Notre Dame Basketball: Why Matt Allocco is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

Last year was the beginning of a new era for Notre Dame as Micah Shrewsberry took over as head coach. He replaced Mike Brey, who had been in South Bend for more than two decades, and has had quite the rebuild on his hands. The Fighting Irish haven’t exactly been in the most fantastic shape in recent years, and Shrewsberry’s debut was a 13-win effort with a 12th place finish in the ACC.

The bright side is that last season was a rebuild, with the Fighting Irish leaning heavily on young, inexperienced talent. Top scorers Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry were both freshman and both will be back as sophomores this year. In fact, Carey Booth is the only major piece that Notre Dame lost in the offseason, with Indiana natives Tae Davis and J. R. Konieczny also back for more.

With this much returning talent there actually weren’t a laundry list of additions in the offseason. One prominent addition was former Monmouth center Nikita Konstantynovskyi, who really put it together with the Hawks after failing to get much playing time previously at Tulsa. His size and experience fits well in Shrewsberry’s rotation, though the other Transfer Portal addition stands out just a little bit more.

Matt Allocco is a combo guard who spent the last four years at Princeton, including three actual seasons on the court for the Tigers. He was a starter and major factor on Princeton’s run to the Sweet Sixteen in 2023 before averaging 12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game last season in year three. He knocked down 43% of his 3-pointers and nearly 91% from the charity stripe, establishing himself as an elite shooter.

Burton should remain the top offensive option for the Fighting Irish this season, but the addition of Allocco could be of vital importance. This lineup full of young talent gets a veteran upgrade, adding someone who can shoot the ball from all over the court and who’s had legitimate postseason experience. Allocco earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors in each of the last two seasons and can be the real deal at Notre Dame.

Allocco was forced to transfer due to eligibility rules in the Ivy League, though nobody at Notre Dame should be complaining. While there’s certainly a difference between that league and the ACC, we should expect a crisp shooting touch from Allocco all season long. Notre Dame could very well put together a starting lineup where Allocco is the lone senior; his leadership will also be important for the Fighting Irish.

This squad has quite the three-headed monster in the backcourt, though questions about the frontcourt still remain. While Allocco’s addition is a major win for Shrewsberry and his staff, have they added enough talent and experience to put the Fighting Irish into legitimate contention in the new-look ACC? Will this be another standout shooting season from Allocco in these new surroundings?