Now that the men's college basketball season is officially over, Notre Dame must replace the production of guards TJ Gibbs and Rex Plueger for the 2020-21 season and beyond.
Due to a lack of depth on the roster, the pair combined to start in 63 of 64 games this season and were on the court 78 percent of the time (more often than not, together). Gibbs and Plueger combined to average 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.
The good news is that Notre Dame should have plenty of experience returning on the perimeter in 2020-21, with four players with at least two years of college basketball experience. Albeit, two have been sidelined during their careers due to injuries or were forced to sit out due to after transferring to South Bend.
Assuming Notre Dame does go after a couple of graduate transfers, it will make more sense to go after players who can play the point and in the low post.
Dane Goodwin
Over the past two seasons, shooting guard Dane Goodwin has been a beacon of consistency, especially during his sophomore campaign, where his scoring numbers improved across the board.
In 2019-20, his scoring improved by 4.4 points per game (to 10.8 points per game), while Goodwin took almost two more shots per contest. He also became a more efficient scorer from two-point range (39.7 to 48.3 percent), three-point range (34.3 to 37.7 percent) and from the free throw line ( 77 to 83.3 percent).
This increased his true shooting percentage (according to Sports Reference, “a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account field goals, 3-point field goals, and free throws”) from a slightly below average 49.1 to a very good 55.1 percent.
But can the 6-6 shooting guard make a similar jump in his third year? Or more realistic, what if Goodwin continues to score at such an efficient mark while attempting more shots per game? That could make him a borderline All-ACC contributor.
Nikola Djogo
In his fourth year at Notre Dame, Nikola Djogo saw action in 25 games but averaged a career-low 5.7 minutes per contest, despite the Fighting Irish only having a rotation of seven players.
But after redshirting his freshman year, Djogo has a year of eligibility remaining and head coach Mike Brey has already said the 6-7 wing is invited back for next season.
In 2019-20, his shooting numbers also hit an all-time low. Despite shooting almost nothing but three-pointers, Djogo made an abysmal 11.1 percent of attempts taken from beyond the arch.
Starting in 2020-21 seems out of the question, but could Djogo be a spark off the bench and at least a respectable three-point shooter?
Brey must be hoping so. Otherwise, why invite him back?
