Notre Dame Five-Star Guards Earn McDonald's All-American Honors
Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey landed one of the nation's best 2023 recruiting classes, and two of the three signees were named to the prestigious McDonald's All-American team. Five-star guards Hannah Hidalgo and Emma Risch both earned this honor and are set to play in the iconic game, which is made up of the nation's best hoops player.
Both Hidalgo and Risch have already signed with Notre Dame, and both are ranked as five-star recruits.
The 5-6 Hidalgo is ranked by ESPN as the nation's best point guard and No. 5 overall player in the 2023 class. Here is what ESPN had to say about the Haddonfield (N.J.) Paul VI star.
"If there is something on the basketball court worth competing for, count Hidalgo in. Once inside the lines for the tip, she is all go, all the time. End-to-end, Hidalgo may be the fastest guard in the country and she is almost impossible to guard off the dribble with single coverage. Between her sophomore and junior year, she really went to work on her perimeter shooting and now that she is a legitimate threat from downtown, she is essentially an impossible cover 1-on-1. She finishes well against contact, has a package of floater options, and can get hot from the 3. Defensively, the opposing point guard will feel the heat of constant pressure. Hidalgo is a gold medalist from the U17 at the FIBA World Cup in 2022." - Shane Laflin, ESPN
Risch is a 6-1 guard that is ranked as the nation's No. 20 overall player in the country. Here is what ESPN had to say about the Melbourne (Fla.) Palm Bay Magnet sharp shooter.
"Notre Dame is getting a knock-down shooter. Risch is known to catch fire from the 3-point line and has had multiple games this year of five-plus 3-point makes. Risch has a great feel for the game which allows her to know the finer details of reading screens and timing of when to relocate to get open opportunities. It is to her advantage that as a major focus of the defense, she can use that gravity to pull and manipulate defenders as she creates for teammates. She is a big guard (6-1) with a crafty handle that complements her shooting with a touch for floaters and finishing in the paint. Risch is averaging 24 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season." - Laflin
Notre Dame, UConn, South Carolina, LSU and Arizona are the only teams to land two players in the game. Had fellow 2023 signee Cassandre Prosper not enrolled early in South Bend there's a good chance she too would have been in the game. Prosper is also a five-star prospect and is the No. 16 overall player in the class. She's also ranked as the No. 2 forward in the class.
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Irish Breakdown Content
2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule
Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense
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