After a successful 2010 basketball season, Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey will be losing several key components to a team that went 27 – 7 and finished second in the Big East. The Irish will be hoping to fill those spots Tuesday when forward Eric Katenda (Wichita, Kan. /Sunrise Christian) announces his college destination.
The 6-foot-9 senior will be choosing between Wake Forest and Notre Dame tomorrow afternoon at a press conference in Wichita, Kansas.
Katenda spoke earlier this week about his recent visit to South Bend and his thoughts on the Irish basketball program.
“It went really well,” Katenda said of his Notre Dame visit. “I learned a lot about the program. I really got a chance to know what the coach expects of me and what it would be like if I went there."
It wasn't just basketball talk, as the standout forward also learned more about Notre Dame's strong academics. He was also able to see how well he fits in with the current players on the roster.
“I learned a lot about their academic program," Katenda said. "I learned a lot about the guys and how much they like the coach.”
Wake Forest and Notre Dame are coming at Katenda with vastly different recruiting pitches. Katenda spoke about those two pitches, and what he has been hearing from each school.
On Notre Dame:
“He (Brey) told me that with the skill set I have, I have a chance to play in the Big East right away. But he has a couple players above me like Tim Abromaitis and Carleton Scott, who might be coming back. He said I would learn from them before I got a chance to play, but he thinks I could learn from those guys instead of just being thrown into the Big East.”
On Wake Forest:
“Wake will give me a chance to play right away and starting depends on me. It’s just a matter of how much I work out, but they never offered me a starting spot.”
The decision for Katenda won't be an easy one. He will have to choose between the opportunity for early playing time at a school trying to rebuild or a more established program looking to reload their roster. Tomorrow, fans of both programs will find out which pitch worked the best.
