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Notre Dame Basketball: MBB will boast a balanced lineup in 2021-22

By Brad Weiss

Jan 4, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Prentiss Hubb (3) and forward Nate Laszewski (14) react after their game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Prentiss Hubb (3) and forward Nate Laszewski (14) react after their game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame Basketball program will have a balanced lineup on the Men’s side in 2021-22, boasting a blend of vets and youth.

While the Notre Dame Basketball season on the Men’s side ended in an embarrassing loss to the University of North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, there were some positives. This is a team that shocked everyone by beating Florida State to close out the regular season, and they came back for a stunning victory against Wake Forest in the first round on Tuesday night.

During this strange pandemic year, the Notre Dame Basketball team banded together, weathered a ton of storms, and came out on the other side as a unit that could be in for a special 2021-22 season. Led by numerous juniors, including third-team All-ACC point guard Prentiss Hubb, and Most Improved Player of the Year candidate Nate Laszewski, the foundation is set for the Irish to make a run to the NCAA Tournament next year.

Notre Dame Basketball balanced on Men’s side in 2021-22

One thing this Irish team can do is score, and they are getting most of their playmakers back next season. That is going to prove huge in crucial points of the game, and as we saw during the 2020-21 campaign, it seemed like there was a different guy who stepped up every night, and nearly all of them are coming back.

Juwan Durham and Nikola Djogo are both leaving, as their eligibility is up, but the rest of the team is returning for another go-around. Also, they are adding three quality guys to the program this offseason, two local stars at the high school level, and the most accurate shooter in Yale program history as a transfer.

Blake Wesley plays his high school ball right in South Bend, and J.R. Konieczny plays for St. Joseph, and both are rated as top-10 players in the state of Indiana. That is pretty high praise, and both bring an exciting skill set to the program that is going to help this team on both ends of the court.

During his time at Yale, Atkinson became the team’s Most Valuable Player, shot well over 60 percent from the field, and proved he can rebound, something this team was certainly missing against North Carolina.

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While another year on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament is a tough pill to swallow, this is going to be a senior-laden team in 2021-22, and that kind of experience will go a long way if they can punch their ticket to the tournament. This group coming in, along with the group returning could be a special collection of talent, and that is going to be huge for Mike Brey, whose seat is getting warm in South Bend.