the Alabama game. Would help fill our needs. Will she leave the SEC. Father played pro ball in Belgium.
is that there is someone that we don't know about that is coming. Right now that doesn't look likely. (We don't just need a body, we need a quality player or two.)
That applies to women and men. These players are receiving overtures way before officially entering the portal. What big was ND contacting with Koval signed and Watson still healthy before March 9? The lure wasn't strong enough to sway Nat Marshall's "It's time for me to move on" proclamation as she'd likely had the same conversations with Ivy as Olivia Miles and other players in wake of the bad transfer rumor. With Olivia giving her blessing to confirm she was coming back on 3/6. I don't believe Nat got the same open arms embrace to return. Strictly my opinion. And while I don't believe that Nat is a petty or vindictive person she is human. And "too bad-so sad" wouldn't be a far fetched reaction.
Then you have to turn on a dime and portal recruit after your season ended 3/29. But you still have a 6-5 McDonalds A-A while NC State's big's are gone.
That's without factoring in NIL.
Nat left without hard feelings. It had to have been a difficult decision.
The one thing that brought up the possibility of possible " hard feelings, is the fact that she did not attend the awards ceremony. That was a tribute to this years team, her friends and team mates.
That's what made me a little sad: the "I/We" factor.
She probably made some assurances re: minutes to get Maddy and Koval to play here next year so she can't backtrack to promise starter's minutes to the TP bigs. Id she does she runs the risk of pissing off Maddy or Koval when they find out.
So what she's probably selling is a chance to be a rotational player on a possible final 4 team. Nice but not a starring role that a lot of the quality Xfers are probably seeking. Especially those with just one year left to play.
This also puts pressure on recruiting for the next cycle since we need numbers there too.
Q
of being a starter here next year, but they certainly couldn't be promised that. It has to be earned. If they have enough confidence that they think could break into the starting line up, go for it. At the very least they could/would play significant minutes and contribute to a team that has the potential to play for a national championship.
I'm not a doom and gloom type of man. Notre Dame is a special kind of university and most people would not attend. Every person who enters the transfer portal is not a candidate for ND. I read this board multiple times per day seeking information but I realize that each transfer player makes their own decision. I'm disappointed when someone like Weimar chooses a different school over ND, but I don't blame our coaches for her reasoning.
However, there are number of teams that have built an "all star" type team each of the last couple of years, from the portal. (LSU, Louisville & Maryland for example.) They have three or more quality players from the portal and they get them to commit, early on. It implies they are being more successful and the question is why?
I will say, that our situation is somewhat different, we have a solid roster returning with four starters, so N.D. is in need of just adding two rotational players. Currently we only have a roster of eight. (It is perplexing that we should be there with all that can be highlighted, as why to commit to the Irish.
we definitely need at least two more players. ND, as a university, is not conducive to having an all-star team approach through the portal. I think we'll always have a core based on recruiting.
..yes, they have some superstars but she's always spoken about the collective unit and how the players need to be cool with each other.
Louisville, Maryland, Mississippi - among others -- are seeing people go out of and come in the door so frequently you should play "This Year's Model" while studying their rosters.
Niele had 10 and sans the injury to Kylee Watson and leaving of Nat Marshall, probably would've stayed pat. That said, she needs two to get by. I've got some suggestions in another post. We'll see what works for Coach Ivey and the team.
Definitely need a minimum of two front court players and maybe one tweener.
I know that it was posted/stated that most championship teams only play 6-7 players but you do need ten to practice 5 on 5 and allow for the minor injuries during a season that keep a player out for a game or a few games. Also I think that there is a need for added rebounding and interior size and defense to rotate with MW and Koval. While I have no inside information, like most on this forum, I think that the best players that ND would like in the TP have not yet committed ie: Kiki I, Beers, Gardner and King
players but they began with at least 10 before injuries and other issues reduced playing time. Like others have said we need at least 10 (I'd like to see 12) to start the season as we always lose some to injuries every season.
She most certainly bought into what Niele was buying. There have been a whole lot of delusional posts about Niele bringing in all these top players willing to sit the bench. It’s just not realistic. KK has aspirations of being the kind of player that everyone so desperately wants to see Niele bring in. And she may be. But she’s had to wait her turn.
