Notre Dame WBB remains in play as Mackenly Randolph defers college decision
A whirlwind of October recruiting visits helped five-star forward Mackenly Randolph shrink her list of five finalists to three women’s college basketball programs.
During the eight-day November early national signing window, which closed at the end of the day Wednesday, the 6-foot-1 standout on California powerhouse Sierra Canyon High ended up still keeping her options open, as unsigned and uncommitted.
Multiple sources confirmed Notre Dame is still very much in play and still very interested in eventually signing the daughter of former NBA forward Zach Randolph, with her senior season tipping off Thursday night with an 86-39 rout of Alhambra (Calif.) Mark Keppel High in the eight-team Harvard-Westlake Classic.
Randolph contributed 24 points, 19 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots in the victory.
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Randolph visited ND the weekend of Oct. 14. Louisville and Michigan State were also in her final three. The spring signing period for college basketball, men’s and women’s, runs April 17 through May 15.
For now, five-star center Kate Koval stands alone in the 2024 Irish class. The 6-5 center and Ukraine native, who plays her high school ball at Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran, signed on Tuesday. LuHi is MaxPreps' preseason No. 1 team in the nation in girls basketball. Sierra Canyon is No. 7.
Randolph averaged a double-double last season — 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game — on a Sierra Canyon squad that finished 31-1 last season and features a roster loaded with Division I prospects.
She shot 60.8% from the field and added 1.7 steals per game. ESPNw rates her as the No. 21 overall prospect in the class, and Koval No. 5.
Randolph and current Irish freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo were teammates on the USA U17 women’s basketball team that won the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, in the summer of 2022.
Zack Randolph played one season at Michigan State before embarking on an 18-year NBA career that included two all-star seasons. He was a first-round draft choice of the Portland Trailblazers, and also played for the New York Knicks, L.A. Clippers, Memphis and Sacramento. He retired on Dec. 27, 2019.
No. 16 Notre Dame (2-1), which routed Northwestern 110-52 in its home opener on Wednesday night, loses only guards Jenna Brown and Anna DeWolfe, and forward Becky Obinma to expired eligibility after this season.
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