DEATH, TAXES, AND HANNAH HIDALGO: Irish
At this point, we should probably just rename the award "The Hannah Hidalgo Weekly Trophy for Basketball Excellence" and save everyone the paperwork.
For the fourth time this season—and the 10th time in her career—Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo has been named the ACC Player of the Week. She is now just the third player in conference history to hit double digits in these honors. Basically, she is collecting hardware faster than she collects steals, which is saying something.
Here is why the rest of the ACC is currently in therapy:
The UNC Demolition
On Sunday, against No. 22 UNC, Hidalgo didn't just fill up the stat sheet; she broke the printer.
She posted:
31 Points
8 Rebounds
7 Steals
6 Assists
1 Block (Just for variety)
She was the only player in the entire ACC to drop 30+ on a ranked team this week.
Even crazier? She is the only player in Division I to post a 30/6/6/6 stat line against a ranked opponent this season. Those aren't basketball stats; those are lottery numbers.
The "One Woman Army" Stat
Here is a stat that is actually rude:
Hannah Hidalgo has five 30-point games this season.
The rest of the ACC players combined? Five.
She is literally matching the offensive output of an entire Power 4 conference’s star power by herself.
The Minister of Defense (and Theft)
In a "quiet" win over Boston College on Thursday, she only scored 16 points, but she swiped 6 steals.
She now has nine games with 5+ steals this season. She leads the nation with 5.9 steals per game.
Most players play defense with their feet; Hidalgo plays defense with a magnet inside her hands. If you are dribbling the ball near her, legally, it already belongs to her. You are just holding it for a second.
Up Next: The Louisville Showdown
The Fighting Irish (and their walking cheat code) wrap up their homestand on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. ET against No. 10 Louisville.
It airs on ACCN.
The Sanchez Verdict: Good luck to the Cardinals' ball handlers. You might want to tape the ball to your hands.
