Tag: tony sanders

Notre Dame loses forward Ven-Allen Lubin to transfer portal

That exit door has gotten quite a workout recently.

Already lacking size, Notre Dame has lost yet another forward. This time, the transfer portal is responsible, and it’s Ven-Allen Lubin who is taking his talents elsewhere. Lubin released the following statement on social media Monday:

The Irish now are down to [autotag]Matt Zona[/autotag], [autotag]Tony Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]J.R. Konieczny[/autotag], and incoming freshman [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag]. That means [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] needs to be very aggressive in the transfer portal, even if the Irish’s current targets mainly consist of guards. At this point, it will be an accomplishment just to get a team together.

Lubin’s first collegiate season and his only season in South Bend saw him average 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds a game. Despite preseason indications from [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] that Lubin would start, facial injuries during fall camp contributed to that not happening until February. So did an ankle injury that he suffered during a game and bother him over the course of a month. Ultimately, he started seven of the 28 games he played.

We respect Lubin’s decision and wish him well in his future endeavors, but it would be a lie to say that he’s leaving the Irish in a tougher spot than they already were. After this past season, we warned you of dark days ahead for the program. This latest news makes you wonder just how low things can go.

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Revisiting some of Mike Brey’s local media day comments

Do you think Mike is regretting any of these preseason quotes?

Back in October, Fighting Irish Wire was lucky to attend Notre Dame’s media day for South Bend outlets. [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] spoke with the assembled reporters before the players entered the room, and every answer he gave was a clue into the workings of his team. The atmosphere was an optimistic one as the Irish were coming off a couple of NCAA Tournament wins in the spring. Why couldn’t it happen again with all of these older players returning?

Well, the Irish have reached a crossroads much sooner than they would have liked. They are 8-7 and have lost their first four ACC games, tying with Louisville for last in the conference. The fun of last March has given way to frustration and bafflement as to how things have gone so wrong. Even most of the nonconference victories have not been very satisfying, and there is no reason to think this season will last beyond the ACC Tournament.

So how have some of Brey’s preseason words held up? Let’s take a look:

Mike Brey meets with media ahead of Notre Dame’s 2022-23 season

Here’s what we heard when we traveled to the Irish’s local media day.

[autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] is coming off his best season coaching Notre Dame over the past few years. Irish fans will be anxious to see how his team will be able to build off last season’s success. Until they learn how or if that happens, words from the longtime coach will suffice. And he has plenty to say about it.

Fighting Irish Wire accepted an invitation to attend a media day for local media at Purcell Pavilion and was with the assembled group when Brey spoke. He addressed everything from the outlook of this year’s team to the ACC’s reputation to players old and new. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone by now, but he knows his team very well and is as much of an open book as you can imagine for a college basketball coach.

Here is some of what Brey had to say to the local media:

Notre Dame roster for 2021-22 season

Who will be hooping it up for the Irish this season?

It feels like college basketball remains far away, but Midnight Madness just happened, so it’s closer than you think. To that end, we should look at who makes up Notre Dame’s roster for the upcoming season. Many believe this is the team that can get the program out of the doldrums and back on track towards respectability. A major step in getting people to believe that would be the Irish’s first NCAA Tournament selection since 2017, which also was the last year they finished above .500 against ACC opponents.

This will be the 22nd iteration of the Irish with Mike Brey as coach. Despite having more wins than anyone in program history, he has two losing seasons in the past three and three losing conference records over the past four years. If he isn’t able to get this group to reach its full potential, questions about his future in South Bend certainly will arise. Here are the players who could determine where both Brey and the program headed going forward:

Notre Dame/Mike Brey Welcome Newest Two New Players

Tony Sanders, Jr. announced his commitment to Notre Dame 12 days ago and joins fellow incoming freshmen Elijah Taylor and Matt Zona while over the weekend Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz committed to the Fighting Irish.  Of the latest additions, Mike Brey said the following during Tuesday’s media availability.

Notre Dame officially announced the additions to a pair of basketball players Tuesday, a couple of players that came into the fold in the last couple of weeks.

Tony Sanders, Jr. announced his commitment to Notre Dame 12 days ago and joins fellow incoming freshmen Elijah Taylor and Matt Zona while over the weekend Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz committed to the Fighting Irish.  Of the latest additions, Mike Brey said the following during Tuesday’s media availability.

“As we officially add Tony and Trey today, it is a great shot in the arm for our program,”

On Sanders, Jr.:

“Tony is compared to Ty Nash and that is quite a compliment. He is a 6-7 guy who just knows how to play and is good with the ball. I think he is going to be a great four-year investment for us. He has a feel for the game and athletic ability. He has been well-trained as a high school player.”

On Wertz:
“I am very excited about Trey. He is one of those guards in a long, long line of great guards we have had. I don’t know if he is a ‘one,’ or a ‘two,’ or a ‘two-and-a-half,’ or a ‘three,’ or whatever – he is a basketball player. He is a feel-for-the-game guy with a great skill set.  

“Trey is 6-5 but he has a 6-11 wingspan. He is 180 (lbs) but by the time he takes the floor for us he will be 195 or 200. I knew we were in good shape when he texted us during the process and said ‘Coach, I have been on Synergy, do you see me playing like Jerian Grant in your system?’ I said, bingo! Yes. He is a great fit for us.”

Between 2007 and 2017 Notre Dame appeared in the NCAA Tournament eight of 11 seasons before missing the tournament (would have missed 2020 with anything short of an ACC Tournament Championship) each of the last three seasons. Here’s to hoping Sanders and Wertz are in fact that shot in the arm that ends that slump sooner than later.

Notre Dame Lands Top-200 Recruit

Notre Dame added a three-star, top-200 player to their 2020 recruiting class Friday afternoon. See who it is and their highlights here.

Notre Dame has made a late-addition to their 2020 basketball recruiting class, today getting a commitment from 6-7, 190 pound small forward Tony Sanders of Gulliver Prep in Miami.  Sanders announced his commitment on Instagram late Friday morning.

Sanders was late to get offered by Mike Brey and his coaching staff, getting a scholarship offer on March 31.  Three days later he’s committed to Notre Dame.

Sanders also had offers from Dayton, Florida State, Georgia, Pennsylvania and others.  247Sports ranks his as a three-star prospect and the 198th prospect in the nation in this class.

Sanders adds an athletic ability that not a lot of players on Notre Dame’s roster currently provide.  He joins power forward Elijah Taylor of Philadelphia and center Matt Zona of New Jersey in the 2020 recruiting class.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bebBvrJrBHw&w=560&h=315]