Micah Shrewsberry gets a fresh start with 10 new players on this season’s roster at Notre Dame

Notre Dame (13-18, 4-14 ACC)

Nobody should be more ecstatic about a new season than coach Micah Shrewsberry. After losing his top player to injury in Game 10, enduring two five-game losing streaks, missing the ACC tourney, apologizing for charging after an official and tearing an Achilles tendon, Shrewsberry was due for a fresh start. He has 10 new players, more experience and a first-of-its-kind Nov. 1 opener against Villanova in Rome. Shrewsberry hopes a trip to the famed Trevi Fountain provides some better luck. If Pope Leo XIV’s beloved White Sox can rebound from three straight 100-loss seasons to make baseball’s playoffs, maybe he can help the Fighting Irish, too.

Players to watch

Basketball fans in the Hoosier State will see another 6-foot senior point guard named Braeden Smith — just not the NCAA’s career assists leader. This one is a transfer from Gonzaga who may help Notre Dame solve its turnover woes. … Logan Duncomb, a 6-foot-10 center, returns to the state where he started his college career (Indiana). He could be the program’s top post player in years. … Shrewsberry also has two sons on the team. Braeden is the team’s top returning scorer at 11.9 points who has topped the 1,000-point mark. Nick was a 2026 Indiana prep All-Star.

Departures and arrivals

In addition to Smith and Duncomb, the transfer portal also landed all-Atlantic 10 Rookie Team guard Devin Brown, who started 27 games last season at Davidson and Ethan Roberts, a 6-5 swingman, who scored 16.9 and earned second team all-Ivy League honors last season on Penn’s NCAA Tourney team. … The top freshmen are the younger Shrewsberry and prep school teammates Jonathan Sanderson, a 6-3 guard, and Gan-Erdene Solongo, a 7-foot center. … The Irish lost their top three scorers — guards Markus Burton (18.5 points), Jalen Haralson (16.2 points) and Cole Certa (12.8) — in the transfer portal.

Top games

The Irish host Mercyhurst in their home opener Nov. 5 and open ACC play by hosting Stanford on Dec. 30. In between, they play three games in Las Vegas, opening against Florida. Notre Dame also has a school record nine consecutive home games, a stretch that includes games Dec. 2 against Vanderbilt, Dec. 5 against TCU and Dec. 12 against Ohio State. They visit Duke on Jan. 23 and host North Carolina on Feb. 2.

Facts and figures

Shrewsberry is 41-56 in three seasons with the Irish after going 37-31 in two seasons at Penn State. … Duncomb was the 2025-26 Big South Player of the Year. The Winthrop star was third in the league in scoring (18.9) and second in rebounding (8.9) … Tommy Ahneman, a 6-10 center, is expected to play this year after missing all of last season, his first in college, with a left knee injury.

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