Since news of Jackie Young's possible -- then definite -- departure, the Bench has seen more than a few threads and posts on the roster situation heading into the 2019-20 season.
With that in mind, I've decided to cut and paste information I've seen on this board - primarily about roster size and positioning -- along with some Muffet McGraw quotes from an Anthony Anderson article. Lastly, I've looked for grad. and "regular" transfers on Raoul's blog, other boards and posts from the Bench.
Nothing here, of course, is definitive and I look forward to any information that we can include, delete, etc.
I thought tracking of high-school recruits was going to be the prime side-project to posting on the board, but it's obvious that transfers (regular and graduate) have become something more than a band-aid in D1 women's basketball.
MUFFET McGRAW DISCUSSING GRAD TRANSFERS FOLLOWING SIGNING OF S.B., A.P.
“We’ll probably look at a grad transfer,” McGraw said of an alternative to signing more high schoolers from the class of 2019.
The coach ... had never added a transfer until last year when Shepard, then a junior, came over from Nebraska, and Lili Thompson came aboard as a Stanford graduate with a year of eligibility remaining.
McGraw said adding one more player is “more likely” than adding two.
“I wouldn’t mind taking two more,” McGraw said of adding enough, be they transfers or high schoolers, to in effect replace the four who will depart, “(but even with one), we’ll still have a walk-on (in Kaitlin Cole), so we’ll have 10 players.”
The coach indicated a veteran might be the best route to go anyway.
“It would be great if we could get a grad transfer to come in with Jackie and that would balance things out a little better (than another freshman),” McGraw said of the 2019-20 roster makeup.
BREAKDOWN BY CLASS, ELIGIBILITY
Since Muffet gave that interview, Jackie has gone pro, so the Irish are down to 8 scholarship players. Adding Katie Cole and a grad transfer would get the roster to 10. (That was also before Nicole Benz (re)joined the team.) Does MM still want one grad transfer? Or expand to two now that Jackie has left?
0 Seniors
1 Junior (Dani Patterson)
4 Sophomores (Danielle Cosgrove, Jordan Nixon, Abby Prohaska, Mik Vaughn)
3 Freshman (Sam Brunelle, Katlyn Gilbert, Anaya Peoples).
8 = Total Amount of Scholarship Players
Walk-Ons (at this point): Katie Cole & Nicole Benz, both juniors and both guards
POSSIBLE POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN
Low Post: Mik Vaughn, Danielle Cosgrove
High Post: Dani Patterson, Sam Brunelle
Wing: Sam Brunelle, Abby Prohaska
Point Guard: Jordan Nixon (Backup: Katlyn Gilbert, Anaya Peoples)
Guard: Anaya Peoples, Katlyn Gilbert
Possible Needs for 2019-20
(as identified by MM, others)
- Post Position
- Veteran Leadership
- Long-Distance Shooting
- Big Guard/Wing: Is this Brunelle or Prohaska’s best position?
GRAD TRANSFERS (can play immediately)
Post/Forward
- Lydia Rivers, 6’2” forward from Radford who averaged 12.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg (thanks to MPG for spotting this mid-major perfoRmer) and performed ably against Maryland in this year’s NCAA.
Shooting Guards (with noted long-distance ability)
- Kitija Laska, 6’0” guard from USF who was thought to be a possible first-rounder before injuring her knee early in the season. (Is thinking over her options: Pro (somewhere)? Return to USF? Transfer?)
- Stephanie Watts, 5’11” guard, North Carolina. Paris Kea’s running-mate in backcourt, she was UNC’s three-point specialist before being injured.
- Destinee Walker, 5'11" guard, North Carolina. She was Stephanie Watt's running mate for two years before being injured. Made All-ACC Freshman team and average double figures those two years. Also made All-Academic ACC teams.
Point Guard
(Would MM want a vet to back up/work with Jordan or will Anaya/Katlyn be slated for that. If the former, these two filed for transfer.)
- Marta Sniezek, 5’8” floor leader from Stanford. Suffered injury before senior season. Not a scoring threat, but smart, adept floor leader who could offer veteran leadership.
- Minyon Moore, 5’8” whirlwind from USC who has decided to finish her career outside LA. (Initial reports indicated interest in Oregon {friends with Ionescu] or Mississippi State [need for pg]).
NOTABLE TRANSFERS IN THE PORTAL
(Would need to sit out one year unless waiver request is approved)
- Evina Westbrook, 6’0” sophomore guard from Tennessee. Hails from Oregon, visited ND as a HS senior, chose Vols and played PG from day, although off-guard or wing might be a better position. Is she still interested in ND/vice versa? Would she be willing to play in a three-guard attack and not be focal point? Regarding waiver: while she would be leaving a school that had a coaching change, would UTenn be supportive given her speaking out on Warlick? Positive support from past schools apparently helps waiver petitions (see Shepard/Romeo at Nebraska.)
- Sidney Cooks, 6’4” sophomore forward, Michigan State, who was #5 in Hoopgurlz 2017. Versatile offensive presence who can shoot outside and take it from inside. Best player for MSU against Central Michigan and Notre Dame in 2019 NCAAs. Totally worth reaching out to determine “mutual interest.”
- Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, 6’2” jr. forward from South Carolina who started 21 games this season and figured to play a significant role next year. Reports from various boards expressed surprise because Harrigan has talent. But she also seemed to have issues with Coach Dawn Staley over “hard coaching” and discipline. The big issue here: she only has one year of eligibility and would have to sit out a year, save a waiver. Will the Irish need her in 2021? What does that do for continuity? Many point to Florida State as a possible landing spot because her boyfriend is on FSU’s football team.
- LaDazhia Williams, a 6-foot-4 sophomore forward who has averaged fewer than seven minutes a game for the Gamecocks. Williams was a player who ND, UConn and others scouted in high school/AAU in Florida. While she is thought to have a decent shooting touch, her foot speed is questioned and has not progressed much. Plateau? More coaching could help her turn around? Or better on a lesser stage?