and 9-7 mark in BIG EAST play and finished seventh in the final regular-season standings. Not only will the ’04-’05 campaign be the centennial celebration of the Notre Dame basketball program, but it also will mark the program’s 10th as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. As he begins his fifth season along the Irish sidelines, those two milestones figure prominently in Brey’s thoughts this year. “It’s an honor to be coaching here in our 100th season when you think back to all the tradition that has surrounded this program,” Brey says. “The neat thing for me about this being my fifth year here, and our 10th overall in the BIG EAST, is that we have a lot of credibility as a basketball program nationally.”
Irish head coach Mike Brey is excited about celebrating the history of Notre Dame basketball this year and possibly writing a new memorable chapter in that history with a talented and veteran team returning in 2004-05.
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The resurgence has been a focal point for Brey Notre Dame looks to position itself among the nation’s elite on an annual basis. “It’s been a thrill for me over the past five years to watch the growth of our program,” he says. “The decade of the 1990s wasn’t too kind to us, but we’ve worked hard to overcome that. We certainly deserve and should be thought of as one of the excellent programs in college basketball.” Like Brey, the Irish players have taken a great deal of pride in how others perceive the program and understand the importance of getting to the NCAA tournament on an annual basis. That’s why last year’s exclusion proved to be so disappointing, and undoubtedly will serve as catalyst for the upcoming season. “I don’t think I’m going to have to push a lot of buttons this season,” Brey says. “We have a very focused group of guys who know what they want to accomplish. We’ve tasted success and know what it’s like to play in the NCAA tournament. “We’re not a team that is going to make excuses. There is a real hunger and commitment. I think last year we may have fallen into the trap of assuming that we were going to go to the NCAAs every year. We’ve invested a lot in our off-season conditioning. Our frame of mind is good. Chris (Thomas) and Jordan (Cornette) talk about the right things and how we don’t want to feel that disappointment again.” When glancing at the Irish roster, depth and experience are readily apparent for this veteran squad that has played a lot of minutes together. The injuries of a year ago basically forced Brey into a seven-main rotation, which allowed the underclassmen to earn valuable playing time. Barring a rash of injuries this season, as many as 10 players could figure into the plans. There certainly will not be a lack of options or opportunity. What could be most problematic for Brey will be finding enough playing time for everyone. “There’s no question that we have a lot of bodies to work with this year,” Brey says. “It’s the most players we’ve had since I arrived. While depth is something that every team needs, it can, in some ways work against you because we may have too many guys expecting to play. That’s a fine line. My job as a coach will be to find minutes for people and to help the group mesh together. “We have a nucleus of players that has played a lot of basketball and experience a lot of success together. That’s going to be very important this season in maximizing our potential.” The strength of this year’s Notre Dame team will be in the balance of its inside and outside game. Few teams in the country will be able to match the Irish deadly three-point shooting assault and physical frontline play. With the return of Francis, Cornette and Rick Cornett, plus the addition of Latimore, Notre Dame will have the personnel to be as inside-oriented as it was during Brey’s first season when Troy Murphy, Ryan Humphrey and Harold Swanagan dotted the roster. Notre Dame’s backcourt duo of Thomas and Chris Quinn will comprise one of the nation’s most lethal tandems. When it comes to shooting the three-pointer, neither one shows any intimidation. The Irish connected on 79 more three-pointer and attempted 240 more three-pointers than their opponents a year ago. Add second-year sharpshooter Colin Falls to the mix and opponents will have difficulty formulating a gameplan to counter the outside attack.
Chris Thomas hopes to have a spectacular final season with the Irish in 2004-05.
