of losing the remaining 5 games and having
20 losses before the ACC tournament.

This year, the ACC appears to have three strong teams: NC State, Louisville and Florida State. Their records indicate that they are markedly better than our present team.

But as disappointing as our 5 and 8 ACC records is, and undermanned as we are, the rest of the teams in the ACC aren't at all certain of beating us. We've lost twice to BC, but the last time by a point when they scored with 1.2 seconds on the clock. We should have beaten them. We've also beaten Pitt, Miami, Wake Forest and GT.

We lost to Syracuse in OT. We lost by 3 to Duke. We could easily have won both of those games.

We lost badly to NC State and Louisville.

Were we to play Clemson and Virginia again, the results probably would be closer to the result of the 2nd BC game.

Barring injuries and transfer, I expect ND to move at least back into the upper echelon of the ACC next season, and perhaps contend.

With just Anaya and Abby coming back, already we should have a significantly better team. Especially defensively, as well as rebounding.

And if Alasia. Alli, and Maddy are as good from "3" as the reports indicate, and with Sam getting more comfortable, I think we will see a marked improvement in the teams ability to score. We should see a much-needed return of the ND 3-point game.

And if Amirah is the defender/rebounder she is touted to be, that should also really help. Coach has said, Amirah is “... a great defender. She’s someone who can block shots and guard anybody on the floor, from point guard to center. She’ll help us in the press as well. She can run the floor and help us in transition. She’s also a three-point threat. We don’t have anyone like her.”

And with one more year, Mikayla should get even better.

I don't know what to expect of Nat as she comes off her ACL injury.

ND Hoops tells us that Alli and Nat have been selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic on 3/27.
If Nat plays with a torn ACL, that would probably be the fastest recovery in history, or means that she is the toughest girl who's ever played the game. I'm wondering if she'll go the Brianna Turner route.... That might be wise given she's missed virtually her entire senior HS year.

Notwithstaning Nat's injury, I very optimistic, Even more so if Alasia can run the point a tad like
Lindsay (which remains an open question).

We are down this year for two basic reasons -- neither of which will exist next year:

1) Zero returning players that saw the floor at all last season -- literally not even a tiny bit. MV was the only one that played at all -- and she sat for the first half of this season.

2) 7 total players on the team that aren't injured. 7 players with zero experience at ND, never having played together, and multiple coming off season ending injuries the prior season.

Entering next season:

1) We have our entire starting 5 returning -- one that was a starter before getting injured this season

2) MV hopefully won't get injured again and will enter next season with full mobility

3) We have 8 returning players that know the ND system starting day one.

4) If Walker returns, we have 4 McDonald's AA on our team -- we aren't devoid of any talent at all

5) Sam will play all of next season at her natural position -- so she may become much more of a scorer from day one

6) We have depth next year. Rookies as that depth, but a true ability to rotate in players, swap out someone that is having a bad game, etc.

7) We add 2 more players that are 6'2" or taller to the mix that can play next season (and a 3rd that is going to sit out next season most likely). One of them is a McDonald's AA -- with a very strong build from day one.

We won't be considered a big team, but we no longer will be midgets against most teams we play. Sam, Maddie and MV will be on the floor at the same time often and then the other FR at times (likely never all 4).

8) We add some players that are known for being shooters. Freshman, but unlike this season they don't have to become starters instantly and they also will be playing with 3-4 other people on the floor that know WTF they are doing v this year where all 5 were figuring it out simultaneously.

We likely will not have the talent and experience to be a top 8 team next season, but I fully expect us to be a solid top 20 team next season and will not be surprised if we are #2 in ACC and ranked near 10th at some point -- because while the women's game is deeper than ever, it still drops off quite a bit every 5 teams and IMO we easily can be in that 3rd bucket / bottom of the 2nd bucket.

Finally -- I fully expect at least one impact transfer to enter the mix. Hopefully a forward. I don't expect a repeat of Shep, but even half a Shep would make a dramatic impact next season to fill the hole we have at forward.

years away from Top 20 and playing that way night-in and night-out. This season can't be passed off as simply bad luck on injuries and transfers. At this point it is worse than that. Muffet had one losing season in her career and hadn't lost 10 games in 12 years.

The problems are not just in our stars but in ourselves. The culture has been broken and can't be rebuilt in one off season. Muffet needs to totally engage in every aspect of the program and rebuild brick-by-brick.

The new players will be good, but Sam Brunelle was extremely highly rated and look how her year has gone. We can't assume every new piece will fit so well despite talent. And injuries will happen again. They always do, and this bunch may be more injury prone than past teams.

I believe in two years we will be back. I see no reason to be so confident about next year. This team needs to re-learn how to win and no one is left from the days when winning 30+ games was just what ND women did.

I know her points and output has dropped as the season has worn on, but are you saying she is not a good fit for this team... now and in the future? Value your opinion on these issues.

of (I am long time poster on NDN and a WBB fan but certainly not the Guru of Women's BB Recruiting - I read his blog as well from time to time).

I am sure she will be a good fit for ND but it is obviously going to take more time.

This is all about whether we bounce back sharply next year.

Agree that the team needs a quality transfer that can make a difference, preferably a forward. While the freshmen will add depth I don't see a huge jump forward especially with Nat's injury. We have to hope Peoples comes back healthy but the starting 5 will face the same problems as this year. I think Westbeld could very well start next year. I don't see a rise to the top of the ACC and not sure about top 20. While you are correct that the incoming freshman won't be forced to start the will be forced into heavy minutes.

So there would be one non-returning starter, but Hayes and presumably Gilbert slotted to replace her.

or is that more of a hopeful wish?

more that I firmly believe MM is much more tuned into the need to go after transfers harder than she ever has before. I think last cycle taught her a lot about the new world order of women's basketball and we see that some with her statements about getting more players on scholarship going forward.

Last year ND had nothing to sell a transfer. The whole world knew we were going to be close to what we actually are this season once Jackie left. Transfers don't want to go somewhere that can't win -- or where they can't play.

This year ND has a lot to sell a transfer.

1) Guaranteed to play -- a forward likely to start. No difference here.

2) ND will be a top 20 team at worst next year -- and higher with an elite transfer. All my points in the other post are selling points we didn't have last year that we now have.

I think it is only a matter of who the transfer is, not if there is one. The quality versus whether one will happen at all.

More experienced and deeper team next year she could be a consistent double figure scorer that would be hard to replace if she doesn’t get a 6th year.