Tag: Virginia Tech

Notre Dame men’s basketball to wear green jerseys for four home games

Dress appropriately for these games.

A big deal always is made whenever the Notre Dame football team wears green jerseys. Typically, it’s reserved for a special occasion once a year. But the men’s basketball team has decided one game of green jerseys isn’t enough.

In a video released Monday, the Irish announced that they will wear green jerseys four times at Purcell Pavilion during the 2024-25 season. The video showcases [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] being asked which one of the four games his team should sport the jerseys in.

After a moment, Shrewsberry decides that Syracuse, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh all need to see the jerseys when they visit South Bend.

The Irish wore green jerseys once last season, and that was a 73-61 loss to Miami. This year, they’ll stick with them of sporting them against ACC competition.

Also of note is that all of the games will be broadcast on network TV. Three of them will be on The CW, and CBS has the game against the Tar Heels. Clearly, the Irish want to look their best while playing for national audiences.

We’ll find out soon enough whether the green jerseys are lucky for the Irish.

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Virginia Tech coach Megan Duffy talks Notre Dame at ACC Tipoff

We wish her reasonably well in her first ACC season.

[autotag]Megan Duffy[/autotag] knows all about Notre Dame. She played there for four years during its Big East days, making the all-conference first team twice and being named the conference’s most improved player once. She led the conference in free-throw percentage twice and steals and minutes once apiece.

After playing professionally for a few years, she turned to coaching. For the past five years, she coached Marquette and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including last year when the Eagles got to play their lone tournament game at Purcell Pavilion.

Duffy now is beginning her first year at Virginia Tech. So when it was her turn to field questions at the annual ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was inevitable that she would be asked about the Irish. She was, and here was her answer to that question:

“This has been a dream to play and coach at the best and with the best every single day. My Notre Dame background back in the old Big East it was the depth of the conference, how competitive it was, and this is the same in the ACC.

We obviously understand this is the best conference in the country for all different reasons: the talent of the league, guard play, post play, and then some of the best coaches. I’ve always wanted that challenge.

Just to have it unfold as player and then you obviously build your resume as a coach. It’s special to be here at Virginia Tech and to hopefully be just a small piece of a bigger picture of women’s college basketball and continue to put a great product out there.”

Duffy won’t get to return to South Bend this season as the Hokies will be hosting the Irish on Jan. 30 in Blacksburg. Hopefully, when the time does come for her to come back to her roots, she’ll get a nice ovation from the Irish faithful. She’s earned it.

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Four-star 2025 New Hampshire forward commits to Notre Dame

Guess who now has the top 2025 recruiting class?

Easily the best recruiting week for Notre Dame since [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] took over wrapped up appropriately. The Irish received three commits for their 2025 class every other day, and the future of the program seems set as a result.

[autotag]Ryder Frost[/autotag], a four-star forward recruit and the third-ranked 2025 recruit from New Hampshire according to 247Sports, has committed to the Irish, joining [autotag]Jalen Haralson[/autotag] and [autotag]Brady Koehler[/autotag] from earlier in the week. Just missing out on Frost were other finalists Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.

The Irish now rank first overall in 247Sports 2025 recruiting class rankings with one five-star commit, who also happens to be the highest-rated recruit since the internet started tracking such ratings, and two four-star commits. Iowa State, which ranks second, is over two-and-a-half points behind. If that doesn’t give you cause for excitement, nothing will.

Chances are you missed Frost’s announcement on the 247Sports YouTube channel so here it is:

Shrewsberry has convinced some serious talent to commit to South Bend, and it won’t be long before that talent is around to try and return the Irish to glory that mostly has been elusive for some time.

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Chiefs scouting report: Virginia Tech Hokies CB Mansoor Delane

Virginia Tech CB Mansoor Delane would be a natural fit for the Kansas City #Chiefs in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs stocked up on young cornerback talent over the past few years and continue receiving significant contributions from their recent draft picks. The team’s starting and rotational cornerbacks avoid hitting free agency until 2026.

The 2025 NFL draft features elite blue-chip talent at cornerback and a deep pool of second and third-round options at the position.

