SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame men’s basketball is entering a new season with one goal in mind: returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.

After three consecutive losing seasons under head coach Micah Shrewsberry, the Fighting Irish are looking to turn the page on a disappointing stretch that included just four ACC wins last season and a failure to qualify for the conference tournament.

Despite losing key contributors Jalen Haralson and Carson Towt, Shrewsberry believes this year’s roster has the depth and balance needed to take a step forward.

Freshman guard Jonathan Sanderson is among those confident in the program’s direction.

“His intelligence is off the charts,” Sanderson said of Shrewsberry. “He is so smart with the game. He just needs some people to rally behind him and we’ll get this thing going.”

Rather than relying on one or two players to carry the offense, Notre Dame is hoping to spread the production across its roster. Transfers Braeden Smith, Ethan Roberts and Logan Duncomb are expected to provide experience and much-needed depth as the Irish look to become a more balanced and difficult team to defend.

That potential was on display during Notre Dame’s recent loss to Dayton.

The Irish outrebounded the Flyers 40-31 and received 35 points from their bench. However, Notre Dame struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 23% from 3-point range, and surrendered a five-point halftime lead.

For Roberts, a fifth-year guard who transferred from Penn, the opportunity to help rebuild Notre Dame’s program carries personal significance. Growing up outside Chicago, Roberts said playing for the Fighting Irish was a lifelong dream.

“I think since I was born, honestly,” Roberts said when asked when that dream began. “I have a picture of me and my family wearing Notre Dame Irish stuff. My uncle went here, but I think just being a Catholic kid in the Midwest matters a lot. Everyone loves the Irish.”

Meanwhile, Shrewsberry is continuing his own recovery after suffering an Achilles injury. The head coach said he has been fully cleared medically but is still rehabilitating as he works to regain strength in his calf.