I was in the car today and turned the radio to Pat Dooley's show. I was glad I did, because he had Eric Hanson of the South Bend Tribune on the show to talk about Malik Zaire.
First, let me share how utterly painful it is to listen to Pat Dooley on the radio. I listened to his show for a total of about 10 minutes. I would have turned almost immediately if not for Hanson coming on the show. Dooley, in typical form, complained about his toilet being clogged at his house, his new dog not being house broken and the palm tree in his yard dying. The man literally never stops talking about himself and complaining.
Anyway, Hanson covers Notre Dame sports for the South Bend Tribune and had some interesting things to say about Zaire. He said that Zaire has a world of talent, not only with his legs, but also with his arm. According to Hanson Zaire has the tools for the deep game, but is better suited for mid range passes. He stated the obvious when he said that Zaire has had problems with consistency. One game he's a world beater and the next he is mediocre.
Hanson also said that Zaire is extremely confident in himself and his abilities. It was claimed that this heightened level of confidence makes him a natural leader and helps him perform on the big stage. It was said that Zaire is a great teammate as long as he is starting. However, Hanson claimed that when Zaire wasn't the starter he "pouted" and may have been a distraction in the locker room. It was not expressly stated, but it sounded as though Hanson felt that Zaire's attitude may have affected the coach's decision to start someone else.
It was also pointed out that graduate transfers often realize that this is the last stop and they are frequently able to correct flaws when they realize it is the last chance.
If true, I hope Mac can keep the personalities from clashing in the locker room.