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Notre Dame Basketball: Irish land Niagara transfer guard Marcus Hammond

By Danny McCormick

Dec 3, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; Niagara Purple Eagles guard Marcus Hammond (10) controls the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; Niagara Purple Eagles guard Marcus Hammond (10) controls the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mike Brey and the rest of the Notre Dame basketball program got some good news to kick off the week with the commitment from former Niagara point guard Marcus Hammond.

This past weekend Marcus Hammond visited the Irish campus and obviously liked what he saw overall as he wasted no time committing to spend his final year in South Bend at Notre Dame next year. It is reported by different outlets that it came down to Notre Dame, Kansas State, and Georgetown with the Irish coming out on top.

Hammond comes from Niagara where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He shot 43% from the field, and 37% from behind the three-point line. Hammond was also selected to the All-MAAC first team this past season.

Landing a guard like Hammond was huge for Notre Dame with the Irish losing guards in Blake Wesley, and also Prentiss Hubb. Mike Brey and the coaching staff needed a veteran guard to come in and handle the ball. All signs are pointing to fellow guard Trey Wertz coming back as well, but Hammond provides another veteran presence in the backcourt.

Hammond also provides experience at the point guard position to allow future guard JJ Starling to play more off the ball next season than being forced into playing point guard right away.

The Irish added another scoring option in Hammond to a roster that already features guys like Dane Goodwin, Cormac Ryan, Trey Wertz, JJ Starling, and possibly Nate Laszewski if he decides to comeback next year as well. It’s a small sample size but last year Hammond played very well against both Ohio State and Xavier. He finished with 22 points against the Buckeyes and 25 points against the Musketeers.

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Should be interesting to see if Notre Dame is able to land a big man to finish out its roster down low. One guy that really would make this a more successful offseason to date is if they are able to land former Wright State forward Grant Basile. He was also on campus this past weekend with Hammond. Maybe both will be suiting up in blue and gold next year in South Bend. Either way, getting a guard like Hammond to come in next year is a big addition to the Notre Dame roster.

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