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When considering all the different weapons that comprise Notre Dame’s inside and outside game, the difficulty for Brey will be making sure that his perimeter players never lose sight of its strong post game. “Our perimeter is going to have to be very conscious of understanding that when you have good big guys like we have and you throw it into them, they can really attract plenty of attention. This will, in turn, open some things up for our perimeter. It’s important that our big guys play together and get a lot of touches around the basket. If that happens, it is going to set up a lot of scoring options for us. “We have to re-educate our perimeter to this because that’s not how we finished last season. However, I’m not concerned because, with our high basketball IQ, I believe that our returning players understand this.” The trademarks of Brey’s teams have been their ability to score points. Several times last year, Notre Dame struggled to put points on the board, averaging just 70.5 points per game (a four-year low under Brey). There should be no worries in that department this season because there should be great balance with a number of scoring options “We’ll be able to score more easily than we did last season,” Brey says. “We’ll get to the line more because our of inside presence and we do have a lot of guys inside who can score and get us second shots. Our perimeter will get cleaner looks because our opponents are going to have respect for what is going in the post.” If there is vulnerability on this team, it may be in Notre Dame’s post defense. The biggest question facing the Irish this season is going to be `Who is going to defend inside?’ Other than Jordan (Cornette), the Irish have some big question marks to answer when it comes to that area. Brey would like to team to have a better understanding of the concept of team defense. It’s a step he believes the Irish need to make together as a team if they want to go farther in the NCAA tournament. “Our group has always played well together offensively, but buying into team defense is a step we’re going to have to take if we want to reach that next level,” Brey says. “From the start of practice, we’re going to have to think about defense and play well together. The challenge will be for everyone to play together and understand their role when it comes to what we need to do on defense.” Injuries kept the Irish from generating any type of momentum last season. Francis had his sophomore season cut short when he underwent back surgery for a herniated disc. He was cleared to begin playing in June and should be 100 percent by the start of the season. Notre Dame’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder at the time of his surgery, he missed the final 12 games of the season. Thomas underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in early April to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee after playing in pain and dealing with persistent swelling in that area all season long. He will resume playing in August, and like Francis, will be ready for the start of practice on October 16.
Rick Cornett, who was forced to have surgery on a stress fracture in late July, is slated to return for the Irish on Oct. 1.
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Cornett suffered a stress fracture during summer workouts and had surgery on July 23 and is targeted for an October 1 return. Omari Isreal missed his entire freshman season following his recovery from ACL surgery during his senior season at Our Lady of Good Counsel in February of 2003. He practiced with the team throughout the ’03-’04 campaign and is ready for action. “Getting everyone back to 100 percent, especially Torin, Chris and Rick, is a concern for us,” Brey says. “Right now we know that Omari is ready to go and has been for a very long time. He didn’t play last year because we didn’t want to rush his recovery. I feel good where he is at with everything. “For Chris and Torin, the big challenge for them is dealing with the fact that they haven’t played a lot of basketball for a while. They’re going to be rusty in the early part of the season, but I’m confident that we are going to be able to work through that. The fact that Torin has been able to play with the team during the summer is huge. For Chris, the reality is going to be the condition he is going to be in on November 15. He may not be 100 percent when the season starts so we just have to be patient and pace him through it. “I’m disappointed for Rick because he was playing with such confidence at the end of the season. He’s just going to have to work hard during his rehabilitation, but I don’t doubt that he will come back with a great eagerness to perform at the level he did during the final eight games of the season.” Frontcourt Notre Dame’s frontcourt could prove to be very dominating with the return of senior Jordan Cornette (6-9, 236/Forward/Cincinnati, Ohio), juniors Torin Francis (6-11, 252/Forward/Boston, Mass.) and Rick Cornett (6-8, 225/Forward/Country Club Hills, Ill.) and the addition of senior Dennis Latimore (6-8,253/Forward/Halstead, Kan.), sophomore Omari Isreal (6-6, 232/Forward/Rockville, Md.) and freshman Rob Kurz (6-9, 215/Forward/Lower Gwynedd, Pa.). Sophomore John Carlosn (6-6, 230/Forward/Litchfield), a walk-on and member of the Irish football team, will again be part of the program following the conclusion of the football season. While he may not be one of Notre Dame’s top scorers in each every game, Cornette has developed into a very important part of Brey’s systems. Known for his sound passing abilities and strong defensive play, he will look to emerge as a true leader for the Irish this season. Cornette averaged 5.8 points and 6.0 rebounds (second most on the team) in ’03-’04. He also led the Irish with 63 blocked shots (1.97 per game) and is within reach of becoming Notre Dame’s career leader in that category. Heading into his final season, he has 155 career blocked shots, needing just 46 to break the mark of 200 held by LaPhonso Ellis (1988-92). Cornette is known to be one of Notre Dame’s best defensive players and is someone Brey has counted on to be physical in the post. He possesses a great versatility on the court with tremendous court vision and keen passing abilities. While Cornette can dominate defensively in the post, his offensive skills can take him out to the perimeter. For a player his size, he has an excellent shooting and can hit three-point shot from anywhere beyond the arc. Last season, he made 39 three-pointers and again will be a key part of Notre Dame’s perimeter attack. “We need Jordan to defend because he’s our best post defender and relishes that role,” Brey says. “What we are going to need most from him is his overall leadership and maturity. He’s not had to do that in his first three years, but I’m going to need that out of him this season. “I like the fact that he has stepped up and made some three-point shots, but I think he needs to be more selective in his outside shot. I would like to see him get to the foul line more often by rebounding and hanging around the basket.” Once again, Francis will be a focus for opposing defenses. He averaged nearly a double double last season at 14.2 points per game and a team-leading (for the second straight year) 8.8 rebounds before being sidelined with the back injury. In addition, he was second on the team with 35 blocked shots. Francis led the team with seven double doubles, and despite playing in just 10 league games, earned all-BIG EAST honorable mention honors. As a focal point of Notre Dame’s inside game a year ago, Francis struggled at times when faced with being double or triple-teamed. Brey believes that his star forward will welcome the Irish having more inside options available.
