Notre Dame 2021-2022

[BobbyJ]

Funny you should ask. I took a look at Michaela Mabrey's account and found two names: Brittany Smith of UCF and Kateri Poole of Ohio State. Poole, incidentally, is following Mabrey, ND WBB, Nat Marshall and incoming frosh KK Arnold Bransford.

I also found some new high schoolers of note, but I'll save that for a rainy day.

Arnold? Phone or computer glitch?

 

[Dillon77]

Arnold? Phone or computer glitch?

Ha! Good catch! Must've been a computer glitch (at least I hope on my part ) I'm pretty excited about either of the KK's. It will be interesting to see how Bransford meshes with Miles and Citron again, her buddies from the U.S. u-16 team in Chile.

 

[HuskyMJ]

Kate could have two years (heck, possibly even more). She was granted a redshirt in 2018-19 and in her only full season,, 2019-20, was named to ACC All Freshman Team. She only played 9 games in 2020-21 (which was a freebie) and only got on the court for five games in 2021-22 due to injuries and personal reasons (This probably could be counted as a "non-year," but who knows with the NCAA?).

As @jbc021592 and I know/have commented, Kate and Anaya Peoples are tight (Anaya escorted Kate on Senior Night), so once Anaya announced her transfer, it was a pretty good bet, Kate was moving on. Will they try to play together at another school? Or will they see were the best opportunities -- academic, athletic or otherwise (Kate is graduating) -- lead them?

Well now that Anaya picked DePaul, and you mention how Anaya and Kate are tight, plus how it has been reported Kate is not on the Notre Dame team going forward I was thinking could DePaul use Gilbert? Then again maybe she is giving up basketball? Portal deadline is May 1st if you don't want to sit out a year.

 

[Orangutan]

Arnold? Phone or computer glitch?

If you type two Ks on the Boneyard, the board auto-inserts "Arnold".

I joked in another thread that folks mentioning Ms. Bransford will have to use her given name of "Calyn" instead.

 

[Dillon77]

Jenna Brown Commits to Notre Dame....again. Stanford to ND Pipeline Continues

Jenna Brown, who once committed to Notre Dame when being recruited out of high school in Atlanta, before changing her mind and attending Stanford, is now set to take a grad year and play for Notre Dame.

For those keeping score, she is now following Lili Thompson, Marta Sniezek and Maya Dodson. Well, go with what you know, right?

And for those who remember, her committing/decommitting set in motion the crazy point guard situation that only became settled once Olivia Miles came to ND. Ironically, Miles chose ND over Stanford (among other schools). Once Brown committed/decommitted, the Irish pg line-up included: Jordan Nixon, Marta Sniezek, Dara Mabrey, Alasia Hayes and, now, Miles.

Brown, who is eligible for one grad year in 2022-23, will presumably back up Miles for the most part and allow Ivey to court a point guard from the Class of 2023.

Brown's arrival will give the Irish seven scholarship players in 2022: Brown, KK Bransford (arriving freshman), Miles, Mabrey, Sonia Citron, Nat Marshall and Maddy Westbeld. Most Irish watchers expect/hope for a post/forward to join the team.

Jenna Brown is Irish

5-10 guard from Stanford will don blue and gold

und.com

 

[DefenseBB]

So how many places do We have to Rehash this in all 3 threads? Transfer thread, New landing spot thread and now this thread? That’s a lot of discussion for a player who only played in 2 seasons in 52 games and a whopping total of 8 min for those 52 games averaging 2 pts, 1 assist, 1 turnover at a position the Irish are already stacked at. But yes you need “bodies” but is she really moving the needle? I think not….

 

[HuskyMJ]

Did Notre Dame pursue the other Stanford point guard jana van gytenbeek? I liked her and she doesn't have the injury issues that Brown had and she has shown some nice shooting from 3 in limited minutes. Brown just seems like the easier pick up because there is pre-existing relationship and she was once committed to the Fighting Irish but I would have rolled the dice and tried to get Jana instead to continue the Stanford pipeline to ND

 

[Dillon77]

Did Notre Dame pursue the other Stanford point guard jana van gytenbeek? I liked her and she doesn't have the injury issues that Brown had and she has shown some nice shooting from 3 in limited minutes. Brown just seems like the easier pick up because there is pre-existing relationship and she was once committed to the Fighting Irish but I would have rolled the dice and tried to get Jana instead to continue the Stanford pipeline to ND

@DefenseBB : Per your observation: "...at a position the Irish are already stacked at."

