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Grad Transfer Forward Paul Atkinson Commits To Notre Dame Basketball

Notre Dame basketball secured some much-needed frontcourt help for next season.

The Irish landed a commitment from Yale grad transfer forward Paul Atkinson, the 2019-20 Ivy League Player of the Year, Atkinson announced Sunday night. The 6-10, 220-pound forward will be a grad transfer and is eligible to play for Notre Dame next season.

“I felt I would fit in great and have a great opportunity to help Notre Dame make a run,” Atkinson told Zagsblog.

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Yale grad transfer forward Paul Atkinson is headed to Notre Dame.
Yale grad transfer forward Paul Atkinson is headed to Notre Dame. (Associated Press)

Atkinson, a West Palm Beach, Fla. native, averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds. 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks in 2019-20, helping Yale go 23-7 (11-3 in conference) and win the Ivy League regular-season title. His 63 percent mark on field goals was seventh in the country. He is a career 66.2 percent shooter.

Atkinson entered the transfer portal in November, shortly after the Ivy canceled all winter sports. He picked Notre Dame from a top five that also included Iowa, North Carolina State, Texas and Miami.

As a graduate student with remaining eligibility, Atkinson had to finish his career elsewhere due to a long-standing Ivy League rule that prohibits grad students from playing sports.

At Notre Dame, Atkinson is the potential replacement for fifth-year senior center Juwan Durham.

If Durham departs and does not use the extra year of eligibility given to all college basketball players this year, Notre Dame would have sophomores Matt Zona and Elijah Taylor as its lone post players who are natural centers. Taylor will not play this season due to injury, while Zona is averaging six minutes per game. Forward Nate Laszewski will be a senior next season, but has played most of his minutes at the four spot in his career.

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