Tag: Antoni Wyche

Mike Brey, JJ Starling, Cormac Ryan speak after win over Louisville

Everyone was happy to get the win.

SOUTH BEND – For once, everyone associated with the Notre Dame men’s basketball program was in a relaxed mood. After the Irish’s 76-62 win over Louisville, there wasn’t a frown in sight.

[autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] (22 points) and [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] (11 points, career-high eight assists) came out first to talk about games that undoubtedly will be on their season highlight reels. Then, [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag], fresh out of the suit he wore for the game celebrating Coaches vs. Cancer at Purcell Pavilion, took his turn at the podium.

Make no mistake: A convincing win over the worst team in the ACC doesn’t do a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. However, the Irish needed something good in the worst way. They got it, and they have a whole week to enjoy it before reconvening at Purcell Pavilion against Wake Forest.

Here are some of things players and coach said as they basked in an enjoyable afternoon:

Notre Dame signee Brady Dunlap requests release from letter of intent

We already are seeing the effects of Mike Brey’s pending retirement.

Despite [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag]’s call for the 2023 recruiting class to meet with Notre Dame’s new coach, Brady Dunlap has decided he wants out. Not willing to wait and see who leads the Irish next, Dunlap has requested to be released from his national letter of intent. He released the following statement to On3:

“Due to the announcement of coach Brey’s retirement, I have requested my release from Notre Dame and will open my recruitment.

“I want to wish coach Brey well and thank coach [autotag]Antoni Wyche[/autotag] for all of his efforts in recruiting me.

With the departure of Dunlap, a 6-foot-7 forward from Los Angeles, only guards [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] and [autotag]Parker Friedrichsen[/autotag] remain in the Irish’s incoming recruiting class. What figures to be a long road back to prominence for the program starting next year just got longer.

Whoever takes over for Brey is not going to have a lot to start with, so solid recruiting immediately will be a must. That’s not going to be easy.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Antoni Wyche returns to Notre Dame as assistant coach

A familiar face is coming back to South Bend.

Notre Dame continues to shake up its coaching staff ahead of what many expect to be a big season. The Irish have hired Siena assistant coach Antoni Wyche to be in the same role under Mike Brey. This is the second time Brey’s staff has been shaken up after adding Anthony Solomon earlier in the offseason. As Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune points out, this move affects longtime Irish assistant Rod Balanis:

Longtime Irish fans will remember Wyche as a four-year player for the program at the end of the 1990s. During his career, he averaged 7.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists a game on 40.4 percent shooting from the field. After serving as a regular bench player during his first two years, he started all but one game for his final two years. He saved his best for last as his 11.2 scoring average his senior season was behind only Troy Murphy and David Graves on the team.

[lawrence-related id=29671]