Our recruit and return series continues with a look at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who did not make the NCAA tournament. Here's a look at what 2018-19 might bring:
Possible 2018-19 starting five:
G: T.J. Gibbs
G: Dane Goodwin
G: Rex Pflueger
F: D.J. Harvey
F: John Mooney
Who is lost: Bonzie Colson, Matt Farrell, Martinas Geben and Austin Torres all completed their senior seasons in 2017-18.
Who is added: The 2018-19 season will represent a new era in Notre Dame basketball, with mainstays like Colson and Ferrell absent from the starting lineup for the first time in years. That's hardly news to coach Mike Brey, who has responded to this passing of the guard by going out and signing an unusually large recruiting class. As a result, the Fighting Irish will start the season with no fewer than four freshmen plucked from the back half of the 2018 ESPN 100: Nate Laszewski, a 6-foot-9 power forward; Dane Goodwin, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard; Robby Carmody, a 6-foot-4 small forward; and Prentiss Hubb, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard.
What it means for next season: Just within the past four seasons, Notre Dame has been able to replace talents as accomplished as Jerian Grant and Demetrius Jackson without, seemingly, skipping a beat. So, it would probably be premature to doubt Brey's ability to replace Colson and Ferrell. Still, next season's version of the Irish, while downright ancient by Duke or Kentucky standards, is going to be notably young by ND's lights. Regardless of which starting lineup Brey settles on, for example, it's likely there will be sophomores and, yes, freshmen carrying important minutes in the rotation. With so many players who are either new to their roles or new, period, the importance of returning starters Gibbs and Pflueger will be larger than it otherwise would be. Gibbs made a great leap forward as a sophomore shooting guard, and his proven ability to distribute the ball could presage a role next season as a scoring point guard.
Trending: Neutral. The Irish didn't have the season they would have had in 2017-18 had Colson and Ferrell remained healthy. Just the same, Notre Dame very nearly posted a .500 record in ACC play and, once the two seniors had returned, beat an NCAA tournament-level opponent (Virginia Tech) in the ACC tournament. That sounds about right for a somewhat younger ND team in 2018-19.