South Bend doesn't have much to smile about basketball-wise these days. Notre Dame had been weathering its share of ups and downs since 2018, but the credibility and big personality of Mike Brey gave fans hope that the program could re-establish itself as a major player in March. That feeling of security went out the door with the longtime coach following his surprise departure.
The arrival of Micah Shrewsberry inspired an abundance of optimism, however, as his stock soared after revitalizing the Penn State Nittany Lions. There is plenty of time for fans' faith to be rewarded, but the Fighting Irish snapped a streak that spoke to their consistency over the last couple decades.
Notre Dame basketball (12-18) has a losing season for the second consecutive year for the first time since 1998-99. They endured their 18th L of this campaign after being throttled by No. 7 North Carolina in the Dean Smith Center on Tuesday. It was an emotional night for Tar Heels great Armando Bacot– recorded 14 points, two 3-pointers and five rebounds in his final home game– but the team still mowed right through the visitors.
Micah Shrewsberry describes the gap in Tuesday's game
The Irish never led and shot just 30.5 percent from the field. Micah Shrewsberry could not sugarcoat this embarrassing outcome. “Congrats to North Carolina,” he said after the 84-51 loss, via ESPN. “It was grown men playing against little boys. We got to get better if we want to get to that level.”
Notre Dame knocked off an expected NCAA Tournament team in Clemson and another that is on the bubble in Wake Forest over the last week before this rude awakening. Leading scorer Markus Burton, who only tallied nine points on 3-of-11 shooting versus the Tar Heels, will have to bounce back against Virginia Tech on Saturday if this group hopes to regain its momentum heading into the ACC Tournament.
Otherwise, Notre Dame basketball and their fans should expect more tough love from Shrewsberry.
Follow Us
Subscribe