“We welcome Lazaria to the Lady Vol program and are excited about the height and athleticism she brings to our team,” Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell said. “It’s not easy to find someone with her combination of length and ability to play in transition.
“She really clicked with our team and is fun to be around. I can’t wait to have her on the court with us.”
The 6-foot-4 forward appeared in 60 games, including 10 starts, at Miami from 2022-24. She averaged 5.8 points and five rebounds per contest, while also recording 26 blocks and 33 steals.
Australian punter Lou Hedley has chosen a new jersey number in his second season with the Saints:
There isn’t a new punter kicking for the New Orleans Saints, but the one they have will be wearing a new number. Second-year pro Lou Hedley has given up his No. 39 jersey to switch to the more-appealing No. 15, per the team website. It’s a new number for him after he wore No. 94 in college at Miami.
So who will be wearing his old jersey number? Right now, that’s been assigned to rookie kicker Charlie Smyth. So the Saints’ Australian punter will be wearing No. 15 and their Irish kicker is using No. 39.
Fans should expect some competition to be brought in for Hedley, though it’s likelier to be a rookie free agent signing than a veteran pickup. While the Saints’ coaching staff were largely pleased with Hedley’s performance in his rookie year, he struggled to give his coverage team much hang time or room to work with. He ranked last in the league in both hang time (4.03 seconds) and yards per punt (43). We rated him with a D in our rookie report cards at the end of the year.
Still, it’s possible Hedley beats his competition again and earns another year in black and gold. If he does overcome that challenge, he’ll be wearing No. 15.
See what the next opposing coach had to say about the Irish.
After Notre Dame defeated Louisville in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, Virginia Tech beat Miami, 55-47. That sets a semifinal rematch between the Irish and top-seeded Hokies after the teams met in South Bend only a week ago. The Irish won that game, so the Hokies will be out for revenge.
The big question surrounding the Hokies is the health of three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, who was injured in the Hokies’ regular-season finale at Virginia and didn’t play Friday. In fact, she won’t play at all in this tournament.
Hokies coach Kenny Brooks was asked about the upcoming rematch in his postgame news conference and said the following:
“Bruh, can I just enjoy this one for a second? Notre Dame is playing as well as anyone in the country right now. We experienced it last week, their physicality – they’re a little bit different than they were last year. They’re tenacious on the defensive end, obviously with the addition of (Hannah) Hidalgo.
They got off to a great start today. And bless his heart, I’m in my locker room, and I think we’re on like a three, four, five-second delay in watching the game and what happens, and Jeff Walz gets thrown out. He gets thrown out, and two seconds later, boom, my door flies open, and it’s Jeff Walz.
I did thank him for their comeback and making Notre Dame play harder down the stretch, to be able to do that.
They’re playing well. They’re playing extremely well. Hidalgo really makes them go. (Sonia) Citron – I’ve said it before – is one of my favorite players. She just doesn’t get rattled. (Maddy) Westbeld is playing really well right now. They don’t play a lot of people, but the people who play are playing well.
We know it’s going to be a tough task. We’ll get back, and we’ll figure some things out, and we’ll try to see what happens.”
This shows the Hokies won’t take the Irish lightly, so the Irish better be ready to play whether Kitley is available or not. Whatever the case though, it should be a good game.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
We’re looking at ten defensive backs for the Baltimore Ravens to watch during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine
The Ravens are in Indianapolis for the NFL combine, and GM Eric DeCosta will be front and center to watch the defensive backs and tight ends work out.
Cornerback depth will be a massive priority for Baltimore, and there will be changes this offseason with Ronald Darby, Arthur Maulet, and Rock-Ya-Sin all pending free agents.
With Day 2 of on-field workouts set to begin, we’re looking at ten defensive backs for the Ravens to watch.
We’re looking at ten defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine
Defensive back depth is a massive priority for the Eagles, and that’ll be the position to watch on Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Howie Roseman is looking to retool the roster following Philadelphia’s historic collapse, finishing the season 1-6 after a 10-1 start.
There could be decisions on cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry in the coming days, while the Eagles only have two safeties on the roster after releasing Kevin Byard.
With Day 2 of on-field workouts set to begin, we’re looking at ten defensive backs for Philadelphia to watch.
What do you expect from Wisconsin’s new QB this season?
One of Wisconsin’s biggest moves of this offseason was the addition of former Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.
Van Dyke brings years of starting experience, having led the Miami Hurricanes for the last three seasons. In that time he completed 63.7% of his passes for 7469 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
The veteran quarterback’s best year was 2021, when he threw for 2931 yards and a 25-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Van Dyke is a proven quarterback, but he’s been searching for his 2021 form ever since.
That’s where Wisconsin comes in. The Badgers did fine at quarterback last season with former SMU signal caller Tanner Mordecai. The room is deep with star talent, but head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo needed a sure bet to kickstart their season.
Van Dyke should be a good fit in Longo’s air raid offense. But he’ll need to be his 2021 self if the Badgers are going to compete in the tough Big Ten landscape.
