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A few quick tidbits from Notre Dame's first basketball practice in preparation for the Irish's trip to Ireland beginning Aug. 12 with a redeye flight out of Chicago, landing early on Aug. 13 in Dublin.
- Sophomore forward Carleton Scott -- who sat out last year as a redshirt -- said he is fully healed from a foot injury suffered just before the NCAA Tournament last year. Scott said he started playing on it a couple weeks ago and that he's fully healthy.
- Junior guard Jonathan Peoples was wearing a brace on his right knee and had a procedure done to alleviate tendonitis in the knee, an ongoing issue for the Illinois native. Peoples also lost the cornrows he had last season and looks to have lost significant weight.
- Junior forward Luke Harangody looks bigger than last year -- both in height and in physique. He even joked that he's been telling people he's a little bigger.
- Sophomore forward Tyrone Nash also looks more confident and improved. During one stretch of practice, he took the ball at Harangody three times and either scored or was fouled each time. Mike Brey seemed happy with the spurt but wants him to do it more consistently and be a "lunch pail" guy for this year's team.
- Transfers Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin were not at the practice and per NCAA regulations cannot practice with the team or go to Ireland.
- Notre Dame had new practice jerseys with many of the players comparing them to the Boston Celtics, even comparing Scott to James Posey and making Brian Scalabrine and Eddie House references.
- Senior forward Luke Zeller also looks to be a weight room beneficiary -- and more confident shooting from the outside.
- Notre Dame spent part of the first practice session working on helpside defense -- a constant theme of the seasons we've covered Brey.
- While Harangody may have grown, his energy and passion hasn't changed. After one play, he got real angry when someone missed a rebound. Then, after having Zeller make a three-pointer over him, he yelled and banged his hand against a padded wall in The Pit. New assistant coach Anthony Solomon walked over, patting Harangody on the butt and joked "Don't hurt that hand now."
- Showing that it's still August, someone forgot to tighten the rims in The Pit, making for somewhat of a comedic show after dunks. The rim would usually end up contorted from its usual position until a player fixed it and the drill or scrimmage would continue.
Brey said the rims in The Pit aren't usually like that.
- Brey almost became a first-day injury casualty. During a 5-on-5 drill he was officiating, he ended up in the way of Harangody and Zeller running upcourt. He tried to move, spun, almost fell but piroutted out of the manuever. Afterward he joked the right guy (Harangody) ran into him.
- Tory Jackson's shot looks more consistent -- and that he has more confidence in it than previous seasons.
- The practice also showed a peak of a potential starting five: Jackson, McAlarney, Zach Hillesland, Zeller and Harangody. Brey said he'll start different lineups for each half of each game in Ireland to give his players and his team a feel. Also, it'll likely begin to give him an idea of which on-floor combinations might work best.
- The Irish will practice twice Tuesday.
