Notre Dame, 2022-'23 Season

[Dillon77]

Irish Hit the Road; Beat Va. Tech 63-52, for First ACC Win of Season

It wasn't pretty by any means - heck, the Irish scored/were held to nine (9) points in the first quarter, but they took off in the fourth quarter to beat the heretofore undefeated Hokies. In doing so, they held the Hokies to under 30-percent shooting from the field, in a game that reminded me a lot of an old Big East game.
Here's a link to ESPNw write-up:

No. 5 Irish hand first loss to No. 6 Virginia Tech

Olivia Miles had 16 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five steals to lead No. 5 Notre Dame to a 63-52 victory over previously unbeaten No. 6 Virginia Tech.

www.espn.com

Here's some "morning-after" thoughts I posted on The Bench:

- Va. Tech was known for its clinging defense and that was evident in the first half (one could make an argument about poor shooting, too). However, as the game progressed, the Irish had a lot to do with keeping the Hokies to 52 points and under 30% shooting. Yes, Georgia Amoore went off in the 3rd quarter (note to coaches: work on high pick D), but the Irish were very effective.

- While Amoore had 20 (see quarter three) and Liz Kitley 16, they held the four other Hokies to sixteen -- 16 -- points. Taylor Soule shot 2-13, Cayla King 0-5 and Kayana Traylor 3-12.

- Irish legs were hoppin': they blocked nine (9) shots, led by Sonia Citron and Kylee Watson with 3 each and Maddy Westbeld with two. Westbeld's block on Traylor's baseline drive in the 2nd half was ballsy, because she had three fouls at the time.

- Tip of the hat to Westbeld for being able to stay on the floor (31 minutes). She played tough D (hello, Ms. Soule), scored 10 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and had 2 steals, along with the 2 blocks. Coach Ivey knew she needed Westbeld in there, too, and trusted her.

- I endorse anything that allows Sonia Citron to attack downhill, whether it's an Lauren Ebo screen or a ridiculous Olivia Miles pass from the baseline to a cutting Citron who went 0-60 in two steps and scored an "and one" layup. Bam. Hits the free throw, too. Citron also fumbled a lead pass from Miles but fell to her knees to retrieve it, then poked it to a cutting Westbeld for an easy lay-up.

- Lastly, kudos to Miles for keeping cool and not getting frustrated for missing a bunch of 1st half bunnies, then nailing the entire 4th quarter. At the end of the day, when she plays like this, it's simple: ND has Miles and other teams don't. She's a weapon .. and only getting better.

- Solid, tough win on the road, which will help for ACC standings and confidence. Irish have a home game against Western Michigan this Wednesday, go home for the holidays, then head back to the Commonwealth for an away game against UVA and ND alum Sam Brunelle.

 

[LoTrader]

I have watched too many WCBB games already this season. Notre Dame has impressed me with their resilience. They are a confident bunch and they show up in Q4. They are deserving of their ranking.

 

[Dillon77]

Irish finish the pre-holiday break portion of their season with a strong performance against a game, but undersized Western Michigan team. WM had won their last three and had played some strong non-conference foes (Michigan, Michigan State), but wore down as the game went on against the much taller Irish.

ND shot 55% overall (50% from three-pt. land), led by Maddy Westbeld's 23 and Citron's 16, with Olivia Miles leading the floor game. Of the Irish's 23 assists, she had 12. ND also outrebounded WM 44-20, led by Westbeld (8), Miles (7) and Citron (6). Citron drew the primary defensive assignment against WM's leading scorer, Lauren Ross, who came into the game averaging 21.4 ppg and held her to 14 on 5-15 shooting.

The Irish, now 10-1, have a few days off and pick up again at Miami on Dec. 29, then at home against on New Year's Day at noon (what grinch scheduled a game that early on New Year's Day for a college student? )

 

[AzzisBraids]

Nielle Ivey knows how to coach guards to the best of their ability. Diggins, Ogunbowale, Young, McBride, All the Mabreys, not taking away from Muffet but she continues with Miles and Citron. Really savvy guard-first coach

 

[Dillon77]

Nielle Ivey knows how to coach guards to the best of their ability. Diggins, Ogunbowale, Young, McBride, All the Mabreys, not taking away from Muffet but she continues with Miles and Citron. Really savvy guard-first coach

The Irish were blessed with two long-term assistant coaches during MM's stay: Niele Ivey and Carol Owens (who still is with Niele as Associate Head Coach). While "Coach O" has worked with/helped develop some fine bigs (Ruth Riley, Natalie Achonwa, Bri Turner, Jess Shepard, Maya Dodson), ND prides itself -- as you pointed out -- on its guards. And Niele has been right at the center of it. Interestingly, one of her former charges -- Michaela Mabrey -- is now on her staff working with guards, as well.

(BTW, another point guard she worked with was the four-year starter, Lindsay Allen.)

Next year should be fun with speed-demon PG Hannah Hidalgo, and long-range bomber, Emma Risch, joining 'Liv Miles and Soni Citron.

