opinion on her. I cannot see a freshman starting over her. Nat is not ready. Not even close.

where Mik looked uncompetitive. I do think she's hurt. I'm also not sure she's a starter on a great team. Even today, she had several layups blocked from behind by SU guards. I fear we will never see Mik reach her full potential given the number of injuries she's suffered. She seems less explosive and nimble then she was as a freshman - I remember how impressive she looked against OSU as a freshman and I'm not sure she's replicated that since. Hope to hell I'm wrong and that she comes out and dominates next year.

Strength is the cause of what you are seeing. That’s because she has not been allowed to workout that area for 2+ years. That will change during the off-season. With strong legs she has mobility and can hold her ground again - killing off your observations.

She’s the only true forward on the team next season. Nat will sit out a season recovering. The other freshman forward is a project. Emergency use next season. DC is not a forward. Maddie also isn’t a forward. Maddie is another Sam - which Is good.

She was supposedly working all offseason this year to strengthen her legs. The ACCN preview about ND showed her working diligently in the weight room and promoted her as a player to watch. And then she was injured very early in the season. I hope she can overcome this but she's currently a junior and she has battled injuries all 3 years - I'm not sure that she will ever be able to overcome it. Believe me, I hope I'm wrong

question. That injury erased anything she did prior to the injury -- and actually took her backwards because she has not recovered from the injury. She is playing injured right now -- and that's why she can't run, jump or use her legs at all to hold her position on the floor.

So, the reason it would be different is "if she isn't injured between now and next season" she won't have leg issues. She actually did not have them at the start of this season -- literally those first 2 quarters before she got injured (she had 16 points I think). Instead of rounding into form and adding to her leg strength -- it all was blown up.

In her presser, MM said Mik is, in effect, playing on one leg and "giving it everything she's got" (or something to that effect). Hopefully, she'll be able to get back to where she was pre-Fordham.

I was at the Fordham game and she looked very strong and energetic before going down in the third quarter.

Injuries have been problematic for Mik and the team. However, if she can come back to the Fordham status, the Irish will most certainly have a starter. My one caveat is that they play her more at the low post -- a la Bri -- where she can go straight to the hoop, as she did at the end of the Syracuse game.

One minor disagreement: I don't think Maddy Westbeld is the same player as Sam. Yes, she's 6'2" (or 6'3" depending on what you read) and can shoot from distance. However, in the early season tournament games I watched her (against solid teams), she was very at home at the top of the key and in the paint. She's got an understated toughness about her (like Kat) to get rebounds and get her shot off inside. Plus...and this is why I think she's made for positioning at the elbow -- her vision and calm is top-rate for a HS senior. The Irish are missing that now.

She is very strongly built and all of 6'2". I am 6'2.5" and stood less than 1' from her that day. She was every bit as tall as I am and she was build like a college senior. I haven't seen her play, but hope you are right. Offensively, we are at our best when we can fill that spot -- and we couldn't last year or this year. Last year we stumbled around until MM stopped trying to force it and moved on to what the team could do.

If she can fill that spot, she will be a starter down the stretch next season. She's in a pool of one at that position -- and then can also be the sub for Sam for MV.

Sam in particular will do a lot more damage if there is someone at the foul line that can't be left alone and also can't be guarded by anyone under 6'.

just an exercise in "what if." It's easy to say my projections are wrong - I freely admit that they might be. Just wondering what people see as the alternatives.

and maybe marginalized by people who aren’t as informed/ knowledgeable
about basketball as they think they are. That is why I think this is premature
speculation. Let’s just enjoy the journey and process as Muffet has the biggest
challenge of her career.

I never said I was the world's basketball expert. It's a fricking internet board devoted to NDWBB and I was trying to generate some conversation about next season since we won't be talking about our NCAA run. I'm sure you get outraged when people on Rock's project depth charts about other people's grandchildren.

ND 67 needs to lighten up a bit! I think some people think that the girls actually read this stuff.

At least next year we will have options as opposed to this year. I think this team really missed Abby's leadership. My opinion she is the Rex Pflueger of the ND women. Does a lot of things that don't show up in the stat sheet. 15 minutes minimum.

about this stuff is ridiculous. How many of the incoming freshman have you
even seen play? You consider my post an insult, yikes.