Patberg to miss season

Ali Patberg will likely have to wait until next year to begin her college basketball career.

The Notre Dame freshman tore the ACL in her right knee while practicing Monday afternoon and will miss the season. An MRI exam and evaluation by team orthopedist Mike Yergler on Tuesday confirmed the injury.

Patberg was named Indiana Miss Basketball after leading Columbus North to the Class 4A state championship last season. She averaged 18.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.6 steals during her high school career and finished with the Bull Dogs’ single-game, single-season and career scoring records.

Following the season, the 5-foot-10 point guard played in several All-Star games, including the McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago and the Jordan Brand Classic in Brooklyn, New York. She also led Indiana to a two-game sweep of Kentucky in the annual Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series.

Patberg was part of the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class at Notre Dame, joining Marina Mabrey of Belmar, New Jersey and Arike Ogunbowale of Milwaukee.

“Our hearts go out to Ali, and we are disappointed she won’t be able to play this season,” Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said in a news release. “However, Ali is an extremely tough young woman both mentally and physically, and I’m confident this is only a temporary setback and a brief delay to the start of what will be a terrific college career.”

The Irish are coming off a national runner-up finish, falling to Connecticut in the NCAA title game. Notre Dame will host Wayne State in an exhibition game at noon Saturday and opens the regular season at home against Bucknell at 1 p.m. Nov. 15.

Patberg has begun treatment in preparation for surgery. The rehab time is about eight to 10 months.

“All of us in the Notre Dame women’s basketball family will be behind Ali 100 percent during her rehabilitation and give her all the resources she needs to be ready to go next season,” McGraw said.