There really isn’t much basketball momentum at Notre Dame these days for a program that’s really hoping to turn things back around. A national contender just a decade ago, the Fighting Irish have fallen on hard times and have been in the NCAA Tournament just once in the last eight years. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry came to town in 2023 and certainly hasn’t righted the ship.
After two very mediocre seasons, the Fighting Irish almost bottomed out last season, finishing just 13-18 while tying for 16th in the ACC standings with their 4-14 mark. Losing Markus Burton to injury really tanked the ceiling for a Notre Dame team that struggled to find its footing. Shrewsberry’s back for a fourth season despite three years finishing under .500 but you know his seat has gotten pretty hot in South Bend.
With Burton exiting in the portal and a host of other talent gone, there was plenty of pressure on Shrewsberry and his staff to fix the holes and turn this back into a contending team. Frankly, their incoming talent doesn’t jump off the page but the Fighting Irish grabbed some key pieces out of the transfer portal and have some exciting younger players too.
The way this season goes will tell us a lot about this program and about Shrewsberry. Not many people are expecting very much from this Notre Dame squad, especially with all these moves in the offseason. We’ll dive into the important players and make our own determinations. Could the Fighting Irish surprise some people in the months ahead?
Projected Starters
Guard – Braeden Smith (Senior)
An uneven path has led Smith to Notre Dame, but perhaps he’s exactly what they need in this backcourt. A 6-0 point guard from Seattle, he starred for two years at Colgate and was Patriot League Player of the Year in 2024 before heading to Gonzaga. After redshirting, Smith put up just 5.1 points and 3.6 assists with the Bulldogs and entered the portal. At his best, he’s a great floor general who should have a more significant role here in his final collegiate season with the Fighting Irish.
Guard – Braeden Shrewsberry (Senior)
The work Shrewsberry has done under his father has been pretty solid, though last year was a step back. His best work came as a sophomore, though junior year wasn’t bad, averaging 11.9 points and 3.1 rebounds a game. Shrewsberry actually made a career-best 40% from outside the arc but is even more crucial as a senior, needing to play a major role in this offense after struggling closer to the basket last year.
Guard/Forward – Ethan Roberts (Senior)
The former Patriot League Rookie of the Year at Army, Roberts comes to town after a pair of seasons starting in the Ivy League at Penn. The Illinois native averaged 16.9 points and 3.9 rebounds and was a key piece for the Quakers, making 40% of his shots including some nice work beyond the arc. There’s certainly a transition into the ACC but Notre Dame expect big things from Roberts on the wing.
Forward – Brady Koehler (Sophomore)
An important recruit from last season, Koehler is a Top 100 prospect who took on a decent role as last season progressed. His freshman year showcased his value and potential with 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds, making plays around the rim as well as outside the arc. It’s all about doing even more in his sophomore year, as he projects to be a great athlete who’s already a solid defender and playmaker.
Center – Logan Dumcomb (Senior)
It’s been a long road for Duncomb, who’s hoping to end a long college career on a high note. He played just 18 games at Indiana in his first three years before finding his footing at Winthrop, averaging 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds in a significant role with the Eagles last year. The 6-9 big man from Cincinnati really exploded onto the scene as Big South Player of the Year and his paint presence will be an important addition for the Irish.
Key Reserves
Guard – Logan Imes (Senior)
We’ve hit year four for Imes in this program and he’s hoping to make even more of an impact as a senior. The 6-4 combo guard is fresh off his best season yet with Notre Dame, having put up 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds while earning a number of starts. His shooting figures were improved while also becoming a solid facilitator, though he’ll likely be used off the bench with the other experience in this backcourt.
Forward – Bryce Dortch (Junior)
A former Big Ten forward with limited experience, Dortch headed to Notre Dame after spending a pair of seasons with Rutgers on the bench. In limited minutes, Dortch averaged 2.1 points and 3.2 rebounds and adds another solid athlete to the frontcourt. He hasn’t really lived up to his hype with the Scarlet Knights, but he’s a talented big man who can make things happen in the paint on both ends and has a chance to play considerable minutes.
