Notre Dame Basketball: A Need at Center in 2016 After Auguste
By Chase Eyrich
The Irish will need a big man after Auguste departs
One of the biggest needs for the Irish in the 2016 recruiting class is a center. With the 2015-2016 season being Zack Auguste’s last, the already small Notre Dame team will have to find an answer through recruiting.
Up to this point, the Irish have offered one Center, James Banks. Banks is a great Center and ranked eighth in his position. But the problem with Banks is that he has 22 offers. No one knows where he’s leaning right now, but with this being a position that needs filled, the Irish can’t put all their eggs in one basket.
So where else can the Irish go in the 2016 class?
Well, first off I would love to see ND make an instate offer to Isaac Humphries. Humphries is a seven footer that plays for La Lumiere.
Of course, everyone loves him for his size, but this kid is a great overall basketball player. You won’t see him looking like many seven-footers who don’t understand quite how to use their body. He uses every inch and pound of his 245 lbs. body to his advantage.
Humphries ranks fifth as a center and has three offers from Kansas, Illinois, and Arizona. The problem is that Kansas seems to have a good foot in the door.
The other player that I would love to see ND pursue, is ranked third as a Center in the class of 2016, but is personally my favorite in the position. Marques Bolden from DeSoto Texas would have a hard time adjusting to the weather in South Bend, but on the court he shouldn’t have a problem.
More from Slap the Sign
- PointsBet Promo: Bet $50, Win an Official Jersey at Fanatics!
- Notre Dame vs NC State: How to watch, odds, injuries, series history and more
- Caesars Indiana Sign-Up Promo: Win $250 GUARANTEED Bonus Betting on Notre Dame This Week!
- FanDuel + DraftKings Indiana Promos: Bet $10 on Notre Dame, Win $400 Bonus GUARANTEED!
- New Caesars + DraftKings Indiana Promos: $450 GUARANTEED Bonus Backing Notre Dame vs. Navy!
Bolden standing at 6’10” is a good size for a center, but his athleticism and absolutely crazy wingspan is what sets him apart. To get a shot past Bolden, you have to either get the ball as high as the rafters or be nowhere near him. Not only can he use that wingspan to block shots but he also throws down vicious dunks and creates space to get a shot off.
Bolden has six offers and Kansas got into the game early, offering him last summer. Kentucky was the latest to offer, which in retrospect shows us that he has NBA ready potential.
It will be interesting to see how Mike Brey goes about filling the Center position for the post-Auguste era. Who knows,maybe Brey will go along the lines of a transfer, which he’s done in the past.