It seems odd that a team that made the Elite Eight would be seeded so low in our Notre Dame 15 Years Tournament, but that goes to show this team wasn’t expected to repeat what it did the year before. Yet somehow, it happened. The 2015-16 Irish finished the season 24-12. You never would have thought this team got on a roll when it counted the most.
The Irish never had a winning streak longer than four games, which resulted in an 11-7 ACC record. The highlight of the regular season was an 80-76 win over No. 2 North Carolina in South Bend, so at 16-7, all they had to do after that was tread water, and they’d make the NCAA tournament. They did just that, even securing a second-round bye in the conference tourney. What followed was a March Madness no one could have expected.
As a No. 6 seed, the Irish got to play 11th-seeded Michigan in the first round and needed a second-half comeback to earn a seven-point win. Against 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin, they nearly fell a team threatening to make a deep Cinderella run but for Rex Pflueger’s thrilling last-second tip-in that gave them a one-point victory. They defeated Wisconsin by five in the Sweet Sixteen before the Tar Heels got their revenge from earlier in the season by dealing the Irish a 14-point loss. Having gotten that far, there was nothing to be ashamed of.
All five of Notre Dame’s regular starters finished with scoring averages in double digits, paced by 15.8 points a game from Demetrius Jackson, who also led the Irish with 4.7 assists a game. Zach Auguste averaged a double-double with 14.0 points and 10.7 rebounds a game. Rounding out the high scorers were V.J. Beachem (12.0), Steve Vasturia (11.4) and Bonzie Colson (11.1).