Notre Dame Preview and Game Thread

[3397char]

I noticed that and was frustrated as well. It made me curious: a) is it OK to know that there is no way you will run down Hidalgo from behind? and b) how much does this indicate that Hidalgo is living rent0free in your head? She clearly had us rattled. That is not good.

In some plays where she had the breakaway steal, I will be charitable and say we were jogging to be positioned for a potential layup miss rebound as opposed to the contest. But there was one play I recall where we did not even get back for that; inexcusable.

 

[Jriv23]

I don't think so. Kate will be a freshman next year. Do you know how hard it is for a freshman to step in and be the Alpha. It is very hard; especially if you are not a phenom which she is not. As a freshmen, Kate is going to have to adjust to being in class, playing against coach level players and not high school players. She will be learning our system, etc. That is just not going to happen. Caleb Wilson is a phenom and it is the alpha for the men's team. Let me put it to you this way. HH is a phenom but when she came to ND, she was not the Alpha Dog of that team. The same can be said of Sarah Strong. She was not the alpha dog of UCONN last year. Paige B was the alpha. Kate is a very good player but she is not on the same level as HH, SS, JuJu, etc.

 

[3397char]

I don't think so. Kate will be a freshman next year. Do you know how hard it is for a freshman to step in and be the Alpha. It is very hard; especially if you are not a phenom which she is not. As a freshmen, Kate is going to have to adjust to being in class, playing against coach level players and not high school players. She will be learning our system, etc. That is just not going to happen. Caleb Wilson is a phenom and it is the alpha for the men's team. Let me put it to you this way. HH is a phenom but when she came to ND, she was not the Alpha Dog of that team. The same can be said of Sarah Strong. She was not the alpha dog of UCONN last year. Paige B was the alpha. Kate is a very good player but she is not on the same level as HH, SS, JuJu, etc.

I tend to agree with you that outright expecting a freshmen to carry a team is a tough ask. It is more off a could happen than a should happen.

With that said, Harpring is just as much of a potential phenom as anyone. Maybe not a generational player who will change the game like Latta, but there are at least a dozen freshmen each year who immediately make their team significantly better and there is no reason to write off Harpring now as a longshot.

Here are the top HS top-10 ranked freshman guards this season:

• #1 Aaliyah Chavez: 19.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.0 SPG (starter)
• #5 Jazzy Davidson: 16.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.8 SPG (starter)
• #6 Emilee Skinner: out injured for the year
• #8 Hailee Swain: 9.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG (starter)
• #9 Dee Alexander: 6.4 PPG, 2.4 PPG, 1 APG, .5 SPG (out injured all preseason and played her first game Christmas week, has not yet started, seems to be on minutes restriction)
• #10 Divine Bourrage: 2.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.1 SPG (she is a back-up only averaging 12.7 MPG, backs up A-A or at least star level players MiLaysia Fulwiley and Flau'jae Johnson, so no surprise there)

So of the 4 who are healthy 2 are major contributors making their team significantly better. Injury should actually be our biggest concern. Any reason Consensus #2 recruit Harpring can't be one of those?

 

[Heelyeah#23]

I'm in the 'Banghart needs to be thanked for her contributions and let go' camp, but as other posters have said, that's not going to happen. But 2 things.

First, there still is time to right the ship, this season. We've all got a very bad taste in our mouths right now, but a W on Thursday against Miami, and things will look better.

Second (unrelated to first): hypothetical question. Just how bad of a win-loss record would be needed to get the right people to pay attention to the fact that maybe a coaching change should be entertained? Or, is it not win-loss, but how bad would recruiting results have to become? The best players are not going to want to come here, if we are not consistently in the Top 15, and if (as other posters have noted) the seats are empty. Is anybody paying attention?

Great question. We know how bad Hubert's record is against Quad 1 games over his tenure. What is CB's?

 

[3397char]

Please leave the analysis of Hubert Davis's coaching record to the MBB board.