Notre Dame, 2022-'23 Season | The Boneyard

Notre Dame, 2022-'23 Season

Dillon77

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With ND playing in a nationally broadcast game against California today (4 p.m. EST, NBC network), I thought I'd give a (relatively) brief overview on the 2022-'23 version of the Fighting Irish.
Many/most of you are familiar with 4/5 of the starting lineup, which is the same as last year:

  • #5 Olivia Miles. Played 33.3 minutes per game (mpg) and scored 13.7 points per game (ppg), 5.7 rebounds per game (rpg) and dished out 7.4 assists per game (apg). Had 59 steals.
  • #11 Sonia Citron. Played 30.5 mpg and averaged 11.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg (most of returning players) and 2.2 apg. Had 54 steals. Led Irish in FT's taken (108) and percentage (84%).
  • #21 Maddy Westbeld (changed # from #34). Played 28.9 mpg and averaged 11.8 ppg and 6.3 rpg.
  • #1 Dara Mabrey. Played 32.4 mpg (high on team) and scored 10.3 ppg, while averaging 2.3 apg as Miles' back-up PG. Took 198 three-pt. attempts and hit 37%.

The Irish lost four players to the portal: Sam Brunelle, Kaitlyn Gilbert and Abby Prohaska (all of whom graduated from ND) and Anaya Peoples. Peoples initially started the season but lost her starting position and minutes to Sonia Citron.

Coach Niele Ivey brought in three players via the transfer portal, two of which she had previously recruited and one who then assistant Coach Coquese Washington had recruited and coached for Penn State.
They are:
  • #22 Kylee Watson, a 6'4" center/forward who transferred from Oregon. Watson has 3 years of eligibility if she wants it. In the Irish's firt game against Northern Illinois, Watson started, played a tick under 25 minutes, scored 9 pts and dished out 4 assists.
  • #33 Lauren Ebo, another 6'4" center who came from Texas (most recently) and Penn State in her graduate (and last) year. She came in as a center and played just under 21 minutes, scoring 10 pts. and grabbing 6 rebounds.
  • #0 Jenna Brown, the 5'10" point guard who graduated from Stanford, came to ND, who at one point she was committed coming out of HS. She's coming off a knee surgery but played some 9 minutes. The hope is that she'll spell Olivia Miles and/or possibly -- if things go well -- have Miles move over to off-guard while Brown mans the point.

ND's sole other returning player is:
- #15 Nat Marshall, the 6'5" forward from Christ-the-King high school in Queens, NY (same as Sue Bird, Chamique Holdsclaw, among others). Marshall has been plagued by leg injuries since her senior year at CTK, among them a meniscus issue last season. However, she played some 10 minutes in the first game, scored 9 points and ran the floor very, very well. If she can stay healthy and continue to improve, she could spell Maddy Westbeld and give ND a very uptempo and tall front court.

And the one freshman is:
- #14 KK Bransford, the well-built 5'11" guard from Cincinnati, Ohio, who scored 6 points and had three assists. Some see some Jackie Young in her, others a bit of Arike. She's a powerful athlete who will get used to the speed of the collegiate game and contribute at a number of positions. Seems to have a good feel and steady hand. Stay tuned.

The squad is rounded out by second-year walk on's Trinity Cha (#2), Sarah Cernugel (#25) and first-year walk-on Lauren Zwetzig (#20).

As for coaching, Niele Ivey begins her third year at the helm and she is assisted by long-time post coach Carole Owens, who has been coaching Irish bigs, from Ruth Riley and Dev Peters to Natalie Achonwa, Bri Turner and Jess Shepard. Last year, Owens helped Maya Dodson have a career-best year in her sole season at Notre Dame.

Michaela Mabrey (once known as Mabrey1) is beginning her fourth year as a coach (oh, how time flies). Last year was a good one for Mabrey, who tutored both Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron. She'll probably continue to work with the guards because ...

...former Irish great Charel Allen returns to Notre Dame to fill the spot left open when Coquese Washington became the head coach at Rutgers. Allen had been associate head coach at Cal State Fullerton before returning to South Bend.
 
