Has anybody heard or think that Sam Brunelle is leaning to ND?

[Charliebball]

Young and Ogunbowale. Mabrey on the wing when Nixon covers PG. Gilbert and Prohaska off the bench.

Taking wing to mean SG and SF (2 and 3) here.

interested to see Gilbert and Prohaska play in college................can't tell if they are going to be quality reserves or big time players for ND

 

[Dillon77]

interested to see Gilbert and Prohaska play in college......can't tell if they are going to be quality reserves or big time players for ND

...or players that mature, pickup/refine some skills and manifest them in the way ND plays offense. Gilbert's a combo guard, who has a good handle and drives to her right well (needs to work on the left). Fine mid-range jumper. Plus she and 2019 commit Anaya Peoples are tight as thieves from AAU ball. MM likens Gilbert to K-mac. If she even comes close to that, South Benders will be pleased.

Prohaska is a Brittany Mallory-Hannah Huffman spark-plug who seems to do everything for a good HS program. I hear she brings it has hard in practice as in games and that's something MM adores. We'll see if there's some scoring ability there, as well.

On one hand, the bigger splashes look to be in 2020, but have no trouble with any of the 2019'ers if there is continual development, improvement and contributions. I comment on Brunelle in detail below but am interested to see what happens with the rest of the prospects in which there's mutual interest.

 

[Dillon77]

I don't see Brunelle landing at Notre Dame. I don't think she's one of those "UConn or bust" girls, but I do think ultimately she'll end up there.

She's got 4 schools on her final 9 that are near home. If it were 1990, she might be going to UVA. If it were 2000, maybe Duke. But I don't see her passing up UConn in 2018.

She eliminated Stanford despite having the grades to get in. I don't think the academic prestige of Notre Dame is enough to lure her to South Bend.

But I was surprised when Brianna Turner picked Notre Dame. So maybe McGraw can pull off another coup with Brunelle.

Kat0189: Good post. I'd be interested in a bit more of your thinking on the "lure" not being enough.

I've written in posts in the past that I thought Brunelle was a UConn lean and I totally get and still understand why. However, having paid attention to Brunelle a bit more over the course of the last few months have made me be, well, a bit more optimistic for considering the Irish.

A lot of this has to do with Brunelle herself. She is taking in what she wants to and then making decisions. As you noted, she did this once with Stanford and then, saying "thanks but no thanks" to Louisville after visiting.

As for ND: She was part of the large group that went to ND and has been spotted in ND wear. That's probably part of the grand tour for folks like she and Paige B, but she did enjoy it. What's more of an interest to me is her active participation with ND-related social media and folks that pop up on them.

Hoops-wise, I'm on record as saying she'd do well working in either Geno's or MM's motion offense. However, the more I watch Shepard, Nelson and Westbeld move the ball to each other and/to from the guards as the season progresses, I can see Sam B. fitting in, taking that to another level, and, putting her own imprint on it.

It's interesting for an Irish fan to see our current posts flourishing offensively after Turner went down and Boley transferred. I thought Erin had a good frosh year and she was the "finisher" in whatever happened. What this version of offense does is emphasize all aspects and talents of the offensive tool kit of each player (to varying degrees). Brunelle could excel at all of them....for some reason, I think this would appeal to her tremendously.

Heck, while it's not early in the process, there's still some more day breaks ahead. Onwards and upwards.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

I never understood Coach McGraw's recruiting strategy of bring them to football games. Is she recruiting for the football team or the women's basketball team? Maybe this is why she can't land a #1 recruit?

All the big football schools do it.

 

[Orangutan]

interested to see Gilbert and Prohaska play in college......can't tell if they are going to be quality reserves or big time players for ND

My guesses are:

Prohaska: quality reserve
Gilbert: solid starter, though maybe not a star

Of the currently committed Irish, Peoples is the one that I have the highest expectations for.

Prohaska seems like someone who will be great for a team's culture and almost as valuable off the court as she is on it. She also fills a role for Muffet. She'll be the player Muffet subs in to send a message to a starter who isn't working hard enough i.e. "THIS is how hard you need to play".

