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Notre Dame 2023-24 Season (merged)

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LoTrader said:
It was the game I was expecting. Game wasn't decided until the last few seconds. Congrats to ND for a great season. FYI, I wish Citron was a Beaver--she is such a gamer. Love watching her play.
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Agreed. Led Irish in scoring and rebounding (as a guard) and just about everything.
I thought the push to come back in the late 3rd and 4th (and OSU's taut defense on her) took a bit of a toll in the later part of the fourth: she was coming up short on a few jumpers. Still, she and Westbeld got ND back in that position.

For OSU, Donovyn Hunter and Timea Gardiner are keepers.

Good luck against South Carolina.....
 
Not much to say about the game. It will be a footnote in our history as the nose ring game.

Going forward, the only way we become truly elite is to have a big that can hold her own with any big. Marshall can’t and Watson is a health question mark. So NI has a big decision ahead of her. Does she stand pat with an unproven but highly regarded Freshman, or hit the portal. If she does she can’t afford another poor talent assessment like she made with Obinma. She needs to bring in a big that is a proven player from a major conference, not some second tier conference. This will be a big challenge, but it can be done. If she doesn’t bring in a big, it is a risk that we will be vulnerable inside again.

I’m really hoping Westbeld comes back. If she doesn’t, NI will have to find a reliable scorer/rebounder. Prosper can’t fill Westbeld’s shoes yet.

It will be fun to watch HH and OM together, but they aren’t rebounders. I hope NI can turn Prosper into an inside 10/10 points/rebounds player who can bang with any team. She’s tall, strong and athletic. We don’t need her 30 feet from the basket. We have three elite players in OM, HH and Sonia who can shoot from outside and beat people off the dribble and/or cut past them. We need rebounders and inside power.

Though Marshall is a wonderful representative of ND, she should be a 10 a game minute player, not a key big to be depended on. She’s simply too weak, is not a dependable scorer and plays small
for a 6’5” player. Whether she wants that is a big question, and Ivey may have to let her go.

Whatever happens we can’t be in a situation where we’re vulnerable to foul trouble because of a lack of depth. NI only signed one Freshman. So she has to hit the portal and accurately assess the talent. Let’s hope she does.

Our goal is to win a National Championship next year. With a few key pieces it’s possible. This is a pivotal year for NI. Let’s hope she can make the next step and bring another trophy back to SB.
 
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Frankus said:
Not much to say about the game. It will be a footnote in our history as the nose ring game.

Going forward, the only way we become truly elite is to have a big that can hold her own with any big. Marshall can’t and Watson is a health question mark. So NI has a big decision ahead of her. Does she stand pat with an unproven but highly regarded Freshman, or hit the portal. If she does she can’t afford another poor talent assessment like she made with Obinma. She needs to bring in a big that is a proven player from a major conference, not some second tier conference. This will be a big challenge, but it can be done. If she doesn’t bring in a big, it is a risk that we will be vulnerable inside again.

I’m really hoping Westbeld comes back. If she doesn’t, NI will have to find a reliable scorer/rebounder. Prosper can’t fill Westbeld’s shoes yet.

It will be fun to watch HH and OM together, but they aren’t rebounders. I hope NI can turn Prosper into an inside 10/10 points/rebounds player who can bang with any team. She’s tall, strong and athletic. We don’t need her 30 feet from the basket. We have three elite players in OM, HH and Sonia who can shoot from outside and beat people off the dribble and/or cut past them. We need rebounders and inside power.

Though Marshall is a wonderful representative of ND, she should be a 10 a game minute player, not a key big to be depended on. She’s simply too weak, is not a dependable scorer and plays small
for a 6’5” player. Whether she wants that is a big question, and Ivey may have to let her go.

Whatever happens we can’t be in a situation where we’re vulnerable to foul trouble because of a lack of depth. NI only signed one Freshman. So she has to hit the portal and accurately assess the talent. Let’s hope she does.

Our goal is to win a National Championship next year. With a few key pieces it’s possible. This is a pivotal year for NI. Let’s hope she can make the next step and bring another trophy back to SB.
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Good, honest post.

As per the center position. Niele is banking a lot on Kate Koval. You can read it on the lines. However, with Kylee Watson's rehab long and uncertain in time frame, I agree that she has to go after a top-flight post who will share time with Koval. I've got a few in mind, but let's see who else might pop up as all these tournaments winnow down.

The most essential personnel move actually belongs to Maddy Westbeld. If she chooses to come back, ND is in very good shape, to say the least. If not, add forward to the transfer portal scouting list.

And, I really want to see how Emma Risch is recovering from her hip surgery. If progressing well, that's the other long-distance threat. If there's a question, perhaps see if another player like Anna DeWolfe is in the portal: a grad transfer who is fine with lowering minutes and expectations in the hope of winning. As off as Obinma was, DeWolfe was a strike. All power to her and good luck in whatever she chooses next.