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eebmg

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ND up 31-22 after 1Q. Very methodical offense by ND. 11-15. O Miles with 6 assists Only player for Cal scoring is Jayda Curry with 13 doing everything she can.
 

Dillon77

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Good enough win over California, considering I thought the refs took a potential run&gun classic after one quarter and turned it into a foul fest. Geesh. With several Irish hampered by fouls, great contributions by Kylee Watson (15 points), Nat Marshall (9 points), KK Bransford (defense) and Dara Mabrey (running the point and hold it....defense).

That ended around 6:15 p.m.. Then, there was a great dessert at 8 p.m. when Cassandre Prosper committed to Notre Dame. Along with Emma Risch, Coach Ivey has two more components for her "positionless" approach. Woo hoo! :D
 
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Good enough win over California, considering I thought the refs took a potential run&gun classic after one quarter and turned it into a foul fest. Geesh. With several Irish hampered by fouls, great contributions by Kylee Watson (15 points), Nat Marshall (9 points), KK Bransford (defense) and Dara Mabrey (running the point and hold it....defense).

That ended around 6:15 p.m.. Then, there was a great dessert at 8 p.m. when Cassandre Prosper committed to Notre Dame. Along with Emma Risch, Coach Ivey has two more components for her "positionless" approach. Woo hoo! :D
Congrats on the win and the commitment!
 

UConnCat

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Good enough win over California, considering I thought the refs took a potential run&gun classic after one quarter and turned it into a foul fest. Geesh. With several Irish hampered by fouls, great contributions by Kylee Watson (15 points), Nat Marshall (9 points), KK Bransford (defense) and Dara Mabrey (running the point and hold it....defense).

That ended around 6:15 p.m.. Then, there was a great dessert at 8 p.m. when Cassandre Prosper committed to Notre Dame. Along with Emma Risch, Coach Ivey has two more components for her "positionless" approach. Woo hoo! :D
What is Ivey's "positionless" approach? How would you (or better, she) define it?
 
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What is Ivey's "positionless" approach? How would you (or better, she) define it?
Positionless ?
Yet few teams have a starting 5 with more defined positions. Certainly there will be a small amount of playing time in other positions but consider the following:
Miles - strictly a point guard
Mabry - a 2 position player 90%
of the time.
Citron - plays the 3 the vast
majority of
her minutes. May play a
handful at the 2.
Westbeld - Strictly a 4
Ebo/Watson - Ebo is strictly a 5
Watson plays
mainly the 5 but
plays the 4 also.
 

Dillon77

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What is Ivey's "positionless" approach? How would you (or better, she) define it?
Hey there:
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Had a busy day yesterday and then found this subject to have taken on a life of its' own, which I'll try to summarize. Will also include @rvwsleep as well, since he addressed the subject, as well.

Niele referred to the concept of "position-less" basketball when she had returned to ND from the NBA's Grizzlies In the course of one of her audio interviews (or extensive background interviews with South Bend writers), she referred to how NBA teams were increasingly going to position-less approaches, particularly in regards to center play and defensive matchups. She thought it could also be detected in WCBB, in how players can take on roles of other positions, which extends flexibility.

My McGraw's Bench colleague, BajaGhanouj, did some extensive research (in general) on the subject and came back with the following points being cited in a position-less approach in various articles. I'll list the research and put in parenthesis what Niele seems to have picked up on.

1. Spacing on offense.
2. The offense needn’t be initiated by a point guard.
(Note: While this is probably a principal point of position-less basketball, we're not sure that Niele, being a former PG, promotes this particular principle, particularly with such a gifted PG as Olivia Miles.)
3. Players should be adept ball handlers, as well as proficient in moving without the ball. Creating your own shot is imperative, as well.
4. Emphasis on team movement and passing; read and react, rather than set and/or “iso” plays.
5. A “back to the basket” center is often not needed nor included
(Once again, not the case with either Maya Dodson or Lauren Ebo.)
6. Perhaps most importantly, any player should be able to guard any opposing player.
(ND used multiple players on Curry in the 2nd half of the Cal game.)