I do think ND could use at least one more elite level recruit in '19. It's funny to say given that there are 3 McD's AAs in those two classes but I don't feel like ND got any superstars in the '17 or '18 recruiting classes (though Vaughn's potential is through the roof if it all comes together).

 

[BobbyJ]

Kat0189: Good post. I'd be interested in a bit more of your thinking on the "lure" not being enough.

I've written in posts in the past that I thought Brunelle was a UConn lean and I totally get and still understand why. However, having paid attention to Brunelle a bit more over the course of the last few months have made me be, well, a bit more optimistic for considering the Irish.

A lot of this has to do with Brunelle herself. She is taking in what she wants to and then making decisions. As you noted, she did this once with Stanford and then, saying "thanks but no thanks" to Louisville after visiting.

As for ND: She was part of the large group that went to ND and has been spotted in ND wear. That's probably part of the grand tour for folks like she and Paige B, but she did enjoy it. What's more of an interest to me is her active participation with ND-related social media and folks that pop up on them.

Hoops-wise, I'm on record as saying she'd do well working in either Geno's or MM's motion offense. However, the more I watch Shepard, Nelson and Westbeld move the ball to each other and/to from the guards as the season progresses, I can see Sam B. fitting in, taking that to another level, and, putting her own imprint on it.

It's interesting for an Irish fan to see our current posts flourishing offensively after Turner went down and Boley transferred. I thought Erin had a good frosh year and she was the "finisher" in whatever happened. What this version of offense does is emphasize all aspects and talents of the offensive tool kit of each player (to varying degrees). Brunelle could excel at all of them....for some reason, I think this would appeal to her tremendously.

Heck, while it's not early in the process, there's still some more day breaks ahead. Onwards and upwards.

I probably missed it since I don't follow ND closely but do you know whatever happened with Boley?

 

[Dillon77]

I probably missed it since I don't follow ND closely but do you know whatever happened with Boley?

Sure. After being granted a full release by ND, Erin Boley transferred to Oregon, where she is sitting out the year. Next season, she'll hop on the court and get perfect set-up passes from Sabrina Ionescu for that picture-perfect release of a jump shot. Miss having her on the Irish team, but have moved on (having Jessica Shepard this year helps immensely) and wish Erin the best next year, save for when the Ducks meet the Irish.

 

[robaust10]

Bruney as she calls herself, sure must be taking in how this year's freshman group has fared.

It takes a strong mental approach to play at Uconn.

And ND seems to have a more harmonious atmosphere.

And ....Not sure if a #1 recruit has ever followed two other #1s. Walker Williams ... Will that help or hurt?

 

[CocoHusky]

Bruney as she calls herself, sure must be taking in how this year's freshman group has fared.
It takes a strong mental approach to play at Uconn.
And ND seems to have a more harmonious atmosphere.
And ....Not sure if a #1 recruit has ever followed two other #1s. Walker Williams ... Will that help or hurt?

ND more harmonious than UCONN? You eyes are clearly deceiving you. ND top recruit is playing less than UCONN's top recruit.
ND has been struggling at the PG position since Thompson got hurt.
ND got curb stomped by Louisville.
ND has same number transfers as UCONN in the past couple of seasons.
ND had double digit 4th quarter lead against UCONN and couldn't seal the deal.
There is plenty of harmony at UCONN it is also a myth to think that it takes a weaker mental approach to play at ND than it does at UCONN.
When Chistyn Williams comes on board next year she will be the third #1 on the same roster for the first time ever-unless you count EDD, Tina & Maya for that very brief couple of days.

 

[JS]

When Chistyn Williams comes on board next year she will be the third #1 on the same roster for the first time ever

With the odd woman out being (for shame) a #3.

 

[UConnCat]

ND more harmonious than UCONN? You eyes are clearly deceiving you. ND top recruit is playing less than UCONN's top recruit.
ND has been struggling at the PG position since Thompson got hurt.
ND got curb stomped by Louisville.
ND has same number transfers as UCONN in the past couple of seasons.
ND had double digit 4th quarter lead against UCONN and couldn't seal the deal.
There is plenty of harmony at UCONN it is also a myth to think that it takes a weaker mental approach to play at ND than it does at UCONN.
When Chistyn Williams comes on board next year she will be the third #1 on the same roster for the first time ever-unless you count EDD, Tina & Maya for that very brief couple of days.

