Blue and Gold Illustrated

Nov. 20, 2021

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

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48 NOV. 20, 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED MEN'S BASKETBALL BY PATRICK ENGEL I f not for a schedule tweak a few months ago, Notre Dame might have ended up burying the lead on National Signing Day. Head coach Mike Brey's initial n o n - co n fe re n ce sc h e d u l e h a d Notre Dame opening the season Nov. 10 vs. Delaware State — the same date he would sign his 2022 recruiting class. Delaware State, though, had to back out and told Brey late in the summer. That left an opening on Notre Dame's schedule. Brey chose to leave it there and slot the re- placement game later in the year. If all goes well on signing day, he thought, it'd be bigger news than a game against a low-major team. "I said, [signing day] is going to be so important, the hell with it," Brey said. "I don't want to play a game. It's going to be really important how we finish out this recruiting class." He strolled into the Purcell Pa- vilion media room on signing day with a grin on his face and a strut in his step. That important finish he en- visioned went as well as he could have asked. Notre Dame signed Rivals' No. 18 class Nov. 10, a three-man haul with a trio of top-100 players. It is Brey's highest-ranked group since his five- man haul in 2018 that was ranked No. 9 nationally. The Irish completed it the day before when four-star forward Ven-Allen Lubin announced his commitment. He joined two other four-stars, guard J.J. Starling and forward Dom Campbell, in the class. Here's an overview of each player. J.J. STARLING Position: Guard Height/Weight: 6-4, 195 pounds Hometown: Baldwinsville, N.Y. High school: La Lum- iere (La Porte, Ind.) R i v a l s r a n k i n g s : No. 8 point guard and No. 40 overall Chose Notre Dame over: Duke, Northwestern, Syracuse and Stanford Commitment date: Oct. 12 Brey on Starling: "Just a really ex- plosive guard. The area where I was really impressed this summer was his ability to see the floor and pass it. I didn't know he could do all that. It con- tinues to impress me. He could always score it and shoot it, and physically he's built for it. "There's a charisma that's infectious and he's an energy guy with his team- mates. A lot of young players just kind of play, and maybe they're a little bit of wet blankets. Not that they're selfish, but they don't lift other guys up emo- tionally with good energy. He just has great juice about him. He's so happy when his teammates do something." VEN-ALLEN LUBIN Position: Forward Height/Weight: 6-8, 220 pounds Hometown: Orlando, Fla. High school: Orlando Christian Prep Rivals rankings: No. 8 power for- wa rd a n d No. 63 overall C h o s e N o t r e Dame over: Geor- gia Tech, Virginia Tech and Clemson C o m m i t m e n t date: Nov. 9 Brey on Lubin: "He's a big face-up forward, can run, shoots it a little bit, physically the whole package. "The more it started to unfold, the more it was a great fit for us. He's a great student. Unbeknownst to me, he just took the ACT. There's no requirement for eligibility. I was talking to him, and he goes, 'Coach, I took the ACT the other day. I just wanted to see how I'd do.'" DOM CAMPBELL Po s i t i o n : Fo r- ward Height/Weight: 6-9, 265 pounds H o m e t o w n : Scarborough, Maine High school: Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter, N.H.) Rivals ranking: No. 11 power for- ward and No. 96 overall Chose Notre Dame over: Oklahoma and Stanford Commitment date: July 21 Brey on Campbell: "One of those wide-body, carve space guys you can throw it to in the post. He has a feel for the game, can turn and make plays. He's working to get himself in better shape. "When I saw clips of him in the spring, before we really got on him, I was excited because he reminded me of [former Delaware forward] Mike Peg- ues. Mike was an undersized front-line guy who was a little heavy as a young player but had footwork and hands. Dom, I think certainly he has that. "It was more me pounding the table for Dom: 'I think we need to get him [on campus] in June.' This is a big guy, a front-line guy, he's a great student and he's only going to get better and get in shape." ✦ Three-Man 2022 Recruiting Haul Among Mike Brey's Best Rivals ranked Brey's recruiting class No. 18 in the county, the highest ranking since his 2018 group was listed at No. 9. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

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