A Mike Brey-coached Notre Dame team, stalwart defensively and a little ragged or molasses-like on the offensive end?
Even the Irish coach seemed a little bit stunned by how his team has developed en route to a surprising 3-1 record in the Big East and a 29-game home win streak, both of which will be tested immensely on Saturday against visiting No. 17 Connecticut.
“I think our defensive chemistry is better than our offensive chemistry,” Brey said Thursday. “We’re still kind of learning each other offensively and when to be aggressive. But defensively, we’re better. We understand each other, how to rotate. And we’re keeping people for the most part to one-and-done. Saturday morning, that’ll be a great challenge.”
Notre Dame has surrendered 70 points just once since Dec. 8. Part of that is tempo, with the Irish deliberately playing, well, deliberate on the offensive end. But opponents also are shooting just 39.5 percent in that span, suggesting the Irish are doing something well to make things difficult.
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Brey contends it’s a matter of positioning and team defense and the ability to rely on a tempo-changing zone. He said he stopped film of a certain possession against Louisville, showing how Irish defenders walled off a Cardinals offensive player, and told his team: “That’s art.”
“There’s a defensive confidence that we’re developing with the group that we can get stops and get in great body position,” Brey said.
Loose ball: Brey said forward Eric Katenda will arrive on campus Saturday and practice with the team beginning next week. The 6-foot-9-inch freshman was expected to contribute this season, but he lost sight in his left eye in a pickup game accident over the summer and then faced NCAA Clearinghouse issues that delayed his arrival.
“We’re looking for Eric to get in here Saturday night,” Brey said. “He’ll be in class, we hope we can get him started with us in practice Tuesday and Wednesday and then really evaluate him as practice guy.
“I’m not going to make him available to the media until during the summer. Let him get his feet under him. I know it is a great story. It should be a great story. But he’s got a lot of challenges.”