The second of them becomes the first, or something like that.
In just over a month, Notre Dame men's basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry's second recruiting class will arrive on campus for summer school. Although it's Shrewsbury's second class, the trio of Cole Serta, Sir Mohammed and Garrett Sandra are the first players independently scouted by the second-year head coach to Notre Dame.
Last year, the trio of Carey Booth, Logan Imes and Braden Shrewsberry signed with Penn State and followed their head coach to Notre Dame.
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Below is a thumbnail look at how Notre Dame's Sign Language Class of 2024 fared during their senior year of high school.
☘ Call Serta
size: 6-foot-5, 175 pounds
position: shooting guard
home town: leroy illinois
high school: After three seasons at Bloomington (Ill.) Catholic Central, Serta played his senior year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
AAU team: Illinois Wolves (Under Armor Association)
Performer: four
Recruitment ranking: Certa is ranked No. 89 by ESPN, No. 87 by Rivals and No. 96 by 247Sports.
Advanced statistics: After losing 101-89 to St. Paul VI Catholic High School in the first round of the Chipotle Nationals, the IMG team averaged 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 21.0 minutes and finished 20-9 overall. Celta made 110 three-point shots, a 42 percent success rate. He started the season as the team's sixth man and was moved to the starting lineup in mid-January.
His high school coach said: “Having him here was very beneficial going into next year. If Cole had stayed at his previous high school, he probably would have had more defensive responsibilities, playing off the ball, and with the ball in his hands as a freshman.” He must have experienced many hardships, such as learning how to create without having anything.
“All of those things were important. Everything was big for us. Late in the year, he kind of clicked and it started flowing. He was probably averaging 14-15 (points per game). He's gotten more used to playing at this level against other teams like us that have a lot of Division I players. He was much better at everything.” — IMG Head Coach Sean McAloon
The coach of the opposing high school said this. “He can shoot right out of the gym. He doesn't need a lot of space to take his shot. You basically have to be there before he catches the ball. If there is any sunlight, it will go up.
“He's supposed to be a 40 percent (3-point shooter) player. His body is going to be bigger and stronger. He's a good athlete. As a freshman, they're going to give him the ability to catch on. All we want is to shoot, and we keep it simple. If you want a catch-and-shoot guy, play a game on the line and kick out and go for the 3, Cole Serta will hit it for you. Dew.” — La Lumiere (Indiana) School Head Coach Patrick Holmes
Outlook for 2024-25: With the return of sophomore Braden Shrewsberry and the addition of graduate transfer Matt Allocco (Princeton), shooting guard will be the deepest position in 2024-25. Notre Dame is never short on shooters or shot makers. If Celta can shoot consistently, especially from long range, he will be part of Celta's rotation sooner rather than later.
☘ Sir Mohammed
size: 6-6, 205
position: combo guard
home town: charlotte, north carolina
high school: Myers Park
AAU team: Team Curry (Under Armor Association)
Performer: four
Recruitment ranking: The son of former Kentucky and NBA power forward Nazr Mohammed is ranked No. 57 by ESPN.th – Artist: Rivals and 42n.d. By 247Sports.
Advanced statistics: Mohamed, who missed several games with shoulder and ankle/calf injuries that limited his playing time earlier this year, averaged 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 20.5 minutes in 24 games for a Myers Park team that finished 27th. , recorded 2.3 steals. -3 overall and 10-0 in conference play. Mohamed, a second-team All-State selection, shot 53 percent from the field, 38 percent from three and 62 percent from the foul line. His best game as a senior came when he scored 30 points in an overtime loss to St. Paul VI (Va.) Catholic.
His high school coach said: “Sir's maturity and growth as a person was perhaps more evident than last year, not only in his success on the court, but also in how he had to deal with all the adversity thrown at him. He had been battling something nagging for most of the year.
“He was challenging himself to lead the team, to be a presence, to come out of his normal shell and interact with our players. He had his personal ups and downs, but he overcame them. I was proud of how he coped with it and continued to move the team forward in a positive manner. He never got into a full rhythm and showed a very competitive personality.
“I think he's a combo guard (in college), depending on who's on the court with him and how he matches up defensively. I think he's your decision-maker. You put him where the ball is. I think he's going to be the guy, and maybe not a traditional point guard who will bring it up. No, you can play through some ball reverse action and the ball finds him and now it's an action aimed at creating an advantage and he's going to be that guy It's about putting everyone else in a position to succeed.” — Former Myers Park head coach Scott Taylor
The coach of the opposing high school said this. “One of the things I really like about him is that he's gotten better every year. Sophomore year, he was very good. I could tell he was a Division I prospect, but… I didn't know if he could play at Notre Dame's level. He just kept getting better and better.
“He's playing. He doesn't talk trash. He's always focused on the floor. He's a really good player and he's going to be a really good player at Notre Dame.
“I love the way he plays. We played against him nine times in the last three years, so it's nice to see him get up and go to college.” — Ardrey Kell (North Carolina State) Head Coach Michael Craft
Outlook for 2024-25: Regarded as a quality facilitator who knows when to get the ball to whom and where, Mohammed may be the first freshman to challenge for a rotation spot, but as the primary point guard/handler. is not so. His size and IQ could alleviate some of the ball-handling expectations/pressure on soon-to-be sophomore guard Marcus Burton.
☘ Garrett Sandra
size: 6-10, 215 lbs.
position: power forward
home town: Ashburn, Virginia
high school: Catholic Saint Paul VI
AAU team: Team Takeover (Nike EYBL)
Performer: three
Recruitment ranking: Sandra is considered 130thth Prospects by 247Sports. He is not ranked by ESPN or Rivals.
Advanced statistics: Sandra averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game for a Paul VI team that finished 35-3 and was ranked No. 1 by MaxPreps. Sandra, a senior captain, missed six games at the end of the year due to mononucleosis, but has since returned and helped the Panthers win six of their final eight games.
His high school coach said: “He's been really good for us this year. He's a real winner. He doesn't have flashy stats, but he stretches the floor, knocks down threes, blocks shots, He integrates into the team and does a lot of work, such as grabbing rebounds.
“His best basketball is yet to come. He has all the tools. It's just a matter of it all coming together and maturing. Where (Notre Dame) takes him?” I'm looking forward to seeing him. There's a long-term plan to watch him grow and make an impact over time. He's going to be one of those players that you think is amazing. This guy can really do a lot of things. ” He ticks a lot of boxes. he knows who he is. “He knows how to fit in. Winners like that just emerge.” — Paul VI Head Coach Glenn Farello
The coach of the opposing high school said this. “He's a kid who knows his role, accepts his role, and can play any role you ask him to play on any given night. He can bounce it off. He stretches you. He can take down the three. He has to get stronger to guard center at the college level, but he definitely can. Can guard 4S.
“He's a guy who was on a team with a lot of stars, but he accepted it and did his part. I always say he's a kid who can help us win championships. If Garrett was on our team, I think we would have won against PVI (losing 63-51 in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference). That's the part. Everybody wants to be a face, but he just wanted to win.” — Gonzaga (DC) College Prep Head Coach Steve Turner
Outlook for 2024-25: One of the tallest players on the Irish roster (along with junior prospect Keba Nzie and graduate student Nikita Konstantinovskiy), Sandra has been a traditional Atlantic player since the moment she arrived. He will likely work more as a backup stretch-four shooter/floor spacer than Coast. Conference biggie. The arrival of Konstantinovskiy in mid-May will give Sundra the opportunity to take a slower, longer-term approach to his career. Perhaps that means a minimum of minutes. Maybe that means redshirting.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact: (574) 235-6153.
