http://collegebasketball....m/content.asp?CID=942702
<font face="verdana" size="4">Irish hope to repeat success with transfers</font> <noscript> <h1>Irish hope to repeat success with transfers</h1></noscript> <p class="byline">Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Basketball Staff Writer</p>
Notre Dame's biggest successes during Mike Brey's coaching tenure have come in part because of players who began their careers elsewhere.</p>
Ryan Humphrey transferred from Oklahoma and played on two NCAA tournament teams at Notre Dame before getting drafted in the first round. Notre Dame made its lone Sweet 16 appearance during the Brey regime in 2003 after former Maryland guard Dan Miller scored 23 points in a 68-60 second-round victory over Illinois.</p>
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</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><font size="1">Ben Hansbrough played two seasons at Mississippi State.</font></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The Irish now need their tradition of transfers to pay off once again.
Notre Dame must replace at least three starters - maybe four - as it attempts to bounce back from a season in which it ranked among the nation's biggest disappointments. After rising as high as seventh in The Associated Press poll, Notre Dame (21-15) tied for ninth place in the Big East and failed to make the NCAA tournament.</p>
The Irish's chances of getting back to the NCAA field next season depend in large part on whether former Purdue guard Scott Martin and former Mississippi State guard Ben Hansbrough can make instant contributions.</p>
Brey said he believes the two newcomers can do just that.</p>
"You have old guys [coming in] who have played in the NCAA tournament and who have played a lot of college games," Brey said. "You're not injecting freshmen in there. They'll be immediate-impact guys."</p>
Brey's track record with transfers isn't perfect. Dennis Latimore came from Arizona and never really lived up to expectations during a 2004-05 season that ended with a first-round loss to Holy Cross in the NIT.</p>
But the performances of Humphrey and Miller suggest Notre Dame is a place where transfers can fit in seamlessly. Brey's previous results with transfers have made Martin and Hansbrough confident they can make a successful transition, even if they weren't quite familiar with that history when they started considering Notre Dame.</p>
"I knew a little about it, but not a ton," Martin said. "Coach Brey really filled me in about it when I was here."</p>
Both newcomers already have plenty of Division I experience. Martin averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 21.9 minutes as a freshman at Purdue. Martin, a 6-foot-8 guard, was the Boilermakers' third-leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer.</p>
</p> <div style="padding: 6px; float: right; width: 400px;"> <table align="right" cellspacing="0" width="400"> <tbody> <tr style="padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-size: 8.5pt; color: white; font-weight: 900;"> <td style="padding: 4px;" colspan="7">Continuing the tradition?</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;" colspan="6">Notre Dame guards Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin are hoping to continue Irish coach Mike Brey's successful history with transfers. Here's a look at how Hansbrough and Martin fared at their former schools.</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#F6F6F8"> <td style="padding: 4px;" colspan="6">BEN HANSBROUGH AT MISSISSIPPI STATE</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">SEASON</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">PPG</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">APG</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">FG PCT</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3PT PCT</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3PT</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">2006-07</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">7.3</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">2.8</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.429</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.440</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">47</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">2007-08</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">10.5</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3.5</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.415</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.358</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">62</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">Totals</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">8.8</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3.3</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.421</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.380</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">109</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#F6F6F8"> <td style="padding: 4px;" colspan="6">SCOTT MARTIN AT PURDUE</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">SEASON</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">PPG</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">RPG</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">FG PCT</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3PT PCT</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3PT</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">2007-08</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">8.5</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3.8</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.373</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.313</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">26</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div>Hansbrough, a 6-3 guard who is the younger brother of former North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough, played two years at Mississippi State. He averaged 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in his final season with the Bulldogs, and he has shot 38 percent from 3-point range in his career.
