Lots of reasons to assume ND will be a top 20 team next year

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.