Virginia Tech corner Mansoor Delane is a player who could be a target for the Chiefs next April, and currently projects as a top-70 selection. Though Delane may need a year in the NFL to address some of the technical flaws in his game, he would be an attractive developmental target for Kansas City.

Delane’s size and athleticism stand out on tape. His 6-foot-1 frame is a lean 187 pounds and features long arms that should surpass NFL-worthy thresholds. He is a loose athlete who swivels his hips to mirror and match wide receivers. His speed and closing burst prevent pass catchers from separating downfield and ensure he’s never far away from the football.

Virginia Tech deploys Delane in press-man, off-man, and zone assignments. The junior’s athletic traits and arm length make him an ideal candidate for press coverage, but his inconsistent footwork and jams lead to some mistakes at the line of scrimmage.

Delane’s awareness, ability to sift through multiple routes, and range suggest his short-term outlook is best in zone concepts. The Hokies’ long-term potential will be determined by his ability to develop his technique and patience, especially when playing in man coverage.

The Chiefs use a healthy mix of concepts, providing cornerbacks like Delane opportunities to develop as rookies before taking on larger roles.

The Hokies hope to overcome a sluggish start to the season by putting together a dominant showing against Old Dominion this weekend.

2026 Notre Dame interior offensive lineman target to visit campus

Hope the Irish can impress him enough.

Notre Dame has been a hotbed for offensive line talent in recent years. While there are concerns about that unit in 2024, the future always seems bright these days. Hopefully for the Irish, that future will include 2026 recruit Ben Nichols.

Nichols, Michigan’s No. 3 recruit in the 2026 class according to 247Sports, has received offers from 19 Football Bowl Subdivision programs. The Irish made their offer on St. Patrick’s Day this year. Now, he’ll be making a visit to campus when the Irish open their home schedule against Northern Illinois.

Nichols took to social media and expressed excitement about his upcoming trip to South Bend:

The Irish have some stiff competition to try and win Nichols’ services. Alabama made the most recent offer in late August. Others aiming for him include Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Illinois.

Good luck to the Irish in landing Nichols. They just might need it.

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Tennessee football projected for Florida bowl game

Tennessee football is projected to play in a Florida bowl game on Jan. 2, 2025.

Game No. 1 of the college football season will kick off on Aug. 31 for Tennessee.

As the season gets closer, the Vols received a bowl game projection from CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm. He projects Tennessee to play Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl.

The Gator Bowl is slated for Jan. 2, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Tennessee leads the all time series against the Hokies, 6-3. The two schools last played on Sept. 10, 2016. The Vols were victorious, 45-24, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.

The first game in the series took place on Nov. 14, 1896. The Vols won, 6-4, in Knoxville.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Stewart Mandel makes his 2024 ACC football preseason predictions

Stewart Mandel weighs in with his predictions for the ACC ahead of the 2024 college football season.

The consensus among voters in both the AP Top 25 poll and the US LBM Coaches Poll is that Florida State and Clemson are the two best teams in the ACC heading into the 2024 college football season.

That has also been the case in various post-spring rankings earlier this summer once the transfer portal closed.

But at least one veteran college football writer doesn’t see it that way. In his 2024 ACC football predictions ($) released Tuesday, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel agrees that Florida State is the best team in the conference, something ACC media members confirmed by voting the Noles as the favorite to win the league again in 2024.

Clemson? Mandel sees the Tigers finishing fourth in the ACC behind FSU, Miami and even Virginia Tech. He predicts Dabo Swinney’s team to finish 9-3 overall in the regular season and 6-2 in conference play.

Per Mandel:

“The Tigers to their credit rebounded from a brutal 4-4 start to last season to win their last five, with running back Phil Mafah breaking out as a home-run threat. And the defense will be very good once again. But another year went by without Dabo Swinney plugging any holes on his roster. FSU and Miami sure did.”

Clemson avoids Miami on the schedule this year but travels to both Tallahassee and Blacksburg to face Florida State and Virginia Tech on Oct. 5 and Nov. 9, respectively.

