Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 NOV. 9, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED But that extra talent also has given Shrewsberry reason to demand more hustle and pace from both the returners and the newcomers. "You're gonna have to play hard de- fensively," Shrewsberry said. "You're gonna have to compete on that end, and then I'm telling you to sprint on the other end and cut at a high rate. You can't do that and not get tired. "We're asking a lot of some guys to play at that rate, but it'll allow more guys to play." More guys, yes, but not everyone. Shrewsberry knows he's going to have to make some tough choices with where to cut off his rotation. The Irish have 13 scholarship players, all of whom bring something valuable to the table. Shrewsberry admitted he didn't know what to expect on the court from Chebuhar, but the graduate trans- fer from Lehigh has had an impressive offseason as a shooter and decision- maker with the basketball. But if Chebuhar plays, what does that mean for Sundra, a freshman forward? Or for senior wing J.R. Konieczny? These are difficult decisions to be made while Notre Dame goes through pre- season practice. "It doesn't matter how we split the teams," Shrewsberry said Oct. 1. "They're almost always pretty even." The Fighting Irish always track stats during their scrimmages, but they've also started to track wins and losses for each player. That matters as the season approaches. "This is a big point for us right now," Shrewsberry said. "How are we playing as a group, but how do different groups play well together? And that's how we kind of form who's gonna play." That's another departure from a year ago, when Notre Dame played nine players because that was all it had. Seven of them were completely new, and Shrewsberry had previously coached only one of them before. Seven of those nine are back, and un- like this time last year, they know what to do on a daily basis. Older players can coach younger players. The systems are installed, now it's about perfecting them. "Everything's completely different," Shrewsberry said. It sure seems that way, with mere weeks until Game 1. ✦ PROJECTING THE NOTRE DAME MEN'S BASKETBALL STARTING LINEUP Here is a breakdown of what Blue & Gold Illustrated believes will be Notre Dame's lineup to open the season: Guard: Markus Burton (So.) There are no questions about Burton's place in the starting lineup as long as he's at Notre Dame. The Irish won't ask him to do quite as much as he did last year from a ball-handling standpoint, but make no mistake, they know he's their star, and the rest of the ACC knows it, too. Guard: Braeden Shrewsberry (So.) The 2023-24 version of Shrewsberry — a red-hot three-point shooter when he's on, but not much else — is probably best served as a spark plug off the bench. But toward the end of last year, Shrewsberry showed flashes of becoming a more complete scorer. Throughout the offseason, he made even more progress. "I feel like I've definitely gotten better off the dribble," Shrewsberry said. "Mid-range, in the paint. Just trying to expand my game, you know?" He and Burton should form a potent backcourt duo for years to come. Guard: Matt Allocco (Gr.) Allocco looked very good during Notre Dame's open practice. He makes quick, confident decisions and they're usually the right ones. The Princeton transfer is a massive part of the plan to take the pressure off of Burton, and he knows it. "We want to alleviate a little bit of the burden he had, but obviously he's a really good player," Allocco said. "I think he's going to be able to create for other players as well, and hopefully I can be a part of that and help him out." That being said, the Irish quietly like the way Allocco plays with Shrewsberry, too. He combines what both youngsters do well — ball-handling (Burton) and shooting (Shrewsberry) — and adds much-needed experience to the backcourt. Forward: Tae Davis (Jr.) Davis is like Burton in that as long as he plays for Notre Dame, he will start. He's too important to the defense. Micah Shrewsberry said on multiple occasions last season that the Irish often set their defensive game plan by putting Davis on the opponent's best player and going from there. The 6-foot-9 wing also became a more aggressive scorer down the stretch last season. He has also made strides this offseason to improve his three-point shooting after he made just 18.4 percent last season. It's a matter of confidence going forward for Davis when he fires from beyond the arc. Forward: Kebba Njie (Jr.) BGI asked Njie at local media day Oct. 1 if he ever felt fully healthy and confident last year after injuring his hand shortly before the season opener. He said he did not. "It's night and day for me this year," Njie said. "I feel like a completely new person." It would be wise to approach Njie's second season with an open mind after he struggled offensively dur- ing Year 1. He looks more athletic than he did when he first arrived, and he should be an adept defender in a conference with several talented big men. Primary Reserves Truly, this part of the projection is a shot in the dark. Notre Dame has 13 scholarship players, and entering preseason camp, any one of them could have found their way into the rotation. Here is BGI's best guess for which reserves make up the back end of the rotation, at least early in the season. • Forward: Nikita Konstantynovskyi (Gr.). The Monmouth transfer is the only sure thing here. His physi- cality in the paint and dominance on the glass will make for a strong complement to Njie's athleticism. • Guard: Sir Mohammed (Fr.). Mohammed's ball-handling skills and high basketball IQ make him a ready- made contributor as a freshman. • Guard: Julian Roper II (Sr.). Roper was Notre Dame's sixth man down the stretch last year, when the Irish were playing well. He gets into trouble when he tries to play iso-ball on offense, but when he operates within his role, he's a valuable reserve. • Guard: J.R. Konieczny (Sr.). The South Bend St. Joseph graduate posted four double-doubles early last season before a foot injury slowed him down. If healthy, the Irish could use his height and effort on the wing. • Forward: Garrett Sundra (Fr.). Notre Dame has to pick its spots to use Sundra as a freshman, but this is a player the coaching staff likes a lot right now. He's 6-foot-11 with good movement skills and a three- point shot. — Jack Soble