Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 16, 2019 47 MEN'S BASKETBALL RECRUITING BY MIKE SINGER A fter a long stretch with no commit- ments that dated back to Novem- ber 2017, Notre Dame added a pair of recruits in the past couple of months. In late June, former Stanford guard Cormac Ryan announced he was transferring to Notre Dame. He has to sit out the 2019-20 season per NCAA transfer rules, but has three years of eligibility and will bring some much- needed perimeter shooting. Then in August, the Fighting Irish landed a pledge in the class of 2021 from local product JR Konieczny. The 6-7, 195-pound small forward from South Bend St. Joseph is considered a three-star recruit by Rivals, and is rated as a four-star talent and the No. 135 overall player nationally by 247Sports. Despite those two additions, Notre Dame still doesn't have a commit- ment in the class of 2020. The early signing period begins Nov. 13, and it will be imperative for the Irish to land some of their top targets left on the board. Several of Notre Dame's 2020 tar- gets have either committed elsewhere or eliminated the Irish, but there are still some prospects it is in position to land. ELIJAH TAYLOR The Philadelphia Imhotep In- stitute Charter standout — a 6-8, 215-pounder who is rated as a three- star prospect and the No. 27 center in the country by Rivals — received a Notre Dame offer July 3 from as- sistant coach Ryan Ayers. Taylor has the Irish among his top schools and has set all five of his of- ficial visits: VCU (Aug. 22-24), Seton Hall (Aug. 28-30), Florida (Sept. 6-8), Notre Dame (Sept. 13-15) and Pitts- burgh (Sept. 20-22). Taylor has not been to South Bend yet, but he was thrilled to receive the Notre Dame offer. "They're a great academic school and give great exposure on the court," Taylor said. "They're well known. I've been working really hard, and it just so happened I got the opportunity. "They watched me, and I grabbed their attention. Coach Ayers told me a little bit about Notre Dame, himself and what they're all about. Then they proceeded to offer. It was straight to the point. "I was grateful. I told him how thank- ful I was and that I appreciated him tak- ing the time to watch me. I'm making sure I'm giving them a great chance." Rivals lists Taylor as a center, but look for him to play more power forward with the ability to play center in a small-ball lineup. "I play hard, am passionate and my effort is always on 100," Taylor stated. "I stay in the gym to make sure I'm work- ing hard on my craft. "I'm trying to get better at my shooting and being able to create shots for myself." JAKOBE COLES While Taylor is a newer name on the board, Denton (Texas) Guyer power forward Coles has been an im- portant target since the spring. Coles has set an official visit for the Sept. 13-15 weekend, which is the same time as Taylor 's trip to South Bend. That is the weekend the Notre Dame football program hosts New Mexico for its home opener. In June, Coles took a Midwest swing, visiting Notre Dame, Butler and Loyola Chicago. It marked his first time in South Bend, and the 6-7, 225-pounder — a three-star prospect and the No. 127 overall player nation- ally per Rivals — reported that his trip was a success. "They have a very beautiful cam- pus and a really good coaching staff," Coles said. "The alumni base and fans there are incredible. They have everything to offer in a school — edu- cation and the sports are great there. They have a lot of good stuff going for them. "During the visit, I got to talk to head coach Mike Brey and assistant coach Ryan Humphreys. They gave me a lot of good in- formation about the school and what they have in store for me." NEWS & NOTES • Notre Dame is also looking to host center Matt Zona from Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic the weekend of Sept. 27-29 for the foot- ball game against Virginia. Rivals rates the 6 - 8 , 2 2 0 - p o u n d Zona as a three-star prospect and the No. 24 center in the land. • H y a t t s v i l l e (Md.) DeMatha 7-1, 260-pound standout Hunter Dickinson — a four-star tal- ent, and the No. 5 center and No. 28 overall prospect in the country according to Rivals — is still an op- tion, but it seems more likely that he commits elsewhere. Notre Dame is a finalist for Dickinson, along with Florida State, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, Providence and Purdue. "They have been there since the start of my recruitment," Dickin- son said about Notre Dame. "Coach Brey has made me the No. 1 guy from the beginning." • Bay Shore (N.Y.) Long Island Lutheran power forward Zed Key is another prospect the Irish recently offered and could potentially get on campus for a visit this fall. Ri- vals ranks the 6-8, 230-pounder as a three-star prospect and the No. 43 power forward in the nation. • Phoenix Hillcrest Academy standout Puff Johnson — a four-star talent, and the No. 11 small forward and No. 43 overall player in the country per Rivals — officially vis- ited Notre Dame in early June, but he is not expected to consider the Irish moving forward. ✦ Irish Want To Add More Talent In 2020 Class Rivals rates Elijah Taylor — a 6-8, 215- pound senior from Philadelphia Imhotep Institute Charter — as a three-star recruit and the No. 27 center nationally. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM