Notre Dame 2025-2026 Regular-Season Thread.

[JellyBean]

It was great to see DeJesus do a favor for her Alma Mater in help sinking that evil blue school from Orange County NC. Glad to see she her getting to play major minutes and contributing in her final college season.

Huge fan of Vanessa de Jesus. From her days at Sierra Canyon on over to Duke and now ND. She is a tough, smart young lady who understands the game.

 

[JellyBean]

Ivey on hot seat?

I don't get why would she be on the hot seat. She has a top five recruiting class coming next season. Some interesting prospects for '27 are on the radar. Coach Ivey is slowly putting her vision and fingerprints on the ND program, and they are heading in the right direction.

 

[DefenseBB]

It was great to see DeJesus do a favor for her Alma Mater in help sinking that evil blue school from Orange County NC. Glad to see she her getting to play major minutes and contributing in her final college season.

Isn’t she like 30? Seriously, isn’t this her 6th year of college? I thought she was HS class of 2020 with Paige….

 

[Dillon77]

My main concern is for ND to lose on Monday when I am in attendance....

Perfectly understandable. Hannah plays well, as you know, against UConn, but she doesn't have her two buddies this year, Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld (sigh). On the other hand, a certain guard with the initials PB isn't around.... 😉

 

[Dillon77]

Isn’t she like 30? Seriously, isn’t this her 6th year of college? I thought she was HS class of 2020 with Paige….

Think she's taking the Ali Patberg approach to college......

 

[oldude]

Perfectly understandable. Hannah plays well, as you know, against UConn, but she doesn't have her two buddies this year, Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld (sigh). On the other hand, a certain guard with the initials PB isn't around.... 😉

While ND doesn’t have the horses it had in the prior 3 meetings vs UConn (all ND wins), UConn’s Achilles heel so far this season, without PB, has been turnovers and HH leads the world in steals. Yes UConn is loaded and playing at home. But I’m feeling a level of agita that I haven’t had against any other team this season.

 

[cancontent]

Isn’t she like 30? Seriously, isn’t this her 6th year of college? I thought she was HS class of 2020 with Paige….

She was out for one season due to injury. If you factor the COVID year and the redshirt for injury, the math works out.

 

[DefenseBB]

Perfectly understandable. Hannah plays well, as you know, against UConn, but she doesn't have her two buddies this year, Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld (sigh). On the other hand, a certain guard with the initials PB isn't around.... 😉

Yup and she also doesn’t have her other “buddy” OM either ….😜

 

[Dillon77]

Yup and she also doesn’t have her other “buddy” OM either ….😜

Touche.

The most exciting and gratifying win of the three @oldude mentioned in his post just above was the middle one, which was also played at Storrs.

Olivia Miles and Cass Prosper were both injured and out for the year, so the Irish were playing with a shortage of players (again). Yet Hannah Hidalgo (34) and Maddy Westbeld (23) put on a clinic on how to run the pick and roll/pop; aided and abetted (always) by Sonia Citron (15), with unexpected help from Nat Marshall (10). To me, that was Hidalgo's "prove it" game: yes, she scored over 30 against S. Carolina in her very first game but the Irish got whacked in Paris.
That was a fun Irish team: three adept scorers with valuable help from Kylee Watson/Nat Marshall, Bransford and Anna DeWolfe. Won the ACC regular season and tourney. Probably Ivey's best coaching year.

 

[Dillon77]

Leah Macy Will Not Play This Year; Start Eligibility in 2026-27

 

[Dillon77]

While ND doesn’t have the horses it had in the prior 3 meetings vs UConn (all ND wins), UConn’s Achilles heel so far this season, without PB, has been turnovers and HH leads the world in steals. Yes UConn is loaded and playing at home. But I’m feeling a level of agita that I haven’t had against any other team this season.

I can understand that....Hidalgo has a way of relishing the moments. I wish KK Bransford was back: while her scoring stats don't bounce off the opposition's white boards, she is a solid one-on-one and collective defender who is tough as nails. Plus she's the tallest of the true ND guards (Prosper, although listed as a guard, is a slashing forward). Coach Ivey has inserted a smallish Iyana Moore into the starting line-up, reducing ND to one post, three smallish guards and Prosper. Strong should have a field day.

Hannah and Venessa de Jesus (VdJ) were really ratcheting up the ball pressure and filling the passing lanes against UNC. The Louisville game should be interesting...intensity will be dialed up, so good game to scout.

Still, I'm looking forward to how this "bridge" group of Irish persevere.

 

[Dillon77]

Leah Macy Will Not Play This Year; Start Eligibility in 2026-27

I (still) consider this a bridge year for the Irish, although this group has been making it interesting at times (this next stretch of games should be illuminating).

However, it didn't behoove the team to bring Leah Macy back if she wasn't able to hit the court running. She'd lose a year of eligibility while she rounds into her own shape and that of fitting in with a lot of players who won't be back after this season. Now, Macy can continue to work on that rehabilitation. and come back strong in the summer. In effect, she's now part of the Class of 2026, but one who has gotten a year of acclimation, academics and socialization under her belt.

I'll be very interested in what Coach Ivey does in regards to a post/power forward position come this spring. Cowles and Sanchez will ove on. That will give Irish fans an insight into how Ivey sees the Irish frontcourt of '26-'27. Will Cass Prosper come back for another year as a slasher forward. Will Macy, who can do inside and mid-range, become something of a more mobile Cowles? And then there are the multiple wings who were recruited. Should be very interesting.

 

[triaddukefan]

Isn’t she like 30? Seriously, isn’t this her 6th year of college? I thought she was HS class of 2020 with Paige….

One covid year, one redshirt year (knee) and will end up with 3 degrees. The last McCallie recruit still playing in WCBB

 

[Dillon77]

One covid year, one redshirt year (knee) and will end up with 3 degrees. The last McCallie recruit still playing in WCBB

Now, that dates VdJ...and all of us.

Speaking of degrees, that's an interesting trail to pick up on: how many total degrees are hoopsters picking up during the course of their respective careers? So, VdJ will get three. So will Olivia Miles (undergrad and one Masters from ND; one from TCU). Nat Marshall left with three (undergrad and masters from ND, masters from MIami). The medical redshirt year appears to be a critical factor!

 

[YoDore]

Leah Macy Will Not Play This Year; Start Eligibility in 2026-27

I’m such a fan of this young lady. Really hoping she fully recovers and has a great career. Missing two years in a row makes it tough, but she always seemed to have the kind of motor and attitude that will serve her well.