Mike Brey speaks after Notre Dame loss to Syracuse
SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame hung with Syracuse the entire time during its ACC opener. In the end, it wasn’t enough as the Orange squeaked out a 62-61 victory. Mike Brey spoke with the media afterwards to talk about the loss. Here is some of what he had to say:
Opening statement
“We gave ourselves a chance. I thought their zone stalled us a little bit in the second half. I figured it would be a game situation. We needed to get that one stop. We didn’t get it. (Judah) Mintz made a hell of a baseline drive. They had us pushed out a little bit more in the second half as that zone can do.”
On why it was so difficult for the Irish to drive in the second half
“There’s probably a little bit of a state of mind when you play against (a zone defense), too. It tends to tranquilize the whole building and your defense a little bit. And I thought we were really patient. We had a couple of (shot-clock) violations, but I’d rather us just keep moving it and get a good look. We had 15 assists. We made eight (3-pointers) in the first half. We’re gonna have to make five or six more. You gotta be at 12 3s against that zone.”
On Marcus Hammond's first game for the Irish
“I feel for him because Mintz got him there (on the final possession). He guarded the possession before fabulously. He got clucked a little bit. Maybe we should have helped more there. That’s more on me. But I didn’t know what to expect to be thrown into the fire, and I thought he was fabulous. He’s in making plays. He makes the play to give us the lead, steps up, makes the free throw. And for me, it was kind of new territory because I’ve got two subs always. … We got a chance to get into shape now a little bit with some practice reps. The kid is fabulous. Throw him into an ACC game after five weeks off, and he’s not afraid. I love him.”
On Nate Laszewski's rough game (two points on 1 of 6 shooting from the field)
“It was a rough game. And you know, it’s zone. Where does he find stuff? That’s always kind of been the case. We have him in the corner. He had a couple (of chances) over the top that he just couldn’t grab and finish. Those helped a little bit. You get him out of the side gap a little bit to shoot it, but it’s different for him versus zone trying to find his stuff, and I felt for him because he couldn’t find it. Yet the guy always defended, and he’s rebounded, and he’s putting his chest on dudes and trying to help us win.”
On Cormac Ryan attempting only one 3 in the second half
“I don’t know. … We couldn’t get into the lane to kick it. We couldn’t get to the foul line (or) over the top. The one thing we tried to do a little bit, and actually, that’s when Cormac hit (the 3), is just, ‘Coud we just get up the floor before it’s set?’ We did that a couple of times. That’s when Cormac got the 3. You gotta drive some, too. You gotta go high-low a little bit. But the ones that stick in my mind is they creep up, they push you out, you throw over the top, and I think we were 2 for 7, and then, they’re just pushing you out further because you haven’t made them pay over the top.”
On whether JJ Starling's first-half shoulder injury affected him the rest of the game
“I don’t think so. He went down on the floor for a loose ball, really hustled. Everything checked out. I think he just tweaked it a little bit. I know he had a tough night shooting, but I’m thrilled with where he’s at. He’s guarding, he’s defending. I thought he was great with the ball. To play against that zone for the first time in your sixth or seventh college game and be good with it, not turn it over, not force anything. We probably gotta look at ways of getting him drives more against zone. This is kind of new territory to how to use him against the zone, but I’m pleased, and I don’t think we have anything lingering on that shoulder.”
On whether he should help the veterans figure out game situations
“I think I always go back and go, ‘What could we have done? Should we have been zone that last possession?’ But we were playing man, and we got stops. The only thing we were doing on Mintz is, like (with Michigan State guard A.J.) Hoggard, under-the-ball screens because he’s not a shooter, and we were meeting him at 15 feet. So Nate or (Ven-Allen Lubin) wouldn’t be caught helping the big fellas rolling down the lane at any angle he gets. And really, it was pretty good because the possession before, I think Marcus went under. We had Trey (Wertz) going under a bunch and meeting (Mintz) at 15 feet. That one maybe do a hard show. Do you trap it? Do you tell Nate, ‘Trap it. Let’s make them pass it’? And if (Jesse) Edwards dunks it, that’s probably what I’ll think about all night.”
