In reply to: USA basketball should unveil the 12 members of the U17 posted by Fighting_Artichoke
Loved this take on Sam:
"Samantha Brunelle - For those who have followed girls’ basketball for a while, Sam Brunelle is a house hold name, so every time she steps on the floor all eyes are on her. Along with her play, what also makes Sam special is she is a great teammate and person, which was evident when she made her announcement she was attending Notre Dame while surrounded by her teammates and community. Brunelle shot the ball well throughout the 2018 USA U17 Trials, but what was most impressive as the camp went on, was her ability to make a basket cut for an easy basket or patience to make the correct pass at the correct time for her teammate to get an easy basket. When a player moves from seeing the games in ones or twos and begins seeing it in “fives” is when they become great."
She will look great in Muffet's offense.
This is the kind of quote you love to read about an incoming frosh, let alone one that still has a year in high school, as Sam does. There's not that many bigs on this team, so expect Sam, Aliyah Boston, Fran Belibi and Cameron Brink to get lots of playing time.
Interesting that most observers were surprised Clark didn't move on, given her consistency and ability to make everyone better. Chris Hansen noted that she was dealing with a hand injury, which may account for her off-shooting during the trials. ("Even with a busted up finger Clark found ways to make plays. She is as savvy as they come and her ability to make lead passes in transition as matched by few")
In any case, hope this does not deter MM/Niele from continuing to take a very long look at her. Doubt it will.
pleased that Sam, Haley, Aliyah, Paige and Azzi were.
Recruiting classes which would make UConn jealous. 4 in 2019 is probably more than MM would normally take, but I don't know how you could pass on Jones and Boston if they wanted to come.
Amazing what this year's Irish have done - the one enticement UConn could always use, "Come to Storrs and win championships", is now in ND's pocket as well.
Just met coaches McGraw and Ivey at breakfast at the Morris Inn (here for reunion). They could not have been more gracious and were very upbeat about next year. Great people and fantastic representatives of Notre Dame.
In Paris. Sounded like it went well.
I went to my 40th last year and had a blast (of course, we were blessed with four unnaturally good days of weather).
Try to get over to the Crossroads Project...I attended a number of events there two weeks ago during graduation weekend. Given all the hoopla (positive and negative) surrounding the project, I didn't know what to expect, but I thought all the spaces I visited were well-done both design-wise and construction-wise, served a good purpose and looked good for a long run. Look forward to your thoughts.
It’s a wee bit hot and muggy here, especially after a chillier and wet May in Montclair. Crossroads is huge. You can barely tell there is a stadium somewhere in there. The outside look is odd, scale too large. The indoor areas I’ve seen so far look really good.
on outdoor look/scale versus inside, as does my arkie son (also an alum..ND '12).
My next-door neighbor in Upper Montclair is out for his 35th, confirming my thought that Montclair is part of a "underground railroad" for alums.
Once again, enjoy!
...with Bueckers, Cooke, Osborne and Van Lith. One can probably swing Bueckers over to off-guard from time to time, but that's still a challenge getting three 5'9"(Van Lith, Cooke, Osborne)ball handlers into the mix. Thought Jackson was going to make the team this year given her reported excellent play at the Trials, particularly after Diamond Miller didn't.
While I, too, would've liked to have seen Alli Campbell and or Hannah Gusters, making the Finalists list the first time they've been invited is a solid accomplishment and bodes well for the future for both.
Kudos to Sam, Pistol Paige and Azzi (as well as Fran Belibi, even though she chose the Farm). Good accomplishments to all of them. Go U.S.A.!