Notre Dame 2025-2026 Regular-Season Thread. | Page 2 | The Boneyard
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Notre Dame 2025-2026 Regular-Season Thread.

cancontent said:


My word.
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Hidalgo ends up:
  • Setting the NCAA record for steals in a game: 16, passing Ticha Penicheiro (if I heard correctly, had 14)
  • Establishing a new single-game ND record for points scored in a game (previously 41 by Ruth Riley and Jewel Loyd)

Crazy good game. The only slightly concerning thing is only Cass Prosper had double figures in the 85-58 win. Bringing back Milaya Cowles and Iyana Moore might've thrown off the chemistry ND had up to this point, but in the long run that should help.

In the meantime, wow....16 steals.
 
Dillon77 said:
Hidalgo ends up:
  • Setting the NCAA record for steals in a game: 16, passing Ticha Penicheiro (if I heard correctly, had 14)
  • Establishing a new single-game ND record for points scored in a game (previously 41 by Ruth Riley and Jewel Loyd)

Crazy good game. The only slightly concerning thing is only Cass Prosper had double figures in the 85-58 win. Bringing back Milaya Cowles and Iyana Moore might've thrown off the chemistry ND had up to this point, but in the long run that should help.

In the meantime, wow....16 steals.
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That is an absurd stat line, national player of the year type of performance
 
dcheng021 said:
That is an absurd stat line, national player of the year type of performance
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I thought she was the clear national player of the year for at least two-thirds of last season. The tide turned when Juju and USC soundly beat undefeated UCLA and ND lost to NC State which started the slide. But Hidalgo has led this race before.
 
Amari Byles Is Officially Irish
In the post below, Coach Ivey points to her frontcourt versatility as being a bonus for the Irish. There will be ample opportunity for she, Jacy Abii and Leah Macy (coming off rehab from knee surgery) to get PT, given Bella Ragone's recent knee injuries and impending rehab (geesh.)

 
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cancontent said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this would make it two dual sport players on the team right?
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Yes...kinda. Bella Tehrani (from Hamilton, Ohio, btw) played volleyball for the Irish for three years before joining the Irish hoopsters last semester. She's only playing hoops this year.
 
Dillon77 said:
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Ugh. Bella Ragone suffered a major knee injury in early November just prior to signing her letter of intent. It involves multiple CL's (A and M) and a displaced kneecap. This is very similar to the injury 2025's Leah Macy suffered. Ragone will have surgery performed on her by the LA Rams surgeon (her father is a coach for the Rams) in Los Angeles, then fly back home to Atlanta to begin her rehab.

Here's a link to a local article on the injury and her signing with ND. Outwardly, her attitude seems good. Best of luck on the upcoming surgery and impending rehab.
 
rvwsleep said:
Well, ND played a legitimate team today and got crushed, 93-54 to Michigan.
Hidalgo went 4 of 21 (0-8 from 3) with 3 steals and 7 turnovers. It's different when you play a team with a pulse.
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Proving why individual stats rarely are indicative of the best players. Would Hidalgo have these stats on a balanced team like S. Carolina or Ucon…or even Michigan? If anything, she was a detriment to her team today.
 
I didn't expect ND to win this game, but what they were doing out there was disappointing. I don't know if Niele has the chops to construct an offense that this team can run. I really hope I'm wrong, but just disappointing.
 
Reypl21 said:
I didn't expect ND to win this game, but what they were doing out there was disappointing. I don't know if Niele has the chops to construct an offense that this team can run. I really hope I'm wrong, but just disappointing.
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Niele has very little to work with. Their only 2 viable subs are coming back from injury. The other 2 are walk-ons.
Of course, as head coach, she should be held accountable for the personnel situation.
Imo, she has underachieved as head coach at Notre Dame. She's had Citron, Westbeld, Miles, Mabrey, Hidalgo, Bransford, Prosper, etc.,and never made it past the Sweet Sixteen.
They have an excellent recruiting class coming in, but the previous two years have been very short on numbers. Then there's the mutiny by a number of players who jumped ship. That situation is still unexplained.
All of these problems lead directly to the front door of the head coach.
 
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rvwsleep said:
Niele has very little to work with. Their only 2 viable subs are coming back from injury. The other 2 are walk-ons.
Of course, as head coach, she should be held accountable for the personnel situation.
Imo, she has underachieved as head coach at Notre Dame. She's had Citron, Westbeld, Miles, Mabrey, Hidalgo, Bransford, Prosper, etc.,and never made it past the Sweet Sixteen.
They have an excellent recruiting class coming in, but the previous two years have been very short on numbers. Then there's the mutiny by a number of players who jumped ship. That situation is still unexplained.
All of these problems lead directly to the front door of the head coach.
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How many coaches (even the “elite”) make the Elite Eight in their first five years?
 
rvwsleep said:
Niele has very little to work with. Their only 2 viable subs are coming back from injury. The other 2 are walk-ons.
Of course, as head coach, she should be held accountable for the personnel situation.
Imo, she has underachieved as head coach at Notre Dame. She's had Citron, Westbeld, Miles, Mabrey, Hidalgo, Bransford, Prosper, etc.,and never made it past the Sweet Sixteen.
They have an excellent recruiting class coming in, but the previous two years have been very short on numbers. Then there's the mutiny by a number of players who jumped ship. That situation is still unexplained.
All of these problems lead directly to the front door of the head coach.
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True.

Poor recruiting will haunt next year's team as well. This year's roster will lose 6 players, most of them graduate transfers. Niele will need to hit the transfer portal in a big way again next spring/summer.
 