The move is all about playing time (and lack thereof). Let's set the stage: Olivia Miles is Notre Dame's floor leader. She's going to be on the floor most of the time. And, yes, Miles is the reason this transaction is not the biggest deal the Irish need to make this off-season.

Yet, I believe Miles was wearing down a bit when Niele had her out on the floor 35 minutes, so the coaching staff wanted to find someone good enough to spell her. That person was not Dara Mabrey.

However, Olivia Miles is only a sophomore next year and will get the bulk of the minutes for the next three years. Van Gtytenbeek wants playing time and lots of it, I presume. She wasn't going to get it backing up Miles. Brown, to the best of my knowledge, only has one year left to play. So, she gets started on a masters, backs up Miles for 10-12 minutes per game (which is a heck of a lot more than she was not playing), gets coached hard by Ivey and is a bridge to the 2023 point guard that ND is trying to land (see Hannah Hidalgo, Lisa Thompson, etc.).

The most important move Coach Ivey needs to make is finding someone to play the middle for the Irish.
Would like to see her roll the dice on that and find someone who can spend multiple years in South Bend.
Don't want to see the Irish fill this year's needs with all grad transfers and then have to do this again next year to some degree.

Thanks for both your points. Always happy to discuss Irish hoops on the one concentrated thread for this team.

 

[Orangutan]

So how many places do We have to Rehash this in all 3 threads? Transfer thread, New landing spot thread and now this thread? That’s a lot of discussion for a player who only played in 2 seasons in 52 games and a whopping total of 8 min for those 52 games averaging 2 pts, 1 assist, 1 turnover at a position the Irish are already stacked at. But yes you need “bodies” but is she really moving the needle? I think not….

What does it matter if it gets posted into a few different threads?

If you don't care about the posts just keep it moving.

 

[HuskyMJ]

However, Olivia Miles is only a sophomore next year and will get the bulk of the minutes for the next three years. Van Gtytenbeek wants playing time and lots of it, I presume.

You are right because it looks like Jana has just committed to Baylor which loses their starting point guard Jordan Lewis. although Sarah Andrews could play point guard or Asberry but either way she has a shot at more minutes. I look forward to hearing which post players will fill in for Maya Dodson through the portal

 

[DefenseBB]

What I am interested in is if Angel Reese is visiting South Bend as has been rumored this week/weekend. That would be a potential game changer in a good way for ND. Where is all the intel on that?

 

[jbc021592]

What I am interested in is if Angel Reese is visiting South Bend as has been rumored this week/weekend. That would be a potential game changer in a good way for ND. Where is all the intel on that?

Who said this?!?!

 

[JellyBean]

OMG! The Irish adding Kylee Watson too!! Things didn't work out in Oregon, for whatever reason, but moving on to Notre Dame. I wish this young lady nothing but the best and great addition Coach Ivey and Notre Dame!!

 

[Dillon77]

I look forward to hearing which post players will fill in for Maya Dodson through the portal

OMG! The Irish adding Kylee Watson too!! Things didn't work out in Oregon, for whatever reason, but moving on to Notre Dame. I wish this young lady nothing but the best and great addition Coach Ivey and Notre Dame!!

• Notre Dame was a finalist for Watson when she was in high school/AAU. Very well known to Niele Ivey, who was then heading up recruiting for Muffet McGraw. Watson attended what Benchers dub "Nielefest," the gathering of top recruits at ND.
• Watson played AAU ball for the (then) Philly Belles, a team Notre Dame has long had ties with.
• With Maya Dodson moving on and Nat Marshall recovering from another knee surgery (although not deemed as serious as the first one, knock on wood), Watson will get a solid opportunity for serious playing time. She and Marshall would make an interesting complementary pair in the post.
• ND post coach Carole Owens (pictured below with her arm around Watson) quietly does a solid job. Her students include: Natalie Achonwa, Bri Turner, Jess Shepard and Dodson, among others. Once again, good situation for Watson.

 

[Dillon77]

Lauren Ebo just commits to Notre Dame.

