Mike Brey and the Notre Dame coaching staff capped off their 2022 recruiting class with a bang on Tuesday, securing the commitment of power forward Ven-Allen Lubin.

A bit of a late-riser, the 6’8″ forward out of Orlando saw his recruitment take off this summer with a series of high-major offers. He seemed to impress coaches and evaluators alike at pretty much every camp and tournament, some against heavy-hitting competition, to put himself on another level as a prospect.

The Irish perhaps flew a bit under-the-radar in this recruitment for a while. But it became clear this fall they were all-in on adding Lubin to join Dom Campbell as the second forward in this class. It’s been reported that, after Lubin, the Notre Dame staff had no other recruits on the board. It was Lubin or no one, at least unless someone materialized later in the process.

But in the end, they got the job done and Lubin committed to be the third in what is suddenly an outstanding 2022 recruiting class for Notre Dame. Lubin chose the Irish over Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech, as well as more distant finalists Alabama, Auburn, and Florida.

Joining Campbell and JJ Starling, Ven-Allen Lubin gives Notre Dame the 15th-ranked recruiting class (according to 247) in the country at this point in time. This is, of course, subject to change with other commitments and ranking updates but seems likely to end up in the high teens if the last few years are any indication. That would put it roughly on par with the 2018 (which finished 15th) and 2013 (17th) classes for the best Brey classes in recent memory.

Rankings

247: 4 star – 114th overall – 22nd ranked PF

ESPN: 4 star – 75th overall – 12th ranked PF

Rivals: 4 star – 63rd overall – 6th ranked PF

247 Composite: 4 star – 76th overall – 13th ranked PF

Highlights

Above-the-rim: This is an understatement. An elite finisher at the rim who dunks with more ease than any Notre Dame recruit I can remember. Explosive and powerful. Athleticism makes him a formidable defensive paint presence as well. Blocks shots with ease and body control. Would be curious what his wingspan is because he looks very long.

On the break: Picks up a ton of steals and wastes no time starting a fast break. Length gives opposing ballhandlers fits and allows him to jump passing lanes easily. Really advanced handle for someone his size. But fairly loose and seems like he might be turnover-prone if he tries to do too much. Good body control down the lane to avoid offensive fouls. Can make some nifty passes but is definitely more north-south than a crafty playmaker.

Outside threat: Reputation as a very good and improving shooter. A bit deliberate and something unnatural about his stroke. Wonder if he can replicate a consistent shot at different distances or under pressure. Seems like he’d rather just get to the rim for obvious reasons. But does have some real potential as at least a spot-up shooter.

Long frame: Has clearly filled out quite a bit over the last year or so but still looks a little gangly. Concern he could be physically dominated down low by some larger bigs. Wonder how much weight he can put on without losing his incredible athletic gifts. An exciting frame for the S&C staff to work with.

Fitting into the Irish Roster

There has been plenty of hand-wringing in fan circles regarding the lack of frontcourt depth on recent Irish rosters. It’s too early to judge next year’s roster before this season even starts, but it seems pretty likely that this concern will persist into 2022. Lubin (and Campbell) will likely be walking into a very favorable depth chart to potentially play early and often.

Grad transfer Paul Atkinson will be gone, and Nate Laszewski likely will be as well (though he could come back). I am pretty high on sophomore Elijah Taylor and hope to see signs of his development over this upcoming season. But only he and fellow sophomore Matt Zona stand in Lubin’s way on the depth chart. I think it is fair to say that Lubin has a serious opportunity to not only play a significant number of minutes as a freshman but perhaps even start. Even if not right away, the depth chart alone suggests that we will likely be seeing plenty of Ven-Allen Lubin over the next few years.

Impact

Much of the hype around this commitment is that Ven-Allen Lubin just brings such a unique dimension to this Irish roster. He’s a bouncy, skilled, twitchy big that seems like he could physically dominate on both ends. He could conceivably be an NBA draft pick. And not just because he’s smart or plays the right way or whatever Notre Dame-y stereotype but because he’s physically capable of playing modern NBA basketball.

Honestly, just look at this:

It feels like UNC or Florida State have a half dozen guys like this every year but the Irish are always lacking. It’s so tempting to just pencil him into the lineup for three years and hope he reaches his ceiling because it could obviously unlock something different for the program overall.

But still, he’s going to have to develop a lot in order to get there. Bigs that can more or less do it all often seem like they’re playing a dangerous game. Maybe they can credibly shoot but shoot too much and in situations (e.g., off the dribble) where they shouldn’t. Or they are capable ballhandlers but try to create too much and are prone to turnovers or tunnel vision that stunts the offense.

Or they put it all together and find themselves shaking Adam Silver’s hand on draft night. Lubin is a late-ish bloomer who has taken considerable strides over the last year to put himself in this position. That’s an exciting proposition, that he’s just starting to scratch the surface. Brey and company need to do all they can to keep him on that upward trajectory the minute he arrives on campus next summer.

Ven-Allen Lubin is an exciting prospect that rounds out this recruiting class perfectly and brings something new and needed to Notre Dame’s roster. I think it’s fair to start believing that the sky is the limit in the next few years – both for Lubin and for the Irish program as a whole.