Corey Kispert Sets Notre Dame Visit
The recruiting season is officially in session for Notre Dame hoops.
Shoreline (Wash.) Kings High forward Corey Kispert will take an official visit to South Bend April 18-19, a Blue & Gold Illustrated source confirmed on Thursday.
Kispert will also visit Virginia and Gonzaga in the days following his trip to Notre Dame.
He averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game for King’s High, leading his squad to its second consecutive Class A state title with an 80-39 win over Freeman (Wash.) High.
In the championship game, Kispert finished with a team-high 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting, earning tournament MVP honors in the process. He also was named Class A Player of the Year by the Associated Press.
“2017 4-star forward Corey Kispert of King’s is about 8 or 9 levels above any other player in this Washington 1A title game,” tweeted Rivals national analyst Eric Bossi on March 5.
The junior’s offer list currently includes Gonzaga, Utah, Washington and Washington State. Notre Dame assistant Rod Balanis has evaluated Kispert multiple times, and pending a standard evaluation from head coach Mike Brey, an official Notre Dame offer is all but assured.
In some ways, Kispert compares favorably to recent Irish star Pat Connaughton. The 6-6, 190-pound forward is a shooter that can play multiple positions.
The dates for Kispert’s visit — a Monday/Tuesday trip — is ideal for Notre Dame with the April evaluation period approaching. Coaches will be able to watch players on the road April 15-17 and April 22-24 in non-scholastic events that are certified, like the Under Armour, Nike and adidas circuits.
It’s at that stage that many crucial in-person evaluations are made, and top targets begin to emerge.
It’s also safe to go ahead and pencil in Kispert as one of those priorities.
Three scholarships are scheduled to come off the books for Notre Dame in the 2017 class, after V.J. Beachem, Austin Torres and Steve Vasturia all graduate — although Torres has redshirted a year, so he could be brought back for another season. A third or fourth spot could be available if the Irish don’t find another 2016 addition or graduate transfer to fill the slot opened by Demetrius Jackson’s recent decision to declare early for the NBA.