Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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did not necessarily weigh heavily into his decision. Heading into his senior season, Pflueger said he is focused on gaining strength and growing as a leader. "I can do a little bit of everything," he said. "I have a strong basketball IQ. I can score. I love my defense. I always guard the other team's best player." The Santa Ana, Calif., native will become Notre Dame's second signee from California during the Brey era when he makes it official in Novem- ber. The other, Joe Harden, was a part of the program's 2006 haul and trans- ferred to UC Davis after one season in South Bend. Pflueger is listed as the No. 125 overall player in the country, the No. 35 shooting guard nationally and the No. 16 player from California by 247Sports. ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Rex Pflueger is the rare high school athlete who seems to enjoy playing defense as much as offense, and he is very good at it … Has drawn comparisons to Notre Dame senior Pat Con- naughton because of his combination of athleti- cism, shooting ability and defensive effort … Is a bit underrated when it comes to his ability to drive and create his own shot; it's not the most notable of his strengths, but he is a plus in that area. Areas For Improvement He is small and he knows it — priority No. 1 during his senior season is adding strength to his 6-5, 185-pound frame … Is still raw when it comes to rebounding; especially when he's contributing at small forward, Notre Dame will want him to be able to rebound like Con- naughton. — Andrew Owens