Notre Dame men’s basketball embracing urgency as Shrewsberry enters pivotal fourth season

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- With less than 14 weeks until Notre Dame opens its 2026-27 season in Rome, Italy, head coach Micah Shrewsberry says the expectation for his revamped roster is clear: produce results immediately.

After three consecutive losing seasons, Notre Dame enters Year 4 under Shrewsberry with another significantly retooled roster and renewed expectations of returning to the NCAA Tournament.

The Irish finished the 2025-26 season 13-18 overall, including a 4-16 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Through his first three seasons, Shrewsberry has compiled a 41-56 overall record while working to rebuild the program.

That rebuild took another unexpected turn this offseason.

Notre Dame lost its leading playmaker, Markus Burton, who transferred to Indiana, while Jalen Haralson departed for the Southeastern Conference, creating major holes in the backcourt.

To address those departures, Shrewsberry added six transfers, headlined by former Gonzaga and Colgate point guard Braeden Smith and 2026 Big South Player of the Year Logan Duncomb.

While the newcomers are expected to play key roles, Shrewsberry said the team’s returning veterans will be just as important. He pointed to senior guards Braeden Shrewsberry and Logan Imes as leaders who can help create a more balanced offensive attack.

“The thing I want the most is our players to experience great things happening for themselves here,” Shrewsberry said. “But I want our fans to experience it too. They deserve it. I want them to leave and say, ‘OK, this is a group we can back, we can be behind and we’re proud of.’”

With a new point guard, an experienced transfer class and veteran leadership returning, the Irish believe they have the pieces to compete at a higher level.

As Notre Dame prepares for the upcoming season, the central question surrounding the program is whether this latest roster overhaul can finally produce the turnaround Shrewsberry has been working toward and return the Irish to the NCAA Tournament.