JotCast | Notre Dame basketball chat - October 2026

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Tom Noie

2:10

Thanks to all who participated today. Solid effort all around. We'll be back in November as our monthly chat cycle gets rolling. If you have a question or comment that cannot wait, drop me a note at tnoie@sbtinfo.com. Have a great weekend!

1:56

Not sure and the best part about that is that we probably won't see it to an extent Braeden Shrewsberry had to play as a freshman. There were no other options. Didn't matter if he was ready or not. He had to be a major-minute guy. Nick doesn't have to be fast-tracked into the rotation, and likely won't be. There are a lot of guys ahead of him on the perimeter. He can take his time, learn the game, learn how to fit in. He's not a high-major guard yet. He might get there. Patience is the plan with Nick Shrewsberry.

P. Rose

1:55

How does Nick Shrewsberry compare to his older brother as a freshman?

Tom Noie

1:55

Frank: Maybe not in the volume of shots made from 3 like Certa offered, but maybe a better overall offensive weapon who won't camp out at the 3-point line. Roberts can drive it, finish, get fouled, get to the free throw line. He scores his points in a variety of ways. I loved that he sucked early against DePaul - couldn't make a shot, couldn't get close to a shot - but stayed with it. He banged down two huge 3s early in the second half that basically helped win the game. He's experienced enough and mature enough to stay with it and not let frustration fester. This team needs that.

Frank from The Bend

1:53

I’m hoping Ethan Robert’s can replace the outside shooting of Certa,!what’s your thoughts?

Tom Noie

1:53

Let me add that having a capable inside presence in Logan Duncomb should allow everything to flow a little easier - freer. Notre Dame will look to get Duncomb a low-post touch to start most nights. He can score down low, draw fouls and get to the foul line (and make free throws) better than any post the Irish have under during Micah Shrewsberry's tenure. That matters.

1:25

Very little. We've been told that the ball moves on offense and they want to play up-tempo, but the stats from the exhibitions don't necessarily reflect that. They scored 65 and 71 points, so getting to 75 routinely may not be so routine. This team will struggle to guard given the lack of quickness/athleticism. There will be nights when everything looks good because shots are falling, others where they may not have enough to keep pace.

Jim Reagan, Charlottesville, VA

1:24

Hi Tom & All. Great Chat! Tom, what have you learned/heard about the Head Coach’s X’s and O’s: the Offense and Defense that he teaches and the players play? Might we see change for the better this Season? This Season

Tom Noie

12:38

Frank: It may not be THE reason but when Micah Shrewsberry is no longer the coach of Notre Dame basketball and I have to offer up five reasons why, the fact that he (and everyone else in the athletic department) decided it would be wise/good/appropriate for him to be ONLY the basketball coach and create such a trench between the program and the fan base will be one. You have to sell your program, even if you believe it beneath you. He decided not to do it, and now it's too late. The connection is severed, maybe permanently. Somebody at Notre Dame should've known better. Nobody did.

Frank from The Bend

12:35

I’m seconding some of what Tim from Chicago said. Shrewsbury took over as coach and his program disappeared from the fanbase. No engagement with the fans what so ever. How can you get behind a team that you can’t get to know. Radio show, gone. Preseason meet and greet, gone. Signing of autographs for the kids, gone. Maybe that’s why the arena get 4,000 fans.

Tom Noie

12:35

Robert: Always great to talks hoops over at Eck Center. Look forward to it all year - for the questions and for the fact that it means it's basketball season! All the best my man..

Robert from Mishawaka

12:34

Just wanted to say that I enjoyed your basketball preview last week. Your breakdown of the roster and answers to the questions were informative and eye opening. Keep up the good work and helping us fans know the status of the program.

Tom Noie

11:56

Bob: Beyond crazy. Yes, college athletes should receive SOME compensation for everything they do, but to have to spend AT LEAST $15 million to field a team that has a legit chance to get to the Final Four is preposterous. Same with football. $50 million? $60? When/where does it end?

Bob from Chicago

11:54

Tom, just a comment. I know I'm old and out of touch, but $6.8 million NIL is a lot of money for 13 schoilarship players on a team with low expectations. It's crazy how much these guys are making.

Tom Noie

11:04

Tim: Understood. We'll save a spot for you when this swings back around the other direction! We beat hacks don't get the choice to be all-in or all-out. Each season offers its own intrigue. This one will be no exception.

Tim from Chicago

11:03

Hi Tom, thanks for another year of covering ND hoops for us. I've been following the team since I was a freshman in '93 and remember when you hopped on board in the late 90's. Ever since Mcleod left, I can't remember a year where the fans seem to be less enthusiastic for a season to start, can you? Appreciate you trying to get us excited with a chat and with some player storylines, but they just aren't must watch tv for me anymore, sadly. I know it's the nature of college basketball these days, but I just can't seem to get excited over a group of transfers that I know nothing about. Maybe they will grow on me over the course of the season. Looking forward to your coverage this year.

