Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Surprising Local Addition Fills Out 2013 Class BY WES MORGAN A leaked Oct. 1, he made it official Oct. 2 and there was a press conference Oct. 4 to further publicize the surprising final piece of the 2013 Fighting Irish men's basketball class. But first things first: Who is Austin Torres? ustin Torres verbally committed to Notre Dame Sept. 27, the news COMMITMENT PROFILE AUSTIN TORRES ana area know of the 6-6, 210-pound forward from Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn High, who averaged 11 points and eight rebounds as a junior, has a 40- inch standing vertical jump and prefers to ram the ball through the rim at ev- ery opportunity. Mid-major programs such as Central Michigan — to which Torres, a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, committed Sept. 23 — be- lieved he was a steal. "Hard work has paid off," Torres Hoops aficionados from the Michi- Torres, who is rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, averaged 11 points and eight rebounds per game for Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn High as a junior. PHOTO COURTESY PENN HIGH SCHOOL exposure there. I played with MBA [Select] this year and just worked re- ally hard on the court, off the court and ended up being a leader." Playing alongside point guard De- said Oct. 1, when it was revealed he was switching his allegiance from the Chippewas to the Fighting Irish — a massive jump from the Mid-American Conference to the Atlantic Coast Con- ference. "Growing up in Granger, it was my dream school. I didn't know I wanted to play college basketball un- til my sophomore year going into my junior year. "I played at the Elkhart Sports Cen- ter that summer, but didn't get much mer, and it just kind of hit me," said metrius Jackson, a four-star prospect and 247Sports' No. 10 point guard and No. 57 overall player in the class of 2013, didn't hurt. The Notre Dame coaching staff watched nearly every MBA Select game over the last two summers, hoping to secure Jackson's services. He committed to Notre Dame Sept. 27, the same day Irish head coach Mike Brey and assistant Anthony Solo- mon paid Torres an in-home visit. "I had no offers going into the sum-