Ups, downs and everything in between. That’s been the story for Notre Dame men’s basketball’s 2025-26 season thus far. On Thursday night, the road doesn’t get any easier for the Irish as head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s team travels to No. 24 Louisville for a 7 p.m. clash.
The Cardinals are 15-6 on the season, boasting an even more impressive 11-2 record at their home, the KFC Yum! Center. The Irish enter the game off two consecutive losses, falling to No. 18 Virginia 100-97 in an overtime classic before dropping to Syracuse on the road 86-72.
Against Syracuse, Notre Dame allowed the Orange to go on an 11-0 run midway through the first half. From there, Syracuse cruised to victory.
For the Irish to turn the tide and compete against a potent Cardinals side, the offense will have to feed the ball to sophomore guard Cole Certa. Against the Cavaliers, Certa had a career day. The sharp-shooter found a new rhythm, wheeling and dealing his way to a career-high 34 points. If Certa is able to cross the 20-point mark, the Irish should at least be able to give Louisville a test.
Apart from Certa, graduate forward Carson Towt will need to have a big night. After a national-leading rebounding season at Northern Arizona last season, this year Towt ranks 25th in the country and fourth in the ACC with 9.5 boards per game. His presence underneath the glass on both sides of the court will be instrumental in Notre Dame’s game plan.
Louisville is seeking to continue its momentum following an 88-74 win over SMU. Star freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. paved the path for the Cardinals with 20 points. Brown Jr.’s 16.4 points per game is second on the team, just shy of senior guard Ryan Conwell’s 19.1.
For a team relying heavily on first-years and transfers, Conwell’s efficient play has added an extra flair to the Cardinals’ offense. His 26 point performance against Cal toward the end of 2025 remains his best performance yet, but with Louisville just on the cusp of breaking through in the ACC standings, he’ll be eager to break through that ceiling against Notre Dame.
There is no doubt Shrewsberry will be feeling a similar level of anticipation, but for different reasons.
Notre Dame is second to last in the ACC, just above Wake Forest through a tiebreaker. With a 2-7 record in conference play and mere 11-11 mark overall, Shrewsberry needs to start producing statement victories before it’s too late. Dating back to its 72-69 home loss to Purdue Fort Wayne, Notre Dame is 2-8. Aside from the overtime thriller against Virginia, the losses haven’t been particularly close either.
One bright spot in this poor run of form has been the flashes shown from talented freshmen Jalen Haralson and Brady Koehler. Both highly-touted recruits, Haralson has been Notre Dame’s primary source of offense since superstar junior guard Markus Burton’s season-ending injury.
Haralson is averaging 15.5 points per game and has scored at least 17 in the past three games. His 26 points last time against the Orange is a career-high. While Koehler hasn’t been as consistent, he showed signs he can compete at a high level in 17- and 16-point performances against Virginia Tech and Virginia, respectively.
After Thursday night’s match, the journey ahead for Notre Dame doesn’t get any easier. The Irish still have dates against SMU, Duke and NC State among a barrage of other ACC opponents.
For Notre Dame to compete in those games, a momentum-shift on the road against Louisville would be the perfect boost forward.
As March creeps closer, it’s officially do-or-die basketball for Shrewsberry and company.
Broadcast for the game can be found on ESPN2 and ESPNU.