Guard – Devin Brown (Sophomore)
Another transfer thrown into the mix, Brown comes to South Bend after a relatively successful freshman season with Davidson. A starter nearly the entire year, he put up 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a freshman and is looking to do even more in year two. He’s the kind of younger player that Notre Dame should be able to slide into multiple roles thanks to his shot-making ability and defensive versatility.
Forward – Yoro Diallo (Senior)
A 6-8 forward from Cincinnati, Diallo has had anything but a straightforward path in his career. He had very limited success across three years at Winthrop, including a redshirt season, before standing out at UVA-Wise last year. With that D2 squad, Diallo developed into a solid scorer and rebounder, though we’ll see just what kind of a role he can carve out making the jump into the ACC.
Guard – Jonathan Sanderson (Freshman)
A very significant offseason addition, Sanderson is clearly the star of this freshman class and can develop into a massive influence for the Fighting Irish. A 4-star point guard out of Michigan, he has all the physical tools to stand out, with great strength, athleticism, and shot-making ability. Despite the experience in this backcourt, you should see Sanderson carve out an important role as the backup point guard.
Center – Tommy Ahneman (Sophomore)
After a knee injury kept him out last season, Ahneman finally gets his first taste of college basketball this year. The 6-10 big man from North Dakota is a former 4-star recruit with great size and strength, projecting to develop into an elite rebounder and shot blocker. We’ll see what kinds of steps he can make now fully healthy, though there’s clearly minutes available in this frontcourt.
Center – Gan-Erdene Solongo (Freshman)
Another massive new presence in this lineup, Solongo is a 7-footer out of Mongolia now getting his first collegiate experience. He really looked the part of a future frontcourt star with his work at the high school level and the staff is excited for that size. He’s still a relatively raw product and has plenty of things to work on, but he’s a bit more mobile than the average 7-footer.
Schedule Outlook
You’ll first see Notre Dame in action on November 1st, opening the season in the Eternal City Tip-Off against Villanova over in Rome. They’ll head back home for three much easier games but then things get rough again. The Fighting Irish spend a week over in Las Vegas for the Players Era 8, beginning with a really strong Florida team and then two more opponents.
Notre Dame’s final seven nonconference games are all at home in South Bend but let’s not act like it’s easy street. They host Vanderbilt on December 2nd as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge and get a strong TCU team coming to town just three days later. On December 12th, they’ll face off with Ohio State and then there’s just one more game before ACC play starts (also at home) on the 30th.
With four of their first six conference games at home, there’s a road to a fast start, but the schedule makers through in no breaks for Notre Dame. Their only looks at Duke, Virginia, Miami, NC State, and Clemson all come on the road, though they won’t even see Louisville in the regular season. It’s a really rough break facing off against some of the best programs in the ACC away from South Bend before the season ends at home against Boston College on March 6th.
Season Outlook
The schedule is pretty rough when ACC play comes around, but there’s something else that feels rough to the faithful in Notre Dame. Nobody is circling the Fighting Irish on their calendars for any reason other than an easy win. That’s fair play after the way these last few seasons have gone, but can Shrewsberry and this new lineup actually turn things around in the season ahead?
If it’s going to happen, this backcourt has to be a big reason for the turn around. We’re expecting even bigger things from Shrewsberry now as the clear #1 option for the Fighting Irish. If both he and Smith can bounce back after some struggles, then Notre Dame is honestly in a better place than many are expecting. When you throw in what Sanderson can do at guard as well then this backcourt could really be the genesis of that turnaround.
However, this is going to take the talents of the entire lineup. Duncomb and Roberts are both fantastic athletes but will their games translate into the ACC after brilliant work in mid-major leagues? The Irish are also really hoping that young pieces like Koehler can take that big step. This team definitely added strength and size in the offseason, but a very new frontcourt and inexperienced bench could create some headaches.
Throwing aside some dire straits and dreadful preseason predictions, this Notre Dame team can absolutely be successful because of its starting five and the potential off the bench. They need Smith and Shrewsberry to star in the backcourt and for these new weapons around the rim to be successful. The story is far from written for Notre Dame even if there’s a talent gap between them and the ACC contenders.
Add us as a preferred source on Google