Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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50 NOV. 20, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED WOMEN'S BASKETBALL BY LOU SOMOGYI D uring its 2018 recruiting cy- cle, head coach Muffet Mc- Graw and her staff had to be "on guard" after not signing any backcourt players in 2017 and only one, sophomore Jackie Young, in 2016. That objective was fulfilled during the early signing period that began Nov. 8 when the Fighting Irish inked guards Katlyn Gilbert, Abby Pro- haska and Jordan Nixon, along with forward Danielle Cosgrove. The Notre Dame quartet was ranked as the No. 6 recruiting class in the country by espnW HoopGurlz. Baylor had the No. 1 class with a quintet of five stars — what could be the women's version of the "Fab Five" — who were individually rated anywhere from No. 6 to No. 28 in the country by HoopGurlz. The balance of power in the future might be shifting into the Lone Star State because Texas landed 6-5 Chari Collier, the No. 2-ranked player who originally committed to the Connect- icut dynasty. The Huskies, though, still landed the No. 1 overall player, guard Christyn Williams, and were in the hunt for No. 5 overall prospect, 6-4 post Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Notre Dame's class did not have the sizzle of a top-five ranked player such as Skylar Diggins (2009), Jewell Loyd (2012), Brianna Turner (2014) or transfer Jessica Shepard (2015), but McGraw described it as top-10 cali- ber that fulfilled the needs at guard. Here is the breakdown: KATLYN GILBERT 5-10 • Indianapolis ESPNHoopGurlz: No. 7 guard and No. 27 overall player in the nation. Prospects Nation: No. 2 guard and No. 15 overall prospect in the land. Led Heritage Christian School to Indiana Class 3A state champion- ships in 2015 and 2016. As a junior in 2016-17, she averaged 16.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shoot- ing 52.0 percent from the floor. She continues the recent tradition of landing elite multi-dimensional guards from the home state, includ- ing Diggins and Young. McGraw Comments: "She re- minds me a lot of Kayla McBride [2010-14 guard who on Nov. 11 was inducted into Notre Dame's Ring of Honor]. She's a really great scorer and a good defender, can run the floor, a rebounder as a guard and can play some point. I look forward to her versatility." ABBY PROHASKA 5-10 • Liberty Township, Ohio ESPNHoopGurlz: No. 21 guard and No. 80 overall prospect in the country. Prospects Nation: No. 12 guard and No. 78 overall player in the 2018 class. A southpaw who attends Lakota West High School, she led the Fire- birds to a 24-3 season and the Divi- sion I regional semifinals last season and was named to the Associated Press Division I All-State first team. She averaged 11.4 points, 7.1 re- bounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. If there is a recent Irish player to compare her to it would be 2012-16 guard Hannah Huffman, a defensive demon who always provided instant hustle. McGraw Comments: "She's a blue-collar type of player who takes charges, dives for loose balls and comes out of the game with bruises because she's always on the floor. She's setting great screens, she's a scorer, she can pass, and she takes a lot of pride in her defense. She's a real energy player." JORDAN NIXON 5-8 • New York City ESPNHoopGurlz: No. 15 point guard and No. 59 overall player in the nation. Prospects Nation: No. 6 point guard and No. 16 overall prospect in the country. Nixon attends the prestigious Mary Louis Academy, the same school where 6-2 Irish freshman forward Danielle Patterson, a McDonald's All-American, graduated. Last spring, the school won the 2017 borough and city titles, and the first-ever New York State Catho- lic School AA championship, with Nixon finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the final. She aver- aged 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per contest as a junior, and was named to the New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA All-State second team. This summer, Nixon led her iEX- CEL AAU team to national titles at the Nike Chicago tournament, the Basketball on the Bayou in New Or- leans, and the Nike Tournament of Champions in Atlanta. With Lili Thompson in her final season of eligibility this year, Nixon could take over the point guard du- ties when she enrolls in 2018-19, al- though current junior Marina Mabrey also could shift there. That 2018-19 lineup could be veteran-laden with seniors Turner and Shepard up front, plus seniors Mabrey and Arike ON GUARD Notre Dame bolsters its backcourt with highly rated 2018 recruiting class Abby Prohaska was one of three guards signed by Notre Dame this month to help stock up the backcourt cupboard for the future. PHOTO COURTESY USA BASKETBALL