BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: NOTRE DAME

October 27, 2006


COMMITMENT ALERT: Tim Abromaitis (F), Farmington, CT.


Projected 2007-2008 Roster


Seniors: Robert Kurz (F)
Juniors: Ryan Ayers (F/G), Kyle McAlarney (G), Zack Hillesland (F), Luke Zeller (BF/C)
Sophomores: Luke Harangody (BF), Tory Jackson (PG), Jonathan Peoples (G), Joe Harden (WF)
Freshmen: Carlton Scott (F), Tyrone Nash (F), Ty Proffitt (G), Tim Abromaitis (F)

Farmington (CT) native Tim Abromaitis becomes the third player this week to commit to Mike Brey and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, joining Tyrone Nash and Ty Proffitt, both whom committed earlier in the week, and Carlton Scott in the 2007 Irish class to date. The Hartford Courant reports on the story of Abrom aitis Committing to Notre Dame.

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It is another commitment, seemingly out of nowhere, for Notre Dame that comes as a surprise. Tim Abromaitis chose the Irish this week, after a weekend visit, over Northwestern, Penn, Princeton, Yale, Bucknell, Rice and Lafayette. Abromaitis is an excellent student (obvious by the level of academic institutions interested in his skills) who is your classic high-integrity student-athlete. He is not too shabby on the basketball court either as the 6'6 forward averaged 26 PPG and 10 rebounds a contest as a junior. He matches that high acadmic intellect with a high basketball IQ that he combines with a deft shooting touch that makes him a typical Notre Dame recruit under Mike Brey.

The Irish still have one scholarship left for 2007. With just one senior on the 2007-2008 projected roster, that means a limited supply of scholarships for 2008 as well. The Irish still need to land a Big East body for the center position, in my mind, a player that will alter and block shots and rebound from the post. The available talent at the position is pretty well picked over at this point, but we did not really see Carlton Scott, Ty Proffitt or Abromaitis on the Irish radar either until they committed.

To be honest, I really thought the Irish needed a little more in this class. Individually, each of the four commitments to this point sound like solid players that can contribute in the Big East, and I really to like Ty Nash and his potential. However, you get a sense at how far behind some of the other top schools in the Big East Notre Dame is recruiting when Proffitt (from Louisville) and Abromaitis (from Connecticut) never got a look from the local Irish Big East rivals.

The make-up of this potential roster still leads me to believe that the Irish will have tough times ahead against the Big East style of play. The need more physical players and full court athleticism to move up in the conference. They have a good group of skill players that fit into Mike Brey's system and style, but when the chips are down and the Big East game becomes a possession by possession grind where a defensive stop or big rebound is needed, do the Irish have the make-up to get it done? That is the question that will need to be answered with this group of players in the future.




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