Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547434
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 7, 2026 53 BY JACK SOBLE B raeden Smith dealt with a minor injury during Notre Dame's media- viewing summer practice, so for that day, he became a coach. Smith constantly directed traffic from the sideline during the five-on-five por- tion of practice, occasionally pulling his new teammates aside to offer advice. The transfer from Gonzaga does that when he's healthy, too, to the point where Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry consid- ers him a "coach on the court." "He and I watch a lot of film together," Shrewsberry said Oct. 14. "Just me and him. Talking through scenarios, situ- ations, and that's been really good and helpful. So now, he's also preaching that same message of what we need to do in different situations." Smith, who spent two sea- sons at Colgate and won Pa- triot League Player of the Year before his time at Gonzaga, is Notre Dame's new point guard. And that's something that, af- ter an offseason of watching him work, the Irish are thrilled about. There is still a great deal of love in Rolfs Athletics Hall for Markus Burton, whom Smith replaced after the Mishawaka native transferred to Indiana. Anyone in the building will tell you that Burton was a great teammate, a relentless compet- itor and a winner, and they'll root for him when he debuts with the Hoosiers this season. But privately, there is also a belief that Smith is a better fit for what the Irish need. Burton was a tremendous scorer at all three levels, but Smith, whose assist rate cracked the top 75 nationally last season with the Bulldogs, is the better floor general. With the way Notre Dame needs to score the basketball this season — i.e., shooting — there's a case to be made that Smith will help form a better of- fense at the point. "He's a big part of what we do, be- cause he gets the other guys going," Shrewsberry said. "He gets the other guys involved. "He can score himself, but he is get- ting Braeden Shrewsberry shots in tran- sition. He's finding ways to get Brady Koehler involved. He's getting the ball into the post for Logan [Duncomb] and Tommy [Ahneman]. He kind of sets the table for everybody. So I think as he goes, I think we'll go." Smith's impact was apparent during Notre Dame's 71-63 exhibition victory over DePaul Oct. 23, its final test be- fore opening its season against Villa- nova Nov. 1 in Rome, Italy. He scored 17 points, hitting 3 shots from beyond the arc. He dished out only 2 assists, but that was largely due to his teammates missing the open looks he gave them. For Remade Irish, Optimism Centers Around New Point Guard MEN'S B A S K E T B A L L Braeden Smith — a transfer from Gonzaga who also won Patriot League Player of the Year honors during his two seasons playing at Colgate — brings experience and steady leadership to the Irish backcourt. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS 2026-27 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Nov. 1 vs. Villanova! (FOX) 9:30 a.m. Nov. 5 Mercyhurst (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Nov. 9 Eastern Illinois (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Nov. 11 South Carolina State (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Nov. 17 vs. Florida^ (ESPN) 4:30 p.m. Nov. 18 vs. Houston or Rutgers^ (ESPN) TBA Nov. 19 vs. TBD^ (ESPN) TBA Nov. 24 Central Michigan (ACCNX) 8 p.m. Nov. 28 Stonehill (ACCNX) 8 p.m. Dec. 2 Vanderbilt# (ACCN) 7:15 p.m. Dec. 5 TCU (ESPNU) 2 p.m. Dec. 8 Long Island (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Dec. 12 Ohio State (ACCN) 2:30 p.m. Dec. 21 Le Moyne (ACCNX) 2 p.m. Dec. 30 Stanford* (ACCN) 2 p.m. Jan. 6 Virginia Tech* (ACCN) 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at Georgia Tech* (ACCN) 12:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at Wake Forest* (ACCN) 7 p.m. Jan. 16 California* (ACCN) 2 p.m. Jan. 20 Pittsburgh* (ESPN2/U) 7 p.m. Jan. 23 at Duke* (The CW) 2:15 p.m. Jan. 26 at Florida State* (ACCN) 7 p.m. Jan. 30 SMU* (ACCN) 12:30 p.m. Feb. 2 North Carolina* (ESPN/2) 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at Boston College* (ACCN) 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Virginia* (ACCN) 2 p.m. Feb. 17 Wake Forest* (ACCN) 9 p.m. Feb. 20 at Miami* (ACCN) 4:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at NC State* (ACCN) 7 p.m. Feb. 27 Syracuse* (The CW) 8 p.m. March 2 at Clemson* (ESPN2/U/ACCN) 7 p.m. March 6 Boston College* (ACCN) 2 p.m. ! Rome, Italy; ^ Players Era in Las Vegas; # ACC/SEC Challenge; *ACC game