JotCast | Notre Dame Basketball - April 2026 chat

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Matt - Kenosha, WI

12:44

Notre Dame should hang banners in Purcell for doing things the right way. Just lean into it. Name yourselves the national champions in that category.

Tom Noie

12:44

Jeff: It cannot possibly get any worse than the last three seasons, can it? Don't answer. Let's revisit in March.

Jeff

12:44

Hey Tom, thanks for all the great articles. Maybe I’m just an optimist but I actually think we will be better next year. Obviously some of the big name recruits (better athletes) are gone but it seems like the guys they brought in are just veterans who know how to play the game. People also seem to forget Markus didn’t play at all in ACC play last year so in terms of having a better record it’s not even like we had lost him, Jalen also missed time. Another year in the weight room for Brady and I think he can be a good player in the acc. Not saying they are gonna be great by any means but I think 6-7 wins in acc isn’t unrealistic. Embarrassingly low bar but am I crazy for feeling this way? Haha

Tom Noie

12:44

See below. Or above...

Connor

12:44

Tom, how hot is Micah Shrewsberry’s seat right now?

Tom Noie

12:44

Nathan: How hot would your seat be if your fan base hates everything about you? Nothing that happens this season is going to change that.

Nathan from Indy

12:43

Hi Tom, thank you for doing these chats. Correct me if im wrong- but i remember Shrewsberry signed a 7 year deal? Entering year 4 now, how hot is his seat? Or with how little it seems the administration cares about basketball, is he even on the “hot seat”?

Tom Noie

12:42

Mike: As long as football wins.... That's really what matters.

Mike, New Jersey

12:42

So, the admin is willing to play the game for football but too proud (or naive) to do it for basketball? Do they know there's a direct correlation between programs that are backed by funding and winning in all sports?

Tom Noie

12:41

Tom: We media dopes were told not long ago by the former president of the university that if it ever reached a point of play for play that Notre Dame would drop to Division III. Here we are ...

Tom - Schaumburg, Il

12:40

"Not sure if he doesn't care as much as he cares too much. About Notre Dame and what it stands for." - You can definitely argue that Notre Dame does not stand for having several embarrassing products within his athletic department. That is his responsibility. You do not win anything by being self-righteous. Imagine the outrage if this is how he chose to do with football. Instead he clutches his pearls about everything else. It is insulting.

Tom Noie

12:39

Hank: It's OK flushing its basketball program because it won't play the game the way the game is played today. That's sad, but that's the reality.

Hank - Chicago, IL

12:38

I just do not understand what Notre Dame thinks it is accomplishing. No one cares that you think you are special and believe you have to do things a certain way. You are only hurting yourself. People see you and make fun of you. It is crazy.

Tom Noie

12:38

Wait until 2026! That's the year for Notre Dame!

Josh - South Bend

12:37

The football program is not even that good. If it was Georgia or Ohio State, I would be more okay with it (funny enough those two schools have much better basketball programs than Notre Dame), but we are talking about moving heaven and earth at all times for a program that lost to Marshall, Stanford, and Northern Illinois - a program that was not remotely prepared to win at Miami or beat Texas A&M not even a year ago.

Tom Noie

12:37

Mike: Time for the "Stop Making Excuses for Micah Shrewsberry" will like this one, but here it goes. That was "supposed" to be the plan for Year One when Shrewsberry arrived from Penn State and had only J.R. Konieczny, Matt Zona and Tony Sanders as returning player on the roster. No worries, the thought process went, Notre Dame would fill in with the transfer portal. The Irish were going to take this guy and that guy and this guy and that guy/ Admissions got involved and said basically, no, no way, absolutely not and maybe. Why was the only real "transfer" outside of the Penn State recruiting class and Kebba Njie from Northwestern in Julian Roper and Seton Hall wtih Tae Davis? Do you really think that that was the best a new staff, a staff that new it needed to build this back and build it back fast could do? Seriously? Again, for the 4,563th time, this is not an excuse for why Micah Shrewsberry hasn't won, only part of the issue. But it is a part.

Mike, New Jersey

12:32

This portal class should have been the class in year 1 if the Staff and administration had been forward-thinking about the current landscape of college basketball. If that were the case, I think we would be looking at a more positive situation heading into year 4 of the Shrews Era.

Tom Noie

12:32

This...

