The transformation of Jessica Shepard

[UConnNick]

Still can’t get over that the NCAA didn’t make her sit out a year. Was there ever an explanation why?

It's simple. ND is the NCAA's second biggest cash cow, with only Texas being a bigger money maker. The NCAA likes its largest revenue producers. It's all about the $$$.

 

[connie]

Whatever we BY’ers feel about MM and her ND team, you have to give Muffet credit for an incredible coaching job this season in the face of 4 season ending knee injuries to key players. While she may not earn the COY award, this may well be the best job she’s ever done.

Of all the things MM has accomplished this season, the most remarkable, imo, is the transformation of Jessica Shepard from a talented player with size who preferred to hang around the perimeter and shoot 3’s to a legitimate low post player (sound familiar?)

One statistic absolutely stands out. Last season at Nebraska, Shepard put up 89 3-pt shots, making 28. This season at ND, Shepard shot and missed once from beyond the arc all season long.

I do believe that tomorrow night will be the end of the line for Shepard & ND, but I have to respect her willingness to transform the way she plays for the good of her team.

Certainly agree about MM. It's a no -brainer she's COY. Easiest way to know: tell me who gets the award if Geno is in her position at the beginning of this season and gets this far?

I think ND is perfectly capable of beating UConn. Tonight. But I hope they don't.

 

[connie]

When practice started at the beginning of the year, MM spoke about how Shep's versatility was something unique to that Notre Dame team, from her ability to shoot from just about anywhere and her passing acumen to dribbling and rebounding. When her petition was accepted and she became available, the most natural position to put her was in the low post, given Brianna Turner's absence and the fact that a slowly recuperating Kat Westbeld was/is a high post. Once Mik Vaughn went down with ACL #3, the low post was pretty much Shep's, wiith Koko Nelson spelling both Shep and Westbeld.

Offensively, she has embraced the role: when she seals the corner of right lane, you know there's a bank shot coming and most people are not going to stop it. And she's developed a nice spin more to the left. For someone that can hoist the three, she rarely even shoots from the foul line anymore, so into the low post of the job she has become. The passing among she, Kat and Koko is a joy to behold...I think ND should use it as a recruiting tool. All credit to the players and Muffet, but I think a lot of this has to go to Carol Owens, our post coach and MM's long-time, calming right-hand.

Yes, she's not as fleet-footed on defense, both horizontally and vertically, but the effort is there, night in and out. Also, given our resource issue, I'm sure she's told to not get in foul trouble in the first half. ND needs her on the court. And there's another surprise...her physical training used to be mocked, but I'm sure she's over 30 minutes a game in the tournament. This can be evidenced by the way she was banging the boards hard throughout the second half against Oregon. Her persistence was invaluable.

The interesting aspect of this is when Turner comes back next year and Westbeld graduates, Shepard will probably evolve to the high post and add her talents to that position, working with Turner. My gut is she'll be even more effective, even if her stats might not show it.

Thanks for noticing...... We Irish fans have and appreciate everything about it.

Couldn't agree more. I grew to love Shepard's game even when she was at Nebraska. (I remember thinking, "I wish she was on our team.") She's a force in every game. It's going to be great watching her compete.

 

[Dillon77]

It's simple. ND is the NCAA's second biggest cash cow, with only Texas being a bigger money maker. The NCAA likes its largest revenue producers. It's all about the $$$.

If that's the case, then football -- which is the largest generator of said revenue -- should hold even bigger sway over the NCAA in regards to transfer eligibility petitions. Yet, the NCAA denied the eligibility petition of Navy transfer Alohi Gilman in 2017 (see link below) to play for Notre Dame football last year. That decision took place some two months before the decision on Shepard.

Navy transfer Gilman not eligible for Notre Dame in 2017

Until someone leaks information from the NCAA meeting in which the decision on Shepard was made, no one is going to know the exact reason why Shepard's petition with the NCAA was accepted. If anyone has been following the numerous threads on this, Shepard cited numerous personal reasons for applying. Her petition was obviously supported by Notre Dame. Many have compared Shepard to other similar transfer cases who were granted immediate eligibility (Romeo from Nebraska to Washington, White from Illinois to FSU).Both of those revolved around coaches leaving and/or coaching staffs being upended. In both cases, the institution that the player was transferring from gave a good recommendations to the player. Romeo left Nebraska immediately after Connie Yow "resigned" while Shepard played for new coach Amy Williams. Perhaps Nebraska was inclined to support her for hanging around for one year.