Ask Boley and Patberg about harmony.

 

[Tonyc]

If you really want to have an idea on how Sam feels about UConn watch for a couple of things. Number 1 is UConn and Geno spending time watching her play ... attending her games. Number 2 is Sam attending UConn games. The bottom line as is with every recruit. UConn will continue to set records and continue to develop players and continue to win NCs. The question is will recruits embrace that or go elsewhere. With or without any recruit UConn will continue to roll. Hey they did it this season without Lou in the lineup against some pretty good teams.

 

[Orangutan]

ND has been struggling at the PG position since Thompson got hurt.

Massey ranks ND #2 in offense. The Irish are one of 3 teams shooting over 50% on the season (UConn, Baylor). They are 4th among P-5 teams in Offensive Points per Possession (9th overall in D-1) while playing the 2nd-hardest schedule.

Not bad for "point guard by committee."

That's a minor quibble as I agree with your takeaway:

There is plenty of harmony at UCONN it is also a myth to think that it takes a weaker mental approach to play at ND than it does at UCONN.

 

[UConnCat]

There is plenty of harmony at UCONN it is also a myth to think that it takes a weaker mental approach to play at ND than it does at UCONN.

I think it is tougher to play at UConn than any other program. The banners hanging from the rafters and the names on the walls make it so.

 

[Tonyc]

Since the refs are no longer calling the flops ND has not had much success again UConn. ND had a bunch of wins against UConn with Diggins and with the Flops. Now without the flops ND hasnt been so successful against UConn. However imo right now and not considering the polls ND is the second best team in WCBB. Miss ST is a very close second to ND. Neither team can beat UConn when UConn is playing their A or B game.

 

[Dillon77]

Bruney as she calls herself, sure must be taking in how this year's freshman group has fared.

It takes a strong mental approach to play at Uconn.

And ND seems to have a more harmonious atmosphere.

And ....Not sure if a #1 recruit has ever followed two other #1s. Walker Williams ... Will that help or hurt?

ND more harmonious than UCONN? You eyes are clearly deceiving you. ND top recruit is playing less than UCONN's top recruit.
ND has been struggling at the PG position since Thompson got hurt.
ND got curb stomped by Louisville.
ND has same number transfers as UCONN in the past couple of seasons.
ND had double digit 4th quarter lead against UCONN and couldn't seal the deal.
There is plenty of harmony at UCONN it is also a myth to think that it takes a weaker mental approach to play at ND than it does at UCONN.
When Chistyn Williams comes on board next year she will be the third #1 on the same roster for the first time ever-unless you count EDD, Tina & Maya for that very brief couple of days.

Robaust10: I see you're a new member. Welcome aboard. And welcome to the give and take of The Boneyard: it might not be "harmonious" all the time (maybe even a bit discordant), but it's a source of news, a place to exchange ideas, viewpoints and information and even get a laugh or two. (And I'm from Notre Dame!).

So, my reply to your comment is a bit different: What do you mean by "harmonious?" To help me, I went to the dictionary:

tuneful; not discordant.
"harmonious music"

• forming a pleasing or consistent whole.
  "the decor is a harmonious blend of traditional and modern"
  "a harmonious blend of traditional and modern"
• free from disagreement or dissent.
  "harmonious relationships"

Everyone looks at a team with a different perspective and focus to be sure and we could bring in comments from Coco, UConnCat and Orangutan to address just these definitions.

