Notre Dame men’s basketball cruises over North Dakota to move to 4-0

Let’s keep this perfection train going.

The Notre Dame men’s basketball is as off to as good a start as it could have asked for. North Dakota put up a little more of a fight than Georgetown did in the Irish’s previous game, but it was not nearly enough. The Irish remain unblemished in this young season after a 75-58 victory.

While the Irish (4-0) led almost the entire game, the Hawks (2-2) hung around during the first half and were within five points early in the second. But that’s when the Irish took complete control via a 14-3 run and didn’t lead by less than 13 the rest of the way. Big baskets and timely defense were the main determining factors during that second half.

[autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] came within a basket of his career scoring high with 29 points, but he made a career-high 13 field goals. He also was one rebound short of a double-double and had a team-high three assists.

At 12 points, [autotag]J.R. Konieczny[/autotag] was the only other Irish player to score in double figures. [autotag]Julian Roper II[/autotag] set a career high with five steals.

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Notre Dame guard Sir Mohammed out indefinitely with injury

Notre Dame loses a guard for an unknown amount of time.

Notre Dame freshman guard [autotag]Sir Mohammed[/autotag] will be out indefinitely with an injury.

Mohammed has played in two games this season, scoring 5 points and plucking 7 rebounds in just under 26 minutes of total playing time.

He’s had a left knee injury pestering him since the summer, and now he will be undergoing surgery for a “lower body injury.” This according to Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune.

It’s unclear when he’ll return as the Fighting Irish attempt to continue an ongoing rebuild.

Notre Dame guard Sir Mohammed looks for a teammate to pass too during a college basketball game against Stonehill College at Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in South Bend.

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Notre Dame not present in initial USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll

Notre Dame isn’t in the men’s basketball coaches poll.

It’s perhaps not surprising that a Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball squad that was 13-20 overall in 2023-2024 isn’t in the top 25 in the initial USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.

The Irish didn’t receive any top 25 votes at all.

With Notre Dame in rebuilding mode, this makes sense. And while the initial poll is something that hoops heads pay close attention to, no one has hit a shot that counts yet. The poll will change throughout the season, and it will be a lot more important in late February than it is now.

The top five are Kansas, Alabama, defending champion Connecticut, Houston, and Duke.

While Notre Dame is in a rebuilding mode, perhaps the Irish will improve enough to be in contention for an NCAA Tournament berth. At the very least, CBS thinks they’re worth showcasing against North Carolina.

Rank School Last Year’s Record Points
1 Kansas 23-11 743 (15)
2 Alabama 25-12 718 (6)
3 Connecticut 37-3 717 (6)
4 Houston 32-5 698 (4)
5 Duke 27-9 625
6 Iowa State 29-8 591
7 Gonzaga 27-8 575
8 Baylor 24-11 545
9 Arizona 27-9 510
10 North Carolina 29-8 498
11 Auburn 27-8 465
12 Tennessee 27-9 437
13 Purdue 34-5 390
14 Creighton 25-10 342
15 Texas A&M 21-15 332
16 Arkansas 16-17 272
17 Marquette 27-10 268
18 Indiana 19-14 208
19 Texas 21-13 166
20 Cincinnati 22-15 163
21 Florida 24-12 130
22 UCLA 16-17 123
23 Kentucky 23-10 95
24 Illinois 29-9 87
25 Mississippi 20-12 66

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Notre Dame basketball teams to host open practices at Purcell Pavilion

It’s free to attend.

Notre Dame’s two basketball teams are in vastly different places for the upcoming season. The men are in their second season under [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag], and they expect to be improved. The women have Final Four aspirations with their most stacked team in years.

Now, fans of both programs will have a chance to get their first looks at their teams since March and their first of the 2024-25 iterations of those programs. An open practice will be held at Purcell Pavilion on Oct. 11. The women will take the floor at 2:30 p.m. with the men following 90 minutes later.

Yes, football is on everyone’s mind right now, but that doesn’t mean one can’t excited about basketball in South Bend. The men are a year away from the top-ranked group of commits from the 2025 recruiting class arriving, and the women are expected to contend for a national championship. If you aren’t excited by that right now, it’s not too late:

 

Hoops season will be here before we know it. The time to start thinking about it is now.

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Five-star basketball recruit has Notre Dame on shortlist

This highly-ranked recruit could help restore Notre Dame basketball to competitive status.

Jalen Haralson, a five-star recruit, has narrowed his list down to Notre Dame, Michigan State and Indiana.

The senior at La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere plays the perimeter, and he stands 6-foot-7. He plays to announce his decision at 7 pm Eastern on Wednesday, September 25th.

He is currently ranked 14th in the country.

Haralson has been playing in Nike’s EYBL as a member of the Indy Heat. He’s been averaging 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

He has also played for USA Basketball’s U17 team — that one won a FIBA U17 World Championship. Haralson had 11.1 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game with that team.

If he chooses Notre Dame, he obviously could be immensely helpful to a rebuilding program that is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament sooner rather than later.

 

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Notre Dame, Purdue Fort Wayne to start season for charity

Notre Dame men’s basketball will play a charity exhibition before the season starts.

Notre Dame men’s basketball will kick off its season with a visit to Purdue Fort Wayne for a charity game on October 30.

It’s an exhibition game, to be clear, but it is the first tilt on the Fighting Irish schedule.

The Irish will visit the Mastodons at 7 pm EST on October 30, with proceeds from the game at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne going to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana and Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne.

Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry will be starting his second season with the Irish, looking to improve on the team’s 13-20 overall and 7-13 ACC record from 2023-2024. He’ll also be looking to return the Fighting Irish to the NCAA Tournament.

The Notre Dame men’s basketball season starts in earnest at home on November 6 against the Stonehill Skyhawks. The starting time for that game has not yet been determined.

 

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