SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A basketball team learns a lot about itself in its most trying moments. But even though Notre Dame cruised to an 82-39 victory over Binghamton, there were still some nuggets of information that revealed some information about this Notre Dame team.
1. The Irish seem committed to the defensive end of the floor, at least more than last season.
Coach Mike Brey said this team was going to make more of a commitment to the defensive end and it showed on Friday. Notre Dame held Binghamton to just 26.5 percent shooting.
“One thing you see we can do is we can pressure the ball and contest,” Brey said. “Our defense, we’re picking up a little further out and it’s not as much stay in front. We’re getting out on people.”
Defense hasn’t always been a hallmark of Brey’s teams at Notre Dame, but if the Irish can become just an adequate defensive team, they could compete in a top-heavy ACC.
“When we got broken down off the dribble our rotation has been more unselfish,” Brey said. “We come over and get our body in front of people. We got two charges on dribblers today. And out of that we can run. We now learned when we turned people over and get deflections we can get out and go.”
2. Notre Dame will likely have trouble rebounding.
Brey was worried about this entering the season. The Irish won the rebounding battle 37-35 while allowing 10 offensive rebounds to Binghamton. The margin was closer than Notre Dame would have liked.
But Notre Dame is going to play a small lineup and it will have to live with getting outrebounded on a nightly basis. Pat Connaughton led the Irish with 10 while Zach Auguste had seven.
“You’re always worried about the backboard and it didn’t hurt us tonight,” Brey said. “But that’s going to be a thing to keep an eye on.”
Guard Jerian Grant will try to come down from the perimeter to alleviate that issue – he had six rebounds Friday – but rebounding will likely be a sore spot the Irish will have to overcome.
“That’s the main concern playing a small lineup throughout the season,” Grant said. “The way Pat’s rebounding the ball, we’re going to be all right. I can get in there a little bit. Zach is obviously going to get his rebounds. So I think we’ll be all right there but we’ll see as the season goes on.”
3. Notre Dame could be a fun – and faster — team to watch offensively.
With Grant back from suspension, the Irish offense ran smooth again in shooting 55 percent from the field. The Irish shot just 8 of 22 from 3-point range but they looked good getting out in transition and getting the ball in low to Auguste, who had a career-high 19 points.
“It’s good that my players and coaches trust me in the paint to make good decisions,” Auguste said.
Connaughton had 17 points and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark at Notre Dame while point guard Demetrius Jackson was assertive and ran the offense without any hesitation.
Notre Dame has been known for its slow-paced “burn” offense in recent years, but it wasn’t always like that under Brey. This season, with the athletic Jackson and Grant at guard and a fast big man in Auguste able to run the floor, the Irish are looking to push the pace.
“That’s something we haven’t had much of in the past,” Grant said. “Having (Auguste) there and having guys with speed dribbles like me and Demetrius is something we can really use.
