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ND's Search for a Right "Fit" Can Be Rewarding, Frustrating by dillon77
Following ND's recruiting campaign can often feel like an emotional game of Chutes & Ladders. The team wins a National Championship and Sam Brunelle (!) commits shortly thereafter and one expects a few more...then nada for the Class of 2019.
Add into that the two transfers out, plus what looked like positive vibes with top-name 2020 prospects flattening out over time.
And although my fan self can get a tad frustrated, too, my chronicling self remembers an ND recruiting philosphy, most notably expressed by the Irish's newest coach, Michaela Mabrey:
'(Michaela) Mabrey said recruiting at Notre Dame will continue to be about whether a player is “a fit.”
'“You could be the No. 1 player in the country, but you might not fit our offense,” Mabrey said. “So it’s definitely a unique type of kid. Academics definitely play a role in it. We have to have certain GPAs, certain test scores, stuff like that, so we’re not offering everybody. It’s definitely a specific type of kid that we look for in recruiting.”'
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This is not meant to be a mea culpa for MM and her staff (she hardly needs that given her track record), but perhaps might offer some perspective.
- Many people wonder why we're not landing more Top Ten or Twenty candidates, using Hoopgurlz or Prospects Nation. I've always been leery of using these ratings services as more than a barometer, but if you do that, also look at the stars, not just the numbers. The top 53 players all have 5 stars, which point to their overall talent.
With that in mind, all of the current commits and prospects are in that bucket of excellence, from Deja Kelly (17), Maddy Westbeld (23) and Alli Campbell (25) to Leilani Kapinus (30), Nat Marshall (32) and Alasia Hayes (44).
Heck, if we could land three prospects in the top 25, I'd think we'd all be pleased.
- Remember, a lot of these ratings are based on AAU performance, which largely come down to individual performance within a team context.
Muffet looks for other concepts: are the players winners? Are they leaders? Do they help their teams win championships, whether as scorers, defenders or whatever it takes at the time?
Anaya Peoples, Alli Campbell and Alasia Hayes have all been large parts of two-time state champions, while Nat Marshall was a key contributor to Christ the King winning a New York State Class championship this year.
Do they get invited to National Team tryouts and make teams? Peoples and Brunelle practically live in Colorado Springs trying out for various teams. Campbell was a finalist in her latest go-round. Maddy did well, too.
- Ok, Dillon, get that (to a degree for some). What about the ones we offered, but go elsewhere? Fair enough. Let's look at a few:
-- Paige Bueckers said UConn has always been a dream of hers. Perhaps, but Geno A. apparently was on a first-hame basis with the Hopkins HS cafeteria workers he was there that often.
-- Haley Jones was pursued by ND, UConn and others, but chose the home-town team, Stanford. Probably was pre-ordained, but it's worth trying.
-- Aliyah Boston. She lived in Worcester, MA, practically back-door of Storrs. ND was allegedly doing well, then she chooses....South Carolina?
-- Caitlin Clark. Looked like the Oregon schools were in deep, but her top three came down to two Iowa schools and ND. Looks like she wants to stay in-state, despite ND looking like such a good fit, academically, athletically and culturally. Hey, it's not done yet, but she's an individual.
So, anything come to mind with the modus operandi from this perspective?
-- How about the fact that ND appears to have had Plan B's in place? Yes, they're aiming high, but have other very good players in mind in case things change.
-- They're adaptable...What some naysayers, one might call adaptable. Being able to see/talk to Leilani Kapinus is great. Will it lead to something? Maybe yes, maybe know, but they took the proverbial test drive.
-- Alasia Hayes was very late by ND standards, but Niele and MM obviously saw something they like: good all-round player who has speed, particularly on defense. Playing against Dangerfield or Baylor's Chloe Jackson requires some aggressive D and speed. Check.
-- One of the things that come to mind is expanding the prospect pool a bit by looking at international players. I've gone into detail in other posts, but why not? It's easier than it used to be with the internet and events for international prospects.
-- Also, I've got no idea how frequently the ND staff reaches out to prospects: each prospect is different and probably has different tastes and preferences. But once the right approach is ascertained, I'd recommend going for it if you want that player. Too much competetition to leave anything on the table. I'm not saying we have not, just recommending "keep on keeping on."
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Lastly, I'm looking forward to seeing how the OV's of Kelly, Westbeld and Clark (until she cancels, I'm keeping her on the list) go and/or if Kapinus comes. If two more of these players come, I think we've done pretty darn well.
And keep in mind, the players we're looking at (and are looking at us) in 2021: Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron, Ari Wiggins, Amari Deberry and possibly talent like Destiny Adams, Saniya Rivers, Payton Verhulst, etc.
Stay tuned -- Go Irish!