Above the position battles, Irish fans are interested in one big question: Does Brian Kelly fully recognize the extra risk that comes with the passing game? As noted in “if Weis fails”, former Head Coach Charlie Weis was infamous for his blind eye to the risks of the passing game, continually noting that “the play…
Columns
Spring Preview – Defense
After the historic pounding Notre Dame’s defense took at the end of the 2014 season (and following his ugly season at Auburn,) it’s fair to wonder if Brian Van Gorder is a defensive coordinator passed by time. Early into the 2014 season, the Irish looked strong, but once faced by pace/tempo (meaning, the sub packages…
Adjourning
Three weeks ago, I documented the Notre Dame basketball team’s progress over the course of the season within the construct of Bruce Tuckman’s stages of team development. You will recall that Tuckman, a professor of psychology at Ohio State, identified a model for the stages of team development and successful leader behaviors for each. His…
Four Minutes
The score was 55-55. Butler’s Roosevelt Jones had the ball with a standing dribble at quarter court as the clock wound down. Pat Connaughton stood in a defensive stance as he waited just outside the free throw line for Jones to drive for what he hoped would be a game winning shot. Jones had been…
Wonder, Think & Know — Thirteen Percent Edition
Mike Royko never said, “Some things you wonder, some things you think, and some things you just know.” But he probably would have picked the Irish to make the Sweet 16. He was smart like that. Just to give you a little perspective on what you’re seeing right now, Notre Dame started allowing its men’s…