Lucious fortifying paint, commanding young Notre Dame’s dominant defense

Some basketball players have a way of shaping the game around them and creating opportunities for their teammates.

It might be players like Caitlin Clark, who force defenders to come out past the 3-point line to contest relentless shooters while creating looks inside.

Other players, like Breanna Stewart, can become the focal point of a defense simply because of the respect they demand as natural scorers on multiple levels.

For Notre Dame sophomore center Nevaeh Lucious, it just comes naturally.

Standing at a ridiculous 6-foot-2 and flaunting one of the longest wingspans in the region on defense, Lucious has quickly become one of the most feared stars around.

You’d best believe that if teams want to score against the Bulldogs this year, it won’t be against Lucious – and it’s been a conspicuous part of Notre Dame’s game.

“Teams will practice and plan for her,” seasoned Notre Dame coach Kirk Boeller said. “They have to plan around her.

“Defensively, she commands the paint. There are no easy no easy buckets inside against her.”

That command showed last Thursday against Jackson. When the Indians struggled to get it going from outside, they looked inside.

Jackson tried to chip in some makes from closer to the basket, but there’s a reason that opposing teams have tailored their offenses away from Lucious this season.

The sophomore collected a couple of blocks early, but it came to a head when Indians junior wing Camryn Alsdorf tried to pull up from 15 feet away.

Just when it looked like there was no chance that Notre Dame could contest the shot, the prolonged arms of Lucious swatted the shot away to roar Notre Dame’s student section to life.

Her shot-blocking and paint-protecting skillset has made life easier for the Bulldog defense as a whole, helping the backcourt focus on protecting from further out instead of the lanes.

“Our guards can be a little bit more aggressive,” Boeller began. “We can get a little bit farther out in the passing lanes.

“If we get beat, or they go backdoor, we trust that Nevaeh is going to be able to guard that basket.”

As a result, the Bulldogs have allowed just 36.1 points per game in conference play this season, helping Notre Dame secure yet another SEMO Conference championship.

What bodes best for Notre Dame is that, even with all the success it’s had this season, it’s just the beginning for the young squad.

The Bulldogs have a strong supporting cast, but the team is led largely by the sophomore trio of Nevaeh Lucious and the Rubel sisters – the new ones, of course.

Kate Rubel, comparable to Lexi Rubel, and Brie Rubel, more comparable to Tori Rubel, are a strikingly similar callback to their older sisters who also had great success locally.

The older pair now compete for the Ohio Valley Conference’s Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks.

The younger pair, twins, already have Division I offers and will only continue to garner attention with two years, and a sophomore playoff yet to be played.

When paired with the twin stars, the sky is the limit for Lucious and her Bulldogs.

“Those are tremendous athletes,” Boeller said. “They aren’t just good basketball players. Those three are phenomenal athletes.

“They make each other better, and they're already pretty dang good. It's a blast coaching them, and I’m really excited to see what those three have in their future.”