College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 13-20; 7-13, 12th in the Atlantic Coast Conference, No Postseason

Head Coach: Micah Shrewsbury (Second Year)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Markus Burton – 5’11”, 180 Sophomore

G Braeden Shrewsbury – 6’3″, 190 Sophomore

G Matt Allocco – 6’4″, 200 5th-year Senior

F Tae Davis – 6’9″, 215 Junior

C Kebba Njie – 6’10”, 240 Junior

Experienced Reserves

G Julian Roper II – 6’4″, 200 Senior

G Logan Imes – 6’4″, 200 Sophomore

W JR Konieczny – 6’7″, 200 Senior

F Burke Chebuhar – 6’8″, 230 5th-year Senior

F/C Nikita Konstantynovskyi – 6’10”, 240

Freshmen

G Cole Certa – 6’4″, 185

W Sir Mohammed – 6’6″, 205 – Consensus Top 100 recruit

F/C Garrett Sundra – 6’11”, 220

Sometimes, you’ve got to tear it all down to build it back up. The Fighting Irish definitely did the demolition but last year. This fall, they’re ready to start putting it all together again. 

It was so completely obvious that Notre Dame was starting over last year that there were very few expectations. Following the departure of Mike Brey, the school’s all-time winningest coach, Micah Shrewsbury was lured away from Penn State to take over a fairly decimated roster. He brought in some young talent, cultivated the skills of some holdovers, tinkered here, dropped an iconic postgame rant there, and wouldn’t you know it, made the Golden Domers into a halfway respectable outfit. Not in the win-loss column, sure, but the Irish did beat Virginia, Wake Forest, and Elite Eight participant Clemson, and they completed a three-game sweep of Georgia Tech. 

So far as turning Notre Dame into a fairly competitive team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Shrewsbury’s debut was promising. So, too were the pair of freshman guards that he came to lean upon. With the team’s top four scorers from a year ago back to lead the charge of an upgraded roster, the rebuild might already be over. 

There are certain indicators which can predict future stardom. What Markus Burton did last season was one of those indicators. The ACC’s Rookie of the Year, Burton meant as much or more to the Irish than just about any freshman in America. The 2023 Indiana Mr. Basketball stayed home and stepped immediately into an MVP role in South Bend, leading the Irish by far in minutes, points, assists, and steals per game last season. Burton also happened to rank seventh, sixth, fifth, and fifth in the ACC in those categories. 

“Markus Burton is not just one of the best players in the ACC, but he’s maybe one of the three or four best freshmen in the country,” raved Miami coach Jim Larrañaga in January; the opinion of a man who has seen some good guards. Given the attrition that the roster had endured prior to his arrival, the Irish struggled mightily to score for the majority of the season. He may have been a rookie who doesn’t quite stand six feet tall, but Burton pretty much was the Notre Dame offense for large chunks of the campaign. He was so good that he entered his name into the NBA Draft and went through parts of the pre-draft process this summer. Burton did so while maintaining his eligibility, though, and now returns for his second year armed with a blueprint for his to be even better. 

“Some places that I want to grow is shooting the ball at a higher level and consistently, right?” Burton said at Notre Dame Day 2024. “So, I feel like when I’ve been in the gym, recently, I’ve just been getting a lot of shots up, getting a lot of reps up, working to improve my shooting.”

If he can make significant strides as a deep threat, Burton is going to really have things sorted. A supremely confident ballhandler, Burton is a bucket-getting blur off the bounce. He’s got rare functional quickness through tight spots in the lane, and Burton can break down good defenders to get his looks. He shot a solid 43.1% on high volume from mid-range, per Bart Torvik, where Burton was particularly in a rhythm late in the season. Burton is inventive at finding angles to get off his runners and floaters, and can create space for his jumper on the perimeter, too. Some more help from the people around him will really free Burton up to take fewer contested shots this winter, and the result could be an All-American season for the sophomore. 

“Markus Burton is not just one of the best players in the ACC, but he’s maybe one of the three or four best freshmen in the country”

– Jim Larrañaga

In Micah Shrewsbury’s debut, the Irish found their new off-guard moving forward, too. As it turns out, that young fella is Shrewsbury’s son, Braeden. The only player besides Burton to average double figures, Braeden Shrewsbury wasn’t always consistent as a rookie, but his willingness to keep shooting – and hit at reasonable rates – proved vital. In the end, he made a perfectly respectable 37.1% of his deep balls, and Shrewsbury’s 78 makes from the land of trey ranked tenth in the ACC. He’s a shooter, through and through, and playing alongside a playmaker like Burton is just the right fit for the younger Shrewsbury. 

