In head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s third season at the helm of Notre Dame’s men’s basketball team, the Irish finished 16th in the ACC and 13-18 overall, missing the conference tournament. The Irish battled season-ending injuries and heartbreaking defeats in a challenging season following the highest recruiting class in school history. Although the year left much to be desired, some players shined and earned big paydays in the transfer portal.
The offseason has been so tense that both Shrewsberry and the Notre Dame Athletic Department have declined to comment on the season, after doing so for each of the last two seasons.
Statistically, junior guard Markus Burton led the Irish in scoring for a third consecutive season despite playing only the early half of the year. The Preseason First-Team ACC selectee averaged 18.5 points through the first 10 games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury against TCU on Dec. 5. Burton paced the Irish in their 76-71 victory over Missouri in the previous contest, contributing to the team’s hot 6-3 start with three losses to eventual tournament teams out of conference.
The Irish improved to 9-3 after defeating Idaho and Evansville at home, led by freshman forward Jalen Haralson, who netted 20 points in both matchups. However, Shrewsberry suffered arguably one of his worst career losses on Dec. 21 against Purdue Fort Wayne at home. The Irish fell 72-69 to the Mastodons, shooting 40% while turning the ball over 15 times compared to only 8 from Purdue Fort Wayne. Next, Shrewsberry’s team headed 3,000 miles to take on Stanford and Cal over Christmas break, and managed to defeat the Cardinal in a game that resembled basketball from the 1960s. The Irish earned its first ACC victory of the season in the low-scoring, 47-40 affair, holding the Cardinal to a mere 23% shooting from the field.
The Irish fell in the next five consecutive games, none more notable than Cal to begin the next year. Junior guard Braeden Shrewsberry led the Irish with 21 points on five three-pointers, but the Irish came up short in the final seconds, fouling a three-point shooter to lose on a four-point play. The game is remembered more for a reaction to the foul call by Micah Shrewsberry, who charged the official responsible for mediating the deciding play of the game. Shrewsberry received a public reprimand from the ACC for his actions, but no financial penalty or suspension.
Notre Dame hosted Clemson and Miami at home for the first home ACC contests of the year, and lost 76-61 and 81-69, respectively, to the two eventual March Madness threats. The schedule’s brutality did not let up, as Virginia Tech and North Carolina became two more conference losses. The Irish earned their second ACC win of the season in the next home matchup against Boston College to break the five-game skid. Braeden Shrewsberry scored 22 points, and Haralson chipped in 17 to lead the Irish over the Eagles to move to 2-5 in conference play.
Hoping to build momentum, the Irish geared up for another ranked matchup against Virginia on Jan. 27. Despite leading by as many as 17 points in the first half, Notre Dame squandered a major lead and allowed the Cavaliers back into the game late, but fought back to send the game into overtime. At the end of the first overtime, UVA guard Sam Lewis sank a miracle three-pointer as the shot clock expired, tying the game and giving the Cavaliers major momentum. The Irish ran out of gas in the second overtime to still remain winless in ranked games under Micah Shrewsberry. The game, however, yielded a career-high 34 points from sophomore Cole Certa, who began to see an extended starting role following Burton’s absence.
Shrewsberry’s team managed another five-game losing streak after the deflating Virginia loss, falling to Syracuse, Louisville and SMU on the road and Florida State at home. Against the Seminoles, the Irish erased a double-digit deficit in the second half and narrowed the margin to one possession at the end of the second half. Certa was unable to connect on the potential overtime forcing an open three-pointer, and the Irish lost another heartbreaker at home.
The team turned it around on Feb. 14 at home against Georgia Tech in one of the bright spots of the season behind a new career high from Certa. This time, the sophomore sharpshooter knocked down seven of his 11 three-point shots, helping the Irish finish 50% from that mark. It was a much-needed bounce-back game without Haralson, who suffered a minor ankle injury in practice leading up to the matchup. Braeden Shrewsberry chipped in 20 points, and junior guard Logan Imes added 14 points and nine rebounds. The Irish headed to a struggling Pitt next, and lost a close 73-68 game.
