Blue and Gold Illustrated

Nov. 20, 2021

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 20, 2021 47 BY PATRICK ENGEL In a year where Mike Brey and his staff needed to make a splash on the recruiting trail, Notre Dame is in posi- tion to sign one of the highest-ranked classes of his tenure. Four-star Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep forward Ven-Allen Lubin's Nov. 9 commitment gave the Irish's 2022 haul the final push into rare heights. The 6-7, 205-pound Lubin is Rivals' No. 8 power forward and No. 63 overall player in the 2022 cycle. He picked Notre Dame over Clemson, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. With Lubin in the fold, Notre Dame headed into signing day Nov. 10 with three four-star commits. All of them are ranked in the top 100. Not since 2018 have the Irish signed three Rivals top-100 recruits in the same year. It all amounts to the nation's No. 18-ranked class, per Rivals. Lubin joins four-star forward Dom Campbell out of Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H., and four-star guard J.J. Starling out of La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere in the class. He took an official visit to Notre Dame the weekend of Oct. 9, fol- lowing September trips to his other three finalists. Notre Dame had the chance to make the final impression on Lubin. It turned out to be the best one. Notre Dame's pursuit of Lubin be- gan later than the other two. Camp- bell popped onto the Irish's radar this spring, while Starling was a top tar- get since June 2020. Campbell jump- started the Irish's 2022 class when he committed July 21. Starling, the nation's No. 40 overall recruit, gave it a center- piece with his Oct. 12 commitment. Notre Dame wanted one more player around them. It has that now in Lubin, who didn't become a priority until he added an offer this summer. Brey and Notre Dame's staff watched Lubin play in person in July on the adi- das 3SSB circuit for Southeast Elite. He averaged 21.6 points, which ranked fifth among 3SSB players this year. He also averaged 10.0 rebounds (seventh) and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the floor. He impressed at the Pangos All-American Camp in June and NBPA Top 100 Camp in July. The summer breakout built on a strong junior season at Orlando Chris- tian Prep in which Lubin averaged 12.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, per MaxPreps. His team went 27-0 and won a Florida Class 2A state championship. All told, Lubin was one of the sum- mer's biggest risers. He jumped from No. 119 in the Rivals150 to 63rd, a 56- spot ascent. He collected more than 15 offers from late June to late July, with Notre Dame among them. The Irish stood out enough to land in his top seven and earn a visit. A month after that visit, Lubin joined the class and gave Brey one of the best recruiting hauls in his 22-year run at Notre Dame. It's arguably his most im- portant one in a long time, too. Notre Dame is potentially staring at several departures after this season from a roster than includes seven aca- demic seniors and graduate students. All except forward Paul Atkinson Jr. have eligibility beyond this season thanks to the COVID-19 blanket waiver, but it's not yet clear how many will use it. There's a real possibility, though, Notre Dame will lose 80 percent of its starting lineup. Brey couldn't afford a drop-off after such an exodus. Especially if this season doesn't end in the NCAA Tournament, which he and everyone else acknowl- edge is the "line in the sand" for this season. A fifth straight year where Notre Dame doesn't appear in the field of 68 might not earn him a chance to prevent that streak from reaching six. But if the Irish return to the tourna- ment, they'll head into the offseason with some feeling of sustainability and momentum with this class of newcom- ers. Notre Dame might add to it in the spring by dipping into the transfer por- tal. If the senior departures are wide- spread, a transfer addition or two is all but guaranteed. As it stands, Notre Dame has 11 scholarship players for 2022-23 who had eligibility that season before the COVID-19 waiver. Three more — se- nior guard Prentiss Hubb, senior guard Dane Goodwin and senior forward Nate Laszewski — gained eligibility for 2022-23 because of the waiver. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE VEN-ALLEN LUBIN Notre Dame Lands Four-Star Florida Forward IRISH WIN SEASON OPENER Freshman Blake Wesley put together an im- pressive Notre Dame debut, scoring a team- high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 24 min- utes off the bench in a 68-53 over Cal State Northridge at Purcell Pavilion Nov. 13. Wesley's play and spark off the bench was especially critical in the first half. With the Irish struggling offensively and leading only 24-21, he scored eight straight points to give them a 32-26 lead at the break. In the second half, graduate student forward Paul Atkinson Jr. keyed a 25-11 run that helped the Irish build a 57-37 lead that was never threatened. Atkinson finished with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. Senior guard Dane Goodwin also played well, finishing with 18 points on 6-of-8 three- point shooting. — Todd D. Burlage Lubin — Rivals' No. 8 power forward and No. 63 overall player nationally — became the third top-100 player in the Irish's 2022 class when he committed Nov. 9. PHOTO BY NICK LUCERO/RIVALS.COM

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