 

[JellyBean]

I am happy for Coach Ivey and her continued success at Notre Dame. I just look back at the Covid year and the so-called "experts" were writing her off as a coach. Saying that "Coach Ivey was in over her head". Like good grief. Give the lady a chance. That Covid year was tough. I believe Notre Dame finished at .500 or close to it. Coach Ivey's 2nd year, she had her doubters, but you saw what this team was developing into. They split with NC State last season. Beat North Carolina. Lost to Duke. Coach Ivey can coach.

 

[Dillon77]

Irish have a full week off between the Boston College home game and upcoming trip to North Carolina. Lots of opportunities to practice and work the kinks out and further integrate early-frosh Cassandre Prosper.

That included getting former Irish star Jewell Loyd to travel east of Route 80 from her Chicago hometown. Good -- no, great -- to see her on campus!

 

[Iluvacc2]

Irish have a full week off between the Boston College home game and upcoming trip to North Carolina. Lots of opportunities to practice and work the kinks out and further integrate early-frosh Cassandre Prosper.

That included getting former Irish star Jewell Loyd to travel east of Route 80 from her Chicago hometown. Good -- no, great -- to see her on campus!

Since Muffet’s retirement, Jewell has been more receptive to all things Irish. Glad to see her back in the fold.

Dillon, how do you pronounce Prosper’s first name? Initially I thought it was pronounced “Cass Sandra”, however during the BC game, I heard Antonelli say “Cassand”.

 

[Dillon77]

Since Muffet’s retirement, Jewell has been more receptive to all things Irish. Glad to see her back in the fold.

Dillon, how do you pronounce Prosper’s first name? Initially I thought it was pronounced “Cass Sandra”, however during the BC game, I heard Antonelli say “Cassand”.

I've actually heard it as "Cassan." If she continues to play the way she has (9 rebounds in her 2nd game in 10 minutes), we'll hear the preferred usage and correct pronunciation often enough!

 

[cancontent]

I've actually heard it as "Cassan." If she continues to play the way she has (9 rebounds in her 2nd game in 10 minutes), we'll hear the preferred usage and correct pronunciation often enough!

To piggy-back on this, her name is spelt Cassandre which is the French version of Cassandra. French/Quebecois pronunciation would be "Cassan-dre" instead of "Cassan-dra" because you have to roll the 'r'. This could be why some think they're hearing "Cassand".

 

[Iluvacc2]

To piggy-back on this, her name is spelt Cassandre which is the French version of Cassandra. French/Quebecois pronunciation would be "Cassan-dre" instead of "Cassan-dra" because you have to roll the 'r'. This could be why some think they're hearing "Cassand".

Thanks! The boneyard is a magical place where you can find basketball knowledge and diction lessons

 

[Dillon77]

Consistency is something that coaches, teammates and fans can all appreciate. ND's Sonia Citron can, indeed, be depended on to hold up her share of the scoring for the Irish, averaging 14.9 ppg, just behind Olivia Miles 15.2 ppg. One reason for that is her uniformly excellent shooting: 54% from the overall field; 44% from three-pt. land; and, 88% from the FT line.

BTW, I made note on another thread that Stanford has three scorers within. .3 of each other. ND's 3rd, 4th and 5th leading scorers all average 10-pt. something per game: Dara Mabey - 10.7 ppg; Lauren Ebo - 10.6 ppg; and, Maddy Westbeld - 10.3 ppg.

Next up for Citron, Miles et al: at North Carolina on Sunday, Jan. 8th at 4 p.m. EST.

 

[WFFL]

Irish looking very much like a Final 4 contender right now .

 

[triaddukefan]

Yall had ONE JOB TO DO TODAY... ONE JOB TO MAKE THIS A PERFECT DAY

Irish looking very much like a Final 4 contender right now .

Not today they didn't

 

[DefenseBB]

Irish looking very much like a Final 4 contender right now .

This post played well for all of 3 days.

 

[LoTrader]

I watched the Notre Dame vs UNC game last night (recorded). One of the sloppiest, hard to watch games I've seen of any TOP 25 ranked teams in a long time. And I'm not attributing it to great defense. Lots of bricks, missed lay-ins, horrible passes. Was hard to watch. I think every team has one of those games in a season. But neither team was up to their ranking in this game.

 

[Dillon77]

I watched the Notre Dame vs UNC game last night (recorded). One of the sloppiest, hard to watch games I've seen of any TOP 25 ranked teams in a long time. And I'm not attributing it to great defense. Lots of bricks, missed lay-ins, horrible passes. Was hard to watch. I think every team has one of those games in a season. But neither team was up to their ranking in this game.

Absolutely not a good game.
One often reads that good shooting is at the heart of a good game. Well, the Irish shot under 30% in the game. Although UNC's match-up zone was a nuisance in the second half, ND missed so many chippies I just lost count.

ND had a week to rest/prepare for this game. Would've been better off playing a game on Thursday. Luckily, they're back at it shortly: at home Thursday against Wake Forest; then off to Syracuse on Sunday.

 

[Dillon77]

Not surprisingly, ND beat up on Wake Forest at home, 86-47. Tough match-up for the Deacs: Irish were primed and ready to roll after worst game of the year against UNC; and, match-ups were not in Wake's favor (see below).


- 6'3" Maddy Westbeld led the Irish with 25 points and didn't play most of the 4th quarter. Westbeld was hot (10-15 overall, 2-5 from three), but she was also in a position to be hot because Wake plays one forward and four guards and thos guards are all under 6' tall, so Westbeld was a good option. As was 6'2" frosh Cassandre Prosper later on: the two had the highest shot totals on the team. BTW, Prosper also went 2-5 from three-pt. land.

- Sonia Citron's double-figure streak ends. When you only take 4 shots from the field and only go to the line on "and one's," it's a tough road to 10. However, she had a team high +/- of 31, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocked shots.
Elmer, indeed.

- Steady 21 minutes from frosh KK Bransford, scoring 9 points (on 5 shots), grabbing 4 rebounds and having a +/- of 30, right behind Citron.

- Irish go on the road Sunday to play Syracuse at 2 pm. The Orange beat BC (in Boston) 83-73, with five in double figures.

https://und.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/WAKE-BOX.pdf

 

[JellyBean]

I am so looking forward to attending the ND/Virginia game on the 22nd!!

 

[Dillon77]

I am so looking forward to attending the ND/Virginia game on the 22nd!!

Did you go?

 

[Dillon77]

ND Places Two on 2023 McDonald's All-American Squad

Point guard Hannah Hidalgo and shooting guard Emma Risch were both selected to take part in the 2023 McDonald's All-American game in Houston, Texas. Here are write-ups by Shane Laflin that he posted for ESPNw.

Hannah Hidalgo, PG​

Signed with: Notre Dame | 2023 espnw 100 ranking: 5
Paul VI HS (New Jersey)

If there is something on the basketball court worth competing for, count Hidalgo in. Once inside the lines for the tip, she is all go, all the time. End-to-end, Hidalgo may be the fastest guard in the country and she is almost impossible to guard off the dribble with single coverage. Between her sophomore and junior year, she really went to work on her perimeter shooting and now that she is a legitimate threat from downtown, she is essentially an impossible cover 1-on-1. She finishes well against contact, has a package of floater options, and can get hot from the 3. Defensively, the opposing point guard will feel the heat of constant pressure. Hidalgo is a gold medalist from the U17 at the FIBA World Cup in 2022.

Emma Risch, G​

Signed with: Notre Dame | 2023 espnw 100 ranking: 20
Palm Bay Magnet HS (Florida)

Notre Dame is getting a knock-down shooter. Risch is known to catch fire from the 3-point line and has had multiple games this year of five-plus 3-point makes. Risch has a great feel for the game which allows her to know the finer details of reading screens and timing of when to relocate to get open opportunities. It is to her advantage that as a major focus of the defense, she can use that gravity to pull and manipulate defenders as she creates for teammates. She is a big guard (6-1) with a crafty handle that complements her shooting with a touch for floaters and finishing in the paint. Risch is averaging 24 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season.

Here are write-ups on all the other selectees. Congrats to the future Irish and all the players!

Breaking down the 2023 McDonald's All American girls' basketball recruits

A look at the 24 McDonald's All Americans and what makes each one a top women's college basketball recruit.

www.espn.com

​

 

[Dillon77]

ND PLAYS TOUGH DEFENSE AND COMES ALIVE OFFENSIVELY IN 2ND HALF; BEATS FSU 70-47

A few notes:
- Irish had 55 Rebounds. Wow! Kelly Gramlich -- in the ACC wrap-up show that happened to being playing once I finished watching the ND game -- noted the Irish are out-rebounding teams by 12-13 per game. Up from last year's +4. Big difference.

- Irish held FSU to 47points. And Ta'Niya Latson to under 10 for the first time all season, largely using box and one and a very aggressive match-up zone. ND is holding ACC opponents to 53 ppg.

While shooting 3's can be a critical element to beating a zone, FSU shot 5-25, which hardly helped the cause. . Sara Bejedi (1-8) was hoisting from the logo a few times.

- Took took awhile for the offense to get going to 1) Figure out how to function with no Dara Mabrey ; 2) Deal with FSU's defense; and 3) Get/hit shots. But they did. KK Bradford did so a lot by herself in the first half; and then Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron got going in the third/early 4th quarter.

- Citron continued her brand of high-level efficiency, pretty much staying on her 50% from the field overall, 40%+ with three pointers and mid-80% FT shooting. (the one she missed was after she got whacked in the eye). She finished with a game-high 19 points.

- Grammlich and Muffet McGraw both think Sonia Citron will become the back-up point guard if and when Miles is in foul trouble. If that's true, Citron will play even more than the nearly 35 minutes she put in today. Jenna Brown spelled Miles in the first half, but Citron took over in the 2nd half.

- Early enrollee Cassandre Prosper obviously couldn't buy a basket (0-9 from the floor), but in some 17 minutes she had 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block and a lotta length up top on the zone.

Doesn't get any easier for the Irish in that their next game is at NC State on Sunday.

https://und.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ND-Stats-1.pdf

 

[LoTrader]

Looking forward to the ND vs Duke game