Tom Noie

11:02

DePaul doesn't have anywhere near the consistent revenue streams as Notre Dame. Not even close. Notre Dame could go as deep as needed for basketball NIL. It could be Duke. It could be Louisville. Heck, it could be Virginia. Notre Dame prints money. It just chooses not to spend it.

Frank from The Bend

11:00

I recently read where DePauls coach restructured his contract to provide more NIL money to the program, maybe Shrewsbury should consider that.

Tom Noie

11:00

Easy question, not an easy answer. It's just this. Or just because of that. Part of it stems from Notre Dame still holding to the four-for-forever notion. That and student-athletes. They're athletes-athletes. Notre Dame feels like it must pay whatever needed for football. That's the school's identity. We get it. It draws the line at basketball - we're paying $40 million plus for the football roster. We're not about to pay $10 million plus for basketball. We're an academic institution, not an athletic one. It also hasn't helped that Notre Dame basketball has often done more with less. Admin figures, they can do that again. Not the way of the college athletics world any more.

Guest

10:57

Hi Tom, It is very concerning to see the lack of NIL investment for ND hoops. I agree with your comment in a recent article that ND needs to win a National Championship in football and then they will focus on hoops. However, that is risky. What do you believe is the reason for the lack of investment ? Is it due to no belief in the head coach? I will be there for the hime

Tom Noie

10:38

Hey, Patrick, try it from my end!

No connection to players? Welcome to college athletics. This is what happens when it becomes more about the $$$ and less about the front of the jersey. Just be thankful you were able to see the Jerian Grants and the Pat Connaughtons and Bonzie Colsons when you did. Notre Dame couldn't afford those 2015 and 2016 teams today. For every college basketball program, it's a one-year deal. Figure out how to best maximize it this year, then do it again in the spring. That's college athletics now. Unbreakable NIL deals? That's a good one. That would basically make basketball players employees, right?

Patrick Nolan

10:35

I've written recaps of the vast majority of Irish games the last couple seasons and I'm feeling a little burnt out by the thought that this is the least excited I've been for an Irish season in my lifetime. It's not because of the losing (okay, well, there's that), but because of this portal landscape that prevents us from following a cast of players through their college career. There's no more Jerian Grants, Pat Connaughtons, even guys from less-celebrated seasons like Dane Goodwins and Prentiss Hubbs. Everyone except the coach's kids feels like they could be one-and-done at the school. I'm walking into this feeling no connection to most of the players on the roster, and hesitate to get too invested in any of them knowing that it's all too likely they'll be gone next year. Is there any end in sight to guys just jumping around from year to year? When will multi-year unbreakable NIL deals be on the table to keep guys at the same school?

Tom Noie

10:35

Graduate student power forward Logan Duncomb was hurt in what looked to be a non-contact situation running up the floor against Dayton in the October 17 exhibition game. He didn't play last week against DePaul. The day before the DePaul game, Duncomb was moving around with no noticeable limp - or sleeve/brace on his leg, so there's that. Micah Shrewsberry indicated that Duncomb is day-to-day (like all of us) and seemed to hint that he may not be ready for Sunday, but that it's a long season. Stay tuned. Notre Dame remains at the bottom of the ACC and the bottom of the power-conference schools for NIL (around $6.8 million). It's a challenge to win that way, but Micah Shrewsberry did next to nothing his first three seasons to endear himself to the fan base. Might be too late in that regard.

Guest

10:31

Status on Logan Dumbcombs health! Or tbd. Additionally it annoys me when people don’t like shrewsberry when it’s impossible for him to win with our NIL budget. Maybe give the guy a fighting chance athletic department. When will we see an increase in NIL?

Tom Noie

10:11

Bob: Great question, but still To Be Determined on both. The exhibitions were too small a sample size to watch Bryce Ruglass Dortch and Devin Brown and say, ah, ha, I get it. I see it. Both are sort of X factors who can influence games with stuff other than scoring. Rebound. Defend. Move the ball. Make a hustle play that otherwise might not be made. The combination of Ruglass Dortch and Yoro Diallo are reserve power forwards. Both are 6-foot-9 but limited from an offensive skill sense. How much either plays might be dictated by how good Brady Koehler is. Devin Brown might play a lot some nights, others not so much given the logjam of perimeter guys already on the roster. He went about 15 minutes against DePaul with all zeroes on his stat line before getting three rebounds. This is no roster for empty minutes, something we've seen too much of in seasons past.

Bob from Chicago

10:07

Tom, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Ruglass Dortch and Brown? In what situations might they be needed? Will one play more than the other? Thanks

Tom Noie

10:07

Mike: I get it. I'm the same way. Like, we're going to get to league play in January and February and see something we've not seen in too long instead of seeing the same old stuff. The retooled roster should help. Cannot stress enough that Notre Dame needed to get out of the Markus Burton business. And maybe the Jalen Haralson business. It needed to get older and honestly, grow up. Maybe the grownups now around Rolfs Hall get it. The ball still needs to move better. The turnovers needs to be decreased and there will be nights when this team is challenged athletically and offensively, but there might also be nights like the other one at DePaul when you're like, yeah, that was good. Can we have just a little more good around these parts? Please?