Matt - Kenosha, WI

12:32

An underrated crazy thing is they will not even spend what is necessary in *women's basketball." Outside of men's lacrosse, that has probably been the school's most consistently upper-tier successful athletic program over the last 15 years. Is it the same rationale behind that? Because unlike the men's program where proper investment would hopefully get you to the NCAA Tournament every few years, proper investment in the women's program could absolutely have you knocking on that UConn/South Carolina door.

Tom Noie

12:31

Hank: Pretty much.

Hank - Chicago, IL

12:31

It will never not be crazy to me that "being slightly above average in league play and contend for an NCAA Tournament appearance every few seasons" is an unrealistic expectation for Notre Dame men's basketball. I cannot imagine the brain rot required for someone in a leadership/decision making role to think that is a bridge too far when it comes to providing support. It is so disrespectful to the program's history and everyone that has come through the program. It is essentially saying thanks for your contributions, but they were not enough to keep the program meaningful in our eyes.

Tom Noie

12:31

Kevin: Coaches aren't wired that way. Might make sense, but they believe they can make it work. He believes that. We need to see that.

Kevin - Granger

12:31

Shrewsberry should just quit. He is already super wealthy. He can probably go be an assistant at Purdue or in the NBA in extremely short order. This is such a losing situation. It is only going to hurt his career.

Tom Noie

12:31

That is correct. Word was that Ryder Frost had considered signing with Michigan out of high school ... for $600,000. College basketball....

Bob from Chicago

12:30

Tom, just double-checking-Certa made $100k last year and Frost made $200k?

Tom Noie

12:29

Ben: Can't argue with that. Any of it.

Ben - Indianapolis, IN

12:29

I am sorry. If it might not matter to Notre Dame how it all plays out, what is the point of even continuing to field a men's basketball team? That is just insane to me. It runs counter to everything the university claims to be. So by being self-righteous and pearl-clutching about "pay-for-play," they are actually debasing the university's mission. It is all such nonsense.

Tom Noie

12:28

Clint: So .... a school whose administration clings to the whole student-athlete notion now has a designated Chief Operating Officer for its athletic department. Sounds more like a Fortune 500 company, right? Kind of shoot down this whole .... these kids still are here to go to class and get an education notion.

Clint from Winnipeg

12:27

I see where Ron Powlus now will have an elevated lifetime scholarship at Notre Dame. Your thoughts?

Tom Noie

12:27

IF: No clue, because the next time we see Tommy Ahneman on the basketball court (actually playing basketball), will be the first. Who is he? What can he do well? The knee injury/surgery wiped out his entire freshman season. He's more questions than an answer.

Illinois Fool

12:25

Lost in the roster turnover is the hope that Tommy Ahneman should be healthy enough to play, What does he bring to the team?

Tom Noie

12:25

Phil: To be determined, right? We need to see how the pieces fit to determine if the puzzle is complete.

Phil from South Bend

12:24

Tom, i realize there is a major unknown factor with next years team, but on paper is it less talented than Shrewsberrys first ND team with a 5'10 shooting guard and a broken hand center with zero low post skills. Ball movement and defensive effort is the only hope for the 26-27 to be respectable as opposed to more talented guys that don't fit or consistently defend. I am encouraged that 2 of the perceived bench guy transfers have been regarded as above average defenders (Brown and Dortch). This patchwork team might be the one to validate if Shrewsberry has the coaching chops he claims to have or the coaching chops Jordan Cornette raves he has.

Tom Noie

12:18

Mike: I have a standing request to speak with Pete Bevacqua. That request is not expected to be granted. He apparently doesn't believe in having to address it.

Mike, New Jersey

12:18

Also, a question for you, Tom. When is the next opportunity for anyone in the media to ask the AD what exactly is going on with this men's basketball program? Thanks for all your coverage.

Tom Noie

12:17

Nathan: You do know those numbers are held tightly like state secrets. But let's just say more than $5 million but less than $8 million. Whatever the range, it's more than last year but not enough to really matter.

Nathan

12:16

Do you have an estimated number of what the program spent in NIL? More or less than last year?

Tom Noie

12:16

Still efforting with Logan Duncomb, a man of mystery...

Phil from South Bend

12:15

Tom have you had the chance yet to connect with Duncomb? It's definitely been an interesting basketball odyssey for him.

Tom Noie

12:15

Tony: Is it? The women's basketball program has won two national championships, has a niche following and can recruit some of the game's elite without worrying about a payroll. Shouldn't they draw more fans?

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