What Notre Dame transfer Katlyn Gilbert brings to Mizzou women's basketball

Notre Dame’s Katlyn Gilbert (10) dribbles against DePaul in South Bend, Ind. [South Bend Tribune]
Notre Dame’s Katlyn Gilbert (10) dribbles against DePaul in South Bend, Ind. [South Bend Tribune]

Missouri women's basketball has landed a transfer commit to add to its 2022-23 roster.

Katlyn Gilbert committed to Missouri over the weekend, she announced on Instagram. She adds experience to the Tigers' guard rotation.

Gilbert comes from Notre Dame, where she played under former longtime head coach Muffett McGraw and current head coach Niele Ivey.

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Across her four years in South Bend, Gilbert played in 52 games and started 31. Her best season was in 2019-20, when she started 29 games, averaged 13.6 points and dished 2.6 assists per game.

A shoulder injury limited her to nine games in the 2020-21 season, and she transferred out of Notre Dame in December.

She brings size to Missouri coach Robin Pingeton's guard rotation at 5-foot-10. Gilbert also brings a solid defensive game, as she averaged nearly two steals and 4.6 rebounds per game in her lone full season as a regular at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame’s Katlyn Gilbert (10) drives against Michigan’s Naz Hillmon (0) during a game Dec. 3, 2020.
Notre Dame’s Katlyn Gilbert (10) drives against Michigan’s Naz Hillmon (0) during a game Dec. 3, 2020.

That ability to defend will be key for the Tigers this season, as Izzy Higginbottom transferred to Arkansas State. Higginbottom came to Missouri as a talented scoring player but grew into an impactful defender.

Missouri will have a solid guard in Gilbert who could earn starts as Ashton Judd and Averi Kroenke, two freshmen next season, learn the speed of the game.

What's next for Mizzou?

Missouri has two more open scholarships for next season.

The scholarship limit in NCAA Division I women's basketball is 15, compared to the 13 allowed for men's basketball.

Missouri would benefit from adding a post defender who can rebound. LaDazhia Williams claimed that spot for the Tigers before transferring to LSU.

Jayla Kelly came on late last season and showed growth on both sides of the court, but adding a veteran alongside Kelly would give MU two post presences.

Pingeton fills her staff

On May 1, Pingeton told the media she had hired an assistant coach with SEC and professional playing experience to round out her bench.

On May 9, Pingeton announced she added Jasmine James to the Tigers' staff.

"We are thrilled to bring someone with Jasmine's playing and coaching resume into our basketball family," Pingeton said in a statement. "She was a high-level player in the Southeastern Conference at Georgia and has been a head coach at the high school level along with her time at Tennessee Tech who plays in an extremely competitive league."

James comes to MU after two seasons coaching at Tennessee Tech. James helped the Golden Eagles advance to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship this year. Tennessee Tech advanced to the second round of the Women's NIT.

More: Mizzou's Come Home Tour stays put, as Drinkwitz, Gates and Pingeton update on their teams

Prior to her time at Tennessee Tech, James was the director of basketball operations for Southern Illinois-Edwardsville for one season and was the head coach at Bartlett (Tenn.) High School, her alma mater, for one year.

In the WNBA, James played for the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm.

"Coach Pingeton and her staff have created and nurtured a first-class women's basketball program that represents everything that I relish within an organization," James said in a statement. "The student-athletes and coaches are held to a high standard on and off the court and depicts all the good you want to see in collegiate women's sports."

Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri women's basketball lands transfer Katlyn Gilbert