How do I see this playing out? Coach Ivey is after versatile, multi-faceted players and -- if they're tall -- all the better. [I think it's best demonstrated in the prospects Niele has targeted in recruiting (both successfully and not). Sonia Citron is a 6'1" wing who has played power forward in international play, starts at the wing for ND, has slid to the off-guard position and also can initiate half-court sets.
In 2023, the players she's signed are 6'1" Emma Risch, who was initially a long-range specialist but has developed into an all-round attacker; and, 6'2" Cassandre Prosper who brings inside and mid-range proficiency. 2024 targets include tall guard/wings such as Mikayla Blakes and Kendall Dudley.

Some recent transfers -- Ebo, Dara Mabrey -- are set at one position, which largely had to do with targeting needs. However, Kylee Watson has played both center and forward, as has Nat Marshall who is 6'5" and runs the floor like a wing. It's a work in progress, but the barometer are the recruiting signees and their usage going forward.
 
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Dillon77

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Positionless ?
Yet few teams have a starting 5 with more defined positions. Certainly there will be a small amount of playing time in other positions but consider the following:
Miles - strictly a point guard
Mabry - a 2 position player 90%
of the time.
Citron - plays the 3 the vast
majority of
her minutes. May play a
handful at the 2.
Westbeld - Strictly a 4
Ebo/Watson - Ebo is strictly a 5
Watson plays
mainly the 5 but
plays the 4 also.
Hey: I included you in a reply to UConnCat. The exercise isn't so much about positions and numbers assigned per se, but what the players are doing while they're on the court. Some of your descriptions are absolute spot on. But others have subtle differences.
  • Westbeld is actually not a strict four. She has outside range, which was worked on extensively at the 3x3 championships. In fact, she likes to work from the outside-in, which is more like a wing.
  • Watson starts at center but moved over to forward on multiple occasions in the first two games. She's an adept passer and has a handle. Ditto Nat Marshall, who might be the best example of the ND frontcourt players on how versatility can be used as a weapon. She's 6'5", can move her feet on defense and hit an array of jump shots out to the elbow.
  • Citron, if need be, can do anything on the floor for Coach Ivey, save play in the post. Yes, she plays that wing, but remember that a wing is a meshing of a small forward and off guard. Interestingly, unlike Westbeld, Citron does her initial damage driving and taking shots of offensive rebounding. This opens up space for her jump shot. She also gets fouled a lot and is an excellent FT shooter.
  • I think you'll see Miles setting up on the wing more as the season progresses, particularly if Jenna Brown plays more. This would give Miles a chance to take a rest from ball handling and to also attack from the side or shoot jumpers, something she's worked on a lot over the spring and summer.
 
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UConnCat

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Hey there:
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Had a busy day yesterday and then found this subject to have taken on a life of its' own, which I'll try to summarize. Will also include @rvwsleep as well, since he addressed the subject, as well.

Niele referred to the concept of "position-less" basketball when she had returned to ND from the NBA's Grizzlies In the course of one of her audio interviews (or extensive background interviews with South Bend writers), she referred to how NBA teams were increasingly going to position-less approaches, particularly in regards to center play and defensive matchups. She thought it could also be detected in WCBB, in how players can take on roles of other positions, which extends flexibility.

My McGraw's Bench colleague, BajaGhanouj, did some extensive research (in general) on the subject and came back with the following points being cited in a position-less approach in various articles. I'll list the research and put in parenthesis what Niele seems to have picked up on.

1. Spacing on offense.
2. The offense needn’t be initiated by a point guard.
(Note: While this is probably a principal point of position-less basketball, we're not sure that Niele, being a former PG, promotes this particular principle, particularly with such a gifted PG as Olivia Miles.)
3. Players should be adept ball handlers, as well as proficient in moving without the ball. Creating your own shot is imperative, as well.
4. Emphasis on team movement and passing; read and react, rather than set and/or “iso” plays.
5. A “back to the basket” center is often not needed nor included
(Once again, not the case with either Maya Dodson or Lauren Ebo.)
6. Perhaps most importantly, any player should be able to guard any opposing player.
(ND used multiple players on Curry in the 2nd half of the Cal game.)