Like Burton, Braeden Shrewsbury just got better as his rookie year went on. Over Notre Dame’s final 18 contests, Shrewsbury averaged 12.7 points on 42.4% shooting from distance. This year, Shrewsbury will be looking to improve his consistency in taking advantage of defenders who will be closing out aggressively. He was almost exclusively a spot-up shooter for most of his rookie year, and 93.6% of his makes were assisted. His handle is improving, and Shrewsbury’s got the frame to keep adding strength to more effectively cut in among the trees. The rapport he established with Burton early on is stock worth buying for the Irish, and Shrewsbury should provide even more effective scoring as a sophomore. 

For a Notre Dame offense which was not at all efficient last winter, Matt Allocco is going to seem like a superhero. The Princeton transfer is a fantastic shooter with a great feel for running offense and playing the game in general. In helping the Tigers to go 47-14 over the past two years, with a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2022-23, Allocco also knows what it’s like to expect a win every game. His know-how and confidence can only stand to aid the talented young group which Shrewsbury has assembled. In a more literal sense, Allocco’s 41.2% career mark from distance is also going to have a huge effect on the Irish. Last season, Allocco was the only player in Division I hoops to reach the mythical territory of 50/40/90: he shot 50.8% from the floor, 42.7% from downtown, and 90.9% at the charity stripe. As one might expect from a guy who came up playing for Mitch Henderson, Allocco is also a great passer who understands scheme and spacing, and deftly feeds his buddies where they’re likely to succeed. Through 91 career games, Allocco has accumulated 208 assists against just 103 turnovers, and last year he finished sixth in the Ivy League in helpers. With his proven blend of helpful offensive talents, it looks like Allocco will be just what the doctor ordered for what’s been ailing Notre Dame. 

Former Seton Hall transfer Tae Davis started to hit his stride last year under Micah Shrewsbury, and he’s back to take on an even larger role up front. A rangy 6’9″ forward who was a rookie reserve with the Pirates, Davis became more composed and confident scoring near the rim as he grew comfortable in Shrewsbury’s offense. Like his young counterparts, Davis was at his best after the new year. He was particularly good over Notre Dame’s final nine games, averaging 12.7 points and making nearly five trips to the foul line each contest. Davis is not just a dunker; he has a developing jumper, plus his coordination and footwork have grown on quick post-up’s. He sank seven triples at a low percentage last year, but Davis has a solid stroke and made a solid 72.3% of his free throw tries. Shrewsbury would love to see him become more of a rim protector and play with a bit more physicality on defense, and Davis can attain those goals. And with capable passers and shooters seemingly everywhere all of a sudden, Davis should be in position to take another big step forward. 

The foursome of Burton, Shrewsbury, Allocco, and Davis should be Notre Dame’s foundation, and the team’s top minute-getters. Can consistent, impactful players be uncovered to support them? 

A couple of wings who gave Shrewsbury what he demanded last year are back, and they’re capable of providing quality support. Being that he proved capable of putting the ball through the net as a part of last year’s team, JR Konieczny may have a leg up on the competition. He barely played as a freshman in 2021-22 and then took a redshirt two years ago, so for Konieczny, the opportunity to earn a genuine chunk of the playing time was rewarding. 

“The one thing about J.R. – and our staff will talk about it all the time – he just brings a joy every single day. He loves playing basketball and he’s having fun doing it. And when you see that, it just takes you back sometimes to, ‘Why are we playing?’ And we play because we love it,” Shrewsberry told Notre Dame’s ‘Wake Up the Echoes’ show last winter. “We love coaching guys that have that joy and he brings that joy on a daily basis.”

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

64.0 – Points Per Game (348th)

67.2 – Opponent Points Per Game (36th)

66.9 – Possessions Per Game (339th)

15.9 – Opponent FT Attempts Per Game (38th)

15.4 – FT Attempts Per Game (334th)

Konieczny also brought needed secondary scoring to the Irish, and will be counted on to do so again. He can shoot the rock, and was effective at times both inside the arc and from beyond it. At 6’7″, Konieczny brings helpful size and length, and showed last season that he’s willing to bring lots of energy and effort on defense. Last year, his role shrank late in the year, due in no small part to a right foot injury which knocked Konieczny out for a bit and hampered him after his return. Through the end of January, Konieczny had held averages of 9.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. The experience he gained as a 19-game starter should pay off this year, with Shrewsbury looking for more if everything Konieczny brought to the table last winter.

Former Northwestern transfer Julian Roper II also played important minutes last winter, playing solid defense on the wing and occasionally kicking in some points. The Irish will need more from him, too. Not shy about communicating or getting his guys’ attention, Roper brings it on defense and has the qualities of a leader. His ability to check top scorers was valuable in his Notre Dame debut, but Shrewsbury is looking for more offensive sophistication this year. It would also be helpful if Roper could bring his free throw rate – which has sunk to 47.1% over the past two seasons – back up to the 71.4% rate he put up as a freshman. There’s potential for Roper to keep and even grow his role as a stopper, but he’ll be tougher to play at the end of games if he can’t make shots or freebies. 