The duo spent the past year rooming together while going through a similar experience unique to transfer students. While sitting out a year of competition under NCAA rules, Hansbrough and Martin could participate in practices, but they couldn't join their teammates on road trips unless they paid for their own transportation and lodging. For example, Martin sat on Notre Dame's team bench for a 67-62 loss to Ohio State at Indianapolis, but only because he drove himself to the game. Hansbrough and Martin often would watch road games from the giant-screen TV in the Notre Dame locker room.</p>
Having a teammate going through a similar situation helped; it also helped to have a coach who had been through the process with other players.</p>
"I'm surprised at how much I was a member of the team," Martin said. "Coach did a great job of making us feel at home. The hardest part was game days, going in knowing you weren't going to be able to play."</p>
Of course, they could practice against their new teammates. And that's one reason Martin and Hansbrough believe the Irish can exceed expectations next season.</p>
Notre Dame likely will be picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big East next season, particularly if star forward Luke Harangody doesn't return for his senior season. Harangody, the Big East's top scorer and second-leading rebounder each of the past two seasons, has until June 15 to decide whether to pull his name out of consideration for the NBA draft.</p>
Even if Harangody stays in school, the Irish still must replace Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers, Zach Hillesland and Luke Zeller. That quartet averaged a combined 35.6 points and 13.8 rebounds last season.</p>
A look at the roster suggests Notre Dame could have a tough time replacing that kind of production. A look at Notre Dame's practices this season might tell a different story.</p>
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</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><font size="1">Scott Martin played one season for Purdue.</font></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>"I feel we've worked very well together, this new group coming in," Hansbrough said. "This second team played a lot against the first team [in practice]. Ask Coach Brey. There were days we'd be busting their butts just like they were busting our butts."
Hansbrough and Martin also have similar styles to two of the departing seniors, which ought to allow them to make a smoother transition. As a 6-8 guard with the ability to shoot the 3-pointer (he went 26-of-83 from beyond the arc as a freshman), Martin should step in for Ayers, a 6-7 swingman. Martin is a stronger rebounder, Ayers the better shooter.</p>
Hansbrough shot a combined 109-of-287 from 3-point range in his two seasons at Mississippi State. His shooting ability will help fill the void created by the departure of McAlarney, who made 124 3-pointers this season to break his school record.</p>
Although Hansbrough won't match McAlarney's accuracy from the outside, he believes he has more facets to his game that he didn't show at Mississippi State, where 63 percent of his baskets came from beyond the arc.</p>
"I've worked on my shot a lot, but I've also worked on getting to the bucket a little more," Hansbrough said. "Kyle's the best shooter I've ever been around. I'm not going to come in and be a shooter like Kyle, but I feel I can do different things. I'll be able to go to the hole and be more of a creator. I feel like being in this program gives me more of a chance to do that than I did at Mississippi State."</p>
Hansbrough has put his time off to good use by adding seven pounds while also dropping body fat since arriving on campus. Martin also has spent the year making himself a better player.</p>
They're anxious to show the Big East just what they've learned in their time away from the public eye.</p>
"It was definitely tough," Martin said. "I'm a competitor. I want to play every day."</p>
Martin's about to get that chance. So is his roommate.</p>
<font face="verdana" size="4">Irish hope to repeat success with transfers</font> <noscript> <h1>Irish hope to repeat success with transfers</h1></noscript> <p class="byline">Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Basketball Staff Writer</p>
Notre Dame's biggest successes during Mike Brey's coaching tenure have come in part because of players who began their careers elsewhere.</p>
Ryan Humphrey transferred from Oklahoma and played on two NCAA tournament teams at Notre Dame before getting drafted in the first round. Notre Dame made its lone Sweet 16 appearance during the Brey regime in 2003 after former Maryland guard Dan Miller scored 23 points in a 68-60 second-round victory over Illinois.</p>
</p> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="258"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="252">
Notre Dame must replace at least three starters - maybe four - as it attempts to bounce back from a season in which it ranked among the nation's biggest disappointments. After rising as high as seventh in The Associated Press poll, Notre Dame (21-15) tied for ninth place in the Big East and failed to make the NCAA tournament.</p>
The Irish's chances of getting back to the NCAA field next season depend in large part on whether former Purdue guard Scott Martin and former Mississippi State guard Ben Hansbrough can make instant contributions.</p>
Brey said he believes the two newcomers can do just that.</p>
"You have old guys [coming in] who have played in the NCAA tournament and who have played a lot of college games," Brey said. "You're not injecting freshmen in there. They'll be immediate-impact guys."</p>
Brey's track record with transfers isn't perfect. Dennis Latimore came from Arizona and never really lived up to expectations during a 2004-05 season that ended with a first-round loss to Holy Cross in the NIT.</p>
But the performances of Humphrey and Miller suggest Notre Dame is a place where transfers can fit in seamlessly. Brey's previous results with transfers have made Martin and Hansbrough confident they can make a successful transition, even if they weren't quite familiar with that history when they started considering Notre Dame.</p>
"I knew a little about it, but not a ton," Martin said. "Coach Brey really filled me in about it when I was here."</p>
Both newcomers already have plenty of Division I experience. Martin averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 21.9 minutes as a freshman at Purdue. Martin, a 6-foot-8 guard, was the Boilermakers' third-leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer.</p>