The Tigers open the season against Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, August 31 at noon ET. The game will be televised on ABC. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in both the preseason AP and coaches polls.

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Washington-Washington State is most overrated Rivalry Week game

Skip this one at the end of November.

There surely are people in the Evergreen State who greatly look forward to Washington and Washington State battling it out every year. One can’t blame them with state pride on the line.

In spite of that, we’re here to tell you that when Rivalry Week wraps up the regular season, you’re better off watching another game. This game doesn’t deserve the hype it gets, especially with the Huskies fresh off coming within a game of a national championship and the Cougars going nowhere fast.

Of all the Power Five games that have been played consistently during Rivalry Week over the past decade or so, this is one of only two in which a team has won nine of the past 10 meetings. The Huskies are beneficiaries of that. The other features Virginia Tech’s dominance of Virginia.

One reason the game in the Pacific Northwest wins this regrettable battle is because the Cougars have achieved national rankings far more frequently than the Cavaliers. That being the case, it’s almost a given these days that the Hokies will beat the Cavaliers. One would expect in some years for the Cougars to beat the Huskies, but it’s just not happening.

Another reason is when the Huskies beat the Cougars, they typically dominate. That wasn’t the case in 2023 as the Huskies won by only three points, but it was their first single-digit win over the Cougars since 2010. The Cavaliers, by contrast, have lost to the Hokies by single digits four times during the same stretch.

So again, don’t waste your time watching this game between the two major Washington schools. Choose from one of the many others instead.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

2025 four-star power forward recruit lists Notre Dame on final five

Hope he chooses to stay in-state.

Notre Dame does not yet have a commit for its 2025 recruiting class. However, one four-star power forward recruit from Indianapolis could change that. We’ll just have to see.

Brady Koehler, who attends Cathedral, has narrowed his choice to five schools, including the Irish. Also on the list are Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Iowa and Northwestern. He has visits lined up with each school. Notre Dame’s visit, the third chronically on his itinerary, happening from Sept. 6 through Sept. 8.

Koehler is listed as Indiana’s fourth-ranked recruit in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247Sports. That site also indicates that the Demon Deacons are the favorites to land him. However, Cathedral has also the Fighting Irish as its mascot along with the Blue and Gold as its colors, so maybe that’s an advantage for [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] and his staff?

Koehler is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks a game. That will catch the attention of any college program.

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Cameron Brink has unique familial connection to Stephen and Seth Curry

For Sparks rookie Cameron Brink, basketball runs deep in her blood, with both her parents playing basketball at Virginia Tech.

For Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink, basketball runs deep in her blood, with both of her parents playing at Virginia Tech. Brink’s godbrothers are basketball superstars Stephen and Seth Curry, so she has grown up immersed in the game.

As the second selection in the 2024 WNBA draft out of Stanford, right behind Caitlin Clark, Brink has a big weight on her shoulders to elevate the Sparks. She understands her role, but tries to tune the excess noise out and focus on her on-court responsibilities.

“I love the media, but I think it’s healthy to just do what my job is and that is to play basketball,” Brink told People Magazine.

When she is having trouble or just needs to vent, she turns to her parents, who help her however they can, including moving her into her own place, while she sat down for her interview.

“They’re my everything,” she says of her parents. “I’ve learned literally everything from my parents. They both played at Virginia Tech, so having them as sounding board people I can only vent to, and honestly, they’re just so fun to be around. They’re my besties.”

When she isn’t on the court, Brink spends her time with other creative outlets such as surfing, painting, juggling and doing her own makeup.

“I take pride in doing my own hair and makeup a lot,” Brink said. “I love to do my own makeup. I think for me, it is obviously fun to get glam, but it’s very meditative to just go throughout the process.”

Finding healthy outlets outside of basketball is crucial to maintaining a work-life balance that doesn’t leave Brink burnt out or overwhelmed. The WNBA is seeing a surge in viewership, investment and opportunity, so players will only continue to see more and more responsibilities associated with their jobs. Thus it is vital to have outlets outside of basketball to ensure these players don’t place their self-worth in their performance on the court.

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