"This is a university for guards": Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo speaks on choosing colleges in latest preview for "Next Generation"

Hannah Hidalgo opened up on the reasons she opted for Notre Dame over offers from Michigan, Stanford, Duke, Ohio State and UCF in 2023. In a clip from Episode 3 of the "Next Generation" series by NCAA tweeted by NCAA March Madness on Wednesday, the sophomore guard highlighted several factors that influenced her decision.

“Notre Dame checked off most of the boxes of exactly what I want," Hidalgo said. "That's a family, a good player-coach relationship. This is a university for guards, and just kind of being a part of that legacy and to think that my name will be up in the rafters somewhere in my jersey.”

When asked where her tenacity comes from, the guard responded:

“I kind of grew into that confidence because it's not something that I always had. It's just a matter of me going into it and just believing more in myself.”

She also touched on the growth of the women’s game and how she feels about it:

“The women's game is growing. I mean, the game is really evolving, and it's truly a blessing to be a part of a generation where I get to witness it all.”

Hidalgo has been an important player for Notre Dame since she enrolled in 2023. She earned first-team All-ACC honors and was named both the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Last season, she helped Notre Dame win the ACC Tournament and was named the tournament's MVP. She also led her team to the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

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Hannah Hidalgo named Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist

Hannah Hidalgo, who was a semifinalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2024, has made the list again in 2025. She is one of only three sophomores to be selected, while no freshmen were included this year.

Hidalgo and West Virginia’s Quinnerly are the only players to appear on the semifinalist list in both 2024 and 2025.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s ACC Tournament run ended in the semifinals on Saturday. The Fighting Irish fell to the Duke Blue Devils 61-56. Duke went on to win the tournament.