Mike in St Pete

10:04

Much like Charlie Brown staring down that football, I innocently keep my optimism that THIS will be the year that I will be able to enjoy ND hoops again. Just knowing that the offense isn't going to be "give the ball to Marcus and clear out" on every possession is a great start

Tom Noie

9:21

Clint: I'll be covering Sunday's game between Notre Dame and Villanova from the comforts of the home office. Try convincing the decision-makers that yes, it makes total financial sense (especially given what might be coming post-season for Notre Dame football) to cover an Irish basketball team that is a combined 41-56 over the last three seasons. In this day and age of the newspaper business, we must choose wisely how to spend our money. Going to Rome this week is not a wise financial move.

Clint from Winnipeg

9:18

When does your flight to Rome leave?

Tom Noie

9:15

Notre Dame underperforms like last year and Pete Bevacqua fires Micah Shrewsberry (100 percent); Notre Dame underperforms like last year and keeps Micah Shrewsberry (0 percent); Notre Dame performs to expectations and increases NIL and portal support for Shrewsberry (70 percent); Notre Dame overperforms and Shrewsberry leaves because Notre Dame doesn’t want to match offers from other schools (less than zero percent).

9:13

Stephen: I think I understand the question, but for clarity's sake, I'll assign percentages to the four outcomes not based on any belief that they WILL happen, but percentages based on IF any of the four happen. Just don't want to be aggregated as - the South Bend Tribune believes 100 percent that .... With that, on to my percentage guesses...

Stephen from New aorleans

9:11

Tom, can you assign percentages to the following: ND underperforms like last year and Bevacqua fires Shrewsberry; Notre Dame underperforms like last year and keeps Shrewsberry;; Notre Dame performs to expectations and increases NIL and portal support for Shrewsberry ; Notre Dame overperforms and Shrewsberry leaves because ND doesn’t want to match offers from other schools.

Tom Noie

8:56

Notre Dame, if and when it decides to move on, likely will do so with more money emphasis on the roster, meaning, the next head coach (whenever that happens to be) likely won't be a name guy or a known guy but a happy to be here guy. Not sure that's the best next step. Not sure what the next step is for a program that isn't going to spend more than the absolute minimum on its roster. The head coach is a big piece to why this Notre Dame puzzle looks the way it looks, but the head coach isn't the only piece. Everything about Notre Dame basketball needs to be addressed when change is needed.

8:53

You're out on Micah Shrewsberry before the Irish even play a game. I get it. You're out on Notre Dame basketball before the Irish even lose a game. Again, totally understandable given what we've had to sit through the last three seasons. But it would be beat writer/columnist malpractice to start lining up potential replacements ... on October 29. Not fair to Notre Dame. Not fair to everyone else in college basketball. We could throw out five, 10, 15, 65 names - and still not have any clue what direction (if any) Pete Bevacqua might go sometime next spring. Here's the thing - for those of you (and there are a lot of you) who believe it best to move on from Micah Shrewsberry, be careful what you wish for. Programs like Notre Dame who find themselves stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place when it comes to generating money to compete in college basketball are faced with a hard truth - either they're going to spend that money on a roster or spend it on a head coach. There's not enough for both.

Heartbroken ND Fan

8:49

I respect Shrews and what he tried to do here but the writing is on the wall. Who do you think we should go after when this inevitable story writes itself?

Tom Noie

8:40

Kyle: A women's question ... like it. Right now, I'd say Notre Dame is a player short of getting all the way to the national championship game. A lot of freshmen will have to grow up a lot in the coming weeks. But if last year's team can get to the Elite Eight , anything is possible. Especially when you have No. 3 working her magic.

Kyle Sheaff

8:39

Will Notre Dame fighting Irish women’s basketball team makes it to the national championship game in April of 2027 before Hannah Hidalgo heads off to declare for the WNBA draft in New York City? Since I’ll definitely will miss my favorite number one player Hannah Hidalgo when she heads off to the WNBA draft in New York City a lot so much in my heart too

Tom Noie

8:39

John: Understand the pessimism given what we've seen the last three seasons, but everything about this program feels a little different than same old, same old. This group is older and believes it will be better. Remember asking Ethan Roberts why he would go from a program that went to the NCAA Tournament last season (Penn) for one that has zero shot to go this year, and he was rather offended that everyone was already writing off Notre Dame basketball ... in April. Micah Shrewsberry has said he's changed the way he operates. Let's see it. Everyone inside Rolfs Hall believes this season will be different. It will be interesting. That right there should hold your interest!

John

8:36

ND alum - watch all the games out here in CA - don’t remember a time I’ve been leas enthusiastic about a season - have a couple of reasons why I should watch this year?

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