JotCast | Notre Dame basketball chat - March 2026

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Mason

1:19

I’ll throw one last question out there: Is there any clarity on Pat Garrity’s role with respect to the roster? Is he helping with the contracts, working with Shrews on fit/construction, both or neither? I haven’t heard much at all about him and it’s really interesting he’s in charge of the men’s AND women’s team (which we don’t need to get started on..)

Tom Noie

1:11

Matt: WORST: 1. Post-game Louisville 2025 (lost it for no reason and lost a lot of good will); 2. Cal game (4.4 seconds away from 2-0); 3. This week (or however long this run to the portal goes). BEST: 1. Win over North Carolina State (four days after 44-point loss to Duke); 2. Win at TCU (THAT'S what this program could be). 3. Four-overtime win over Cal (too few noticed).

Matt

1:08

Best and worst moments for Micah Shrewsberry over the last 3 seasons?

Tom Noie

1:05

Mason

1:05

Anytime Tom! Always appreciate your coverage and candor. Can tell how much the program means to you. That ACC championship run was something else. Felt like everything Brey envisioned for a team came together there. Can only imagine how great being part of all that was. Really hoping we can get back to a point where there’s some electricity in the Joyce Center again. ((with an ND football championship to boot))

Tom Noie

1:04

Clint: Trying on this GM hat. Doesn't quite fit, but we'll give it a go. Keeping Burton, Certa, Haralson, Koehler, Ahneman, Imes, Braeden. Going to portal to find a hungry big.

Clint from Winnipeg

12:56

You're now the men's basketball GM and have a healthy amount of NIL funds. Who do you keep, and who do you let leave, from last year's roster...with your reasons why? Have fun with this exercise!

Tom Noie

12:54

Status Quo? Three years away. Coaching change after next season? Four years after that. That's Notre Dame basketball.

Mike from NY

12:53

Assuming these two separate paths are the ones ND will follow, what do you think the timelines are to get back to competitiveness. Can you also provide a guess (percent chance or whatever) on which path ND is more likely to take?

Tom Noie

12:53

Greg: I wish I could give you a deep dive on Tommy Ahneman and this is why you should feel good for 2026-27, but I've never seen him play college basketball. I don't know. I don't know if Notre Dame knows.

Greg

12:52

Follow up, if Solongo is not ready yet. What are the vibes like around Ahneman and his potential to contribute considering his injury? I remember being excited about his skill set, being more of a skilled post player then they have had recently. All things considered of course, since he has minimal college basketball experience.

Tom Noie

12:52

Mason: On fire with the chat today my man. Much appreciated. It's hard not to think of that Saturday night in Cleveland at (then) Quicken Loans Arena and that Kentucky game. The swings of momentum and the UK crowd all nervous when Notre Dame made that run and Pat Connaughton finishes with that two-hand dunk. That will always be No. 1. Never been at a game with a similar atmosphere. That and the run to sledgehammer North Carolina in the ACC Tournament championship game. The first win at Cameron. The first win at Carolina. The first win at Rupp. The games and the wins are great, but not as great as some of the players that I covered who I can still call for any favor today. It's been a great ride. More to do. And see. And write.

Mason

12:49

I’ll give a fun question since I think we all need one right now. Keep it loose, as Brey would say. It’s March Madness time. Do you have any good memories or stories from our runs in the tourney? Or favorite moments you still think of?

Tom Noie

12:49

Mike: Maybe being embarrassed in Rome is what it needs. Or bail out of that game. They have no business going there to play a basketball game. Not given the program's current status.

Mike from NY

12:48

Building on my status quo question from before, are they aware that status quo means they’re likely going to get their brakes beaten off in front of the Pope to open next season? Does that prospect not embarrass the administration at all?

Tom Noie

12:48

Connor: This portal cycle would be the time to put that to the test, right? It's the old, we'll believe it when we see it.

Connor - Dallas, TX

12:47

Is there a world where ND’s NIL budget allows for the school to get one “real” transfer portal addition? It feels like all we’ve gotten are transfers of the warm body variety, save for Allocco (who was a grad transfer and likely still valued the double degree from ND+Princeton). I feel like getting one competent transfer, especially a big, would help the freshman recruits (who are the only ones who’d bother with ND at the moment) not flounder when game scripts get stressful.

