T.J. Gibbs – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Notre Dame 15 Years Tournament: No. 15 Seed – 2018-19 Irish

Notre Dame hasn’t had many lean seasons since Mike Brey took over, but as far as badness, the 2018-19 Irish take the cake.

Notre Dame hasn’t had many lean seasons since Mike Brey took over, but as far as badness, the 2018-19 Irish take the cake. That’s not to say they didn’t have the talent to compete, at least at the start of the season. The team was ravaged by injuries, particularly a torn ACL for Rex Pflueger, and that made it impossible for them to compete in a top-heavy ACC.

As is typical for them, the Irish had a good nonconference showing at 10-3. But with their depth suddenly thin, once conference play began, they never got anything going. Losing streaks of five and seven gave them an ACC record of 3-15, their worst conference showing since going 4-14 in their inaugural Big East campaign in 1995-96. They salvaged a win in the conference tournament over Georgia Tech before Louisville ended their season in the next round and brought their final overall record to 14-19, their worst since going 14-16 in John MacLeod’s last season in 1998-99.

In spite of the team’s troubles, John Mooney averaged a double-double with 14.1 points and 11.2 rebounds a game. T.J. Gibbs averaged 13.4 points a game, and D.J. Harvey had a scoring average of 10.7 in his final season with Notre Dame before transferring to Vanderbilt. In Pflueger’s absence, the Irish went through a revolving door for the fifth player in their starting lineup, which was consistent otherwise.

The Irish committed the fewest fouls in the country (455) and the third-fewest turnovers (306). Opponents realized they were facing a team that wasn’t going to beat itself, but they mostly won anyway.

Notre Dame 15 Years Tournament: No. 10 Seed – 2019-20 Irish

I’ve written so much about the most recent iteration of Notre Dame basketball that it seems redundant to say anything else about it.

I’ve written so much about the most recent iteration of Notre Dame basketball that it seems redundant to say anything else about it, so I’ll just go over a few key points.

The 2019-20 Irish had all the makings of a team threatening to make the NCAA tournament after a two-year absence. However, one close ACC loss after another derailed those hopes. It wouldn’t have mattered what the deficit was in the eyes of the selection committee. All they would have seen was a weak resume unworthy of earning an at-large bid.

The Irish weren’t terrible, however, as their win over Boston College in their ACC tournament opener gave them a 20-12 record and stronger consideration for an NIT bid. Then, COVID-19 put a stop to everything, so we’ll never know where Notre Dame might have ended up once they left Greensboro. Like all college basketball players, the ones on this team will have to spend the rest of their lives playing the what-if game.

With averages of 16.2 points and 12.7 rebounds a game, John Mooney tied Luke Harangody for most double-doubles by a Notre Dame player in a single season with 25 and also led the nation in that category. T.J. Gibbs and Prentiss Hubb averaged 13.3 and 12.1 points a game, respectively, and Dane Goodwin was a formidable sixth man thanks to his scoring average of 10.8.

In spite of their inability to close games, the Irish were a very intelligent team. They committed the fewest fouls in the country (397) and had the sixth-fewest turnovers (315). As we’ll see throughout this bracket, this has been a common trend under Mike Brey.

Watch: T.J. Gibbs Leads on Senior Day vs. Virginia Tech

T.J. Gibbs was known for hitting shots from downtown during his Notre Dame career.

T.J. Gibbs was known for hitting shots from downtown during his Notre Dame career. He made sure everyone knew that during his final game in South Bend, in which he led all scorers with 22 points and hit five 3-pointers. Watch his Senior Day performance here:

Notre Dame Basketball Player Review: T.J. Gibbs

If you’re wondering who the most improved 3-point shooter was among major conference players this season, it was T.J. Gibbs.

If you’re wondering who the most improved 3-point shooter was among major conference players this season, it was T.J. Gibbs. Not only did the senior guard lead Notre Dame in shooting from beyond the arc (42.0 percent), but his 10.2-percent improvement from a year ago was bested only by three players from mid-major schools. He also had the highest free-throw percentage for the Irish (88.0 percent) while becoming the seventh player in program history to play at least 4,000 minutes in a career.

Gibbs was consistent and productive in his scoring, reaching double figures in 14 of 15 games, including 11 straight, from Dec. 7 to Feb. 9. Thanks in large part to all those 3s and free throws, it wasn’t unheard of for him to reach 20 points, which he did five times. His best scoring output of the season was 23, which he achieved Jan. 29 against Wake Forest. And in what became his final farewell to Notre Dame, he led his team with 16 points in its lone ACC tournament game.

Notre Dame Basketball Player Review: Prentiss Hubb

With John Mooney and T.J. Gibbs heading out, someone has to step in and be the focal point of Notre Dame’s offense.

With John Mooney and T.J. Gibbs heading out, someone has to step in and be the focal point of Notre Dame’s offense. The front-runner has to be Prentiss Hubb, the sophomore guard who led all underclassmen with 12.1 points a game and had a team-high 162 assists. He also tied for the team lead in 3-pointers (76) with Gibbs after hitting a game-high four in what turned out to be the Irish’s final game of the season. And if anyone needed to stay out there for a bit, it was Hubb, whose 35.2 minutes a game were a team high.