I'll pick this up in a few. Now, time to get ready for Easter. :D
 
For ND fans, how do you see OM and HH playing out next year position wise? Will one slide over to shooting guard or will they split duties?
 
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Heytherego said:
For ND fans, how do you see OM and HH playing out next year position wise? Will one slide over to shooting guard or will they split duties?
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In terms of who will be the primary floor general, I think that will be Miles. She is more of a pass first, orchestrate point guard. Plus, and this is a subtle but strong point, she's 5'10" or 4" taller than Hannah and can see "over" defenses a bit better. Her ability to deliver pinpoint skip passes and dimes to cutting wings (that would Sonia Citron most of the time) is tremendous.

However, I think you'll see them flip it from time to time, particularly in situations/games when it behooves Hannah to go downhill, whether in an ISO or off high picks.

Lastly..and ND does this already..you'll see both of them take a break on the sides while Citron or KK Bransford brings the ball up to start the half-court offense. But that doesn't mean they'll the prime facilitator, because the Irish offense gets into a weave pretty quickly.

So: 1) Miles; 1a) Hidalgo; 2) Citron or Bransford bringing it up to initiate the offensive sets.
 
WLT1717 said:
Future looking extremely bright for the Irish ☘️
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Can't begin to tell you how excited The Bench is to see Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron joined by Olivia Miles.
Hopefully, Maddy Westbeld will come back, too, to join incoming frosh Kate Koval.
 
Dillon77 said:
In terms of who will be the primary floor general, I think that will be Miles. She is more of a pass first, orchestrate point guard. Plus, and this is a subtle but strong point, she's 5'10" or 4" taller than Hannah and can see "over" defenses a bit better. Her ability to deliver pinpoint skip passes and dimes to cutting wings (that would Sonia Citron most of the time) is tremendous.

However, I think you'll see them flip it from time to time, particularly in situations/games when it behooves Hannah to go downhill, whether in an ISO or off high picks.

Lastly..and ND does this already..you'll see both of them take a break on the sides while Citron or KK Bransford brings the ball up to start the half-court offense. But that doesn't mean they'll the prime facilitator, because the Irish offense gets into a weave pretty quickly.

So: 1) Miles; 1a) Hidalgo; 2) Citron or Bransford bringing it up to initiate the offensive sets.
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I agree with this. Though not a shooter like Caitlin Clark, Miles resembles her in the way that she sees the entire court and is particularly good at threading the needle with longer passes. She is a better distributor than HH and Hannah-as well as everyone else- is going to get a lot of fast break layups off OM passes as well as open jumpers.
 
LoTrader said:
It was the game I was expecting. Game wasn't decided until the last few seconds. Congrats to ND for a great season. FYI, I wish Citron was a Beaver--she is such a gamer. Love watching her play.
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Hey LoTrader:
Now that we've bonded in the Sweet 16, similar question to you: Is everyone coming back for the Beavers?
Any newbies expected or people coming off injured reserve? I know this is an ND thread, but we've been trading back and forths....;)
 
Just a placeholder - Koval looked very solid in the McDonald’s game tonight. She’s going to make impact from day 1.
 
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WLT1717 said:
Just a placeholder - Koval looked very solid in the McDonald’s game tonight. She’s going to make impact from day 1.
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Per that point, it was this play that caught my -- and a lot of people's -- attention.
ND hasn't seen a seal (and deliver) like that since Jess Shepard posted in the paint.

 
KK Bransford Enters Portal out of Notre Dame.

Sophomore guard KK Bransford entered the portal out of Notre Dame.

Unfortunately, I can see why. With Olivia Miles and/or Hannah Hidalgo probably both moving into the starting line-up in ND's backcourt season, they'll take starting position-availability away from KK, as does Sonia Citron, who is returning for her senior year at wing. KK has two years of eligibility left and wants to get prime responsibilities. (Of course, one might say she was playing like a starter, but I can see the other point of view.)

Even off-the-bench minutes were not guaranteed, with Cass Prosper and Emma Risch both coming back from injury.
Prosper is know for her all-around athletic ability which leads to good defense and open-court rushes, while Emma Risch is a 6'1" sharpshoote.

Is Jenna Brown coming back for another year? Even if she is, Irish are, once again, running low on roster numbers and it could be time to scout the portal: I'd suggest looking at Saylor Poffenbarger who could play a tough and ready wing, who could allow Soni to shift over to the two from time to time. Or Maddie Scherr, who is a combo guard, who may want to play for a championship. Lastly, if Cass Prosper will play the "tough" guard role that Bransford filled, how about a younger form of Anna DeWolfe, like MacKenzie Hare from Marquette or Shay Ciezki, long-range bombers, to pare with Emma Risch, another shooter?