Torin Francis is poised to put his back injury and sophomore struggles behind him with a solid junior season in 2004-05.
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“I think that Torin felt somewhat burdened last year and welcomes the fact that there are going to be other guys in the paint who can help him. We’ll have more options inside this season and that is going really help Torin’s game. “He’s a good passer and has feel for the game. He just needs to realize that there’s going to be other guys in the post that are going to be able to help him. Torin is a very focused player and I look for him to come back and concentrate on his rebounding, defending and keeping it simple. He’s not going to have the burden this season of doing it all himself. I respect Torin so much because he is so hungry to be the best player out on the court. He comes to practice on a daily basis with a very business-like attitude.” The addition of Arizona transfer Dennis Latimore is going to give the Irish a stronger presence in the low post. He is an extremely talented offensive player who is going to be an offensive threat. The combination of he and Francis down low could prove to be an intimidating force in the paint. Latimore averaged 3.2 points and 3.1 rebounds during his sophomore year before leaving the Wildcat program in February of 2003. He is a truly gifted player with good hands and footwork and a tremendous feel for the game. “I’m expecting a lot of Dennis and he is expecting a lot of himself this year,” Brey says. “He’s certainly going to be a physical presence for us around the basket. For a player his size, he’s a very skilled player. Defending and rebounding are the two areas that I’ll stay after him about because we’re really going to need him step up and play hard every day. He could be a surprise player for us, but there is going to be pressure on him to deliver.” No one was playing better at the end of the end of last season than Rick Cornett. In the final four games of the season, he averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds, while playing 22.3 minutes per game. Cornett saw action in 26 contests overall and netted 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds. In the Irish’s three NIT contests, he was the third-leading scorer (10.7) and tied for top rebounding honors (6.3). Cornett gives Notre Dame great versatility around the basket and is extremely agile. He may be slowed early on in the season by a stress fracture in his left foot. Cornett underwent surgery during in July, but is expected to be ready for the start of practice in October. He is one of the team’s best offensive and defensive rebounders and will can be counted on to be a force for the Irish again this season in that area. “Rick really responded well for us when Torin went down with his back injury,” Brey says. He needs to continue to play with the same intensity he displayed at the end of the program. I don’t think anybody in our program rebounds as well as he does at both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. I want him to concentrate on being a rebounding machine for us “Rick is getting more comfortable with his offensive game, but the greatest impact he’ll have on the team this year is getting the ball off of the backboard. There’s no one else who can physically do what he does.” Brey is looking forward to having Isreal in the lineup. He has recovered fully from the ACL surgery that cut short in final scholastic season and is expected to see playing time this season. Isreal is a very athletic player who has the ability to drive to the basket as well as play along the perimeter. He will give the Irish tremendous depth at the forward position and offers Brey several options when he is in the game. “Since I have been here, we have not had a perimeter player who is as long and rangy as Omari,” Brey says. “He give us a physical presence on the perimeter. I’m going to count on him to be a defender for us. “Omari handles the ball extremely well and has a good feel for the game. There is certain toughness about him that we are going to count on. There aren’t many guys on the perimeter who are going to be as talented as he is. He needs time to develop and learn his role. Omari can make open shots, but this year we need him to guard, rebound and drive the ball.” In his rookie season, Kurz will be looking to contribute off the bench. The lone freshman in this year’s class, he is an extremely versatile player who can play down low in the post or along the perimeter. For a player his size, he has a good shooting touch. As a senior, he averaged 18.