Mike Brey Notebook: Feb. 15
Tomorrow will mark one month from the day Notre Dame freshman wing DJ Harvey went down with a bone bruise Jan. 16 against Louisville.
After a few weeks of rehab, Harvey is nearing a return to the court.
Harvey will be a full-go at practice over the next two days and will be a game-time decision Saturday for Notre Dame’s road matchup with Boston College.
“We’re trending the right way,” Irish head coach Mike Brey stated today. “I think there’s a good chance we can get him back on the floor and help our depth Saturday.”
There was a sigh of a relief inside the Irish program when it was learned Harvey suffered just a bone bruise given the recent epidemic of knee injuries in sports and in South Bend with the women’s program.
Harvey’s potential return will give the Irish another scoring option along with helping spread out minutes amongst the perimeter players. In the five games before the injury, Harvey was averaging 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds.
“He gives you flexibility because he’s another perimeter guy,” Brey explained. “When he was play we’re playing him as a stretch-four. He rebounds for us. He has the ability to score. Another offensive weapon who can physically rebound for us. I’m hoping we can get him into shape to help us Saturday.
“I don’t know if he can sit there and get you 12 points and 7 rebounds like he’s capable of doing and has done a couple of times. To have another body out there and a guy who can drive it, has the ability to make a shot … There will be some break-in period. Hopefully we can help with some of that.”
The freshman has been able to do some conditioning with the program’s zero-gravity treadmill and shooting drills to keep that up during the injury.
“Tuesday we went some 3-on-3 full court … I thought his conditioning was okay,” Brey stated. “He needs to get better … These two days are really important to see where he is physically. We need a good day of getting up-and-down 5-on-5.”
Brey also mentioned Harvey would not start on Saturday if he does wind up playing.
COLSON UPDATE
Notre Dame continues to get good news on the injury front as senior forward Bonzie Colson had an x-ray on Wednesday and is out of the boot he was wearing to protect the fracture he suffered in late December.
Colson isn’t cleared to return to practice, but is able to shoot and begin doing some light work on his conditioning.
“He can’t do anything just with his own body weight,” Brey said. “It’s all that [anti-gravity] stuff and the bike. He’s been very religious. Tony Rolinski has had him on a program even when he had the boot on … But, of course running after you haven’t run in eight weeks is a lot different.
“Again, as excited as he wants to be to come back in help us, we will be really cautious. We will sit down and talk about before we really cut him loose. There haven’t been any basketball movement for a while, so we have to be careful.”
Adding Colson back to the lineup before the start of postseason is the hope for the Irish, but Brey continues to state he won’t rush Colson back to the court until he is 100 percent. Colson’s mindset of returning soon is okay with Brey however.
“I haven’t even talked to him, but I love it,” Brey said. “I think it is good and he needs it. It’s good for his frame of mind to keep saying he will be back. I think the middle of next week we have to have a real talk and talk with doctors and look where he’s at and feeling after he jobs on it a little bit.”
With a 5-8 league record, Notre Dame needs all the help it can get to make a push for the NCAA Tournament. Brey doesn’t have any doubts that a healthy and productive Colson would sway the opinion of the NCAA Tournament committee.
“Him coming back and being able to show him as a contributing guy especially with his numbers and status, that would be helpful in that room,” Brey stated. “But, we got to do more in W column before we can use him as a carrot.”
ROAD WOES/BOSTON COLLEGE
Notre Dame has not won a road game in the ACC since taking down Syracuse 51-49 on Jan. 6 going 0-5.
In order to make a run for the NCAA Tournament, the Irish will need to pick up road wins down the stretch. Scoring has been a problem for Notre Dame during that stretch.
Notre Dame beat Boston College 96-85 in South Bend earlier this month and Brey knows the Irish offense will have to play well in order to pick up the victory.
“The one thing about these guys last time was we were able to score,” Brey said. “They are very gifted offensively and very good at home. Hopefully, we can hold a guy under 46 points this time. We’re going to have to score and get into an offensive rhythm.
“We’ll put John Mooney back in the starting lineup … Hopefully he can keep giving us a punch. Then you just hope you can keep that perimeter from scorching you too bad.”
Boston College guard Jerome Robinson torched the Irish for 46 points in the first outing.
“We’ll probably play some different guys on him and not just a steady diet of Rex all the time,” Brey explained of the team’s strategy to slow down Robinson. “I think our big guys when he comes off ball screens and dribble handoffs, which he is so good at, we need to hang around a little bit longer and get him to give it up.”
WINNING TIME
Brey knows it. His team and staff know. Everyone knows it. In order for the Irish to make the NCAA Tournament, the wins need to start coming. Five games remain including three road games with the Irish needing to go 4-1 to finish .500 in league play.
If the Irish want to avoid having to win the ACC Tournament to make it to the big dance, a strong finish in the regular season is needed.
“I talked to them about that,” Brey stated. “I said we have another Saturday-Monday turnaround and we’ve 0-2 and 1-1. Maybe we can get to 2-0 on this one … We’re going to have to start doing some things to actually be realistically in the discussion.
“We are 2-2 on this back nine, so they know exactly where we are. You got to have a little bit more on the resume. If you go up there and have to win Brooklyn, that’s a heck of a steep climb especially if you are playing on Tuesday. Right now, unless we can make a move we’ll play on Tuesday.”
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