Hubb scored at least 20 points seven times, including in four of six games between Jan. 4 and Jan. 25. He torched Florida State for 24 points both times the Irish met them, leaving little doubt about his ability to raise his game when needed. He had 20 of his season-high 25 points in the second half of a Jan. 15 at Georgia Tech.

Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Beat Eagles in ACC Tourney Opener

I know sports and the world are reeling right now, but let’s pretend everything is normal for the moment.

I know sports and the world are reeling right now, but let’s pretend everything is normal for the moment. Notre Dame defeated Boston College in the second round of the ACC tournament, 80-58, on Wednesday. It took an early lead and never was seriously threatened. The Irish (20-12) are scheduled to face No. 17 Virginia on Thursday, while the Eagles (13-19) will head home, hopefully able to take care of themselves during this time of crisis.

The scoring was pretty evenly spread out among Notre Dame players as five players finished in double figures. T.J. Gibbs led the Irish with 16 points. Dane Goodwin got a start and made the most of it with 15 points. Prentiss Hubb scored 14 to go with a game-high nine assists, Juwan Durham added 12 points, and Nate Laszewski added 10. John Mooney had a typical night on the glass with 11 rebounds.

Good thing this game finished up before the hour that canceled the NBA season, revealed Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have coronavirus, and the President banned all travel from Europe. No one would have known this contest took place. Hopefully, we’re all still alive for tomorrow’s game and beyond.

Watch: Notre Dame’s Latest Thriller Beats Boston College

Can someone please tell Notre Dame it’s allowed to have easy wins that don’t induce heart attacks as it tries to keep its season alive? Then again, if the Irish somehow get into the NCAA tournament, everyone will remember moments like last week’s thriller against North Carolina and Wednesday’s equally exciting win over Boston College. At the very least, T.J. Gibbs has a memory that will stay with him forever. Relive the moments that defined Ash Wednesday’s incredible game here:

Notre Dame Basketball: Gibbs’ Last-Second Shot Leads Irish Past Eagles

Notre Dame has been playing with a chip on its shoulder lately, knowing the next loss will more or less put an end to their NCAA tournament hopes. The big story right now is not so much that it’s staying alive, but doing so in dramatic fashion. If you thought last week’s over North Carolina was exciting, try Wednesday’s 62-61 win over Boston College on for size.

The Irish (18-10, 9-8) and Eagles (13-16, 7-11) traded a total of five field goals and lead changes over the game’s final four minutes. Luckily, the Irish made the last basket at the last possible moment. Trailing, 61-60, with eight seconds left, Prentiss Hubb moved from the left side to the free-throw line, drew a double team and found T.J. Gibbs in the paint. Gibbs took the pass and, surrounded by his own pair of Eagles defenders, put the shot up and in with 0.1 seconds left to seal the thriller.

Lost in the hoopla was John Mooney’s latest double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Gibbs and Nate Laszewski scored 10 apiece. Rex Pflueger provided something of a precursor to the later heroics when he stole an Eagles pass at the end of the first half and knocked in a buzzer beater from the timeline.

Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Hope to Beat BC

When Notre Dame saw its 13-game winning streak against Boston College get snapped Dec. 7 at the Purcell Pavilion, it dropped to 0-2 in ACC play. For some, that was the moment they knew this season would be a disappointment, and little since then has caused that narrative to waver. But the Irish (17-10, 8-8) can get a little revenge when they visit the Eagles (13-15, 7-10) on Wednesday.

T.J. Gibbs will be worth watching in this game and for the rest of the season. He’s shooting 49.7 percent from the field, 51.8 percent from 3-point range and 90.2 percent from the free-throw line. No ACC player since the 1996-97 season has had a 40-50-90 line, and Gibbs would be the fourth major conference player since that season to achieve it. The last to do it was William Buford of Ohio State in the 2010-11 season.

Gibbs also needs to play 27 minutes to reach 4,000 for his career. His current total of 3,973 ranks ninth in both Notre Dame history and in the Mike Brey era.

Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Dominate Hurricanes

Notre Dame is trying to keep its slim hopes to make the NCAA tournament as an at-large team alive for as long as possible. That almost certainly means winning out for the rest of the regular season, a strong showing in the ACC tournament and then a little love from the selection committee. But it only can take one step at a time, and the latest came in Sunday’s 87-71 win over Miami.

A John Mooney dunk off a Prentiss Hubb steal with less than eight minutes left in the first half gave the Irish (17-10, 8-8) a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Notre Dame led by 19 at halftime, so even though the Hurricanes (14-13, 6-11) scored three more points in the second half, it wasn’t nearly enough to come back.

Mooney recorded his latest double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds. Hubb also achieved a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists. T.J. Gibbs also scored 19, and Dane Goodwin had 14 off the bench.