On Feb. 24, Notre Dame hosted No. 1 Duke, who dismantled the Irish inside Purcell Pavilion. ACC Player of the Year Cameron Boozer amassed 20 points and nine rebounds in the first half. Duke led 54-22 at the break and never looked back, thoroughly leveling Notre Dame 100-56. This was the largest loss for the Irish since 1898, when the team fell 64-8 to the Chicago First Regiment. Micah Shrewsberry tore his Achilles on the sideline during the game and spent the remainder of the season on a scooter and in a boot.
The Irish rebounded in the penultimate game of the season against NC State in a thrilling overtime contest. Certa and Haralson led the scoring effort, combining for 48 of the Irish’s total 96 points. Certa added another 30+ point masterpiece to his resume, tallying three in a nine-game stretch. Certa was key to the game as he sank three clutch deep shots in overtime to help the Irish overcome the Wolfpack. As one of the best statistical free-throw shooters in the country, Certa swished two to ice the game. Sophomore guard Sir Mohammed also chipped in 10 points off the bench, as a key spark plug for Micah Shrewsberry’s struggling offense. The Irish didn’t lead until overtime, and only tied the game in the final 19 seconds as Haralson knocked down clutch free throws.
The senior day victory was followed by a pair of losses, split between home and away, where Notre Dame missed the ACC conference tournament altogether for the first time in school history. Since the format has been altered to include only the top 15 teams in 2024, the Irish’s third-to-last finish, alongside Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh, left them out of the competition. The disastrous season resulted in disappointment for many fans, but it was only the start of the future struggles for Shrewsberry to maintain the roster.
The offseason has mirrored the Irish season’s woes. Notre Dame saw Burton, Certa, Haralson, Mohammed, Ryder Frost and Garret Sundra leave for the transfer portal. Losing the top three offensive weapons, Shrewsberry is faced with the difficult task of retooling an already depleted and limited Irish roster around Braeden Shrewsberry, Imes and Brady Koehler. Notre Dame will lose five of its top six point producers to the portal and graduation, the largest loss it has seen under Micah Shrewsberry.
Notre Dame’s name, image and likeness budget is a large culprit for the mass exodus to the portal. According to Tom Noie of the Irish Tribune, the University reportedly spent $3-5 million on its basketball roster — a fraction of the $10 million average for an ACC team that made the NCAA tournament.
The Irish have brought in four-star point guard Jonathan Sanderson as their top recruit, and Gan Erdene Solongo, a three-star 7-foot center from Indiana. From the portal, the program has added 6-foot-10 graduate center Logan Duncomb from Winthrop, who averaged 18 points and nine rebounds per game in the Big South conference. Rising senior guard Braeden Smith has transferred in, posting five points and nearly four assists per game last season at Gonzaga. Ethan Roberts from UPenn has also committed, compiling 16 points per game in the Ivy League. Additionally, 6-foot-9 junior forward Bryce Dortch from Rutgers, and 6-foot-6 guard Devin Brown have signed to wear Blue and Gold. While these players each contributed at different levels than the ACC, their roles will see a dramatic increase in responsibility as Shrewsberry will be forced to rely on experience, with his core recruits departing for more money and other opportunities.
The offseason also brought news for Towt, who has elected to pursue a future in football as a tight end. Signed by the Colts on March 17, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound forward earned a free agent contract with no competitive football experience in high school or college. Towt aims to follow in the footsteps of other Colts multi-sport tight ends such as Mo Alie-Cox.
Notre Dame will be forced to rebuild a roster devastated by the transfer portal and season-ending injuries. As the Markus Burton era comes to a close, Shrewsberry aims to turn the page on a forgettable season and to a new chapter of Irish basketball.
