The two Is – identity and improvement – those have been the buzzwords surrounding the Notre Dame basketball program through the early going.
Given the make up of the team this season, Irish head coach Mike Brey believes the ceiling is higher for this team than any of his recent squads. How close they come to reaching those heights will determine the success of the season.
Long Beach State (2-0)
vs. Notre Dame (2-0)
Tonight, 7:30 p.m.
Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, Ind.
Line: Notre Dame by 16
“We’ve talked about week-to-week improvement,” Brey said. “Here are things to get better at this week. We’re going to keep that approach every week. Those are the things we need to bite off and I do think we have a group that can get better more than any group that I’ve had because there are so many new guys in new roles.”
The biggest concern for Brey after the two exhibition games was the impatience the offense showed. Three-point shots were flying up too quickly, the offense had no rhythm and scoring droughts were the result.
But through the first two regular season games, the Irish are starting to find a more patient pace, and the result has been a better shot selection, that has led to a 60-percent field goal percentage through the first two games, including 26-of-48 three-point shooting (54 percent).
“I think one of the big things is how unselfish we are,” said junior forward Tim Abromaitis, an early surprise with games of 13 points and 17 points. “Nobody is forcing shots. We’re moving the ball really well. I think that is helping me out a lot because I have gotten a lot of open shots just from guys swinging the ball, finding me in the corner that kind of stuff. We definitely still have areas to work on, especially defensively, but I think we have a pretty high upside.”
Identity and improvement, those will continue to be the keys through the non-conference stretch in November and December that the Irish hope to finish up at 13-0
“Chemistry is going to keep on getting better and better,” said senior guard Ben Hansbrough, one of the new guys still finding his place. “This team is each day at a time. We aren’t yet a finished product. People are always wanting to reach their top potential right away when you have to realize it takes hard work and it takes every day.”
Brey singled out Long Beach State before the season started as one of the three premier opponents on the non-conference schedule – along with UCLA and Northwestern. The 49ers were picked to win the Big West Conference and have started their season with wins over Alaska-Anchorage and Pepperdine.
Long Beach features a balanced scoring attack with six players averaging nine points or more. It is led by 6-5 sophomore guard Larry Anderson, who is averaging 19 points, and sophomore forward T.J. Robinson, who averages 15 points and 10.5 rebounds.
This is the first ever meeting between the two schools.
