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ACC team-by-team previews: Notre Dame, Duke battle for the top

By Arielle Chambers

TALLAHASSEE, FL - JANUARY 12: Asia Durr (25) guard Louisville Cardinals stumbles with the basketball against Brittany Brown (12) guard Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) match-up on Thursday, January 12, 2017, at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Florida. FSU wins 65-72. (Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - JANUARY 12: Asia Durr (25) guard Louisville Cardinals stumbles with the basketball against Brittany Brown (12) guard Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) match-up on Thursday, January 12, 2017, at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Florida. FSU wins 65-72. (Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame

Projected finish: 1st

Last year’s record: 33-4, 15-1 ACC  

Key Returners (last season’s stats):

G-Arike Ogunbowale, 5’8, (Milwaukee, WI), JR-  15.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 29.4 MPG; 2017 Naismith Trophy Top 30 finalist, NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Performer, NCAA All-Regional Team, WBCA All-Region Team, ACC All-Touramennt First Team.

G- Marina Mabrey, 5’11, (Belmar, NJ), JR- 14.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 27.6 MPG; NCAA All-Regional Team,  ACC All-Tournament First Team, 7th in ACC history 3-point field goal percentage (.402), 12th all-time with .829 career free-throw percentage.

Biggest losses (last season’s stats)

F- Brianna Turner, 6’3, (Pearland, Texas), SR-  redshirt due to injury (recovering from ACL torn on March 29, 2017); 15.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 28.7 MPG; two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-ACC, WBCA All-American, USBWA All-American, Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, Naismith Trophy Semifinalist.

F- Kathryn Westbeld, 6’2, (Kettering, OH), SR- recovering from ankle surgery; 23.7 MPG. 

G- Lindsay Allen, 5’8, (Mitchellville, MD) – 9.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 34.6 MPG; Nancy Lieberman Award Finalist, Wooden Award National Ballot, ACC Tournament MVP.

KNOXVILLE, TN – JANUARY 16: Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Arike Ogunbowale (24)
KNOXVILLE, TN – JANUARY 16: Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) /

Newcomers

G- Lilli Thompson, 5’7, (Mansfield, TX), GR – Stanford transfer; team captain averaging 14.7 PPG in 2016 to bring her team to the Elite Eight, 2015-16 All-Pac-12 player.

F-Danielle Patterson, 6’2, (Brooklyn, NY), FR- 2017 McDonald’s All-American, 2017 Jordan Brand Classic All-American, U17 Team USA Trials participant. espnW HoopGurlz 30th ranked recruit.

C- Mikayla Vaughn, 6’3, (Fairfax, VA), FR

Head Coach

Muffet McGraw, 31st season

“I think the ACC is a tremendous conference. I think we have some of the best players in the country…some of the best teams in the country.” McGraw said at ACC Media Day.  “It’s going to be incredibly difficult. It’s going to be a great game every single night. We’ve got to be ready and focused. We’re trying to take care of business each game.”

NASHVILLE, TN – APRIL 08: Head coach Muffet McGraw of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
NASHVILLE, TN – APRIL 08: Head coach Muffet McGraw of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish /

Key non-conference games

Nov 29– @Michigan

Dec. 3- @Connecticut

Dec 17– DePaul

Outlook

Notre Dame has a tradition of excellence and has shown the ACC just how strong the program is since joining. The Irish dominated in both regular season and tournament play since becoming a member, tying Duke’s ’01-’04 team’s record of four ACC championships in a row; this year, Notre Dame is going for a fifth, and that’s a realistic goal.

Year after year, the Irish produce stellar guards (refer to the likes of Skylar Diggins, Jewell Loyd and Lindsay Allen, all three of whom are currently in the WNBA). This year, guard production should be the same, with Coach McGraw depending on sharp shooters Marina Mabrey and Arike Ogunbowale to handle the perimeter. The key to their offense? “We will be very guard oriented”, McGraw said, especially if Nebraska transfer Jessica Shepard is not cleared to play immediately by the NCAA.

It will be difficult to speak about Notre Dame’s backcourt without referring to transfer Lili Thompson who McGraw described as “a combination of Skylar [Diggins] and Lindsay [Allen].”   Ultimately, the plan is to play four guards and “shoot more threes.” 

Make no mistake, the Irish are not deprived of bigs either, as McGraw claimed she is already impressed by their work in practice.  Highly decorated senior forward, Brianna Turner, is out for the season due to an ACL injury, so it will be up to Danielle Patterson and Mikayla Vaughn to fill her shoes.

Best case scenario:

Notre Dame continues to dominate the ACC with all-around talent and no one is able to contain their offense.  They easily adapt to the leadership of Thompson and thrive from a Thompson, Mabrey, Ogunbowale backcourt. The Irish finish in the top spot as they have the four previous years.  

Worst case scenario:

The Irish continue to feel the effects of the Brianna Turner loss and lack a substantial threat in the paint. Teams are able to take advantage of the absence.

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