Nov 24, 2023; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (9) looks to pass against the Boston College Eagles during the first half at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
“When Van Dyke won ACC Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 at Miami, the expectation was that he would be long gone to the NFL by now,” Adam Rittenberg writes. “But after two sometimes solid, sometimes choppy seasons with different coordinators under coach Mario Cristobal, Van Dyke entered the portal and sought a fresh start…If Van Dyke can be the quarterback who makes the Air Raid go in Madison, he will not only boost his NFL chances, but bring Wisconsin closer to the 12-team CFP mix
I agree with Rittberg’s sentiment. It feels as if much of the Badgers’ College Football Playoff hope rests on the veteran quarterback’s shoulders. If he enters and plays like he did in 2021, the Badgers could be a real threat. If not, it’ll be the same mediocrity we’ve seen for the last four years.
[lawrence-related id=70937,70839,70751]
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.
The Los Angeles Chargers draft Brock Bowers, a cornerback and a defensive tackle.
NFL Media’s Chad Reuter released his latest three-round mock draft, where he sees the Chargers getting Justin Herbert a weapon in Round 1 and addressing the defensive side of the ball in the next two rounds.
With their first-round selection, Los Angeles selects former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.
Bowers has a chance to be the best player not named Caleb Williams in this draft because of his combination of reliable hands, strong running and blocking ability.
Bowers has been pegged to L.A. quite a bit and will continue to be until April’s draft rolls around. He provides the offense with a mismatch in the passing game and a serviceable run blocker. Bowers could quickly develop a solid rapport with Herbert.
In Round 2, L.A. addresses the secondary by selecting Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Rakestraw is a cornerback with great length and athleticism who possesses good speed and fluid hips, which allows him to match and stay in phase with receivers. Versus the run, he is an aggressive and willing tackler with good instincts.
With their selection in the third round, the Chargers add beef in the trenches with Miami defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III.
Taylor has the get-off and explosiveness to get in the backfield, as well as the strength and physicality to hold up against the run, but he will have to work on his pad level at the next level.
Good for Teddy Bridgewater: the former New Orleans Saints quarterback has been hired to coach his Miami high school football team
Good for Teddy Bridgewater: the former New Orleans Saints quarterback has been hired to coach his Miami high school football team, per High School FN’s Andy Villamarzo. Bridgewater is retiring from the NFL after finishing his career on the Detroit Lions. Now he’s going back to Miami Northwestern Senior High.
Expect him to be a popular fit at his alma mater; 20 minutes away is Bunche Park, where he played youth football growing up, and where the field was named after him last summer. Bridgewater had previously announced his plans to retire and turn to coaching after the 2023 season. That he gets to go home to South Florida and continue his football life is very cool to see.
Bridgewater earned his degree in Sports Administration at Louisville before turning pro, so this is something he’s been planning a long time. He’s been a fan-favorite everywhere he goes, including New Orleans, and he’s in a good position now to be a positive influence on the next generation.
Experience beats inexperience in a battle of struggling teams.
The one thing Notre Dame and Miami have in common is that both have struggled lately. Both teams came into Purcell Pavillion on Wednesday having lost four of their past five. For a game like this, one typically might expect experience to win out. That’s exactly what happened in a 73-61 Irish loss.
This contest featured five ties and 10 lead changes, but that all happened while over 80% of game time elapsed. With the Irish (7-12, 2-6) in front by three during the latter portion of the second half, the Hurricanes (13-6, 4-4) went on a 19-2 run to go up by double digits. The Irish never seriously threatened after that as they were outplayed and outclassed by a better and more experienced team.
It was the Norchad Omier show from beginning to end, and that shouldn’t be a surprise given the type of player he is. Back from an ankle injury, he scored 33 points on 12-of-14 shooting, only two points off his collegiate high and his most since joining the Hurricanes from Arkansas State. He also grabbed 10 rebounds to complete a double-double, another hallmark of his game, and recorded three steals.
Of course, Omier got a little help. Kyshawn George scored 11 points while also getting three steals. Nijel Pack had 10 points despite shooting 3 of 10 from the field, and he also dished out a game-high five assists. Off the bench, Bensley Joseph contributed 10 points.
[autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] led the Irish with 15 points but also committed a game-high eight turnovers. [autotag]J.R. Konieczny[/autotag] had 13 points and six rebounds, and [autotag]Braeden Shrewsberry[/autotag] scored 10 off the bench.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
What grade do you give Marcus Freeman through two seasons?
We’re two full seasons into the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame, and there have clearly been some ups and downs.
The era started in a troubling way as the Irish began 0-3, but they’ve gone 19-5 since being upset by Marshall in Week 2 of 2022.
How does Freeman compare to some of the other head coaches that were hired in the 2023 coaching carousel?
CBS Sports graded all of those 2022-23 hires through two seasons into their current stops. How did Freeman compare to the man he replaced at Notre Dame, the man he’ll face in Week 1 of 2024, and some Irish rivals?
