“She was the biggest reason”: Hannah Hidalgo explains why she choose Notre Dame over Duke, Stanford and Ohio State

Hannah Hidalgo, one of the top prospects of the 2023 class, chose Notre Dame over Duke, Stanford and Ohio State.

On Tuesday's episode of Courtside Club Interview with Rachel Annamarie DeMita, the sophomore guard explained why she chose to play for the Fighting Irish.

"The chemistry I felt," Hidalgo said (18:29). "I'm a big family person, and once I got on campus for my official visit, we went to coach (Niele) Ivey's house, and it just really seemed like a family. Charlotte Lewis, she's a member of staff here, and I just remember her from my visit even like when I went home weeks later.

"It was this woman; she just had so much energy, but it really felt like a family, and even for Coach Ivy, she was the the biggest reason that I came here. She was so consistent throughout the whole recruitment process, she really made me feel you know welcome and wanted and at home, and so that was the biggest thing when I was choosing.

Hannah Hidalgo added that it was important to have the best connection with the coach and feel at home.

"It's hard because I feel like a lot of girls might not know when you go into that recruiting process, there are some schools that will just tell you what you want to hear absolutely," she said. "So trying to decipher okay what is the best fit for me."

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Hannah Hidalgo's successful run with Notre Dame this season

Hannah Hidalgo's careful choice worked, as Notre Dame is one of the top teams this season, ranked No. 2. After the Sweet 16 run last season, Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish will hope to break past and claim the national championship they last won in 2018.

The sophomore guard is leading Notre Dame from the front, averaging 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 4.0 steals. Hannah Hidalgo's partnership with Olivia Miles is crucial for the Fighting Irish. She spoke about it during a postgame presser earlier this month.

"Me and (Olivia), we're the head of the snake, so it's like the team kind of goes as we go," Hidalgo said. "So we know that we have to put the team on our back and kind of carry the team.

"Whether that's scoring or passing and creating for everyone else, we're here to do that because we're just here to win. ... it's just dangerous having both of us on the floor."

Notre Dame is on a 16-game winning streak and is undefeated in the Atlantic Coast Conference, with a 12-0 record (21-2 overall). Hidalgo and Co. have six more games in conference play before the postseason rolls in.