How do I see this playing out? Coach Ivey is after versatile, multi-faceted players and -- if they're tall -- all the better. [I think it's best demonstrated in the prospects Niele has targeted in recruiting (both successfully and not). Sonia Citron is a 6'1" wing who has played power forward in international play, starts at the wing for ND, has slid to the off-guard position and also can initiate half-court sets.
In 2023, the players she's signed are 6'1" Emma Risch, who was initially a long-range specialist but has developed into an all-round attacker; and, 6'2" Cassandre Prosper who brings inside and mid-range proficiency. 2024 targets include tall guard/wings such as Mikayla Blakes and Kendall Dudley.

Some recent transfers -- Ebo, Dara Mabrey -- are set at one position, which largely had to do with targeting needs. However, Kylee Watson has played both center and forward, as has Nat Marshall who is 6'5" and runs the floor like a wing. It's a work in progress, but the barometer are the recruiting signees and their usage going forward.
Oh okay. Nothing really new. Sounds a lot like what we've been watching UConn teams do for years.
 

UConnCat

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Positionless ?
Yet few teams have a starting 5 with more defined positions. Certainly there will be a small amount of playing time in other positions but consider the following:
Miles - strictly a point guard
Mabry - a 2 position player 90%
of the time.
Citron - plays the 3 the vast
majority of
her minutes. May play a
handful at the 2.
Westbeld - Strictly a 4
Ebo/Watson - Ebo is strictly a 5
Watson plays
mainly the 5 but
plays the 4 also.
Pretty much how I see it too.
 

Dillon77

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Hannah Hidalgo, the #5 player in 2023 just committed to ND!!!!
Superb!
Coach Niele Ivey and her staff waited until late in the game to unleash a wicked recruiting kick and finish with Hannah Hidalgo, Cassandre Prosper and Emma Risch. Woo Hoo! Go Irish!!:D:)

 
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triaddukefan

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Welcome home???

Anyway... I don't know much about the ND roster for next season... how many backcourt players will the Irish have?
 

Dillon77

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Miles, Citron, Bransford, Brown, Risch, and Hidalgo. They could probably add a big guard in the portal for some depth next year.
You think? Citron and Risch are both 6'1" and Bransford is a 5'11" fire hydrant-type. Risch and Citron will shoot the three, but maybe they could look for one more bomber? The only other position I see open for the portal is a post to take Ebo's place.
 

Dillon77

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At Evanston, ND clocks Northwestern 92-58 in a game that was done before halftime. It was totally over once the refs, IMHO, over-reacted to a tie-up off a rebound and let that escalate into some yakking. Some Northwestern players came off the bench by a step or two and -- zap -- out go two NW starters and one key sub, including leading scorer Kayleigh Walsh. Miles gets a non-shooting T for being part of the scrum and then picks one up at end of the third -- she's gone, too.

That said, Miles and Sonia Citron powered ND to the win with 21 (Miles) and 24 points respectively. Citron started the game 8-8 from the field and also added 10 rebounds...all within the flow of the game. Lauren Ebo, hampered by fouls, scored 19 points in 13 minutes. If she can stay out of foul trouble ...
 
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ND clocks Northwestern 92-58 in a game that was done before halftime. It was totally over once the refs, IMHO, over-reacted to a tie-up off a rebound and let that escalate into some yakking. Some Northwestern players came off the bench by a step or two and -- zap -- out go two NW starters, including leading scorer Kayleigh Walsh. Miles gets a non-shooting T for being part of the scrum and then picks one up at end of the third.

That said, she and Sonia Citron powered ND to the win with 21 (Miles) and 24 points respectively. Citron started the game 8-8 from the field and also added 10 rebounds...all within the flow of the game.
Was watching that game , Miles was beasting it up before she got booted, and she had tweaked her ankle too but at least good to see the injury wasn't serious.
 