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and four blocked shots, and scored more than 1,200 points during his playing career. Kurz was twice named first-team all-conference after leading his Penn Charter team to two conference titles. “Rob is mature beyond his years,” Brey says. “He’s one of the most mature freshman that I’ve ever coached and will be able to jump in quickly as we move into the season. Rob is a very talented player who knows how to play. I’m confident that he is going to come in compete for playing time. I like the fact that Rob loves the game and is going to work extremely hard on a daily basis in order to become a better player.” A walk-on to the basketball program and a scholarship member of the football team as a tight end, Carlson will once again be a part of the Irish basketball squad after playing in three games last year. He will join the team following the conclusion of the ’04 football season. A high school standout in both football and basketball, Carlson is a gifted and skilled player who adds depth to the Irish roster and pushes his teammates in practice. “We’re extremely excited to have John join us again once the football season is over,” Brey says. “He was very popular with the other guys on the team and worked extremely hard. Because of his work ethic, John helps to make others around him better.” Backcourt Notre Dame’s backcourt will generate plenty of attention this season and will rank among the nation’s best. By the end of the season, there may not be a better backcourt tandem than senior Chris Thomas (6-1, 185/Guard/Indianapolis, Ind.) and junior Chris Quinn (6-2, 188/Guard/ Dublin, Ohio). What makes these two just a dominate combination is that each can play both point and shooting guard, in addition to being fearless from the three-point range. Playing together for a second season, few backcourts in the country will be able to rival their versatility and experience. “Chris Thomas and Chris Quinn should be excited about this season.” Brey says. “They get to quarterback with more weapons this year than they have ever had before. Keeping the big men involved, getting them touches and keeping everyone involved instead of going out and hunting their own stuff is going to be a big dynamic of this team and part of their responsibility. “I believe that what makes them so complimentary is that they take pressure off of each other because they’re a little bit interchangeable. They are very confident and competitive players who give me and the rest of the team confidence when they are on the court,”
Colin Falls will bring a year of experience and a dependable outside shot to the Notre Dame perimeter game in 2004-05.
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Another prominent figure will sophomore Colin Falls (6-4, 200/Guard/Park Ridge, Ill.), a sharpshooter with tremendous long-range ability. In addition, another sophomore Russell Carter (6-4, 210/ Guard/Paulsboro, N.J.) also will contribute, as well senior walk-on Greg Bosl (6-1, 193/Guard/Syosett, N.Y.) who joins the Irish for his second season. Thomas enters his final campaign as one of the nation’s best guards. His exploits on the basketball court rank him as one of the all-time greats at Notre Dame. Already the school’s career assist leader (638) and eighth all-time leading scorer (1,783), Thomas is the only player in Notre Dame history who has scored more than 1,700 points and dished off better than 600 assists, and has a chance to conclude his career as the school’s second all-time leading scorer. He has started every game of his Notre Dame career (99) and amassed 3,727 minutes for a 37.6 per game average. Thomas also has logged 40-plus minutes in 35 career contests. Despite a knee injury that required surgery at the end of the season, Thomas led the Irish in both scoring (19.7) and assists (4.7) and became the first player since David Rivers in 1987-88 to lead a Notre Dame team in both of those categories in the same season. He also was an Associated Press honorable mention All-America selection and second team all-BIG EAST honoree for the second consecutive season. Thomas owns a career scoring average of 18.0 points per game, but may not have to score as many points this season. With so many other scoring options available this season, Brey will rely on Thomas’ ability to distribute the ball. “Chris is going to be judged by others this season on the success of our team and the way he quarterbacks this team on the floor. Our first priority is to get him healthy and he has to be patient and not do too much too quickly. “Chris needs to be poised and confident enough to keep everyone involved if he’s not getting shots or we’re not playing well. He understands that there are not going to be as many shots or minutes this season, but there will be nights when we will need him. I don’t want Chris to ever lose sight of our inside presence. Chris has good basketball instincts and knows all of this, and he’s a talented enough player to do it. He’s always been a winner, so you can bank on him doing what ever is best for this team.” Quinn had a breakout season for the Irish a year ago and proved to be one of the country’s most underrated players. He more than tripled his scoring average to 14.3 points per game last season (second best on the team) and averaged 3.3 assists. Like Thomas, Quinn can shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor and has the ability to penetrate to the basket. He is Notre Dame’s steadiest player on the floor and committed just 37 turnovers, while averaging 35.8 minutes per game. Quinn has a great feel for the game and understands his role on this team. Brey will be counting on him to be more of a leader on the floor.
