Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/542018
BASKETBALL RECRUITING Dame is on the same level as the other schools." Irish assistant coach Anthony Solo- mon is in regular contact with the ris- ing senior, who is ranked as the No. 17 overall player nationally. But so are many other programs, including Kentucky and in-state programs Texas and Baylor. Wildcats head coach John Calipari was present at a few of Al- len's games, as well as a UK assistant, in addition to Longhorns head man Shaka Smart and his assistants. Allen managed to score over 20 points in contests against two of the top teams at the event, Indiana Elite and MBA Hoops, despite struggling mightily from the free-throw line in those two games with a combined 7-of-26 performance. He finished an efficient 12-of-16 from the floor against Indiana Elite, in addition to compiling 14 rebounds and four blocked shots. Then he shot 7-of-11 from the field against MBA Hoops, while also pull- ing down 13 boards. With all the recruiting attention he's receiving, Allen will have to turn down a lot of top schools. Notre Dame is in the mix at this point and should they get him on a visit, there's no tell- ing what could happen. Allen knows what he wants in a col- lege. "I'm big on development, because I want to play at the next level," Allen said. "Then just the community of the school." Texas P.R.O. finished 2-2 overall in the tournament, including a 67-64 win over Team Loaded North Carolina, a squad that features five-stars Dennis Smith Jr., the top point guard in the class of 2016 who is ranked fourth over- all, and power forward Edrice Ade- bayo, who checks in at No. 7 nationally. Irish Targeting Memphis Transfer Memphis rising-junior forward Austin Nichols was expected to contend for American Athletic Confer- ence Player of the Year honors in 2015-16. Instead, he'll play his college basketball elsewhere — and it likely won't be in the AAC. Nichols requested a release from Memphis, which was initially denied according to reports, but then was approved with restrictions on July 9. The Tigers' leading scorer last season at 13.3 points per game can now explore transfer options, but cannot accept a scholarship to any AAC school or rival Tennessee, and any nonconference opponent on the schedule this season or next, according to ESPN's Jeff Good- man. He can technically still choose any of those schools as a destination, but would have to pay his own way for a season. Notre Dame is highly interested in adding Nichols and hopes to get him on campus for a visit. Mar- quette head coach Steve Wojciechowski recruited the 6-9, 228-pound forward as an assistant at Duke, and both of those schools are also considered in the mix early. In addition to leading the Tigers in scoring last year, Nichols also averaged 6.1 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game — as a team, Notre Dame averaged 3.6 blocks per game last year. He's a former five-star recruit according to Rivals.com, which ranked him as the No. 17 overall player nationally in the class of 2013. — Jordan Wells