Plymouth grad MacLellan shines in primetime vs. Duke
Plymouth grad Matt MacLellan scored six points in just eight minutes against No. 1 Duke Tuesday night in a game televised by ESPN.
Matt MacLellan, a 2020 graduate of Plymouth High School, made efficient use of the eight minutes he played for Notre Dame Tuesday against No. 1 Duke.
MacLellan, a former star at Madonna University who joined the Fighting Irish’s roster last summer, scored six points against the Blue Devils, converting both of his field goals and two free throws. He also contributed one rebound.
MacLellan, who scored a career-high seven points in 12 minutes on Jan. 17 against Virginia Tech, is shooting a robust 85% from the field during his lone season at Notre Dame.
The former Wildcat’s story is straight out of a Disney movie.
Disney-esque storyline
Last summer, just days before he was prepared to sign with an agent (which would have ended his NCAA eligibility) as he pursued a professional hoops career overseas, MacLellan received a life-changing text from Noel Emenhiser, the head coach for Madonna’s basketball team, for which MacLellan played the previous five seasons (players received an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the 2020-21 season).
“Another coach in our league who is a friend of mine reached out to me earlier this spring about Matt,” Emenhiser explained. “This coach was friends with Notre Dame’s coach, who told him their program was looking to fill the Fighting Irish’s last roster spot for the 2025-26 season.
“When Notre Dame’s coach told my coaching friend he was looking for a skilled, high-character, hard-working graduate player who would embrace any role the program may have for him, he immediately recommended Matt.
“Once Notre Dame’s coach showed interest, I let Matt know Notre Dame may be reaching out to him.”
Dream come true
Finishing his collegiate basketball career at Notre Dame was kind of a dream-come-true scenario for MacLellan, who is Catholic and holds Irish citizenship.
“I grew up in a (University of) Michigan household, but I’ve always had the greatest respect for Notre Dame and everything it stands for,” said MacLellan.
“A few days after I received the text from Coach Emenhiser, I got a call from Notre Dame’s associate coach, who explained what my role would be.
“They sent me a personality test that I filled out, and after I made an official visit to the campus, they offered me a one-year roster spot. I was ecstatic. I’m still planning on pursuing a basketball career overseas, but that can wait a year.”
