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Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball lands prized grad transfer Paul Atkinson

Yale graduate transfer Paul Atkinson, the co-Player of the Year in the Ivy League last season, committed to Notre Dame on Sunday night, he told ESPN.

Atkinson will graduate this spring and be eligible immediately for the Fighting Irish next season.

"I felt I would fit in great and have a great opportunity to help Notre Dame make a run," Atkinson said.

Atkinson entered the transfer portal in October and had more than a dozen schools reach out to him. He trimmed his list to five schools in December, with Miami, Iowa, NC State and Texas joining Notre Dame as his finalists.

A 6-foot-10 power forward from West Palm Beach, Florida, Atkinson was arguably the best transfer available. He was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection last season, sharing Player of the Year honors with Penn's AJ Brodeur. He averaged 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds last season, including six 20-point outings and four double-doubles in Ivy League play.

More than 20 men's basketball players from the Ivy League have already entered the transfer portal this season after the league opted not to play winter sports.