Aug. 6, 2018
Renewed Irish Roster Looks To Develop In The Bahamas
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team embarks on its first international trip since before the 2014-15 season on August 7, 2018, to take part in the Bahamas Basketball Federation `Summer of Thunder 2018.’ The Irish will face three different opponents over the course of seven days on the island of New Providence.
Notre Dame will be breaking in one of its most inexperienced rosters of the Mike Brey era in 2018-19, making the international trip this year a key moment in the team’s development. The Irish return just two full-time starters (Pflueger, Gibbs) for the first time since 2009-10 (Luke Harangody, Tory Jackson) and only the third time in the Brey era (2002-03, Chris Thomas, Matt Carroll).
In terms of playing years experience in the Notre Dame program, the 2018-19 season has the lowest of the Brey era. Combined, the Irish roster has just 12 years of collegiate experience combined entering the season – Pflueger (3), Harvey (1), Gibbs (2), Djogo (1), Burns (2), Nelligan (1), Mooney (2). The 2002-03, 2003-04, 2006-07 and 2011-12 featured 13 seasons of combined experience in the Brey system before the season tipped off.
Six Newcomers Match High Of Brey Era
Notre Dame welcomes six new players who are eligible for competition this season – junior Juwan Durham (sat out the 2017-18 season after transferring from Connecticut) and freshmen Robby Carmody, Dane Goodwin, Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski and Chris Doherty.
Only the 2009-10 season, when transfers Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin joined freshmen Mike Broghammer, Joey Brooks, Jack Cooley and Tom Knight, experience as many newcomers to a Mike Brey-coached Notre Dame roster.
D.C. Area ND Connection Continues With Prentiss Hubb, D.J. Harvey
The Notre Dame men’s basketball connection to the Washington, D.C., area began in 1965 with Brian Kelly (St. John’s High School) and continues to this day with head coach Mike Brey (DeMatha), associate head coach Rod Balanis (DeMatha), sophomore D.J. Harvey (DeMatha) and freshman Prentiss Hubb (Gonzaga).
The D.C. pipleine is a Who’s Who of Notre Dame men’s basketball greats – Monk Malloy (Archbishop Carroll), Bob Whitmore (DeMatha), Austin Carr (Macklin), Collis Jones (St. John’s), Sid Catlett (DeMatha), Adrian Dantley (DeMatha) Don Williams (Macklin), Tracy Jackson (Paint Branch, Maryland), Tom Sluby (Gonzaga), Cecil Rucker (Macklin), Monty Williams (Potomac), Eric Atkins (Mount Saint Joseph) and Jerian Grant (DeMatha).
Gibbs Steps Up When Needed
Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs became Notre Dame’s main scoring threat with the loss of Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell due to left-leg injuries during the 2017-19 season.
Gibbs played five full games without Colson or Farrell in the lineup – at Syracuse, at Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and at Duke. Over those five contests, Gibbs averaged 19.4 ppg, 5.2 apg and 3.6 rpg.
|
Date |
Game |
Points |
Rebounds |
Assists |
Minutes Played |
|
1/6/18 |
at Syracuse |
18 |
4 |
4 |
40 |
|
1/10/18 |
at Georia Tech |
11 |
3 |
7 |
40 |
|
1/13/18 |
North Carolina |
19 |
4 |
6 |
39 |
|
1/27/18 |
Virginia Tech |
27 |
2 |
5 |
40 |
|
1/29/18 |
at Duke |
22 |
4 |
4 |
39 |
|
Totals |
97 |
18 |
26 |
198 |
|
|
Average |
19.4 |
3.6 |
5.2 |
39.6 |
International History
|
Date |
Year |
Opponent |
Country |
Result |
|
A22 |
2003 |
Milton Keyes |
Barbados |
L, 74-77 |
|
A21 |
2003 |
Barbados National Team |
Barbados |
W, 112-65 |
|
A19 |
2003 |
Milton Keyes |
Barbados |
W, 93-67 |
|
A24 |
2008 |
Iceland |
Ireland |
W, 80-65 |
|
A23 |
2008 |
Poland |
Ireland |
W, 88-76 |
|
A21 |
2008 |
Ireland |
Ireland |
W, 90-88 |
|
A18 |
2008 |
Poland |
Ireland |
W, 104-86 |
|
A17 |
2008 |
Irish All-Stars |
Ireland |
W, 123-77 |
|
A15 |
2008 |
Ireland |
Ireland |
W, 104-65 |
|
A8 |
2014 |
Umbria Basketball Academy |
Italy |
W, 102-48 |
|
A9 |
2014 |
Adriatic Sea Tritons |
Italy |
W, 90-59 |
|
A11 |
2014 |
Opitergium Gladiators |
