How two fast-rising freshmen are making strong cases to start on a veteran Notre Dame men's basketball team

Mike Brey marveled at a stat about his 2022-23 Notre Dame men’s basketball team that feels especially on brand for his program. For 23 seasons as Irish head coach, Brey’s idea of roster building has centered on getting old and staying old. And if that means a high graduation rate or players sticking around to earn a second degree, well, that fits right into his employer’s values.

Notre Dame has 12 scholarship players. Six are enrolled in graduate school.

“I don’t know if there’s ever been a stat like that,” Brey said. “Half the team is getting a master’s.”

Two of the brightest stars of the six-week summer practice slate, though, were a pair of 18-year-olds who made strong cases for starting jobs after less than two months on campus. Ironically, the outlook for one of Brey’s oldest Notre Dame teams might hinge on how much production freshman guard J.J. Starling and freshman forward Ven-Allen Lubin can provide.

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Those two have already thrust themselves strongly in the mix to replace first-round draft pick guard Blake Wesley and departed fifth-year senior forward Paul Atkinson Jr. in the starting lineup, respectively. They’d be joining a trio of fifth-year seniors who will rarely step off the floor this year: guard Cormac Ryan, guard Dane Goodwin and forward Nate Laszewski.

“If you played tonight, you have the big three,” Brey said following Tuesday’s practice. “Would you start maybe two freshmen, Lubin and Starling? That’s a consideration.”

Notre Dame began summer practices in mid-June hoping that would be a realistic proposition by the end. A viewing of Tuesday’s hourlong practice – the 12^th and final on-court summer session – indicated that’s not only possible, but perhaps inevitable.

Starling was long seen as a possible Year 1 starter because of his pedigree. He is Notre Dame’s first McDonald’s All-American since Demetrius Jackson in 2013 and a five-star recruit. The Irish beat out Duke for him. He has appeared as a first-round pick in a couple early 2023 NBA mock drafts. He’s the headliner of On3’s No. 12-ranked 2022 recruiting class.

Notre Dame needed all those accolades to translate to instant contributions when Wesley and four-year starter Prentiss Hubb left. In a way, the Irish are trying to hit on the same bet twice in two seasons by giving a freshman guard starter’s minutes. Wesley left no doubt of his capability by the end of summer sessions. Starling did the same.

And he knows it. Asked when he felt he fit in, he answered mid-question.

“Day One,” Starling said.

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Starling’s and Wesley’s first impressions stood out in different ways, though.

Wesley wowed last summer with his burst off the dribble and explosiveness. Starling is an impressive athlete with a college-ready frame (6-foot-4, 180 pounds), but a tad below Wesley’s athleticism level. His court vision, playmaking skill, feel and confidence are evident. He’s an advanced scorer who can break down defenses off the bounce, hit tough jumpers and finish with either hand.

All told, he looked like a freshman in classification only. Brey said he has led Notre Dame in assists during the scrimmage portion of multiple practices.

“You saw Starling is certainly physically ready to do it,” Brey said. “What helps him fitting in with older guys – it’s a similar dynamic to Blake fitting in with older guys last year – is he’s really easy to play with.

“He’s very ready. Those three old guys know they need him.”

Starling’s early readiness is an important piece in Notre Dame’s bid to return to the NCAA tournament, even if it was always seen as a strong possibility. Lubin’s emergence as the possible starting center by July is the more surprisingly development, but no less crucial. Finding a forward to replace Atkinson was the most pressing task of the offseason.

Junior Matt Zona, who had played just 95 career minutes, is the only returner in the frontcourt. The Irish’s transfer portal efforts yielded no forwards, and not because they didn’t look there. They repeatedly came up empty, and in turn, put more pressure on Lubin and fellow freshman forward Dom Campbell to be ready to go right away.

Lubin, the No. 69 player in the 2022 On3 Consensus, has met the challenge.

“We’re going to need him,” Brey said. “One of the young bigs needs to step forward with Nate. He has been the one who’s probably been the most consistent all summer. Good passer, has length, can block a shot or two, can rebound. He is going to be a key.”

It’s faster than expected progress for a player who was mainly a wing in high school. Lubin is a sturdy 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, though, and looks like a fit as a smaller five. At this point, he’s more likely to snag a rotation role or starting spot this season than Campbell.

Lubin can stretch the floor and make 3-pointers. He can be a lob threat. Notre Dame guards often found him as a roller for easy layups and dunks. He has the leaping ability and motor to block shots as a help defender, as he did during Tuesday’s scrimmage where he chased down a guard in transition and swatted a layup from behind. Brey thinks he can be a back-to-the-basket threat too.

“Eventually, Lubin can give us some low-post scoring,” Brey said. “He’s still playing a little safe, and that’s OK. He’s playing with these old guys. But we have to get him ready when we run our motion like we did with Paul. Let’s run it and get Ven a low-post touch. Then read it. If you’re one-on-one, try and turn to get something at the bucket. I think he can bring that.

“Ven is our best candidate in that role.”

It might take time. It will certainly take learning. The freshman class’ appetite for the latter is still large even after the strides it has made so far.

“I don’t know everything,” Starling said. “I’m willing to learn. These guys have been here way longer than me. I’m under their wing and looking to learn, because I want to be ready to play when it comes time.”

In other words, he wants to get old fast.