After a tough summer full of swings and misses on top recruits, Mike Brey and his staff expanded their board on the recruiting trail and have put together one of the top 30 classes in the nation. Yesterday they capped off the class with four star, combo guard, Parker Friedrichsen just six days after Harvard Westlake forward Brady Dunlap made his commitment to the Irish official. The two four star recruits joined South Bend native Markus Burton in Notre Dame's 2023 class.
The Irish staff put this class together much later in the cycle than they have in the past with the earliest offer going to Burton on July 26th. Freidrichsen then picked up an offer on August 8th followed by Dunlap's on August 23rd. The lackluster summer on the trail put the Irish staff in scramble mode, but the veteran staff expanded the board and found a way to land three high level players.
It's not only that the staff landed three talented, highly ranked players, but that those players can come in and fill specific roles.
Markus Burton will be the initiator for the Irish, the South Bend native's ability to turn the corner and get downhill will help the Irish get into the flow of an offense. Burton clearly sees the floor well and if he continues to develop as a distributor, he could evolve into Notre Dame's primary ballhandler. Even if Burton doesn't become a Matt Farrell level distributor, he will likely still make an impact by putting pressure on the rim and opening up the floor with his shooting ability.
Parker Friedrichsen has an almost opposite type of game than Burton, but can certainly be a productive complementary player to Burton and an effective scorer for the Irish. The thing that jumps off the page about the former Oklahoma State commit is his pure shotmaking ability. The 6'3 guard isn't as much of a creator as Burton, but can make shots off of the catch, different platforms, a few bounces, or with a hand in his face. Friedrichsen is also developing a floater game and is able to get to the rim because of his cutting ability and his the shiftiness he has in his game. Whether it comes from running off of a screen or attacking a closeout, Mike Brey will likely be satisfied with most possessions that end in a good look for Parker Friedrichsen. The four star guard will nicely fill the role as an off the ball, shotmaking two guard.
Brady Dunlap's role is the least clear of the three commits, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Dunlap is the most versatile of the three. The four star recruit can thrive as a wing because of his shooting ability and his ability to play off of high level ball handlers, but his height and length allow him to also be a typical Mike Brey small ball four. Regardless of what position Dunlap ends up playing, he is the ideal complementary piece for a young ballhandler like Markus Burton, the Harvard Westlake forward scored 16 points per game on the EYBL circuit while being a safety blanket for Bronny James, if James was in trouble he could always rely on Dunlap to be smart with the ball or to convert on open looks from beyond the arc. Dunlap has the potential to become a higher volume guy down the road if he can continue to develop his ability off the bounce, but he will likely have a role similar to VJ Beachum's early in his Notre Dame career.
Notre Dame's 2023 class isn't the sexy class that they brought in over the last two cycles, there isn't a five star recruit like JJ Starling, or a freak athlete like Ven-Allen Lubin, or a potential one and done talent like Blake Wesley. But, Mike Brey and staff have brought in three players who have the ability to effectively fill important roles for years to come.
This is the type of group that can be a program building type of class, meaning that when they're older they can be a group of reliable rotation players and leaders that are easy for young guys and incoming transfers to play with.
From here, Notre Dame will continue to pursue highly ranked point guard, Elmarko Jackson, who will take an official visit to South Bend on October 30th. There are also some rumors that the Irish staff will look to pursue a big in the transfer portal this offseason to replace Nate Laszewski, who is out of eligibility after this season. Even assuming that JJ Starling would return for a second season, Notre Dame's 2023-24 backcourt still has some holes as well that will need to be addressed in the transfer portal.
The likely outcome at this point is that the 2023 high school class will finish as a three man class for the Irish, but Notre Dame's revamped staff will certainly continue to be active and aggressive with their abundance of open scholarships through the portal and will continue to make a run at Elmarko Jackson.
Mike Brey and staff avoided another 2019 level disaster of a recruiting class by staying active, expanding their board, and finding under the radar prospects that have projectable skills. Considering where this class looked to be heading, it is certainly a successful cycle for the Irish with or without Elmarko Jackson. The Irish staff looks to have back to back top 30 classes, a significant step in the right direction for the program.
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