kp, I get what you are saying and it's true. If the NCAA finds a kids transcript has problems they can declare him ineligible for sure. But it's all after the fact. So in that respect they have no input on places like IMG. It would certainly kill their business model if after going to IMG a lot of kids couldn't meet NCAA min academic standards and have to go to Jr or Community College. I've heard what you said, that IMG does run a model program, that's what the parents pay the $$$ for to not only train jr up to be ready to play Div1 football, but to also make sure Jr has the academics all in order as well.
That was a heck of a game by the Irish Women last night vs Stanford. We looked like we weren't going to make it to the Final Four in the 1st half. We shot the ball like we were the Michigan Wolverines ( sorry bobda! ) Down at the half with our lowest 1st half scoring for the year. Stanford was beating us on the boards, our bigs couldn't make their layups, Arike shots weren't falling our defense was matador like. But they came out in the 2nd half and just scorched them. 26 points in the 1st half and then 58 points in the 2nd half. I think the game really changed when Arike had to sit down in the 3rd qtr due to picking up her 3rd foul. It forced Jackie Young to take over and that she did, she was unstoppable. Plus Marina Mabrey finally got some points, she's been a non factor scoring in this tourney mostly because she's not a 100% and Muffet said it's limited her in practice. We will need her to be that all time leading 3 point shooter that she is against UConn. Stanford is going to be really tough next year, they only lose 1 starter and will add in probably the top group of freshmen in the country. They should be loaded. The same can be said for Texas A&M who we beat in the Sweet 16, they should be loaded as well. Next up the always tough UConn Huskies coached by arguably the best coach in the history of women's basketball if Nat'l Titles mean anything. They are also an experienced team with star power to match the Irish.
I saw a post that today, April 4th 1968, was the day that Robt Kennedy kicked off his Presidential campaign with a speech ND's Stephan Center which was packed with 5K ND students. It's also the day that Marin Luther King was shot in Memphis.
I saw an article on Chase Claypool where he said he's taking 18 hours this spring to set himself up for the fall semester to be an easier load. From everything I've read about Claypool he's having a great camp and seems to be more focused than in the past. It's been a criticism of him that he sometimes doesn't give it 100%, and that he has so much upside but not realizing it. Now this will be his last year and no doubt he's seeing the NFL in his future, so like a player in his contract year maybe he'll have the effort and focus to maximize his talent and enhance his draft status. Chris Finke has had an outstanding camp as well, but he and Claypool are 2 completely different people and I think Finke since he's started as a walkon has always been 100% committed to being the best he could be as a player. I'll be excited to see some of the young WR's get a shot this fall, most of them have outstanding speed. Braden Lenzy was a HS track star and was going to run track at Oregon before he flipped back to ND. Lawrence Keys is described as a guy who when he catches the ball the run after the catch is going to be exciting, he's got quickness and wiggle and speed. Kevin Austin has been described as being in Kelly's dog house for things off the field nobody ever says what that is but one thing is that it's not a legal problem! But he's showing up on the field this spring and so is Michael Young who has had some injury issues. The TE's, Kmet and Wright are solid, and Tommy Tremble is getting some good comments. bottom line is the Irish should have some good targets for Ian Book.
Now, can we block? Will we continue to tackle? Can we continue to get pressure with just the front 4?
Irish came out cold from the field and got down by 8 points early, but found some offense and it's a really tight game, UConn up by 1 at the half. Don't know why a veteran team like ND comes out cold so often, but they do, they usually have a great 3rd period ..they will need it tonight
What a great finish, down 9 points and things looking bleak but this team just reached deep down and found a way to win. The controlled the boards and Arike and Marina got going and Briana Turner had the critical block that set us up for the win. Baylor with those 2 bigs is going to be very tough, one 6'7" and one 6'4"...they'd better eat their wheaties! Also could they please come out shooting, last few games they have come out stone cold from the field.
Top 50 WR Jordan Johnson of St. Louis DeSmet Jesuit, he's the #6 rated WR has given his verbal to the Irish!!! Great pickup for the class of 2020.
We're a team that scores a lot inside, with the size that Baylor has inside it's going to be problem. Down 11 at then end of the 1st qtr. Not shooting well, Baylor shooting 60%.
Very impressive 1st half by Baylor, they totally shut down the Irish game in the paint with their size and they are shooting so well we don't really have any fast break chances, and even when we do they are getting back on defense very well. Irish will have to play lights out in the 2nd half and Baylor is going to have to come back to earth shooting the ball.
Baylor's Lauren Cox leaves with likely an ACL, she's a great player and I hate to see that esp to the women who are so vulnerable to that injury. Still Baylor continues to shoot well and continue to have a double digit lead starting the 4th quarter.
Well it turned into a terrific finish with Baylor getting the 1 point win. Last years hero, Arike, had 2 free throws to tie it and send it to OT, but she missed the first one and in trying to miss the 2nd one made it..game over. Great run by this group of seniors.
As feared Jackie Young announced she is leaving early for the WNBA. She has been getting lot of praise and many feel she'll be an even better player in the WNBA than she was at Notre Dame. She's expected to be in the top 10, maybe the top 5 of this years draft. Of course that doesn't mean much financially as the WNBA doesn't pay anywhere close to the NBA. But she can make a lot of money playing overseas. I don't know anything about her family and whether this is a move to help her family or not. She says this has always been her dream. You have to figure that the last 2 years winning a Title and finishing as the runner up sort of means she's accomplished almost everything, and next years team is going to be all new with very young players who haven't played at all (2 highly rated freshmen) or have played very little, those who weren't starters this year didn't really get many minutes. We also have some players coming off of injury. So next years team could have really used Jackie for leadership, but also it's possible that's not a role Jackie wanted to play. But she's been a great player, great teammate and I wish her a lot of luck. There were bad feelings when Jewell Lloyd left as she kept it a secret that she wasn't coming back and sprung it on Muffet and the coaches after the Final Four, but this has been out there all season long that Jackie could leave with the other 4 starters and I'm sure Muffet has had input and while no doubt would like her back respects her decision and how she's been open about everything. Good luck to her.
Back to football. The one thing I'm reading is that Houston Griffith who was our highest rated recruit in the 2018 class and who was expected to play safety, and has been moved to CB has struggled all spring with the transition. He played some nickel last year and struggled with that position as well. He has physical talent and I hope he gets settled as this is the position that Julian Love played so well and was critical to our defensive success last season. Nickel is going to be unsettled till fall camp as we have some injuries there that won't be back till then. Keep reading good things about the receivers (TE's and WR's) and good things about Book. Also Jafar Armstrong seems to have seized the #1 RB slot, and our OL looking good. So the offense should be very good next year, will it be good enough to go to Athens, Ann Arbor, and Palo Alto and get wins...who knows.