I've cut and pasted his section on possible line-ups for next year, beginning with one that includes Dara (if her waiver goes through) in the starting line-up (see below):

- Dara PGt
- Walker, Gilbert at Guards
- Brunelle at Forward
- Vaughn at Post

If no Dara, he's got

- Gilbert at PG (with Hayes or Gilbert helping out)
- Walker, Brunelle and Vaughn filling out the lineup.

But who is the other guard? Peoples?

"What is next year’s likely starting group?

"If Mabrey is granted eligibility — “not likely,” she told the Shoresportsnetwork this Thursday — then we could see her as the top point guard option, allowing Gilbert and Walker to align in the wings, Brunelle at forward and Vaughn as the post figure.

"For now and while recovering from shoulder surgery, Peoples could be an excellent top player off the bench in a number of capacities, and still average 30 minutes per game like many of the starters.

"If Mabrey has to sit before using her remaining two years of eligibility, then Gilbert might be utilized the most at the point, with maybe Peoples and Hayes — depending how ready she is — taking some of the onus off her.

"The starting quintet then would be rounded out by Walker, Brunelle and Vaughn."

...but don't hit that send button quite yet, Lou!

If Dara was to get a waiver, I do think two things would happen:
- She'd start at point guard; and,
- The Boneyard would blow up.

I totally get Lou's starting lineup with Dara. And I even get his reasoning that Anaya's all-roundness might make her a prime candidate to come off the bench (that and she might not be all the way back from her injury).

However, my one concern there is Anaya and/or Abby are strong defenders and one of them might be a good complement to the mix. Then, bring in Destinee or Katlyn to let it rip.

I'll throw one more scenario into the mix for consideration. Like a few other posters I admire, me thinks Sam is really a wing, both on offense and defense. She's in the line-up to let it rip and she starts outside and moves in.

So, my thought would be to see how well Maddy Westbeld is doing. She might not start, but I could see her coming in and being the fulcrum of the Princeton offense like her sister. Plus she'll play defense, rebound and start the break.

Plus, I'm guessing Nat Marshall might not be available and unless Danielle Cosgrove has redone her game, Maddy's the option to spell/play with Mik.

The Dara Mabrey situation is knotty. It feels so right for a Mabrey to be Irish, but each marches to their own drum and Dara liked the beat of Virginia Tech. When Dara “entered the portal”, I expected her to be Irish the next day. When that didn’t happen, I was shocked that it happened months later—after a coaching change, and two more top guard verbals to Notre Dame.

At this point, it was hard to decipher Niele’s thinking. Most on the Bench identified Notre Dame’s needs as posts, forwards, battleships and cruisers. Some saw the need strong enough to call for a transfer. Then Coach Ivey filled the ever dwindling slots with another combo guard. At least we pretty much knew our aspirations for Azzi were over.

The fire and drive will be welcome, but where will she play? I suppose a likely scenario would have Dara join MPG’s A-team. We have no indication, other than personnel, that Niele will depart from the standard steady 7 in college basketball, but she is coming from the NBA where more players are used, albeit the games are longer.

Does Dara start (which the article paints as likely), making the possibility of MPG’s A-team (Anaya, Abby, Allison, Alasia and Amirah) a truly dramatic (all 5 A’s coming in at the same time) event? Most likely she must sit until next year when 2 more outstanding guards come on board.

Like hempfield, I have to believe our new coach has a plan (quite a few of them, in fact). So, how do others hope this will play out?

Here are Dara’s numbers for her first two years as a Hokie along with last year’s guards and Marina’s first two years.

a deeper bench. Although NBA games are eight minutes longer and the season is more than twice as long, Niele probably saw the wisdom of going ten deep, if there are enough players who can play the fast paced style she apparently wants to play. I don't know if we'll see the "A-team" together, but I think she has enough players who are ready to play hard.

Kudos for you and a couple of others for identifying this strategy awhile back. I think someone else called them a pressing team. Along with the A-team, it seems likely we will be unleashing a new Press Corps.

You can run on offense and play pressure defense. You can do it for the entire game, every game, all season long and still have something left in the tournament. Love to see that; but we need the horses to pull it off.

but I think you nailed it. "We need the horses to pull it off." Other teams, such as Syracuse, have tried without the necessary horses. The best example is North Carolina women's soccer. They have won an unheard of 21 (of 38) national championships. Somehow they get the horses—better players and more of them than anyone else. They often substitute a full 11 players half way through each half.

There are problems, however. In soccer, typically you don't receive a full scholarship like in basketball, so the players are happier with partials. Another problem that Niele has to solve is, last year in the WNBA draft, the average minutes per game of all college players' drafted was 31.5, and no one was drafted who played less than 26 min/g (in their final season). She has to convince prospects they still have a chance for the WNBA.

But even that is not enough. The good recruits want to play in the WNBA.

If we are competing against other schools for a recruit that their only goal
is do the minimum to get into the WNBA. We have little chance with them. They
have to have interests in ND for spiritual, education, and beyond for 4 plus
years. I know in FB we lost a lot of recruits because of this. That is why
the scouting, interviews and background checks are so important.

SEG/Chief

You can run on offense and play pressure defense. You can do it for the entire game, every game, all season long and still have something left in the tournament. Love to see that; but we need the horses to pull it off.

The Mabrey family is from Belmar, surfing capital of the east coast, or at least NJ.

I'll take your word for Belmar surfing. On the east coast I've only surfed on Long Beach Island. There are a few good spots.