Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 12, 2026 47 BY TYLER JAMES B rady Koehler didn't feel the need to jump ship after one season with Notre Dame men's basketball. While six of his former teammates found exits via the transfer portal this spring, Koehler chose to stay the course with Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry. "Just because we had one bad season, my faith in Coach Shrews coming in didn't change," Koehler said. "Just be- cause we had one bad year and all those guys left, I still have faith in the staff and the guys that they brought in. I believe we can do things." Koehler signed with Notre Dame in Shrewsberry's 2025 recruiting class out of Indianapolis Cathedral High School, the alma mater of Shrewsberry himself. The relationship between the two dates back even prior to Koehler receiving a scholar- ship offer from the Irish in January 2024. Koehler, whom the Rivals Industry Ranking pegged as the No. 15 power forward and No. 78 overall in the 2025 class, showed glimpses as a freshman last season of the potential Shrews- berry saw in him. Koehler averaged 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds while playing 16.0 minutes per game and shooting 50.7 percent on 2-point shots (35 of 69), 38.2 percent on 3-pointers (21 of 55) and 73.9 percent from the free throw line (34 of 46). He led the Irish in blocks (22) and was tied for the lead in steals (20). "Just his belief and the relationship I have with him," Koehler said of why he still has faith in Shrewsberry. "I know he's a great guy, and he believes in me as a player. So, it makes it easier to go do what he thinks I can do." The 6-foot-10, 205-pound Koehler witnessed all the tweaks Shrewsberry tried to make during last season's unsuc- cessful 13-18 season. The lack of success — and a third consecutive losing season for Notre Dame — wasn't for a lack of trying. That didn't make the end of the season any easier. The new version of the Notre Dame men's basketball team will carry the disappointment of failing to even qualify for the ACC Tournament last year. "It would be hard not to be fueled by that," Koehler said. "Walking off the court at Boston College knowing the season's over and we don't even get a chance to play in the ACC tourney, that's such a disappointment. Nobody wants to feel that disappointment again." The coaching staff and the six players who returned from last season have ex- pressed the pain they felt to the 10 new- comers — six transfers and four freshmen — so everyone on the team has the same motivation to improve. Koehler is taking on more of a leadership role this season, but he knows the value of having return- ing seniors like Braeden Shrewsberry and Logan Imes still around the program to help take the next step forward. "It's both their l a s t ye a rs , a n d they have the same b e l i e f," Ko e h l e r s a i d . " We h ave to change things around. The fact that they've been here all four years now, they know what to do, what to expect. Having those guys be able to lead and lead these new guys that are coming in it makes it a lot easier, a lot smoother." Koehler started to lead by example when he stayed on campus in May be- yond the end of the semester. That left Koehler and Braeden Shrewsberry as the only returning players still hanging around Rolfs Athletics Hall. "When everybody left, [Koehler] was here for a couple of weeks by himself," Micah Shrewsberry said. "Not by himself, Braeden was here. But, like, no kids are on campus and it's just him. And he did a good job of working and getting stronger and building and working on his game." The growth Koehler makes by No- vember should greatly impact the outlook for the Irish. He's focused on becoming more aggressive in his sopho- more season. "I felt like last year I kind of stood around a lot," Koehler said. "This year I can take a bigger role in having the ball in my hands a little bit more and getting to the rim, g e t t i n g f o u l e d , just being more involved." With one season under his belt, the transition to a big- ger role should be more natural. "A freshman year is a little bit more difficult, because you're kind of getting a feel for the game speed and what your role is on the court," Koehler said. "But now I kind of know what to expect. I know how the other teams are going to play and what type of defenses there are. So, it makes it a lot easier. I can fo- cus more on the game and the reads." ✦ Brady Koehler Stays The Course MEN'S B A S K E T B A L L Koehler, a sophomore forward, might be the most important returner for Notre Dame men's basketball. Last year, Koehler led the Irish in blocks (22) and was tied for the team lead in steals (20). PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER "Just because we had one bad season, my faith in Coach Shrews coming in didn't change. … I believe we can do things." KOEHLER