When Sir Mohammed stepped out onto the floor of the Dean E. Smith Center, informally known as the “Dean Dome,” the stakes could not have been higher. Mohammed, a junior in high school holding 14 Division I offers at the time, would be playing for a 4A North Carolina men’s basketball state championship. The Charlotte native had been representing Myers Park for the entirety of his high school career, a school that had not claimed a men’s basketball state championship in more than 60 years. Mohammed posted nine points, three rebounds and three assists to help propel the Mustangs to a state title. Wednesday night marks the first time Mohammed will return to the Dean Dome since making history on the court less than three years ago.
Mohammed had an extremely successful high school career. Averaging more than 13 points per game across each of his last three seasons for Myers Park, he ranked 43rd in the country in the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports. Not only did he lead the Mustangs to a state title in his junior year, but he also guided them to a 27-3 record in his senior season. Mohammed was awarded second-team all-state honors in both his junior and senior years.
Prior to Mohammed’s junior year, he was offered a scholarship by Notre Dame, but not by current head coach Micah Shrewsberry. Before departing the program in March 2023, longtime Irish head coach Mike Brey had offered the 6-foot-6 guard the previous October. When Micah Shrewsberry was hired following the 2022-23 season, he and his staff immediately pursued Mohammed despite not being involved in his original recruitment process. Following an official visit to South Bend, Mohammed committed to play for the Irish in August 2023.
Coach Shrewsberry was thrilled about his new commit. “The first thing I look for in a player is intelligence on the court, and no one has a better feel for the game than Sir does,” Shrewsberry said. The coaching staff added, “You will not find a nicer and more respectful kid than Sir.”
Mohammed’s strong character was instilled by his parents, Nazr and Mandi Mohammed. His father, Nazr, had a long and successful professional career, playing 18 seasons in the NBA across eight different teams. Prior to his NBA career, he won two national championships with the University of Kentucky: the first championship under Rick Pitino (1996) and the second under Tubby Smith (1998).
Despite Notre Dame finishing with a 15-18 record, Sir showed development in his first year with the Irish. He started in eight games for the Irish, averaging 5.4 points and 2.7 rebounds. A lower-body injury kept the guard sidelined for most of non-conference play, but Mohammed showed flashes of his potential in the second half of the season, including an 11-point effort in a loss to Duke.
After a very promising first year, Mohammed has continued to display his talent so far in year two. Despite not logging consistent minutes throughout this season, the sophomore has recorded impressive stat lines as of late. Mohammed has scored double-digit points in each of the Irish’s last two outings, including a 15-point showing against Miami. His recent play earned him a spot in the starting lineup in Saturday’s loss to Virginia Tech, where he knocked down two threes on his way to scoring 12 points. Mohammed is playing his best basketball as the Irish enter a critical part of their schedule.
Notre Dame finds itself sitting at 10-8 on the season, having lost five out of their last six contests. If Micah Shrewsberry’s team wants any chance of hearing its name called on Selection Sunday, wins will need to start compounding soon. The Irish will see four Quad 1 opportunities in the next five games, starting with North Carolina on Wednesday night. There is no better chance to turn the season around than a resume-building matchup with the Tar Heels. When the Irish travel to Chapel Hill to face off against the No. 22-ranked Tar Heels, the Carolina blue that covers most of the court in the Dean Dome will be all too familiar to Sir Mohammed. Although the stakes on Wednesday night may not mimic the stakes when Mohammed last played in Chapel Hill, it certainly feels like it for the Irish.