While it would be great to keep the whole gang together at ND for a big run in 2024-25, I can see why KK would want to get some guaranteed prime=time opportunity in this day and age.
 
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Is DeWolfe done?

With brown westbeld watson TBD, Irish are at 7, correct?
 
Vowelguy said:
Is DeWolfe done?

With brown westbeld watson TBD, Irish are at 7, correct?
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Yes, that was Anna DeWolfe's last year.

If KK Bransford goes somewhere else, Irish currently at 6:
1) H Hidalgo
2) 'Liv Miles
3) Soni Citron
4) Cass Prosper
5) Emma Risch
6) Kate Koval
with word to be heard on:
7) Maddy Westbeld
8) Kylee Watson
9) Nat Marshall
10) Jenna Brown.
 
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It looks like Ms. Hidalgo is not in the transfer portal. Straight from her (initially on her Instagram Story).
Ok, now to move onto the matters at hand: getting that roster from 7 scholarship players to, say, 10?

 
Dillon77 said:
It looks like Ms. Hidalgo is not in the transfer portal. Straight from her (initially on her Instagram Story).
Ok, now to move onto the matters at hand: getting that roster from 7 scholarship players to, say, 10?

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How about to 12 or 13? Tall task obviously.
Thanks Hannah, for shutting all of that down.
 
Reypl21 said:
How about to 12 or 13? Tall task obviously.
Thanks Hannah, for shutting all of that down.
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They're at 8, assuming Maddy is indeed coming back and including Kylee Watson, who is injured and probably won't play.
So, really 7. Niele hasn't played that many people and is very particular about who she wants on her team, so finding more than 3 folks in the transfer seems about as much as one will get.
 
One of my favorite ND players and alums is one Kayla Mcbride; a.k.a. K-Mac.
She's been named to the All EuroLeague first team and just helped Fenerbahce to the Finals of the Euro Tournament. Her performance was top-shelf.

 
Dillon77 said:
They're at 8, assuming Maddy is indeed coming back and including Kylee Watson, who is injured and probably won't play.
So, really 7. Niele hasn't played that many people and is very particular about who she wants on her team, so finding more than 3 folks in the transfer seems about as much as one will get.
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My prediction is Iriafen chooses South Bend and Niele’s biggest headache is figuring out how to best use one of the best backcourts in D1. The sky is the limit with Hannah Olivia and Soni healthy. It should be a great season!
 
I think Koval is the non-SC recruit that has surprised me the most in all star games. I think she'll make a strong impact next year. If you should also get Iriafen that would be a tremendous frontcourt upgrade.
 
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Maddy Westbeld (Finally) Announces She's Coming Back to Play for Irish in 2024-25




www.on3.com

Key player to return to Notre Dame women's basketball for fifth season

Notre Dame is retaining one of its best players for one more season in South Bend.
www.on3.com www.on3.com


In any case, huge and positive news for the Irish who now project a starting lineup of:
  • Olivia Miles
  • Hannah Hidalgo
  • Sonia Citron
  • Maddy Westbeld
  • Kate Koval
and
- Cass Prosper, Emma Risch: coming off the bench

With Kylee Watson injured and rehab time unknown, the Irish still need to hit the portal hard for depth.
 
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Olivia Miles Back with Irish Full-Time; Here She's Practicing with Hannah Hidalgo

If you take a look at the "'Liv" video within the X boxes, she throws one of what I consider her signature moves: a sidearm skip pass to the three-pt. line shooter (in this case, Hannah Hidalgo). Great to see those horn-rim glasses back on the court.

 
jdote33 said:
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Hey, thanks for posting!

Glad KK decided not to "go out the door" and stay in Joyce Center.
She brings a lot of versatility to the backcourt, from rebounding and defense to the ability to attack the basket and spell one of the lead guards by bringing up the ball from time to time.

So, this probably means that Coach Ivey is not going to be looking for any more guards at this point.
Here's the current roster make-up for ND. (Revised as of May 6)

1) H Hidalgo
2) 'Liv Miles
3) Soni Citron
4) Cass Prosper
5) Emma Risch
6) Kate Koval
7) Maddy Westbeld
8) KK Bransford
9) Liza Karlen
10) Liatu King
11)) Kylee Watson (apparently staying for Covid year, but injured due to ACL injury suffered in ACC Playoffs)
 
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Happy for KK and for Niele. Hopefully the current boot situation isn't long-term and heals relatively fast. She could use a summer of health and growth. She lost some of her explosiveness from her freshman year. I'm sure she'd like to get back to that, and develop a more consistent shot. If she can be a double digit scoring threat off the bench I think it's sets her up nicely to start her senior year.
 
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