Meet the 2013 Hoops Freshman Class

The men's basketball recruiting class of 2013 has a legitimate chance to be the best recruiting class in the Mike Brey era. The 4-man class is impressive in both its high-end talent as well as its positional balance. All four of them are also pretty engaging and well-spoken in front of a mic and camera, certainly more than 18-year-old alstein ever would've been. I'm very much looking forward to this class gel together and rack up a lot of wins in the next four years. The sky is really the limit for these four young men. Enjoy!

VJ Beachem

Meet The Freshmen, V.J. Beachem - Notre Dame Men's Basketball (via NotreDameAthletics)

The Fort Wayne area product has been overshadowed since Jackson joined the program, but this is a kid with great talent and potential out on the wing for the Irish program. And if he keeps sporting shirts like the one in the video, he will not go unnoticed for much longer. He's very laid-back in this interview, and I think that fits him on the court as well, as he made everything look easy in his high school career. Don't be surprised if he is ready to contribute sooner rather than later.

Demetrius Jackson

Meet The Freshmen, Demetrius Jackson - Notre Dame Men's Basketball (via NotreDameAthletics)

The acclaimed point guard from Mishawaka headlined this class and is set to be a team leader for the next four years. He was a must-get for Mike Brey, who essentially followed Jackson around for much of his high school and AAU career, a recruitment that is likely to pay off big time with the face of the program in the fold. I have to admit, I chuckled when the soft-spoken Jackson said that he is "very outgoing". I'll take him at his word that behind closed doors, he may very well be. He has likely been a team leader his entire basketball career, so I'm sure it's a part of who he is. That said, this is a very well-spoken, grounded kid with absolutely elite talent, a combination that we all wish occurred more often.

Steve Vasturia

Meet The Freshmen, Steve Vasturia - Notre Dame Men's Basketball (via NotreDameAthletics)

The sharpshooting Vasturia, named Pennsylvania's Gatorade Player of the Year last year for boys' basketball, is foolishly under the radar in my opinion. He will shoot the lights out for Notre Dame and is an ideal compliment to Jackson for the next few years. One thing that is common in all these interviews is that each prospect indicated that they are building very strong rapport with one another: living together, hanging out, practicing, all that good stuff. All four seem to fit with one another on and off the court, and you can't ask for anything more at this stage of their careers.

Austin Torres

Meet The Freshmen, Austin Torres - Notre Dame Men's Basketball (via NotreDameAthletics)

Apparently Torres did not get the memo that he was going to be on camera this day. His dress code oddly fits his on-court persona, as the hard-nosed, attack-the-rim big man from Mishawaka has had a chip on his shoulder ever since switching his commitment from Central Michigan to Notre Dame last winter. He is very eager to prove that he was not just a throw-in with Jackson nor is he an afterthought in this otherwise highly recruited class. With a strong rotation already in place for 2013-2014, Torres is likely going to have to wait a year to bring his hard hat and lunch pail to the ACC.