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You think? Citron and Risch are both 6'1" and Bransford is a 5'11" fire hydrant-type. Risch and Citron will shoot the three, but maybe they could look for one more bomber? The only other position I see open for the portal is a post to take Ebo's place.
It would be nice. I agree Niele should definitely look fr a true post in the portal. I think having 7 guards and 5 bigs would be ideal. However, I know she has said several likes the smaller roster.
 

Dillon77

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It would be nice. I agree Niele should definitely look fr a true post in the portal. I think having 7 guards and 5 bigs would be ideal. However, I know she has said several likes the smaller roster.
As you're probably aware, there have been many, many conversations on The Bench about roster size. When Muffet was in charge, I was one who came down firmly on the 12-person roster. However, as you said, Niele doesn't want that size. Perhaps that's one reason why she looks for versatile athletes who can play multiple slots. Up front, both Kylee Watson and Nat Marshall can play post or forward.
And, in the backcourt, Sonia Citron can play just about anywhere (and did last night).
 

Dillon77

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Notre Dame dismantled Ball State, 95-60, led by double doubles by Olivia Miles (13 pts., 11 assists) and Lauren Ebo (11 pts, 10 rebounds). Dara Mabrey scored 19 pts, hitting five 3 pointers in the first half, and Sonia Citron did a little bit of everything (like usual), scoring 14 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, handing out 4 assists and having 3 steals.)

That said, a few thoughts:

-- Kelly Gramlich, the ACC commentator last night and the former Clemson guard-turned-commentator/analyst, was asked what she thought of ND and couldn't keep her mind off Olivia Miles. Gramlich now is probably Olivia Miles biggest supporter in the media:
-- "Olivian Miles is 'Must See TV'." And, "Puts a Smile on My Face Every Time I Watch Her."
-- Gramlich compares Liv to Magic Johnson in that "she does everything," noting that 'Liv is a bigger point guard than most and can rebound, see over people and take it to the rack. Right after she said that, Miles blocked a shot...with her left (off) hand.
-- Calls 'Liv the head of the Notre Dame animal. Loves all the other parts, but cited Maddy Westbeld as the next most important.
-- And, lastly, there's no one quite like her in college basketball in terms of her ability/willingness to try things (cited one-hand passes).
Yes, this results in more turnovers, but ND's style is to press the petal to the metal and it's tolerated...to a point.

And now, a Dillon druther:

- As proof of the Magic comparison, check out this pass from 'Liv at midcourt to Citron in mid-stride/jump? While she's not Magic and Sonia isn't Michael Cooper or James Worthy, that's a pretty darn good connection. Love the way Soni (her nickname at ND) caught it and moved the ball over the layup. In my mind, if Miles is the head, then Citron is the glue and calming presence of the ND team.
Here's that play:
 
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As Fighting Irish fans know big game coming up against the Arizona State Sun Devils. After opening the season with what are essentially scrimmages against cupcakes the Devils have a real game coming up.

While I hope the Devils under new coach Adair can stay within 25 I am not optimistic. In their last five games the Fighting Irish have averaged a mov close to 30 including three real poundings. I'm going to predict the Irish with weary legs in their third consecutive game beat the Sun Devils 92 to 53.

This begs why Notre Dame is playing such a weak field down in the Caribbean?

In any of event looking at the tournament homepage it looks like the Fighting Irish play ASU Saturday. Given Notre Dame's recent scoring I'm not going to be surprised if the Irish lay 100 on their opponents before playing the Sun Devils and with CTT gone they may be able to have enough opportunity to score 110 on ASU.
 
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Dillon77

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Notre Dame Honors Katryna Gaither

Notre Dame, like many schools, has a "hall of fame" or in the Irish case, a "Ring of Honor," where the university honors individuals who have distinguished themselves and the university. This year, Katryna Gaither was honored. Along with Beth Morgan (Cunningham), she helped lead ND to its first final four. Came to ND as a self-described "tall, skinny kid from the Bronx," and left as a focused, battled hardened leader in the paint. Here's a short video on her induction, including her remarks. Class act then and now.

 
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Notre Dame keep winning, they will jump Indiana, Iowa State, and Ohio State and be in the Top 4!
 

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