• Good get for the Irish. Solid post play at Texas last year and will help clog middle with Kylee Watson.
• Was recruited out of high school by then Penn State HC, now Irish assc. head coach, Coquese Washington. Must've been a good relationship because she's joining Coach Q again.
• This will also allow Nat Marshall time to recuperate from latest knee surgery and come back on her schedule.

 

[JellyBean]

Lauren Ebo just commits to Notre Dame.

• Good get for the Irish. Solid post play at Texas last year and will help clog middle with Kylee Watson.
• Was recruited out of high school by then Penn State HC, now Irish assc. head coach, Coquese Washington. Must've been a good relationship because she's joining Coach Q again.
• This will also allow Nat Marshall time to recuperate from latest knee surgery and come back on her schedule.

Coach Ivey building something special over in South Bend, Indiana. Wow! Getting Ebo to sign is nice!

 

[TheFarmFan]

Coach Ivey building something special over in South Bend, Indiana. Wow! Getting Ebo to sign is nice!

I think I'd use the word "assembling" rather than building since, at the moment, she's still accumulating pieces but we have no idea yet how they will all gel. Whether she builds them into a great structure remains to be seen...

 

[UConnCat]

Coach Ivey building something special over in South Bend, Indiana. Wow! Getting Ebo to sign is nice!

Four ND players transferred out after the '21-22 season. ND has replaced them with 3 players from the portal, one who hasn't played in 2 years and has one remaining year of eligibility, and another who is on her 3rd school and also has one remaining year of eligibility. Ivey is bringing in one '22 recruit.

Question: how is that "building" something? I suppose Watson, who has 2-3 years of eligibility, could be part of building something if she plays better at ND than she did at Oregon.

 

[bballnut90]

Four ND players transferred out after the '21-22 season. ND has replaced them with 3 players from the portal, one who hasn't played in 2 years and has one remaining year of eligibility, and another who is on her 3rd school and also has one remaining year of eligibility. Ivey is bringing in one '22 recruit.

Question: how is that "building" something? I suppose Watson, who has 2-3 years of eligibility, could be part of building something if she plays better at ND than she did at Oregon.

Citron/Miles is a fantastic core to build around for 3 more years and she's filling in the pieces to make them a Final Four contender next season. Building a program around 2-3 really good players and filling voids via the portal seems to be a new philosophy for numerous coaches.

 

[UConnCat]

Citron/Miles is a fantastic core to build around for 3 more years and she's filling in the pieces to make them a Final Four contender next season. Building a program around 2-3 really good players and filling voids via the portal seems to be a new philosophy for numerous coaches.

The reference was to signing Ebo as evidence of "building." As mentioned above, "assembling" is a more apt description of the recent signings.

Before signing transfers Notre Dame was down to a roster of 5 scholarship players. One '22 recruit is coming in and the other 3 are as I've described. The '23 class will show whether Ivey is building something.

 

[Stymie]

Four ND players transferred out after the '21-22 season. ND has replaced them with 3 players from the portal, one who hasn't played in 2 years and has one remaining year of eligibility, and another who is on her 3rd school and also has one remaining year of eligibility. Ivey is bringing in one '22 recruit.

Question: how is that "building" something? I suppose Watson, who has 2-3 years of eligibility, could be part of building something if she plays better at ND than she did at Oregon.

More like jury-rigging a roster together.
When players decide to leave, you do the best you can with what’s available.
Once the dust settles, ND will be about where they were last year-IMHO

 

[UConnCat]

Once the dust settles, ND will be about where they were last year-IMHO

Maybe. Dodson turned out to be an ideal post player for ND and will be missed. I'm not sure what to expect from Ebo. In her last game for Texas (v Stanford) she played 39 minutes and didn't score a basket. Not one. She doesn't really fit ND's up-tempo style. The guard depth will be a freshman and a player who hasn't played in 2 years and before that averaged 8 mpg. Miles and Citron are terrific.

 

[JellyBean]

Good Lord. "Building/Assembling" it doesn't matter. Coach Ivey is putting together a ND squad this is going to be problem.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Good Lord. "Building/Assembling" it doesn't matter. Coach Ivey is putting together a ND squad this is going to be problem.

