|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE OPERATION BASKETBALLOctober 24, 2018Mike BreyRex PfleugerT.J. GibbsCharlotte, North Carolina THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Notre Dame. Q. Coach, your last several teams have been quite experienced. This year you have two returning starters and I'm counting five freshmen on the roster. How will you approach this season differently? How will you approach the season? COACH BREY: Yeah, it is different for us. There's no question about it. I'm the guy who made up the phrase when guys get jobs, I tell them get old and stay old. And we've lived by that. But it's a little different rotation this year. It certainly starts with these two guys to my right and left setting the tone. But now we have five freshmen and a transfer and four of the freshmen and the transfer will all be part of it. And it's kind of exciting new territory for me to watch them grow strategically we went on a foreign tour this summer. So we had extra reps and the ten extra practices that were so important for this particular team. The new faces that we do have fit who we are. There's some shot makers in that group. Scoring for us last year was a little bit tricky at times especially when a Colson and a Farrell was down. I think we can stretch the floor again that way. I can't say enough about the job these two guys have done as leaders because it's more heavy lifting when you have five freshmen and a transfer that you're breaking in. So I think it's a group -- we were talking on the way over here, we're going to be so different when we come back to this building in four months as a team. It's interesting to think who will be -- and I have to remember it's new for me. I don't have as many old guys and veterans. I'll have to be patient as we grow them. Q. Mike, you were among the first to advocate for a 20-game league schedule. Are you similarly in favor of opening the season with conference games as the ACC will do in '19-'20? COACH BREY: Those are the other two points that the other coaches in the league are mad at me about. I may have told you here, in my first league meeting, we kind of started talking about how to get more bids in this league, because we had just come from the Big East, Boeheim and Jamie Dixon, it was our first meeting. And what do you guys -- we were the first league to go from 16 to 18 league games. Have we ever thought about, what about 20 league games? I thought it got us more bids when we went to 16 and 18. And they almost ran me out of the room down there in Jacksonville. I think, again, it's good for us. It has to happen as we have the ACC Network coming online. I think it strengthens everybody's schedule. And you have no choice if you go to 20 league games and that's a good thing for more bids for our league. See, the philosophy of this league, I think, when I got back here -- in the Big East, the philosophy was how many bids can we get. The philosophy was here how do we protect the 1 seeds. How are the 1 seeds protected? And I really think that's changed in the last couple of years where our league has looked and said we're more about getting nine, ten, how do we get more bids. I thought that was a philosophical change. I think opening -- I think the best conference in America opening the season next year is a no-brainer. I think it's exciting. I would say it was split in the room when it came up. It needed to gain some momentum in Jacksonville two years ago. But I think it's a no-brainer to come right out of the gate with the ACC playing basketball and helping the network out, having programming right out of the gate. I don't know if it's an ever-year thing but I think for next year I love it. I love the idea. Q. There seems to be a split among coaches. We've had some coaches say, as the trial in New York City has gone on, that they're not aware of that world and it's not something that they really -- they think has been overstated. Yet coaches like Coach Boyle from Colorado saying, no, it's not overstated. Just wondering where you stand in the whole situation? COACH BREY: No, I think it's a black cloud over our game. It's a little bit of a black eye on the profession. At times, I think we've all been kind of painted, coaches, that is, with a broad brush by fans. And it's unfortunate and a little unfair. My philosophy has been, when I got to Notre Dame, stay really clean and stay really competitive. And I'm really proud that we've been able to do that through my 19 years. But this is an aspect of the basketball world. It's always kind of been out there a little bit. We've had this underworld. I hope in five years, with some of the changes coming, we're not going to see it right away, can we be in a better place? I think we will be. There's a lot of movement. There's a lot of good people thinking on how to fix some things. Again, it's not happening in a year and it's not happening in two years. But I think in five years we're going to look and say: Boy, those were some decisions we made to help some things. Right now burn the whole thing down. Let's get it all out. Let's take our medicine. And if it has to get a little worse before it gets better publicly, we've just got to take it like a man. Q. Mike, Chris Mack coming over from the Big East this year as someone who made that same transition, Big East to ACC, do you think there's a little bit of an adjustment period there, and how do you think Louisville will play differently? COACH BREY: I don't think it will be for Chris. I think Louisville hit a grand slam hiring Chris Mack. And I'm excited that our league has another great coach. You know, it helps our league to have another great coach. He is tried and tested and experienced. And he will hit the ground running like he has in recruiting already. Q. T.J. and Rex, you had the experience last year playing without Matt and Bonzie; in Bonzie's case, a really long time. How did that experience prepare you for the roles you'll have this year, and how do you see your role expanding this year? T.J. GIBBS: Yeah, it was always tough to lose a guy like Bonz and lose