For the second time in as many official visit weekends, Notre Dame hoops has scored a commitment to its 2020 class. New Jersey big man Matt Zona committed to the Irish on Monday night, filling a much-needed spot in the future frontcourt for Irish head coach Mike Brey.

Notre Dame offered Zona in July and quickly captured his attention and a future official visit. Despite little contact before then, Zona was quick to cite the appeal of great athletics and academics as well as his fit in Brey’s system, which ultimately won him over in the end.

Zona seemed likely bound for St. Joseph’s, who long made him a priority, or the Ivy League to Penn or Harvard. But once high majors started entering the fray this summer, the dynamic changed. Penn State, Notre Dame, and Vanderbilt all rose towards the top of his list along with those three mid-majors once they offered in recent months. Despite some others beginning to show interest, Zona decided to shut things down and commit to the Irish.

Rankings

247: 3 star – 214th overall – 32nd ranked C

ESPN: 3 star – 43rd ranked PF

Rivals: 3 star – 32nd ranked C

247 composite: 3 star – 267th overall – 40th ranked C

Highlights

Love to see the shooting stroke from a big man. Really consistent, seems like it will project nicely. Keeps it high, flicks it like it’s nothing. Obviously a really strong kid. Looks built enough to withstand the college grind already. Aggressive defender around the rim. Tenacity and strength helps make up for some athletic deficiencies. Pretty smart defender, contests well without fouling. Good hands, makes a lot of clean blocks.

Seems to play largely at the rim or behind the arc. Not the most deft touch around the rim in traffic but defenders better be ready for a physical test. Great, relentless effort. Not at all afraid of contact. Some work to do athletically. Not immobile by any stretch but probably needs to elevate a bit better, especially standing at just 6’9″. Not the best high school competition, wish there was more out there from AAU ball.

Impact

With Zona and fellow commit Elijah Taylor, two nice complements to one another, Brey and staff can breathe easier about their future frontcourt. The extended recruiting dry spell since the 2018 class showed up on campus had plenty of observers feeling pretty nervous about the roster situation moving forward. But the last few months have done a lot to quell those concerns.

Whereas Taylor seems likely to play early in his career, Zona might need a minute in a college conditioning program. He will also likely be firmly behind Nate Laszewski, who will be a junior and unlikely to leave the floor all that much. I suppose the dream scenario is that the Irish land Hunter Dickinson, who plays so well that he enters the NBA Draft after one year, allowing Zona to redshirt and work his way into the lineup later on. I very much doubt that will happen, but we can dream.

In any case, Zona’s profile as a shooting big AND a true bruiser is an interesting one for Mike Brey and Notre Dame. They’ve had plenty of guys that fit one (shooters like John Mooney or Rob Kurz) or the other (bruisers such as Martinas Geben or Jack Cooley). But not many have truly been both. To me, he looks like Luke Zeller physically and in terms of what he can do. Zeller, of course, never quite lived up to the hype. But perhaps the more aggressive Zona can combine both the outside threat and the physical presence down low. A more current comparison is Iowa center Luka Garza, who I wished Brey had recruited more heavily and has become been quite productive so far in his Hawkeye career.

While the offer list doesn’t jump off the page, this more or less feels like a classic Mike Brey recruit. There are some limitations here. I’ll be honest and say I’d be surprised if we’re looking at a future Luke Harangody or Bonzie Colson level of production from Zona. But I’d also be pretty surprised if he didn’t become a productive – and winning – player for the Irish. He really does fit in nicely alongside Taylor and next to Laszewski and eventually JR Konieczny. Plus, Brey knows how to maximize a guy like Zona, and I very much look forward to seeing him develop in an Irish uniform.