Report: Notre Dame star makes decision on future
Notre Dame was lucky to have star forward Paul Atkinson join its squad via transfer from Yale this season. Throughout the Fighting Irish run to the NCAA Tournament and two victories on the biggest stage in college basketball, Atkinson was one of their keys to success.
Now, Atkinson has made a decision regarding his future with the Fighting Irish. According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Atkinson is moving on with his basketball career.
“Paul Atkinson tells me that he is planning to pursue a professional career, regardless of the decision that the NCAA makes on granting him another year of eligibility,” tweeted Rothstein. “Averaged 12.5 PPG and 6.9 RPG this season for Notre Dame. Started his career at Yale.”
During the onset of his career at Yale, Atkinson established himself as a dominating presence. In his final season with the conference in 2020, Atkinson was named the Ivy League Co-Player of the Year. After the season, he originally declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, but withdrew his name and decided to transfer to Notre Dame instead.
With the Fighting Irish, he quickly acclimated himself to improved competition. Atkinson earned the trust of his coaches and teammates with Notre Dame, amassing 12.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game over 27.5 minutes. Over four seasons with Yale and Notre Dame, Atkinson averaged 26.0 minutes, 12.1 points and six rebounds per game.
Additionally, Atkinson had the clutch gene. In the First Four against Rutgers, the star forward made the shot that put Notre Dame on-top with less than two seconds left. All in all, Atkinson scored 26 points against the Scarlet Knights, sending the Fighting Irish to the Round of 64.
Now, Paul Atkinson will take his talents to the next level. He’ll have Yale and Notre Dame cheering him on as he attempts to make his name known in the NBA.
Mike Brey provides previews outlook for Notre Dame moving into 2022
Moreover, the prospect of losing multiple players to graduation and potentially the transfer portal has been in the back of Notre Dame’s mind since the season began. Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey is preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best following the Fighting Irish’s NCAA Tournament loss to Texas Tech 59-53
“We have a bunch of guys here that have to make some decisions,” Brey said. “And the big thing is no one has to make that decision fast. We’ll get back. We’ll talk about it. I’m going to meet with all of you individually Tuesday and Wednesday, next week — this week. And we’ll work through it. And we’ve got level-headed guys.
“If everybody wants to test the waters, put your name in. Go ahead. Can I test the waters? I’m just kidding. Let everybody test the waters. Go ahead. See what — and then we’ll work through it. I’m very excited about what’s coming. And then I’ve asked our assistants every day now that it’s March what’s going on in the portal? Because we may pick off a few there.”
The biggest blow would be to lose Paul Atkinson Jr., and that’s now official. Last season, Atkinson was Notre Dame’s leading scorer. He’s the only senior on Brey’s roster, and he had a COVID year of eligibility in front of him. Now, he’s takes his talents professionally, and Brey and the Irish are losing their star forward who averaged 16.0 points per game in South Bend.