1. I'd say that the UConn and ND's coaching staffs and players develop and demonstrate harmonious performances that "form a pleasing or consistent whole." You can look at statistics, as Orangutan did, or won-loss records of both teams and UConn's record of national championships. And then there's the eye test: when both teams play well, it's a joy to see.
2. Does this mean the teams are "free from disagreement or dissent?" No, of course not. Sometimes, the process of becoming harmonious as a team does not play out to all individuals' liking or tastes. So, there are transfers for these folks.
3. "Forming a pleasing or consistent whole" sometimes takes time and isn't pretty all the time. ND did lose a double-digit lead (of course, they also built one) to UConn, got stomped by Louisville and had to redo it's backcourt after Lili Thompson was injured. It took awhile to get everything together both offensively and defensively, but most folks affiliated with the program will point to the Louisville loss and Tennessee comeback as the turning point in ND's season. So, you can have an off-key night.
4. Coco answered the frosh experience by citing minutes. Last I checked, Megan Walker is averaging 16 minutes per game, which is a bit more than Mik Vaughn was playing before getting injured and about 3+ minutes more than Danielle Patterson. Vaughn was first off the bench before she got hurt, but both she and Patterson are playing with and behind solid upperclassman in the forward/post positions.
5. Discordant situations -- such as Lili Thompson's injury -- can also lead to some very harmonious situations. I think the fact that Marina Mabrey, Jackie Young and Arike Ogunbowale all now having to handle the ball has helped them learn about all the backcourt positions and make them more open distributors. Harmonious ones, even.
6. Lastly, I agree with Coco and Orangutan: you've got to be just as mentally and emotionally tough to play at ND. I've sat behind and above MM's bench over the years and it's not all kumbaya in there.

So, I'll appreciate each team's melody and harmony.

 

[Fightin Choke]

ND more harmonious than UCONN? You eyes are clearly deceiving you. ND top recruit is playing less than UCONN's top recruit.
ND has been struggling at the PG position since Thompson got hurt.
ND got curb stomped by Louisville.
ND has same number transfers as UCONN in the past couple of seasons.
ND had double digit 4th quarter lead against UCONN and couldn't seal the deal.
There is plenty of harmony at UCONN it is also a myth to think that it takes a weaker mental approach to play at ND than it does at UCONN.
When Chistyn Williams comes on board next year she will be the third #1 on the same roster for the first time ever-unless you count EDD, Tina & Maya for that very brief couple of days.

As a UConn fan, I don't think you want to compare transfers with Notre Dame, as over the past several years UConn has had far more transfers than Notre Dame. That window you chose was slightly disingenuous. However, I don't think that transfers are necessarily leaving because the team is not harmonious. Probably most players leave because they fear that they will not be getting enough playing time, and they want a chance to contribute in games. I cannot speculate on particular transfers, but that is probably the reason behind many of transfers from UConn/Notre Dame. Of course Erin Boley looked to be receiving lots of playing time, so Irish fans are really confused by her departure.

 

[Reypl21]

As a UConn fan, I don't think you want to compare transfers with Notre Dame, as over the past several years UConn has had far more transfers than Notre Dame. That window you chose was slightly disingenuous. However, I don't think that transfers are necessarily leaving because the team is not harmonious. Probably most players leave because they fear that they will not be getting enough playing time, and they want a chance to contribute in games. I cannot speculate on particular transfers, but that is probably the reason behind many of transfers from UConn/Notre Dame. Of course Erin Boley looked to be receiving lots of playing time, so Irish fans are really confused by her departure.

I feel like she couldn't handle Muffet's "tough love" when she would yank her out of the game for mistakes. She didn't have quick feet, and her defense was mainly the reason why she got yanked. She would have received great minutes this year, but it wasn't meant to be. I wonder how she's going to fit at Oregon next year. They are loaded at the 4 and 5 and their 3 is Sabally.

 

[mhshuskies]

Kat0189: Good post. I'd be interested in a bit more of your thinking on the "lure" not being enough.

I've written in posts in the past that I thought Brunelle was a UConn lean and I totally get and still understand why. However, having paid attention to Brunelle a bit more over the course of the last few months have made me be, well, a bit more optimistic for considering the Irish.

A lot of this has to do with Brunelle herself. She is taking in what she wants to and then making decisions. As you noted, she did this once with Stanford and then, saying "thanks but no thanks" to Louisville after visiting.

As for ND: She was part of the large group that went to ND and has been spotted in ND wear. That's probably part of the grand tour for folks like she and Paige B, but she did enjoy it. What's more of an interest to me is her active participation with ND-related social media and folks that pop up on them.

Hoops-wise, I'm on record as saying she'd do well working in either Geno's or MM's motion offense. However, the more I watch Shepard, Nelson and Westbeld move the ball to each other and/to from the guards as the season progresses, I can see Sam B. fitting in, taking that to another level, and, putting her own imprint on it.

