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.

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.

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.

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.

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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