Tom Noie

12:47

Bob: If you're Notre Dame and losing half your roster, think every option has to remain available.

Bob from Chicago

12:47

Tom, any information if we might get Steven Reynolds? Maybe we will offer Gabe Sularski because we have so many openings. Thanks

Tom Noie

12:46

Alex: Don't hold your breath. Breathe.

Alex - Lansing

12:46

Apologize if this was already asked, but what about staff changes? Do you foresee Shrewsberry making any internal changes? Or even having conversations? I'm grasping for anything here.

Tom Noie

12:46

Tim: Nah, this is rather tame. It's all good, I can do without the personal attacks on the head coach and his family that you don't see. It's OK to be frustrated, but there has to be a line of civility somewhere that we don't cross. People are pissed. I get that. But don't make it personal. It's not. It's just basketball.

Tim from Chicago

12:45

Tom - most negative chat ever? Have you ever walked away from one where the fanbase is this 'down' on the program?

Tom Noie

12:42

Stephen: As someone who has covered Notre Dame basketball since 1998, I'd say absolutely it is spending too much on football. But as someone who has lived in this area and covered everything Notre Dame since 1992, I'll also say, deservedly so. Notre Dame football matters. A lot. More than any other athletic activity over there on that campus. It's been a long time since 1988. Too long.

Stephen from New Orleans

12:41

Is Notre Dame spending too much on football and taking away from basketball and other sports?

Tom Noie

12:40

IF: I've been neck deep in this chat for five hours to think of anything else. Watch Notre Dame win....

Illinois Fool

12:40

Looking forward to tomorrow's game. How the Lady Irish stack up against Vandy?

Tom Noie

12:40

Justin: Change can sometimes be good. For all involved.

Justin - Franklin, TN

12:40

Kyle Getter was not hired at Pepperdine. It still would be nice if there were some staff changes. You need to try something new.

Tom Noie

12:39

Hank: Given that so much focus (rightfully so) is on what 2026 might be for Notre Dame football, it's hard to see it for basketball.

Hank - Chicago, IL

12:39

I know it is pretty much impossible to predict, but do you have any gut feeling that there will be some meaningful change in support going into this roster construction cycle? My gut feeling says no, and we are back to just existing out there.

Tom Noie

12:39

Aidan: All is well, my man. It's OK to sometimes agree to disagree. You have your opinions and thoughts and I have mine. I try to blend both as someone who sees what this program is from inside out for those out you on the outside. We're good.

Aidan

12:38

From Leitchfield KY, Tom I want to formally apologize. I was critical of some of your thoughts last year but, I commend you and want to thank you for the work you've been doing covering Mens BB when there isn't another dude involved with ND doing it. Bleak times right now.

Tom Noie

12:37

Alex: If we're going to burn it down the way we have today, might as well go all the way. Say everybody came back next year. That's still not an NCAA Tournament team. Fact. This Notre Dame program hasn't beaten a ranked team, hasn't put together more than a two-game league win streak, haven't won a game at home or on the road against a quality team that it wasn't supposed to win. There are 346 steps for a program to take to get to the NCAA Tournament. This team, in tact next season, was on step 232.

Alex - Lansing

12:35

The most sobering thought of all this is that if they did retain every player, I still view this team's ceiling next year at about 18-20 wins max lol.

Tom Noie

12:35

Mike: Status quo first, second and third. Can't see Notre Dame suddenly tripling its payroll just like that.

Mike from NY

12:34

1) status quo 2) committing to give Shrewsberry the same rumored $9M NIL budget Butler gave out?

Tom Noie

12:34

Justin: Let's go with April 3 at 12:32 a.m...

Justin - Franklin, TN

12:33

I get that it is super, super early - but when do you suspect there might be some names floated about regarding potential guys that might be coming?

Tom Noie

12:33

Greg: Less than zero. He was hurt much of this past season at La Lu. He has only played what, four years of organized basketball. He's the classic Fran Fraschilla line of two years away from being two years away. Anything other than being someone who takes up space on the practice court would be a bonus. He just doesn't know the game. Not his fault. He just doesn't know.

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