Notre Dame HC Mike Brey says Prentiss Hubb will not play fifth year, hints at two other seniors' return
Notre Dame guard Prentiss Hubb all but confirmed his next step on Selection Sunday when asked about his mindset heading into the NCAA tournament.
“This is my last year, so I can’t get it back,” Hubb said. “All I have to do is go leave my all out there.”
Hubb and Notre Dame reached the second round of March Madness and won two games – including a double-overtime thriller against Rutgers – by doing exactly that. The senior point guard played with the poise expected of a four-year starter, logging 79 minutes with 10 assists and just one turnover in those two victories.
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A fine final act, all told.
Head coach Mike Brey removed all doubt on his radio show that it was indeed Hubb’s last season with the Irish. Hubb will not use the COVID-19 waiver to play a fifth season, Brey said.
“Sometimes it’s time to go on and become a man and the next challenge,” Brey said. “He gave us everything he had. He’s like a son to me. I’ll miss him. But it’s time. You have to kick the son out of the house sometimes and say, ‘Grow up and be a man.’ He will move on with a professional career.”
Hubb averaged 8.9 points per game this year, his first season not in double figures since 2018-19. He shot just 36.6 percent from the floor and 31.3 percent on three-pointers. He dipped from Notre Dame’s leading scorer in 2020-21 to its sixth-leading this season. He was yanked from the starting lineup for a three-game stretch in December.
ACC play, though, was a rebound. Hubb shot 47.3 percent on two-pointers, 34.7 on threes and posted the league’s fifth-lowest turnover rate in conference games. He averaged 4.4 assists in conference play. At one point in early February, he held a 5.7 assist-to-turnover ratio that was the best of any player in the country in league games.
Hubb ends his career ranked sixth in team history in assists (585) and minutes played (4,372).
Brey also strongly hinted at fellow seniors’ Cormac Ryan and Dane Goodwin’s return for 2022-23 when discussing goals for next year’s team on his show.
“It’s a group that tasted the NCAA tournament and can talk about, ‘What about a Final Four? What about playing all the way to the Final Four?’” Brey said. “That’s realistic. If you haven’t tasted it, that’s not realistic locker room talk, and I can’t talk about that.
“Cormac Ryan and Dane Goodwin will talk about that a lot all summer and that’s a good thing.”
Ryan had fifth-year eligibility before the NCAA passed the COVID-19 wavier because he redshirted in 2019-20, in accordance with NCAA transfer rules at the time. Goodwin must use the COVID year to play a fifth season. Neither played has made an announcement themselves, though Ryan indicated his likely return after Notre Dame’s Senior Day win over Pitt.
“I’d love to give another speech sometime,” Ryan said.
Goodwin was a third-team All-ACC selection, averaging 13.6 points per game while shooting 50.4 percent overall and 45.8 percent on three-pointers. The latter ranked 13th nationally.
Ryan averaged 9.2 points per game and shot 40.7 percent on threes. He stepped into the starting lineup Feb. 9 and never left it, delivering the most productive stretch of his career. In that span, he averaged 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 50.8 percent on threes. His career-high 29 points and seven threes helped Notre Dame beat Alabama 78-64 in the first round of the tournament.
Forward Paul Atkinson Jr. (12.5 ppg) is the only player from this season’s roster who is out of eligibility. Leading scorer Blake Wesley (14.4 ppg) declared for the NBA Draft and plans on keeping his name in it this year. Forward Nate Laszewski is testing the draft process and leaving the option open to return using the COVID-19 year. Guard Trey Wertz (4.0 ppg) has not made an announcement on his fifth-year plans.
