Notre Dame vs North Carolina Game Tonight

[tneun89]

Irish open the season in Chapel Hill against #9 UNC at 6:00 p.m. CST on ACC Network tonight.

Tar Heels are favored by 11, but are replacing all five starters and a couple of key guys who came off the bench last year. Although, they are replacing those guys with a couple of 5-stars and other highly rated guys.

I think ND actually has a chance. UNC is a young team playing their first real game together. Not sure they'll pull of the win, but I like them to cover.

[irishrush]

Hope springs eternal for us each year!
I am looking forward to seeing much better basketball this year.
We've got some good pieces, just not enough I think.

[tneun89]

Originally Posted by irishrush

Hope springs eternal for us each year!
I am looking forward to seeing much better basketball this year.
We've got some good pieces, just not enough I think.

Agreed. They were so young last year, and the loss of Pflueger really hurt. I have never been a big fan, but he was a leader on the court early in the season and losing him really threw some of the freshman into the fire. I think ND is a tournament team this year. Mooney is a first-team ACC player. Durham should be improved this year and help down low. Hopefully Hubb takes the next step - I was impressed with him at the end of last season. Gibbs is the key for me. He really regressed from his sophomore year to his junior year. A large part of that was probably self-imposed, as he felt like he needed to be "the guy" after Farrell and Colson left. His shooting was ugly last year and he made a lot of bad decisions. If he can return to his sophomore form, I think ND can make the tournament.

[Domers23]

After watching the 2 exhibition games, I’m laying the 11 with UNC all day long. Lol. I hope I’m wrong, but I didn’t see much to warrant taking the points. ND will hang, if they move the ball well and hit open shots. If they don’t, it will be a long night.

[tneun89]

31-30 ND up at half.

They are shooting a lot of threes (half their FG attempts so far), and Gibbs and Hubb are both shooting it really well. Nobody else is standing out. The three sophomores - Laszewski, Carmody, and Goodwin - are 0-7 combined. Pflueger looks off, but that's to be expected in his first real game back. Durham in foul trouble early, but he looked improved when he was on the court. ND actually has some size with him and Mooney. Hopefully they can find a way to get Mooney more involved - don't know if they can win just jacking up threes.

[irishrush]

It felt like we were getting blown out. Had a nice run towards the end of the half.
The other guys seem like they are 0-20 from 3. They are getting good shots just clanging them.
Hopefully the rest of it comes together in the second half.

Shame, we were close with Anthony and the one transfer from W&M. Anthony probably was a pipe dream, but the transfer would have been nice.

[Domers23]

Hubb is the real deal. Laz, carmody, and Goodwin are going to have to knock down open shots when they get them if this team is going to reach their potential.

[BrianKellyTheMan]

Laz Carmody and Dane have all been huge disappointments so far.

[irishrush]

We just needed a couple of their open looks to go. It is demoralizing to have wide open looks that don't go down while UNC was nailing everything.
Glad the Gibbs and Hubbs look like they can take over games.

[Domers23]

Mike Brey teams won't do well when they can't shoot from the outside. He recruits shooters first and foremost. His offense is predicated on knocking down 3's.

Last night field goal % - 35% Three point % - 29% Free throw % - 57%

Ouch!

The worst stat of them all. Mooney, Carmody, Goodwin, Pflueger, and Laz

0 - 16 from 3.

It's not like UNC was playing lights out defense either. That team was very beatable last night.

The good news Hubb and Gibbs - 9 -15 from 3.

[LasVegasIrish]

Originally Posted by BrianKellyTheMan

Laz Carmody and Dane have all been huge disappointments so far.

I would disagree with this. Thought Dane looked good as a true freshman last season that probably would have barely seen the court on ND teams of the past. Carmody was hurt. Las you could argue is the biggest disappointment cuz we all heard about his elite jumper that hasn’t come to fruition so far. I’m not gonna judge one game into the season though this year.

Carmody bring a ton of energy, which I like. Don’t think he should be shooting 3s though.

[irishrush]

I liked Carmody's fight towards the end. Lose balls, jumps, etc. Nice euro step, too.

[LasVegasIrish]

Overall, I’m pleased with the performance last night. UNC didn’t play their best game, but either did ND. Tough task to go on the road in Chapel Hill to open the season. Hubb looks like he’s fully back from his ACL and poised to make a big leap as a sophomore.

If Gibbs can be close to the player he was yesterday that will be awesome.

As for everyone else. Simply need to be better. Las and Goodwin need to hit the open shots, and Carmody should probably never really shoot from deep. Thats not his game - at least not yet.

I love the defensive effort, and think that could be a strength of the team - assuming Durham can stay healthy and out of foul trouble.

[tneun89]

Impressed with Gibbs and Hubb last night. Really hoping that this is the new Gibbs, as he had a really bad year last year. Think he put too much pressure on himself to make things happen after the losses of Colson and Farrell to graduation, and then Pflueger in the beginning of the year. If he shoots like he did last night all year, ND can be pretty dangerous in the ACC. Expected more from Mooney, but felt like he wasn't getting a ton of chances offensively.

Super impressed with Hubb and thought Carmody provided a spark off the bench. Disappointed in the other sophomores, Goodwin and Laszewski. Agree with LV - Laszewki was supposed to be a big guy who could shoot the ball well, but he was not that guy last year (understandable as a true freshman) and he was not that guy last night, although he had 7 rebounds. ND is going to need those guys to step up.

I think that this game was there for the taking. UNC replaced all of their starters and a couple of key bench players, and this was their first real game together. Thought ND could steal one, which would have been a great start to the year. But ND didn't shoot the ball well enough outside of Gibbs and Hubb, and Cole Anthony went off. Most points scored in a debut for an ACC player ever. More than Zion, RJ Barrett, Marvin Bagley, Tyler Hansborough, etc. That's really impressive. It was a pipe dream, but he would have looked great in blue and gold.

Good game by the Irish to stay in it most of the way. UNC just got on a roll in the second half and ND didn't shoot the ball well enough to get back in it.

[irishwavend]

Spread was dead on huh?

[ND_JACK]

What worries me most is that on offense we have no one that can consistently take drive the ball to the hoop. Hubb’s looked good a couple of times but I think he is just to small. Without that I think we are too easy to defend against. It would be nice too if Mooney could play above the rim some but that is not going to happen against big teams.
BTW I live in Syracuse so I get to see them play often. They are in some ways a lot like ND this year. Their offense is supposed to have an improved 3 pt game but they have no real slasher that can take the ball to the hoop. Making them much easier to defend against. And their inside game does not exist. We are much better with Durham and Mooney. We should beat them twice this year.