Sure, and Harper put together a squad at TN last season that was going to be a problem, until it wasn't. Same with Brenda at MD. Remember the DeShields super class at UNC that self-combusted? Any of Holly's teams brimming with A-A's at TN? Aston's teams at TX? Even Oregon over the last two seasons has had tons of top recruits and they've flailed the entire time.

Point is, it's one thing to get recruits, it's another to coach them into a team. It's certainly possible they will be a problem this season, but ND was stacked with top recruits last season and their season, in the end, was fine but historically meh for ND. I'm not sure that Ebo, Watson and Brown are any more notable than Dodson, Peoples, Brunelle, Prohaska, and/or Gilbert were

 

[sivad40]

Sure, and Harper put together a squad at TN last season that was going to be a problem, until it wasn't. Same with Brenda at MD. Remember the DeShields super class at UNC that self-combusted? Any of Holly's teams brimming with A-A's at TN? Aston's teams at TX? Even Oregon over the last two seasons has had tons of top recruits and they've flailed the entire time.

Point is, it's one thing to get recruits, it's another to coach them into a team. It's certainly possible they will be a problem this season, but ND was stacked with top recruits last season and their season, in the end, was fine but historically meh for ND. I'm not sure that Ebo, Watson and Brown are any more notable than Dodson, Peoples, Brunelle, Prohaska, and/or Gilbert were

Last season Notre Dame wasn't ranked in preseason Top 25 by most polls. Having missed the NCAAs the previous season (technically 2 seasons if not for the Covid cancelation), they had lost the benefit of the doubt of being ranked within the Top 15 no matter what personel losses they have. I'm assuming they have gained it backed after this past season.

Top 25 women's college basketball preseason rankings for 2021-22: Why UConn opens at No. 1

Stanford is the reigning champ. South Carolina is No. 1 in the AP Top 25. But with perhaps the deepest roster in program history, UConn opens on top.

www.espn.com

AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll

The official page for the AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA women's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2025-26 season.

apnews.com

SI’s Preseason Women's Top 25 for 2021–22

Familiar faces lead the way, but don't overlook the upstart programs hoping to continue to make waves.

www.si.com

Preseason Top 25 women's basketball team outlooks

Defending champion Stanford returned key players Haley Jones and Cameron Brink. Runner-up Arizona picked up transfer Taylor Chavez from Oregon.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Stymie]

Last season Notre Dame wasn't ranked in preseason Top 25 by most polls. Having missed the NCAAs the previous season (technically 2 seasons if not for the Covid cancelation), they lost the benefit of the doubt of being ranked within the Top 15 no matter what personel losses they have.

Top 25 women's college basketball preseason rankings for 2021-22: Why UConn opens at No. 1

Stanford is the reigning champ. South Carolina is No. 1 in the AP Top 25. But with perhaps the deepest roster in program history, UConn opens on top.

www.espn.com

AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll

The official page for the AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA women's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2025-26 season.

apnews.com

SI’s Preseason Women's Top 25 for 2021–22

Familiar faces lead the way, but don't overlook the upstart programs hoping to continue to make waves.

www.si.com

Preseason Top 25 women's basketball team outlooks

Defending champion Stanford returned key players Haley Jones and Cameron Brink. Runner-up Arizona picked up transfer Taylor Chavez from Oregon.

www.usatoday.com

I will say Miles is quite a baller.
She’s got a glide in her step, aggressive and pushes the envelope.
Smart too,
I’d take her on my team any day of the week

 

[jbc021592]

I was doing a little digging on social media (Instagram), and Jadyn Donovan currently now follows over half the ND women's team except for: Miles, Marshall, Citron, and Brown. She also follows the coaches and one that is quite unexplainable: their video coordinator James Spinelli. I have followed her Instagram follows for over a year. She has just recently followed ND transfers Lauren Ebo and Kylee Watson. She also follows the Mabrey's little brother Ryan (she has for months). If this is not a sign, I do not know what is... I do not want to speculate, but.... if she is following those ND players/coaches/video coordinator (most recently), then I do not know what then.

 

[Stymie]

UCONN already has 2 commitments from top guards in that class.
And we should be concerned about Jadyn because?
Apparently ND will be her selection.
And the band plays on...

 

[jbc021592]

Just got confirmation that ND has a top recruit visiting campus in the near future.

 

[jbc021592]

ND will play Maryland at home on Thursday 12/1/22 as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.