Watch: Jon Rothstein lists Notre Dame 40th on preseason countdown

Happy with this ranking, Irish fans?

At the time of this writing, we have exactly 40 days until the college basketball season begins. That mean CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein has been counting down what he believes are the top programs in the country this season. Rothstein started at 45, so he’s fairly early in the countdown. Still, Irish fans will be pleased to hear that their team has claimed the 40th spot:

When you consider where the Irish were at the start of last season, this is quite the leap forward. Just swap out Blake Wesley for J.J. Starling, and you really do have pretty much the same team that made it to last year’s NCAA Tournament. The returning core of Nate Laszewski, Dane Goodwin and Cormac Ryan is getting a lot more respect than it previously did, and it undoubtedly is because of Mike Brey’s coaching that they’ve taken such giant steps. Here’s hoping those players can ascend even higher this year.

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