another great player like Matt. But it gave us a lot of stuff to work with. And kind of made not only me and Rex but guys like Elijah Burns and Nik time to readjust and play in atmospheres we wouldn't have been able to last year, whether it was going and starting pretty much a fresh group in Cameron to having to play in tough games like Miami at home. Just giving us that experience has been great for this year's team and something we can propel and use for this season. REX PFLUEGER: He hit it right on the head right there, honestly. It's one of those scenarios it's really unfortunate during the time of it, but I think our team really grew from it and it was really important, like he said, for the guys that did have to step up in those roles during the time to really find themselves in those pressurized situations and fight through all that turmoil that we had to. And it really helped T.J. and I for this year come together and of course with Elijah Burns as the team captains. And I just see a lot of positives out of that scenario now. Obviously not during the time. But during this whole offseason I think we've really grown as leaders and we're excited to get going. Q. What's it like playing for a coach like Mike Brey? REX PFLUEGER: He's a great guy, he'll let me do that, you see right there. One of the best people to have in your corner at all times. A person you can go to and talk to about anything basketball, off-the-court stuff, anything. And he really gives you the confidence to play your game. And it's one of those systems, too, that you mature and you learn how to get better. And I think T.J. and I have really worked together, worked well together. And now we're playing with all these young guys, and Coach gives us a lot of opportunity to lead and have our voices heard by these young guys. So he helps us develop into those leaders by giving us the opportunity to do so. T.J. GIBBS: That's a great point. And the biggest thing is it's more so off the court than it is on the court just being the guy I know I can go to and talk to about anything. He's always right there in my corner. I know that he'll give it to me straight, as it is. He always tells me like a man. If I have a bad game I'm doing something wrong, I count on Coach to tell me I'm doing something wrong. It's always fun to be around him and always have his personality. It brings out the best in us. And just knowing that you can't really ever do anything wrong besides touch his hair. Touch his hair. Q. Coach -- COACH BREY: What hair? Q. Mike, you referenced the changes that are coming in the next five or so years. Do you think the NBA and the G League initiative will gain much traction with the so-called elite players? COACH BREY: It's hard to say, David. I'm talking to other coaches, is the new rule -- will it be four, five young men interested in that? Could it be 30? I don't know. I look at it more big picture, instead of -- and there's been a lot of criticism of the rule or hey, that's a good thing. The one thing I would say, and this is the big picture down the road. The NBA did react to the Rice Commission with this. I'm not sure it's completely right. But we do have some cooperation here with them listening a little bit to some of the things the Rice Commission presented and the NABC, the coaches association, had a lot of input in Rice Commission suggestions. So I almost look at it as I don't know if it's the right thing, but at least we're breaking some ground here. And I do know for a fact that the NBA is proud that -- with this particular ruling. Again, I'm not sure about big picture. We've reacted to the Rice Commission. They're very proud that they did. This is kind of new territory where maybe we've got some chemistry on this thing that down the road a couple years really helps the game and the culture. Q. Going back to the trial, you mentioned having to kind of swallow some medicine in order to get better. When you said that, did you mean specifically in terms of possible NCAA sanctions, kind of take what comes? Do you think there should be a criminal conviction in the trial this week? COACH BREY: I don't know if I really have an opinion on the criminalality part of it. I think it's more of the NCAA violation medicine and the public relations hit that college basketball is taking and coaches are taking a little bit as a whole. We're going to have to just take it. And my feeling is let's get it all out. I know we have some other trials coming. Let's air it all out and see if -- down the road we've moved this thing. But certainly there's some NCAA issues here. There's no question about that. And the ball will be in their court to see how they rule -- as far as the breaking the law I don't know, I'm not an expert on that. But we do have some -- we've had some -- I think you've got to be an amateur, right? Got to be an amateur, as much as the amateurism -- don't you have to be an amateur. We've got some guys that aren't amateurs, let's handle that. Q. Rex, I noticed the fanny pack. What's up with that? And what's in it? REX PFLUEGER: You don't think it's swaggy? Q. Very much swaggy. What's the deal? REX PFLUEGER: It's mostly a style, honestly, trying to bring it back, a little Wayne's World in it, too, me and him have been in cahoots, and mostly I have something I can put my glasses in there, my headphones, my little Air Pods and lip balm, but mostly a fashion statement. Appreciate you noticing. Q. Going back to the trial and stuff, have there been players that you've recruited through the years that you felt you didn't get because another program broke the rules to get them? COACH BREY: I don't know if I would go that far. But I do know there are ones where you had a bad vibe and you walked away and just said this one doesn't feel right. And there's some red flags and you just don't keep going down that road. Q. Your coach, in his 23 seasons, has won 20 games or more 17 times, including 15 times at Notre Dame. And he's done that in two of the most difficult, best leagues in the country. As players, what's your perspective on how he's been so successful at