In reply to: ND in Kiki Iriafen's Top 5 posted by k_ter
if she were to want to commit and basically stop chasing Fudd or hold out for Azzi?
transfers after this season - too much talent coming in and the writing will be on the wall for some who will be relished to the bench
The poor competition that UConn plays in the AAC has come home to roost.
That’s why Geno was so salty when we left the Big East. He knew where UConn would be left. Iron sharpens iron, and the AAC has no iron. Nor does the new Big East, without us.
chance at both. NI is a confident recruiter and coach. She would not have
accepted Daras commitment and any other player if there was still a chance
for AF. I am shore she is or will develop a plan or something will occur to
take AF. That is a talent you keep on your board and mind till the end.
Don't Give Up, Never Give Up.
Here is a question. Can you redshirt a player on the roster and not be
counted towards the 15 that year?
SEG/Chief
Give "Mercedes" Benz an academic scholarship and take both KiKi & ZZ lol
since she played in a game this year. She would have to not play this coming season.
As she's a senior this year. The only way we have room for both Kiki and Azzi starting in the 21-22 season would be if Vaughn forgoes her 5th year or if someone tranfers.
It's really quite a greedy thing to do to "hold out for Azzi Fudd" if Kiki Iriafen wants to commit, as it would be to "hold out for Kiki Iriafen" if Azzi Fudd wants to commit. Best case scenario you wind up with the star you 'preferred,' but if you don't then you wind up with nobody (not to mention some other schools get better). If you just take the first player to commit between the two of them, you get better no matter what, and you hang your hat on an excellent recruiting cycle.
Is worth two in the bush. If we can get Kiki....get her. She is at a position of need. If she commits we tell AF that if there is a transfer we will hold the schollie for her. If no one transfers then she has lots of options, including UConn.
...and she'd be a welcome addition to any college team and most WNBA teams.
That said, ND could use a forward out of this class and the fact that Niele and Dara Mabrey committed to each other tells me the odds for Fudd are tough.
The good news is that if Kiki holds off until September (to get an OV in), Fudd might make up her mind by then.
..this is a great development. No idea of when this relationship started -- (the video footage of Marina and Kiki may have happened before Marina was traded from LA Sparks to Dallas?) -- but the Irish seemed to have strengthened their relationship during the pandemic, which is saying something because that's entirely AV-based. Nice.
I'm certainly not aware if Kiki has ever been to the Bend and given that she's an LA-resident, I'd have to think she'd want to see the campus and South Bend. So, will this "finalist period" stay that way until the NCAA opens up campus visits? If so, that can only help ND. As charismatic as Niele is on phone and camera, she's even more so in person.
Yes, the Irish would have a full roster in 2021, but my gut is Niele is allowing everyone to start from scratch come practice. And then might do so again come Class of 2021.
This, along with the offer to Ayanna Patterson, is a good indication that Niele and staff know they need to continue to bolster the front court to match the talented guards and wings on the roster. Nat Marshall and Kat Westbeld (who sure seems like a high post) are a great start, but got to keep racking up the tall talent!
..she's a very good player. And even if ND does not land her, it sends a good message and could set the Irish up for more successful courting of Lauren Betts, Timea Gardiner, Ayanna Patterson, etc., in 2022.
Patterson is a local product and Niele has given her an offer, which is great. And ND has watched Gardiner and Betts in Chile (CO was there), along with commits Miles and Citron. If ND could get one of those two, along with Patterson, that would be a super addition to Nat Marshall and Kat Westbeld.
first sentence of your second paragraph. I view Gardiner as similar to Kiki as a low post player.