Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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50 APRIL 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED MEN'S BASKETBALL RECRUITING BY COREY BODDEN N otre Dame faced a pivotal re- cruiting cycle in 2018 with the impending losses of forward Bonzie Colson, point guard Matt Farrell, and big men Martinas Geben and Austin Torres to graduation. The transfer of forward Matt Ryan last offseason only added importance to the class. Head coach Mike Brey and his coaching staff had six scholarships available and delivered with a five- man group that was ranked No. 11 nationally by Rivals as of March 12 and includes four players rated among the Rivals100. Northfield (Mass.) Mt. Hermon forward Nate Laszewski is the head- liner coming in as the highest rated player, No. 65 nationally. The Irish beat out North Carolina and Arizona for the sharpshooter. The perimeter features Mars (Pa.) High shooting guard Robby Car- mody, the No. 81 player nationally ac- cording to Rivals; Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga point guard Prentiss Hubb, the No. 82 prospect in the country; and Upper Arlington shooting guard Dane Goodwin, the No. 99 talent overall. Three-star forward Chris Doherty of Marlborough (Mass.) High rounded out the group with his November commitment and signing. After a run of back-to-back Elite Eights and an ACC Tournament championship, Brey believes this class was a result of the program's success and growing reputation nationally. "I think our program has always been respected after we've got it built and with the way we were doing it," Brey stated. "Certainly an ACC championship and playing in that ti- tle game twice, the Elite Eights, some NBA guys, playing in big games on national TV and delivering enough times on that stage. "… We're thought of a little bit dif- ferently now. This class is an example of it." Hubb missed his senior campaign after suffering an ACL injury pre- paring for it, but the remaining four players performed at a high-level during their final prep seasons. With three starters and a key role player graduating, the opportunity is there for this group to make an early impact during the 2018-19 season. NATE LASZEWSKI Forward • Northfield (Mass.) Mt. Hermon Senior Stats: 19.6 points and 6.8 re- bounds per game, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 40 percent behind the arc (through March 11). Laszewski made the biggest jump from his junior year to his senior sea- son among the Irish signing class, in- creasing his scoring average from 8.7 and his rebounding average from 4.1, while leading his team to a runner- up finish in the National Prep Cham- pionship and a 31-4 record. The Massachusetts product is known for his three-point shooting ability and proved it, attempting more than 300 treys throughout the course of the year. He made five or more three pointers in a single game a dozen times. At 6-9, Laszewski is a potential matchup problem on the perimeter, and a more developed post game would continue to further his value. "It was more about developing the ability to be the main guy," Rivals national analyst Corey Evans said of Laszewski's improvements. "He's al- ways kind of been a second or third guy just because of who he has played with. I think he has become better off the bounce. He can attack on a close- out and not be just a catch-and-shoot guy. He's still at his best when shoot- ing. He's deadly when doing that." ROBBY CARMODY Shooting Guard • Mars (Pa.) High Senior Stats: 32.9 points and 14.2 re- bounds per game (through March 11). Like Laszewski, Carmody's pro- duction soared during his senior year, going from an already highly productive 26.2 points and 12.0 re- bounds as a junior. This year, he led Mars' advancement to the Sweet 16 in the state playoffs (as of March 11). His performance led to being named the Pennsylvania Gatorade Boy's Basketball Player of the Year after leading his Mars team to its first Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Class 5A champion- ship, while also battling pneumonia. The toughness on both sides of the ball and ability to score inside and outside give Carmody a strong chance to contribute as a freshman. "It's all about the body," Evans explained about Carmody. "He was never overweight, but he's lost about 15-20 pounds and it made him a lot quicker and even more explosive. "For how explosive is he, he was a little heavy footed laterally and in guarding smaller players. Now he can defend both the two and three, and he's so strong." PRENTISS HUBB Point Guard • Washington (D.C) Gonzaga Senior Stats: Did not play due to injury. With star Chris Lykes off to play for the University of Miami (Fla.) in 2017-18, Hubb was set to take over at point guard for Gonzaga after serv- ing as the shooting guard and sec- ondary ball handler as a junior. Unfortunately, he never got the chance. The senior tore his ACL dur- ing the final days of October and un- derwent surgery, which ended his fi- nal high school season before it even began. It was a devastating setback for Hubb, but he suited up on Senior Night to score a ceremonial basket during Gonzaga's final home game. Notre Dame Will Get An Influx Of Talent With Its 2018 Class Forward Nate Laszewski, at No. 65 in the nation, is the highest rated player in Notre Dame's class, which is ranked No. 11 in the land by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM