Mid-Season Appreciation: Hannah Hidalgo
This post might appear to be redundant, but after seeing a tidbit here, a boxscore and stat sheet there and watching the games and replays, I feel inclined to give (even more) kudos to sophomore Hannah Hidalgo of Note Dame. She is having a remarkable season on all fronts: statistically, strategically and entertainally (even if there is no such word).
To wit:
- As noted in the attached tweet above, she is the first Irish player since Jewell Loyd to go for two 30-pt. games in a row.
Importantly for the Irish, both came on the road against rivals who very much had reasons to be up for the Irish. HH helped foil both teams' efforts.
Against Louisville, she shot 12-22 from the field and 8-8 from the FT line, along with 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals and gosh knows how many disruptions that led to turnovers or lousy possessions/rushed shots by Louisville.
- This performance, while slightly higher in points scored, is right in line with her season averages. As noted on television and elsewhere, this game was her fourth 30-point game of the season. To average 26 points a game and only score 30+ four times demonstrates remarkable consistency.
That helps the Irish overall knowing what HH is going to produce, game after game.
Overall, she's averaging 26.1 ppg, shooting just about 50% on the nose (175-349 overall) and 43% from three (45-106, one more attempt than Olivia Miles). She goes to the line a lot: 117 times. Luckily, she's drained 100 of them (86%), a very important source of points.
She and Olivia are both averaging 5.9 rebounds per game, with Sonia Citron at 5.3 rpg, so the guards wipe the boards. She has the second most assists on the team (72) and the most steals (75)...by far.
- Her intensity and ability to get going hard is a strategic advantage for Notre Dame, both at the start of the game and at any point during it.
I keep getting back to the words of the excellent ESPN commentator, Andraya Carter. Upon hearing Hannah say ND had to weather "the punch," Carter turned it around, saying "most teams have to weather Hannah Hidalgo---she's ND's punch." Carter noted most teams cannot simulate Hidalgo's intensity and speed in practice and she can blitz people early and often before they know what hit them. Schematic advantage -- just because of HH -- ND.
She can suddenly just turn it on. Against Louisville, what was that crazy 2nd half stat: she scored or assisted on 27 of ND's 29 points? She basically just escalated her already intense efforts, making them more efficient and, in effect, ended the game.
- She's a student of the game. Who can forget her jumping up and down on the sideline telling Cass Prosper to get the ball to Maddy Westbeld who had a size advantage over Curry? Prosper couldn't do it so threw a skip pass to Hannah, who dribbled into the lane to hit a shot-clock beating jumper. Hidalgo is a gifted individual who fits well into a team scheme.
- I really can't recall a player who does all this so consistently and it bewilders many that she's just 5'6" tall...which most die-hard fans don't even think about anymore. She truly loves the game and her team. There are not a lot of players that show their emotions like Hannah, but her enthusiasm is mostly a positive energy force for Irish teammates and fans.
- Lastly, a lot of talk recently about the value of Coach Ivey running set plays vs. an ISOapproach. In actuality, I think it's a bit more accurate to refer to what Coach Niele ivy instills as read and react, which incorporates ISO, pick and rolls/pops, etc.
For Hannah viewers, it's watch and react. And most of the times, it's with a smile.
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