Chris Quinn hopes to build off a great sophomore season last year to establish himself as one of the best guards in the BIG EAST during the 2004-05 campaign.
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“I want Chris to become more of a vocal leader on the court,” Brey says. “He needs to talk more and feel like he has a huge presence in the locker room. Chris is a beautiful basketball player who understands what the game is all about. There is no wasted movement in his game and he’s always thinking a couple plays ahead. “Chris is one of the most respected players in the BIG EAST because of his quiet and business-like approach. He’s very focused and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take his game to another level this year.” Falls was the only rookie to see action in all 32 games and averaged 4.6 points and 15.6 minutes per game. He proved a year ago that he could hit the three-point shots, with 37 of his 47 field goals coming from beyond the arc. Falls connected on 40.9 percent of his shots from the field and shot 39.4 percent from three-point range. Falls figures prominently into the Irish plans this season and will be one of the team’s top perimeter threats. “I feel good about how Colin finished last year,” Brey says. “He’s not only a good shooter, but a good basketball player. He handles the ball and passes it well. His teammates have a great deal of confidence in him to knock down a shot when he is in the game. “His big area of improvement will be getting stronger in order to be able to defend some of the more physical players in the BIG EAST. Colin is ready to challenge for a bigger role on this team.” Carter will look to contend for playing time this season after seeing action in 11 games as a freshman. There’s an opportunity for to become more involved in the rotation this year after the experience he gained a year ago. He’s a very offensive-minded player who is not afraid to shoot the ball. “Russell handled last year very well, learning about college basketball and how to play the game with other people,” Brey says. He can make shots, so there is going to be opportunity for him. The great thing for Russell is that Chris Thomas and Chris Quinn make him better every day in practice. There’s still a learning curve for him, but if he continues the improvement he has shown in the last year, then Russell will have an important role on this team.” Bosl, a walk-on who played in six games last season, also returns. He brings a spark to the Irish and pushes the other backcourt players in practice. “Greg give us a real lift and is a good practice player for us,” Brey says. “He does whatever we ask of him. He’s an outside shooter who’s not afraid to throw it up.” Schedule Notre Dame faces another challenging schedule that will give the Irish great national exposure. The Irish will play NIT champion Michigan and Indiana on the road as well as rivals DePaul and UCLA at home. The BIG EAST slate will once again test the Irish mettle. With the loss of Miami and Virginia Tech, there will be just 12 teams in the league. The 16-game conference schedule will call for five repeat opponents. Notre Dame’s repeat games during league play will be against Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Villanova. The Irish will play host to single games versus Boston College, Rutgers and St. John’s and will be on the road at Providence, Seton Hall and West Virginia. I like the fact that we are going to be nationally-exposed again,” Brey says. `We deserve that with the program and the players we have. Our guys understand that being mentally and physically prepared, especially during the BIG EAST season is going to be very important because it’s coming at us every single week. “We’re a big game for everyone again. If people beat us, it’s a quality win. Our guys got educated to that early in the season last year.” Overview “This group is going to be its own harshest critic,” Brey says. “I think I can be harder on this team than any other that I have had. We’re older and can be driven differently. This group can be ridden harder and you don’t have to be so concerned about confidence and psyche. This team talks about big things and they dream about big things. It’s my responsibility to not let up on them. “I’m excited to be working with them because they want to win. We’ve got a system in place. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us, but it’s OK to dream big dreams. We understand our potential and what we have to do on a daily basis and what we have to do to stay focused. People are excited about us outside the program, and we’re excited inside the program. We have every right to dream big dreams.”