Notre Dame Basketball New Guys: Nate Laszewski

Get ready to welcome a new deep threat to Notre Dame basketball.

Over the next five weeks I’ll take a look at each of the Notre Dame basketball program’s incoming freshman. First up on the hit list is the most heralded of the group: Nate Laszewski.

One thing that should be said almost immediately is, Irish fans are going to love this kid. He is going to be “the next guy” for Notre Dame basketball in my opinion. Temple Gibbs is going to be ‘the guy” for the at least the next year while these incoming freshmen are developed, but after that, expect this to become “Nate’s team.”

Laszewski, a 6’10 stretch four, is a player who has described himself as someone who “loves to do what he does best — shoot the three.”

If I had to make a quick, early comparison of his game to a recognizable player from recent college basketball, it would be Tyler Lydon of Syracuse.

Laszewski is a player that embodies where basketball is headed. A player built for the four out systems that are starting to trickle down from the current NBA’s most powerful squads. Mobile big men who can shoot, rebound and defend on the perimeter.

The first featured quality — shooting — is a forgone conclusion. This will be his most immediate contribution on a team that will eagerly welcome it, given the program’s recent losses offensively. You can expect nights where the Connecticut native comes off the bench and puts on a display from deep. He shoots the ball as if he was formerly a guard and grew into the power forward position.

It is those second two items that will need to be developed. Though he is a legit 6’10, he is also only 190 lbs. The ACC is a conference that features some of the best big men in the country — coupled with officials that tend to let them play. Right now Laszewski simply doesn’t have the physique required to bang around with those guys in the paint. Expect him to make strides during his sophomore campaign after a year in a college weight and nutrition program. He has a frame that can take on some good weight.

The perimeter defense is something that is difficult to gauge. In the games I have seen him play this past winter, Nate was typically an interior defender. I don’t believe this will be the case in college. Defense is generally the largest learning curve for freshman. When stepping into the college ranks — the ACC in particular — it typically doesn’t happen quickly.

Laszewski will be asked to defend the perimeter, given teams such as Duke, North Carolina, Miami, Georgia Tech, Boston College and Virginia Tech are all expected to be playing a heavy amount of four out lineups next season. In those instances it would also be unwise to expect him to defend the five man on those squads for reasons given above. Match-ups with Dewan Huell, Kerry Blackshear, Sterling Manley, Marques Bolden and Nik Popovic may prove to be problematic for the freshman.

What to expect: He is going to have some nights of brilliance during year one, of that I have zero doubt. His ability to shoot will most likely be on display in the out of conference slate as well as against teams who struggle to defend the arc (Virginia Tech). However, I also expect there to be some nights with the typical growing pains. Don’t expect him to be a great defender out of the gate, but he will contribute on the defensive glass in certain match-ups.

Next: Irish Make the Cut for Kentucky Transfer

Laszewski’s long-term upside is something that all Irish fans should be optimistic about, given Notre Dame’s history of player development under Mike Brey. I would expect Nate to start making big contributions during his sophomore campaign.