The big fish among Notre Dame’s incoming recruits will play right away on the perimeter, too. Rated as high as a Top 50 recruit by some services, Sir Mohammed has an intriguing blend of athleticism and situational smarts for a 6’6″ freshman. Though he’s been nursing a sore knee this summer, the Irish are excited to get Mohammed onto the floor. Though he looks like a big-time slashing wing, Mohammed plays a very versatile style because he’s a naturally creative playmaker. He can score near the rim or find guys on his way there, and Mohammed has enough explosiveness to spark opportunities when nothing is really there. He’s someone that Notre Dame just didn’t have last year, and the team’s coaches can’t wait to put him to good use. 

The biggest question mark of all for Notre Dame this season is in the post. Davis is a good forward, but he’s miscast banging against the biggest dudes in the ACC. A mix of experienced players must come together and make a meaningful impact if the Irish are to reach their potential. 

In a perfect world, junior Kebba Njie will simply stride forward as a double-double machine and defensive menace, and that would be that. Viewing things a bit more realistically, Shrewsbury is hoping to see a reasonable, productive step forward from the young big man who followed him from Happy Valley to South Bend. 

There were times last year when Shrewsbury was not pleased with the way and how hard Njie was working, and he let the budding pivot know about it – publicly, in some cases. That Njie has returned for a third season under Shrewsbury’s guidance shows that he’s committed to his coach’s plan, and is looking to show off his development this fall. At his best, Njie uses his great length and solid lateral quickness to range around the lane, blocking shots and gobbling up rebounds. He’s lacked offensive polish so far, and without much to hang his hat on last season Njie made just 44.0% of his shots near the rim. He can shoot the ball, but Njie’s budding face-up game has also lacked refinement. If he can bring the noise every night, Njie should start seeing more opportunities, cashing more of them in, and being rewarded with a bump in numbers. 

Shrewsbury has also added two veteran transfers up front, as much for their willingness to work as for their overall potential. Whether they give the Golden Domers a frontcourt which can hang in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid is an open question. One of them, former Lehigh walk-on Burke Chebuhar, is more of a combo forward than an enforcer. He has three point range and the skill to keep the ball moving smartly around the perimeter. Chebuhar started 22 games for the Mountain Hawks, finishing second on the team in rebounding and gaining experience in the post. Shrewsbury won’t be counting on Chebuhar to play 20+ minutes very often, but he does hope that the veteran forward can lead by example at both ends and toss in some floor-spacing deep balls when the opportunity arises. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eyes on

N Houston – November 27

N Alabama – November 30

N Rutgers – November 26

@ Georgia – December 30

@ Georgetown – November 16

After coming over from Ukraine, rising up from junior college, and then enduring a deep bench spot followed by injuries at Tulsa, Nikita Konstantynovsyi’s breakout for Monmouth last winter was a career-defining success. Now, Kontstantynovskyi is taking on a whole new challenge in the ACC. The fifth-year post is tough on the glass and knows how to set a pick and then roll for a bucket. Among his six double-doubles last season, Konstantynovsyi has a 22-point, 20-rebound effort against Stony Brook, and he scored 20+ three times overall. Much of his best production came as a result of Kontstantynovskyi’s great work on the offensive glass. He ranked second in the CAA with 94 offensive rebounds last season, and Kontstantynovskyi converted 69.2% of his 49 putback tries near the rim, per Hoop-Math. With good enough size and the proven motor to succeed, it’s possible that Konstantynovsyi can push Njie, and he should help to stabilize things in the middle. 

Two more freshmen, guard Cole Certa and big man Garrett Sundra, will battle returning reserve Logan Imes for minutes off the bench. A terrific shooter with smooth, repeatable form from the outside, Certa has been rated a Top 100 prospect by some services. He’s a quality passer with a good overall feel offensively, too, and Certa figures to get a real long look as a rookie if he can knock down deep jumpers. A lanky 6’11” prospect, Sundra will need to add strength but possesses a deft scoring touch all around the halfcourt, even showing range out to the three-point arc. A freshman backup on last year’s team, Imes picked up useful experience and didn’t shy away from bigger, stronger players in his debut. A good ball-mover who will crash the paint, Imes must shoot better in order to maximize his potential and minutes. 

“I think we’re going to be a much better offensive team because we have much better offensive pieces,” Micah Shrewsbury explained to 247 Sports this summer. “Our pace is going to be better but we need to have more possessions. We need to do that through our pace, our turnovers created and offensive rebounding.” 

Last year was rough – you can watch the video of Micah Shrewsbury’s epic postgame rant following a 20-point loss to The Citadel to get a clear understanding of that. The Fighting Irish learned to fight, though, and by season’s end, how to win tough games against good teams. With a genuine star to build around and upgrades to both the overall talent level and scoring prowess, this roster is much more legitimate than the cobbled-together unit that Notre Dame went with last year. Can they compete in an even-more-loaded ACC? Time will tell, but these Irish will give themselves a chance. They’ve come a long way in a short time, and though there’s a significant distance still to go, Notre Dame is clearly rising once again.