Italy |
W, 122-67 |
|
A12 |
2014 |
Vicenza All-Stars |
Italy |
W, 95-57 |
|
1996 |
Polti |
Itay |
W, 90-81 |
|
|
1996 |
Petrarca |
Italy |
W, 94-89 |
|
|
1996 |
Amadio Modera |
Italy |
W, 95-81 |
|
|
1996 |
Don Rosco Livorno |
Italy |
W, 74-65 |
|
|
1996 |
Emmezta |
Italy |
W, 89-68 |
|
|
1987 |
Yugoslavia Tour |
|||
|
1983 |
Yugoslavia Tour |
|||
|
1979 |
Yugoslavia Tour |
Trip Itinerary
|
Date |
Day |
Event |
Time (all ET) |
|
Aug. 7 |
TUE |
Flight from South Bend to Atlanta |
8:00 a.m. |
|
Aug. 7 |
TUE |
Flight from Atlanta to Nassau |
12:30 p.m. |
|
Aug. 7 |
TUE |
Arrive Atlantis Restor |
4:10 p.m. |
|
Aug. 7 |
TUE |
Practice Kendall Isaacs Gym |
6:00 p.m. |
|
Aug. 8 |
WED |
Game vs. IBA Elite |
5:00 p.m. |
|
Aug. 9 |
THU |
Game vs. NBPA All-Stars |
7:00 p.m. |
|
Aug. 10 |
FRI |
Dolphin Cay Experience |
All Day |
|
Aug. 11 |
SAT |
Game vs. Bahamas All-Stars |
7:00 p.m. |
|
Aug. 12 |
SUN |
Day Off To Explore Resor |
All Day |
|
Aug. 13 |
MON |
Flight from Nassau to Atlanta |
1:05 p.m. |
|
Aug. 13 |
MON |
Flight from Atlanta to South Bend |
6:00 p.m. |
|
Aug. 13 |
MON |
Arrive back on campus |
9:15 p.m. |
By The Numbers: Irish In Bahamas
|
1 |
Notre Dame led the country in 2017-18 for personal fouls committed per game (13.1) and finished fourth in fewest fouls committed (470). |
|
2 |
Returning starters for the Irish in 2017-18 (Rex Pflueger, T.J. Gibbs), matching the 2002-03 and 2009-10 seasons for the lowest in the Mike Brey era (2000-01 – present). |
|
3 |
Junior guard T.J. Gibbs logged 1,348 minutes in 2017-18, third-most in Notre Dame basketball history and the 10th-most in the NCAA for the 2017-18 season. His 704 minutes in ACC play also marked the second-most for an ND player. |
|
6 |
Three-point field goal attempts without a miss for junior John Mooney at North Carolina on Feb. 12, 2018. That effort matched Matt Carroll `s school record (2001) for most 3FGM without a miss. |
|
7 |
Senior Rex Pflueger posted seven games with five or more assists last season and finished second on the team in total assists (112). He ended the year 10th in the ACC for assist/turnover ratio (2.15). |
|
8 |
The Aug. 7 – 13 trip to the Bahamas will mark the eighth international trip for the Notre Dame basketball team. The Irish made three trips to Yugoslavia in 1979, 1983 and 1987, visited Italy in 1996 and 2014, toured Ireland in 2008 and appeared in Barbados before the 2003 season. |
|
10 |
The incoming freshman class of Robby Carmody, Dane Goodwin, Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski and Chris Doherty was ranked 10th in the nation by ESPN – the highest recruting-class mark of the Brey era. |
|
17 |
Notre Dame is 17-1 all-time in international exhibition competition since 1996-97 (results of the Yugoslavia tours are unavailable) – including a 12-1 mark under Mike Brey. |
|
23 |
Games in the 2018 Bahamas Basketball Federation `Summer of Thunder.’ Notre Dame joins Truman State, Alabama State, Kentucky, Marshall, Northern Arizona, Grand Canyon and North Carolina in touring through the commonwealth during the month of August. |
|
76 |
Notre Dame shot .758 from the free throw line in 2017-18, leading the ACC in team free throw shooting percentage for the second consecutive season. The Irish led the ACC and the NCAA in free throw shooting in 2016-17 (.800). |
|
103 |
The 2017-18 senior class set the mark as the all-time winningest four-year class in Notre Dame basketball history and became the first group to win 100 games in four seasons against Pittsburgh on Feb. 28, 2018. |
|
502 |
With 502 career wins, Mike Brey is the 11th active coach to reach that career milestone coaching at just one or two institutions. See page 3 of the notes package for more details. |
|
700 |
There are over 700 islands in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, including New Providence, where Nassau is located and where the Irish will be spending their time. English is the official language of the Bahamas, which is a independent commonwealth that retains the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. |