It's interesting for an Irish fan to see our current posts flourishing offensively after Turner went down and Boley transferred. I thought Erin had a good frosh year and she was the "finisher" in whatever happened. What this version of offense does is emphasize all aspects and talents of the offensive tool kit of each player (to varying degrees). Brunelle could excel at all of them....for some reason, I think this would appeal to her tremendously.

Heck, while it's not early in the process, there's still some more day breaks ahead. Onwards and upwards.

But if she wants to be the best she can be, there is only one choice, UCONN!

 

[CocoHusky]

As a UConn fan, I don't think you want to compare transfers with Notre Dame, as over the past several years UConn has had far more transfers than Notre Dame. That window you chose was slightly disingenuous. However, I don't think that transfers are necessarily leaving because the team is not harmonious. Probably most players leave because they fear that they will not be getting enough playing time, and they want a chance to contribute in games. I cannot speculate on particular transfers, but that is probably the reason behind many of transfers from UConn/Notre Dame. Of course Erin Boley looked to be receiving lots of playing time, so Irish fans are really confused by her departure.

Fair enough. If you think I'm being disingenuous with my time frame I would argue that you are equally so by citing Erin Boley. Taya Reimer who not once but twice walked away from the Irish would be a better example of disharmony no?

 

[CocoHusky]

Ask Boley and Patberg about harmony.

Or Taya Reimer.

 

[kat0189]

Kat0189: Good post. I'd be interested in a bit more of your thinking on the "lure" not being enough.

I've written in posts in the past that I thought Brunelle was a UConn lean and I totally get and still understand why. However, having paid attention to Brunelle a bit more over the course of the last few months have made me be, well, a bit more optimistic for considering the Irish.

A lot of this has to do with Brunelle herself. She is taking in what she wants to and then making decisions. As you noted, she did this once with Stanford and then, saying "thanks but no thanks" to Louisville after visiting.

As for ND: She was part of the large group that went to ND and has been spotted in ND wear. That's probably part of the grand tour for folks like she and Paige B, but she did enjoy it. What's more of an interest to me is her active participation with ND-related social media and folks that pop up on them.

Hoops-wise, I'm on record as saying she'd do well working in either Geno's or MM's motion offense. However, the more I watch Shepard, Nelson and Westbeld move the ball to each other and/to from the guards as the season progresses, I can see Sam B. fitting in, taking that to another level, and, putting her own imprint on it.

It's interesting for an Irish fan to see our current posts flourishing offensively after Turner went down and Boley transferred. I thought Erin had a good frosh year and she was the "finisher" in whatever happened. What this version of offense does is emphasize all aspects and talents of the offensive tool kit of each player (to varying degrees). Brunelle could excel at all of them....for some reason, I think this would appeal to her tremendously.

Heck, while it's not early in the process, there's still some more day breaks ahead. Onwards and upwards.

Well, although I said I expected her to end up at UConn, I could still see Notre Dame being a close runner-up. And on second thought, after thinking on it a bit and snooping around more, I am better imagining her picking Notre Dame.

The timing is good for Notre Dame. After five straight Final Fours, they had two "early" exits from the past two NCAA Tournaments, but this season it looks like they're gaining momentum and are getting back to within striking distance of the top.

Anyway, the "lure" I referred to is two-pronged: Notre Dame being a wealthy private institution with lots of resources as well as its very distinguished academic reputation and standards.

That said, Stanford is definitely ranked higher for both of those. So logically I assumed those two prominent selling points would not be a huge factor in trying to tip the scale for Brunelle toward Notre Dame and away from UConn. Conversely, these seemed to be more influential in ultimately attracting Brianna Turner and Arike Ogunbowale (who were also courted by UConn) to South Bend, and their respective finalists sort of reflect that.

I also just think Geno is a stronger recruiter than Muffet and is hard to beat when he really wants a player. Given how early he offered Brunelle, it seems he'd made her a big priority in his recruiting efforts for the class.

But I agree with what another poster pointed out—landing the #1 recruit three years in a row is hat trick to pull off.

 

[cbraarj]

Like Charles, Moore and Delle Donne.