Notre Dame? T.J. GIBBS: First off, I mean that speaks volumes on his coaching and what he can do. And it's all about him in a way. And he recruits guys who, like Rex, just know how to play basketball and he always puts us in the right position. I trust Coach no matter what we're going through, whether we're losing seven or we're on a five-game winning streak he'll always put us in the right position. And just knowing that he trusts in us, the biggest part of that, too, to say, hey, look, I see this. Oh, really, I didn't see that. And next thing you know it leads to us hitting a shot or something. It's always a great plan knowing that I can look to him on the sideline and he'll be, like, right over there. And it's a great feeling to have. And I trust him with everything in me. And I know that he's doing a great job. And just going to keep leading this team. REX PFLUEGER: T.J. is right. Coach does a great job, doesn't say a lot. He lets the players do a lot of the talking. But when he says something he's always right. You can see everything in his halftime speeches and the critical moments going down to the end of the games, he always says the right things. And I think it's a testament to his basketball knowledge, to go on about the winning seasons I think it's just because he does a great job cultivating his culture that he's really grown in Notre Dame with the players that he recruits, like T.J. said, and also just the attitude and maturity that he wants us to have on and off the court. He always says you're not only representing yourself, but you're representing your school, your team and your family. And he really does a great job reiterating that every single year. COACH BREY: Okay, you guys are starting. (Laughter). You'll start. Q. You spent a very anxious Selection Sunday in March, to say the least. What were your thoughts with the demise of the RPI and now the influx of what we're calling the net? COACH BREY: Yeah, well, I'm still trying to figure it out a little bit. I take my hat off to the committee and the NCAA that we're modernizing it some. There's no question about it. And you talk about Selection Sunday. And T.J., to be on the board after losing seven in a row, it speaks to the strength of our league that you can always recover in our league and still get a chance to get there. But I like it. We had a general presentation -- I'm on the NABC board and Danny Gavitt and some people talked about it. And some new stuff, some new territory. I guess I don't pay attention to the numbers as much as I'm blessed to be in this -- the blessing and the curse is the ACC. So the good news is -- the bad news is, God you play in the ACC. The good news is you play in the ACC. And the good news is there's always a resumé win around the corner. And if you can get that record into 9-9 range and 10-8 you're getting in this thing now, we're getting nine bids. We almost got 10. So when you're in a league like that, and those of us that were in the Big East, we lived it before we came. It has that feel. You say, okay, you mean if I get to the top half of this league I get to eighth or ninth, I'm in? That keeps you from going off the rocker in the summer. You stay a little saner in the summer when you think of it in that context. We lose seven straight and we make a run and we beat Virginia Tech up there and I still can't believe -- we were in the bracket until Davidson knocked us out an hour before selection -- that's the power of the ACC and the strength of the schedule overall and everything. So there's a good thing about being in this league where you have power in your schedule and you can play your way to the bubble. I think we won at Boston College and my line was: If you squint real hard you can see the bubble. And I was kind of doing that to just talk everybody into it. A month later we were. I was like I can't believe it but we may get in this thing. It was disappointing to get so close and not make it. But again I love the fact nine bids, close to ten bids, we're into that territory now. And I think that was always the goal when we came over from the Big East in those initial meetings, how do we -- you know for a fact when the ACC got three or four bids and was looking up at Providence and we were getting ten, they were flat-out pissed. You guys know it, every league was like how is that all happening? And now everyone's pissed at us, which is a good thing. Let's keep getting nine or ten. Q. How do you see the league this year in terms of how strong it will be and the teams that are the ones to chase? COACH BREY: Well, there's no question. I've got so much respect for Virginia and North Carolina and what they have coming back and to right out of the gate, and Virginia Tech, those. Duke is really gifted. There's a lot of young faces, a lot of new guys. After you get through those couple, then there's a lot of people you can throw in there four to ten, to 11. And we want to get into that four to nine range and see if we can snag a bid. And I think that's, again, the great thing about the league, you can play your way into that position with the strength of it. But the unbalanced schedule makes it interesting with not everybody plays the same. And sometimes that breaks right for you and sometimes that breaks you. You know? But as you remember, the Big East was the first league to come up with that unbalanced schedule back when they had the mini conference, it was Syracuse, Georgetown, Connecticut. Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Notre Dame, we all repeated each other. We were the first to kind of do that. We went 9-7 twice in that mini conference era and didn't get a bid. And there were some teams in our league that went 13-3 but I don't know if the committee really knew strength of league schedule back then, because it was new. Now everybody has got an unbalanced one. So the committee I think is trained. But, again, get to the top -- with the team I have, is can we fight to that top half? Can we get to that top half? You get to that top half, you're getting in. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|