Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 MAY 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED MEN'S BASKETBALL BY PATRICK ENGEL M ike Brey understood Notre Da m e f re s h m a n g u a rd Blake Wesley's emergence as a potential one-and-done this season might create a roster hole he didn't anticipate encounter- ing this year. The No. 99 recruit in a class rarely plays his way into a pro- jected first-round pick in one season, but that's what Wesley did while leading the 24-11 Irish in scoring. Brey knew what it meant: he might be losing Wes- ley way sooner than he initially thought. Sure enough, Wesley declared for the NBA Draft, and in doing so, 14.4 points and 29 minutes per game walked out the Rolfs Hall doors. His exit left a chasm in the Irish backcourt. Adding a transfer portal guard was no longer a luxury or unnecessary. It was a priority. The portal yields plentiful options for any team needing quick fix for an un- foreseen roster hole. Notre Dame sifted through the many offerings and identi- fied Niagara grad transfer Marcus Ham- mond as a good fit. Hammond apparently feels the same way about Notre Dame. The 6-foot-3, 173-pound guard com- mitted to the Irish April 25 following an official visit, choosing them over Georgetown. He also visited Rutgers and had scheduled a trip to Kansas State. He has one year of eligibility left and is using the COVID-19 exemption to play a fifth season. Hammond was a three-year starter at Niagara, and averaged 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists as a se- nior this past season. He shot 43 percent overall, 37 percent on three-pointers and 83 percent on free throws for the 14-16 Purple Eagles. He was the second-leading scorer in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Confer- ence. He's a career 38.9 percent shooter from beyond the arc. In four seasons at Niagara, Hammond played 113 games and scored 1,422 points. He is a three-time All-MAAC selec- tion, with two first-team ap- pearances. He has played on and off the ball during his college career. He is a native of Queens, N.Y., and played at Cardozo High School in New York. He entered his name in the portal March 22. H a m m o n d j o i n s a No t re Dame backcourt with three other fifth-year players. Dane Goodwin, the Irish's second- leading scorer (13.6 points per game) in 2021-22, announced he will return using the COVID-19 exemption. Cormac Ryan and Trey Wertz are expected back for their fifth years. Notre Dame is also count- ing on McDonald's All-American guard J.J. Starling to play a prominent role. He's the No. 24 overall player in the 2022 class per the On3 Consensus. Hammond is likely the first of mul- tiple transfer portal additions for Notre Dame this offseason. The Irish are searching for a forward to step into the starting spot Paul Atkinson Jr. (12.5 points per game) held last season. Their top target is former Wright State for- ward Grant Basile, who was on campus for an official visit at the same time as Hammond. His four finalists are report- edly Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech and Iowa State. Notre Dame has 13 scholarships with Hammond in the fold, but that could drop to 11 if senior forward Nate Lasze- wski pursues a pro career and senior guard Robby Carmody moves on. Lasze- wski is going through the NBA Draft process and has until June 1 to decide if he will return. Outside of a six-second appearance on senior day this year, Car- mody has not played since December 2019 due to multiple injuries. ✦ Portal Shopping: Notre Dame Adds Niagara Grad Transfer Marcus Hammond Hammond averaged 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game at Niagara in 2021-22 and has one year of eligibility remaining. PHOTO COURTESY NIAGARA UNIVERSITY Non-Conference Schedule In Early Stages Slots on Notre Dame's 2022-23 non-conference schedule are slowly filling up. The latest addition is a home game against a mid-major opponent. The Irish will host Bowling Green at Purcell Pavilion Nov. 22, according to the contract between the two schools obtained by Blue & Gold Illustrated. Notre Dame has a 5-2 lead in the series against Bowling Green, with all seven prior games coming between 1960 and 1972. The Falcons went 13-18 overall and 6-14 in the Mid-American Confer- ence last season, ending as the No. 284-ranked team per KenPom. The meat of Notre Dame's non-conference schedule is still not finalized, but some of it is known. The Irish will play St. Bonaventure at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y., on Nov. 25 as part of the Gotham Classic. The Bonnies made it to the NIT semifinals last season, falling 84-77 to eventual champ Xavier. Notre Dame will begin a home-and-home with Marquette Dec. 11 in South Bend, a change from the original agreement that had the series starting in Milwaukee. It will likely host an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game after going on the road to play Illinois last year. The Irish and Kentucky have agreed to cancel the third game of their series, which was to be played at a neutral site. Another event coming off the non-conference schedule is the Crossroads Classic, which ended last December after being held annually in Indianapolis since 2011-12. — Patrick Engel