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Notre Dame Basketball New Guys: Prentiss Hubb

By Mychal Hunter

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: Basketballs are shown in a ball rack before the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament between the New Mexico State Aggies and the Grand Canyon Lopesat the Orleans Arena on March 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: Basketballs are shown in a ball rack before the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament between the New Mexico State Aggies and the Grand Canyon Lopesat the Orleans Arena on March 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /
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Coach Mike Brey has had some good fortune on the recruiting trail, as of alate. One of his newest incoming freshmen, Prentiss Hubb could have a major impact next season. 

Recruiting rankings are a precarious thing. Like most opinion based reviews, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For instance, in 2002, Deron Williams was ranked #100 in his class. He averaged 16 points and 8 assists per game over his 14 year NBA career. Recently departed Irish forward Bonzie Colson was 139th in his class. That seemed to work out well for the program. After giving 2018 Irish freshman Prentiss Hubb a watch, I feel he is drastically underrated by recruiting services.

Hubb ended up ranked 81st in the final 2018 rankings. A 6’2, 160 pound guard, he comes into the 2018 class listed as a shooting guard, but possesses abilities as a point guard for which Coach Mike Brey has an immediate need. Hubb’s shining characteristic is his ability to push the ball combined with terrific court vision. A high energy lefty, he slings and snaps passes all over the court comparable to some of the best play makers in the college game.

The jumper is also there. He has that typical, pretty, left handed release and while it is a little lower than I usually like to see, you cannot argue with the results. The part that stood out the most while watching this young man’s film is his defense. He plays the passing lanes, he is a good help side defender and he has active hands. There are at least half a dozen times in his mixtape where his individual defense leads to easy baskets for his club.

This is all great, right? How is this kid not the number one player in the 2018 class? Well, it is youtube. They are highlight reels.

There is also something else I have yet to touch on. If you are thinking you’ve seen Prentiss’s name on Slap the Sign before, you would be correct. In October 2017, Chase Eyrich informed readers that Hubb would miss his senior season due to a torn ACL. I attempted to contact Prentiss to see how his recovery is coming along but to no avail. A torn ACL is not the kiss of death it used to be but all players respond differently. With nearly a year of recovery time I expect Prentiss to be close to fully recovered by the time the Irish tip off the season, barring any type of set back of course.

Next: Notre Dame Basketball New Guys: Robby Carmody

What to expect: Prentiss is going to be the Irish freshman with the biggest impact on the 2018-19 season. Currently, the only point guard on the Notre Dame roster is TJ Gibbs. While Gibbs is certainly capable of handling point guard responsibilities, I think  Coach Brey would rather see him off the ball. I expect Hubb to assume point guard duties early in the season and make the position his. While I don’t expect his scoring to be off the charts, I do expect he will run the offense efficiently, make good decisions and impact the game a great deal on the defensive end. Freshmen guards typically do two things: Turn the ball over and play poor defense. This just happens to be Hubb’s strong suit. This kid is a diamond in the rough.