2015 Irish Hoops Recruiting Big Board - August Edition

July was obviously a big month for the Irish, as their 2015 class got off to a big start as one of the very few programs that received multiple commitments during the all-important July evaluation periods. Matt Ryan and Elijah Burns committed on back-to-back weekends, filling major needs on Notre Dame's roster out on the wing and in the interior, respectively.

In the good news department, other than obviously securing two commitments in July, was Matt Ryan's return to game action after a long road to recovery. A healthy Matt Ryan is one of the best wing players in the 2015 class, so it's very good to see him back in full game mode with almost a full year of AAU and high school ball before heading to South Bend next summer.

Playing in my first game since December 29 in exactly one hour

— Matt Ryan (@Matt_Ryan32) August 1, 2014

Notre Dame was expected to be more of a major player on the transfer market this offseason but so far has missed on their relatively few targets. Only Kansas transfer Andrew White III remained as a possibility, but reports have surfaced recently that Notre Dame was no longer recruiting White, apparently feeling good about their high school recruiting instead. My sense is that this bodes well for Mike Brey in finishing his 2015 class.

The current Irish recruiting efforts are in really good shape having secured two commitments, one of which was perhaps their number one target overall, and remaining in great shape for a handful of prospects with 1 to 2 scholarships available.

Mike Brey and his staff will slow down with the frequent flyer miles and rack up their cell phone minutes in the month of August, which is designated as a quiet period. The staff can call prospects as much as they want but can only make in-person contact if the recruit decides to visit campus, which is possible for a couple of their targets, although nothing is yet on the books.

As always, the offered players are listed by position followed by some others that are on the radar:

No target is getting more attention from the Notre Dame staff than elite guard Jalen Coleman, who has the Irish in his top 6, along with Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, NC State, and UNLV. The staff, often up to three-deep, evaluates Coleman in action pretty much whenever the NCAA allows them to and has hosted him on a number of campus visits. Michigan remains the crystal ball favorite, for whatever that is worth, but I have read quite a bit around various corners of the internet hinting or outright saying that Notre Dame is in the lead in this recruitment. It is also worth noting that Michigan is filling up, although it looks like they might have one more spot to take someone like Coleman. It was announced yesterday that Coleman is taking his official visit for the September 6th weekend, which will feature a who's who of Notre Dame hoops commits and targets.

Philadelphia guard Levan Alston recently announced that he will be taking his official visit to Notre Dame the big weekend of September 6th as well. The Irish likely trail Temple and VCU but continue to evaluate Alston, who has racked up quite a few major offers this summer, at AAU events. Hard to say whether Notre Dame would slow-play Alston a little in favor of Coleman or just accept the first commitment they receive, should either player come to that decision. Regardless, the Irish are a firm contender in Alston's top 6.

2015 Team Final (PA) SG Levan Alston has narrowed his list to Temple, VCU, Notre Dame, Marquette, Penn State & Penn.

— Alex Kline (@TheRecruitScoop) July 30, 2014

Rex Pflueger, who I have reclassified into the combo guard category, recently released a top 5 that includes the Irish, along with Cal, San Diego State, Washington State, and recent offer Texas A&M. This bodes well for Notre Dame to receive an official visit should he hold off on committing before he gets a chance to do so. The goal here is obviously to add him to the September 6th weekend as well, which looks like a great strategy and effort by the Notre Dame staff to get all their major targets to visit along with the two commitments in the class.

My top 5 schools: Notre Dame, Texas A&M, California Berkley, Washington St, and SDSU pic.twitter.com/nT1qZuVJJ2

— Rex Pflueger (@rexpflueger_1) July 29, 2014

Antonio Blakeney looks like a Louisville (or Kentucky) lean, and the Irish are still not expected to be in play.

The new offer here is Serbian center Samir Sehic, who now plays high school and AAU ball in Texas. He has exploded on the recruiting scene, with offers coming in from the ACC, B1G, and Big 12. Notre Dame fits everything he is looking for in a school, and he has already spoken favorably of Mike Brey, who has immediately made Sehic a top target. Securing an official visit, hopefully for the September 6th weekend with Matt Ryan and Elijah Burns, would be huge, and the chances are good, as Sehic recently named Notre Dame as one of his final 6 schools.

Mike Brey made it a point to watch Josh Sharma in person at a recent weekend event, which means the Irish may have a better shot than I would've thought previously. Brey is not one to waste time on unrealistic targets, so I think it says something about the potential mutual interest that he spent some of his valuable evaluation time on Sharma.

Not much to update on Fort Wayne center Caleb Swanigan, either for Notre Dame or his recruitment in general. Not sure anyone other than Michigan State or perhaps Louisville will get much of a look from Swanigan.

Status quo for Las Vegas center Stephen Zimmerman, who reportedly was quite good for the USA U-18 squad, at least for the camp portion of the recent FIBA Americas championships. Arizona, UNLV and others will battle it out for him.

I very highly doubt that the staff will be extending any more offers for this class, unless they cannot close on any of their current targets. That would be unfortunate, but here is a potential list in case that occurs:

I'm changing my prediction this month, first to reflect my belief that Eric Katenda is going to be placed on medical hardship, giving the staff another scholarship to use, but also because I have read enough to change my confidence level in the Irish snagging their top remaining target, Jalen Coleman. I'll add Rex Pflueger as well. This may disappoint some who want another big, but Notre Dame's guard recruiting is very strong this year, and they are not exactly in a position to turn away talented four-star players when they seem like long-shots at other positions.

My prediction for the 2015 class: Elijah Burns, Jalen Coleman, Rex Pflueger, Matt Ryan