A long and athletic left-hander, Gardner is such a perfect fit for the Fighting Irish. With the Fords’ defensive gameplan centered around denying top-ranked junior Brendan Millon Brendan Millon 6'0" | 170 lbs | A | Right Hand McDonogh | 2025 #1 Nation MD the ball as much as possible, Gardner was tasked with face-guarding the highly touted Virginia commit and held him to just one assist. The 4-star did an excellent job of making him uncomfortable, forcing Millon into a high pass out of bounds on his first touch, then on one of his few dodges of the day, affected his shot by connecting on a trail check in the second quarter. He rarely needed to throw checks, instead relying on elite footwork and position play to stalk Millon throughout and never losing sight of him.

A long and athletic left-hander, Gardner is such a perfect fit for the Fighting Irish. With the Fords’ defensive gameplan centered around denying top-ranked junior Brendan Millon Brendan Millon 6'0" | 170 lbs | A | Right Hand McDonogh | 2025 #1 Nation MD the ball as much as possible, Gardner was tasked with face-guarding the highly touted Virginia commit and held him to just one assist. The 4-star did an excellent job of making him uncomfortable, forcing Millon into a high pass out of bounds on his first touch, then on one of his few dodges of the day, affected his shot by connecting on a trail check in the second quarter. He rarely needed to throw checks, instead relying on elite footwork and position play to stalk Millon throughout and never losing sight of him.