How Notre Dame WBB recalibrates for its latest NCAA Tourney run

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Hannah Hidalgo cited simple pragmatism for the reason she’ll keep her ACC Tourney-inspired, almost-maroon-colored hair that shade for the upcoming NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament instead of re-dying for a new cause.

“I think I’m going to damage my hair if I change it this soon,” the Notre Dame freshman point guard explained Sunday night at Club Namoli at Purcell Pavilion shortly after the ninth-ranked Irish (26-6) found out they’ll be the No. 2 seed in the Albany 1 Regional and get a chance to host first- and second-round games.

The first comes Saturday at 2:15 p.m. EDT (ESPN) against 15th seed Kent State (21-10), and then potentially Monday against the Ole Miss/Marquette survivor.

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The nation’s third-leading scorer and leader in steals didn’t seem too take kindly to the suggestion from a media member that the hue resembled the Garnet in the uniforms of top-ranked/top-seeded/unbeaten South Carolina, the team that drubbed the Irish 100-71 in the Nov. 6 season opener in Paris.

The same South Carolina team that’s most likely to be the hurdle Notre Dame must clear on Easter Sunday in the Elite Eight if the Irish are going to make their 10th Final Four, this one being staged in Cleveland. That is, only if chalk holds true to that point in the tourney.

“We could play them again, but we’re such a different team than the first time we played them,” Hidalgo said.

Different yes, but better?

“I think to start the season off, there was no greater fire than we could have thrown ourselves into,” said senior forward Maddy Westbeld. “And so, for that to be our season opener, I think it kind of set the tone for what this team could do. We couldn’t have played a harder team.

“Since then, we’ve obviously done a lot of different things. We’ve had our ups and downs, but to get to the point that we are right here just shows the consistent grit that we’ve played with. So, I’m really grateful for that game, but also think we’re a much better team and more focused on what’s ahead.”

That begins with a Kent State team that finished third in the Mid-American Conference during the regular season but won the MAC Tournament to secure the NCAA bid.

It’s a team that doesn’t do anything statistically exceptionally well, except — to an extent — rebounding, nor does it struggle with any particular facet. The two teams will be meeting for the second time in history, the first also coming in South Bend — in the 1996 WNIT. The Irish won that matchup 66-41.

Should Notre Dame survive and advance past the Golden Flashes, a team that includes Westbeld’s former AAU teammate Miakala Morris, the Irish would face one of two 23-8 teams on Monday that pose widely different challenges, with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.

Seventh seed Ole Miss finished third in the SEC, behind No. 1 South Carolina and defending national champ LSU. The Irish and the Rebels would be meeting for the first time ever.

Ole Miss is a transfer-laden team with size, and the latter shows up most profoundly in the No. 3 ranking nationally in blocked shots per game and No. 15 standing in rebound margin.

The Rebels are also very good at getting their opponents in foul trouble, and average 23 trips to the free-throw line per game, 10th-best in the nation. What they don’t do well or often is shoot 3s — ranking 318th in percentage and 344th out of 349 in 3-pointers made per game.

Tenth-seeded Marquette, meanwhile, is one of the better 3-point-shooting teams in the country (15th at .451). But the Golden Eagles, coached by former Notre Dame point guard Megan Duffy, don’t defend it well, and unlike Ole Miss, they don’t tend to get to the free-throw line very often and get opponents in foul trouble.

Why all of that is so relevant is that Irish senior forward Kylee’s Watson’s torn ACL in her left knee, suffered March 9 in the ACC semis and confirmed Sunday night, recalibrates roles and chemistry for Notre Dame’s 29th NCAA Tournament run.

And shortens the bench. Again.

Irish head coach Niele Ivey, though, has experience with playing with limited numbers and not just this season. While an assistant on the 2018 national champ Notre Dame team, Ivey watched then-head coach Muffet McGraw manage a rotation of essentially six players in the later stages of that NCAA Tourney run.

The same amount of players Ivey used in ND’s 55-51 victory over NC State on March 10 in the ACC Tourney title game.

“Very intentional about what we’re doing as far as preparing,” Ivey said of the key moving forward with limited healthy options. “A lot of recovery, and I play a little bit more zone. Again, very intentional about what we’re doing. My team, they know their roles. They’ve been redefined with all the injuries.

“So, everybody knows what they need to do to help us win. When you’re locked in and you know your roles, that’s probably the key — being on the same page and everybody understanding what they need to bring in order for us to win when we have such a short number.”

Senior forward Nat Marshall’s role changed the most dramatically recently, getting her first college start against the Wolfpack March 10 and will likely get No. 2 against Kent State. But the 6-2 Westbeld was called— and likely will again — to share more of the responsibility of post defense in ND’s 2-3 zone.

“Kylee is a really consistent player for this team,” Westbeld said. “She comes up every game and she does a lot of the little things that people don’t see.

“Both of us [Westbeld and Marshall] had to step up. Both of us had to just lock in and play that tougher role that Kylee’s used to playing. So, this team is full of adjustments. You guys know that, so we kind of do that game to game.”

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Marshall is averaging 5.0 and 3.5 rebounds and playing meaningful minutes for the first season of her career after injuries early in her career slowed her development.

“She’s going to run with this opportunity,” Ivey said. “Her first career start was in the [ACC] title game and playing against a really great post in River Baldwin and NC State. She’s ready for this moment. She’s going to take full advantage of this moment.

“She knows what she needs to bring. Everybody’s doing a little bit more without Kylee. Kylee was playing the best basketball of her life. So, [Marshall] knows I need her to defend and rebound and, obviously, finish around the basket.

“She stepped up and she’s had some phenomenal practices, and she’s confident and ready.”

And with Notre Dame having won eight straight, including the last five over ranked opponents, intangibles have elevated this team.

And playing for Watson is the latest addition to that list.

“Kylee is a big part of our team, so it sucks,” Hidalgo said. “But she’s healing. She’s doing good. She's in great spirits, so she’s going to be helpful to us. Everything we do, we do for each other. And so when we go out, we’re going to play so much harder.”