Notre Dame 2020 Women's Basketball Recruiting Class Ranked No. 3
In dire need of getting the roster scholarship count up, Notre Dame women’s basketball signed five prospects during the early signing period Nov. 13-20, a quintet Dan Olson of ESPN HoopGurlz ranked No. 3 in the 2020 recruiting cycle, behind Oregon and Connecticut, which also signed five apiece.
All five positions on the court — point guard, shooting guard, two wings/forwards and a post — are filled with this class, which is seldom achieved in one haul. This also is the most incoming freshmen signed by head coach Muffet McGraw and her staff since 2001, right after winning the national title, when six enrolled.
When combining quantity, quality, balance and fit, the 33rd-year Fighting Irish head coach McGraw said “this is one of the best classes we’ve had in a long time.”
Shortly before the start of the signing period, Notre Dame’s top-rated prospect on the board, Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark, announced that she had selected the home-state Hawkeyes over the Fighting Irish and Iowa State. She is rated the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect by ESPN HoopGurlz, and No. 7 by Prospects Nation.
Another point guard Notre Dame was recruiting and who had taken an official visit to the campus was Texas’ Deja Kelly, ranked No. 17. She was scheduled to announce her decision on Monday night (Nov. 18), but Olson reported it likely will be between Texas A&M and North Carolina.
The national ratings below are listed are from ESPN HoopGurlz:
No. 23 Madeline Westbeld, 6-3 wing from Kettering, Ohio, Fairmont High.
Younger sister of 2014-18 Irish forward Kathryn Westbeld, who tallied more than 1,000 career points and was "the glue" of the 2018 national champions. McGraw referred to the younger Westbeld as “a Larry Bird type of player” because of her versatility.
McGraw: “ She’s a 6-3 guard who can shoot, pass, rebound, take the ball off the rim and go coast-to-coast. She’s under-rated from the national scouting services. She’s going to be a huge impact player for us.”
No. 25 Allison Campbell, 5-11 guard from Altoona, Pa, Bellwood-Antis High.
The prolific scorer has started since her freshman year and led her school to consecutive 2A state titles the past two seasons.
McGraw: “Alli is a great three-point shooter, which is something we are in need of. She is someone who can really score, not just from the perimeter, but also has a nice pull-up and can score around the basket. I’m really excited about her potential to stretch the defense.”
No. 32 Natalija Marshall, 6-5 forward from Queens, N.Y. Christ The King School.
Her powerhouse school has produced numerous college stars, including UConn’s Sue Bird and Tina Charles, and University of Tennessee legend Chamique Holdsclaw.
Marshall had been ranked as high as No. 12 by Hoopgurlz, and is listed No. 19 by Prospects Nation. Rarely has Notre Dame signed someone of her size with such a high rating.
With 6-3 junior Mikayla Vaughn currently sidelined because of a knee sprain, freshman Sam Brunelle, a top-5 prospect coming out of high school, has had to play out of position in Vaughn's place.
McGraw: “We are in desperate need of post players right now and Nat is a perfect fit for everything we do. She can run the floor, she can score with ease, she can defend and block shots, so she’ll help us in the press. We are really excited about gaining such a high quality post player.”
No. 44 Alasia Hayes, 5-7 point guard from Murfreesboro, Tenn., Riverdale High School.
Interestingly, she is not in Prospect Nation's top 100.
With Clark opting for Iowa and current graduate transfer Marta Sniezek out of eligibility after this season, Hayes will have an opportunity to contribute right away at the point, where the current second option is freshman Anaya Peoples, who is a more natural fit in an off guard or wing role.
McGraw: “We have an open spot for a point guard and we are hopeful that Alasia can fit into that role. She’s a terrific defender, a pass-first point guard, and a playmaker, who is great at making defenders pay for their mistakes.”
Amirah Abdur-Rahim, 6-2 forward from Marietta, Ga., St. Francis High.
She is neither in ESPN or PN's top 100, but comes from a strong basketball family with eight brothers and four sisters.
One brother, Shareef, was an NBA All-Star, and another, Amir, is the men's head coach at Kennesaw State. She reportedly will be the ninth member of the family to play basketball at the collegiate level,
McGraw: “Adding a great defender. She’s someone who can block shots and guard anybody on the floor, from point guard to center. She’ll help us in the press as well. She can run the floor and help us in transition. She’s also a three-point threat. We don’t have anyone like her.”
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_MikeSinger, @CoachDeDario and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.