What I saw was an incomplete team getting outplayed by a less incomplete team. The core of ND is strong — Hanna Cass KK and Vanessa — but after that it’s just spare parts. Above all, ND lacks a strong presence in the post. After Cass, who is more a wing than a post, Niele doesn’t have much to turn to.

Hannah may have shot poorly, mainly because Mich has the guards to run with her. And the 7 TOs was a lot. But she is clearly the heart and soul of this team and she doesn’t shirk the responsibility. The amazing thing about her is that she always plays her heart out in every game. Her intensity is always incandescent. Find fault with her if you like, but she is an amazing player, and a formidable court presence in every game.

Michigan is built around Olson and Swords and that is a formidable core. They have a medium big post player and a speedy little PG. But it all comes down to Olson and Swords.
 
visitingcock said:
How many coaches (even the “elite”) make the Elite Eight in their first five years?
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Niele took over one of the top 3 wcbb teams from Muffet. How many coaches fall into that category ?
A better comparison would be with Holly Watlick. But there's a huge amount of luggage that comes along with that comparison.
 
I thought from the very beginning that Notre Dame was going to be in serious trouble. They aren't very deep, they don't have a ton of size, and there is a huge drop off in talent after Hidalgo. This team is going to need her to score 30-35 points and play her ass off on defense every night to have any chance of winning games. I could honestly see this team finishing as low as tenth in the ACC and being an eight or a nine seed in the tournament. Niel better hope and pray that Hidalgo doesn't get hurt or this team won't make the tournament. Looking ahead, I don't think this team is going to very good next year either. They have nine seniors on their roster out of the twelve players and only five recruits coming in. I know there 2026 class is highly touted but it's going to be hard for them to win games with Hidalgo and a bunch of freshmen on the team. They better hit the transfer portal hard to fill in that roster or they are going be in trouble. I wouldn't be shocked either if Hidalgo hit the portal at the end of the season either. She wants to win and isn't going to be satisfied by playing on average/below average team.
 
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Bone Dog said:
What I saw was an incomplete team getting outplayed by a less incomplete team. The core of ND is strong — Hanna Cass KK and Vanessa — but after that it’s just spare parts. Above all, ND lacks a strong presence in the post. After Cass, who is more a wing than a post, Niele doesn’t have much to turn to.

Hannah may have shot poorly, mainly because Mich has the guards to run with her. And the 7 TOs was a lot. But she is clearly the heart and soul of this team and she doesn’t shirk the responsibility. The amazing thing about her is that she always plays her heart out in every game. Her intensity is always incandescent. Find fault with her if you like, but she is an amazing player, and a formidable court presence in every game.

Michigan is built around Olson and Swords and that is a formidable core. They have a medium big post player and a speedy little PG. But it all comes down to Olson and Swords.
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And it's a group that is learning to play together as KK was out and Vanessa played for Duke last season. Factor in transfers like Moore, who isn't fully healthy, this team is still in the storming phase as they say for team building. I'm waiting for conference play to see how this team performs overall.
 
rvwsleep said:
Niele took over one of the top 3 wcbb teams from Muffet. How many coaches fall into that category ?
A better comparison would be with Holly Watlick. But there's a huge amount of luggage that comes along with that comparison.
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It was not a top 3 team when she took over. The program collapsed in muffet’s last year and then she had a Covid shutdown. Not saying she is a great coach? But she had only has had a few years at the helm,

But then again, how many coaches have succeeded in taking over after a top coach? Leon Barwick is about the only one and that was in the dawn of modern wbb .
 
visitingcock said:
It was not a top 3 team when she took over. The program collapsed in muffet’s last year and then she had a Covid shutdown. Not saying she is a great coach? But she had only has had a few years at the helm,

But then again, how many coaches have succeeded in taking over after a top coach? Leon Barwick is about the only one and that was in the dawn of modern wbb .
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I stand corrected. I should have said a top 3 program, not team. When Niele took over.
Do you think the ND over performed, under performed or performed as expected last year ?
 
This looks like a three year rebuild. The thing I’m watching this year is if ND improves throughout the season, which they decidedly didn’t do last year.
 
Frankus said:
This looks like a three year rebuild. The thing I’m watching this year is if ND improves throughout the season, which they decidedly didn’t do last year.
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I certainly hope it isn't a three-year rebuild. Only four of the relevant talent is coming back next year to join a top-notch recruiting class. Or, if you prefer, that class will join senior Hannah Hidalgo and KK Bransford, as well as Leah Macy. I'm not basing the season on a blow-out loss to a team that returned 70% of their scoring and caught the Irish unprepared for the level of play needed.

Like you, I'll look for growth this year, but I think Bransford is a genuine starter in most programs and Hannah is still Hannah, who will do awfully well with players like Jacy Abii, Macy and Amari Byles.
 
Hey, I now interrupt this normally-basketball oriented thread to draw attention to the tail end of another womens' team at Notre Dame: soccer. The Irish are entertaining Ohio State in a second round NCAA game on Thursday. Often, ND sports information produces pieces on their athletes and this one features forward Ellie Hodsden, who is the first forward off the bench. Last year, she made All-ACC frosh team and she's got 7 or 8 goals this year. Inspiring piece....

 
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ND Beats USC at Home on Hidalgo Jumper with 1.9 Seconds Left
This wasn't pretty by any means, but ND got a much-needed victory, holding the Trojans to 8 points in the fourth quarter (while scoring 15 themselves). Overall, USC had 21 turnovers and 16 of those were steals by the Irish. Hannah HIdalgo led the way with 5 steals, Cassan Prosper had 3 and KK Bransford had 4 steals and 3 blocks. Hidalgo led ND with 22, Vanessa DeJesus had 13 (11 in the first half) and Bransford 11, most of which came in the 2nd half.
Here's the winning shot:
 
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