Niele has a big to bring in still. I was never particularly sold on Weimer. Nor Karlen - other than as a spark off the bench or rotation player.
Kiki was probably not realistic. Especially if she was no contact.
If Niele lands Gardiner, then it would be a superb addition. We’ll see.
Of course I’ve said many times that just keeping KK and Nat would have been a great outcome.
I don’t k
currently at eight. I think most if not all would agree that we need at least ten. My take is one starter quality player and one rotational back up.
KK, Emma and Cass are all yet to be determined. Emma and Cass lost an entire season, so they will be recouping to get back to where they were and only then can they progress. KK was not nearly as good as she was as a freshman. If she gets back to that form then she will be a big contributer.
We have three guards that will play significant minutes. Niele was recruiting someone who could rotate in the 2/3 spot. She had Emma and Cass already. There was room for another guard. It was KK. And I’m glad it was.
I think she’ll now add another 4/5. Possibly Gardiner or someone of starter quality.
I know that everyone here *wants* another player. Assuming we get someone like Gardiner, what exactly do you think Niele is selling?
Last year was marginal. The portal is too important not to benefit from, in a significant way. (I'm not saying it's a lack of effort.)
What do you think Niele has to sell (besides the constants: ND degree, history, fan base, etc)?
Everyone wants to talk about the players they want. What is Niele (or should be)selling in your opinion? To a post and another guard/winger respectively.
So far, the focus -- what little we know of it -- has been on grad students:
- Aaliyah Nye: Back to Alabama
- Caitlyn Weimar: NC State
- Liza Karlen: crickets (and it's been awhile since she allegedly visited)
- Liatu King: No word after visiting on Tuesday.
A few (il) logical deductions:
- These players see the 8 returning Irish starters/subs and wonder where the minutes will come from, even though the Irish are bareboned at the forward position.
- Coach Ivey, by going after grads, is apparently going "one and done, and all for one" in 2024-25 then starting fresh in 2025 with high school recruits. Save for a great get with Kate Koval though, the bench has a lot of openings.
Plus:
- For many of the Grad Transfers, they're operating in control: they've got degrees and are looking for the right situation. As Ram note, they're like grads with multiple job offers. The good ones, at least.
- Also, ND is a special kind of place: Many of us on this board are alums and love the place. But it's not for everyone. And Coach Ivey is adamant that she wants a good fit between candidate and the team, her philosophy and the school.
Perhaps:
- Hope Coach Ivey has an ace up her sleeve (Gardiner, Iriafen).
- Change focus to players that could be here for more than one year, which would benefit the team and the player.
Examples: Maryam Dauda, Mary Ashley Stevenson.
- Or, find players that wouldn't mind a (very) different role than they were used to last season. Ivey went one for two last year: Anna DeWolfe was a great win; Becky Obinma, not so much.
Once again, ND has eight scholarship players. With KK Bransford returning, still need at least two players.
Need break and will watch ND men's lacrosse finish regular season at UVA.
Go (all) Irish!
Various job offers upon graduation. Where do I want to spend the next year or 2 and how much can I make
they aren’t like NBA players who seem eager to join teams loaded with stars for a chance at a ring
up her recruiting when Mulkey took the LSU job. I wonder if her portal status is Do Not Contact and who might be the frontrunner.
Poor Arkansas, no returning starters (unless some players withdraw from the portal) and they are losing about 63 ppg to the portal in addition to Wolfenbarger. Are things really bad there or was this just a domino effect where the good players didn't want to be the last one to abandon ship?
The multiple-transfer situation is mentioned, as was Covid. This is the last year of the latter.
Neighbors:
“The main change was the multiple transfer rule. We all have dealt with the transfer portal. We always had one, but the multiple transfer rule is a game changer and you couple that with the introduction of name, image and likeness and you do all of that coming out of covid.
“Put all that and you just knew there were going to be times like this. But we have been prepared for it.”
Full article linked below.
BTW, I have not seen a "do not contact" associated with Dauda's transfer portal announcement, so she should apparently be open to calls. Once again, getting these SEC players out of conference is pretty tough, as well as the Texas kids out of the Lone Star State (if they left once, they always seem to go back...). Dauda is from Arkansas, but I could see her headed anywhere from LSU to one of the Mississippi schools.