</p> <div style="padding: 6px; float: right; width: 400px;"> <table align="right" cellspacing="0" width="400"> <tbody> <tr style="padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-size: 8.5pt; color: white; font-weight: 900;"> <td style="padding: 4px;" colspan="7">Continuing the tradition?</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;" colspan="6">Notre Dame guards Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin are hoping to continue Irish coach Mike Brey's successful history with transfers. Here's a look at how Hansbrough and Martin fared at their former schools.</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#F6F6F8"> <td style="padding: 4px;" colspan="6">BEN HANSBROUGH AT MISSISSIPPI STATE</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">SEASON</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">PPG</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">APG</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">FG PCT</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3PT PCT</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3PT</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">2006-07</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">7.3</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">2.8</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.429</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.440</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">47</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">2007-08</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">10.5</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3.5</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.415</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.358</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">62</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">Totals</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">8.8</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3.3</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.421</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.380</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">109</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#F6F6F8"> <td style="padding: 4px;" colspan="6">SCOTT MARTIN AT PURDUE</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">SEASON</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">PPG</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">RPG</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">FG PCT</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3PT PCT</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3PT</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;">2007-08</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">8.5</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">3.8</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.373</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">.313</td> <td style="padding: 4px;">26</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div>Hansbrough, a 6-3 guard who is the younger brother of former North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough, played two years at Mississippi State. He averaged 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in his final season with the Bulldogs, and he has shot 38 percent from 3-point range in his career.
The duo spent the past year rooming together while going through a similar experience unique to transfer students. While sitting out a year of competition under NCAA rules, Hansbrough and Martin could participate in practices, but they couldn't join their teammates on road trips unless they paid for their own transportation and lodging. For example, Martin sat on Notre Dame's team bench for a 67-62 loss to Ohio State at Indianapolis, but only because he drove himself to the game. Hansbrough and Martin often would watch road games from the giant-screen TV in the Notre Dame locker room.</p>
Having a teammate going through a similar situation helped; it also helped to have a coach who had been through the process with other players.</p>
"I'm surprised at how much I was a member of the team," Martin said. "Coach did a great job of making us feel at home. The hardest part was game days, going in knowing you weren't going to be able to play."</p>
Of course, they could practice against their new teammates. And that's one reason Martin and Hansbrough believe the Irish can exceed expectations next season.</p>
Notre Dame likely will be picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big East next season, particularly if star forward Luke Harangody doesn't return for his senior season. Harangody, the Big East's top scorer and second-leading rebounder each of the past two seasons, has until June 15 to decide whether to pull his name out of consideration for the NBA draft.</p>
Even if Harangody stays in school, the Irish still must replace Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers, Zach Hillesland and Luke Zeller. That quartet averaged a combined 35.6 points and 13.8 rebounds last season.</p>
A look at the roster suggests Notre Dame could have a tough time replacing that kind of production. A look at Notre Dame's practices this season might tell a different story.</p>
</p> <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="258"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="252">
Hansbrough and Martin also have similar styles to two of the departing seniors, which ought to allow them to make a smoother transition. As a 6-8 guard with the ability to shoot the 3-pointer (he went 26-of-83 from beyond the arc as a freshman), Martin should step in for Ayers, a 6-7 swingman. Martin is a stronger rebounder, Ayers the better shooter.</p>
Hansbrough shot a combined 109-of-287 from 3-point range in his two seasons at Mississippi State. His shooting ability will help fill the void created by the departure of McAlarney, who made 124 3-pointers this season to break his school record.</p>
Although Hansbrough won't match McAlarney's accuracy from the outside, he believes he has more facets to his game that he didn't show at Mississippi State, where 63 percent of his baskets came from beyond the arc.</p>
"I've worked on my shot a lot, but I've also worked on getting to the bucket a little more," Hansbrough said. "Kyle's the best shooter I've ever been around. I'm not going to come in and be a shooter like Kyle, but I feel I can do different things. I'll be able to go to the hole and be more of a creator. I feel like being in this program gives me more of a chance to do that than I did at Mississippi State."</p>
Hansbrough has put his time off to good use by adding seven pounds while also dropping body fat since arriving on campus. Martin also has spent the year making himself a better player.</p>
They're anxious to show the Big East just what they've learned in their time away from the public eye.</p>
"It was definitely tough," Martin said. "I'm a competitor. I want to play every day."</p>
Martin's about to get that chance. So is his roommate.</p>
