Notre Dame Heads to Chapel Hill Searching for a Statement Win in a Chaotic ACC
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The ACC has been anything but predictable this season. From top to bottom, the league has leveled up, and Notre Dame is feeling every bit of that pressure.
The Irish roll into Chapel Hill at 10-8 overall and just 1-4 in conference play, still trying to find their identity without standout point guard Markus Burton and senior big man Kebba Njie. And with the conference race wide open, there’s no better time for a breakthrough - especially at a venue that’s historically been a house of horrors for the Irish.
Notre Dame is just 1-10 all-time at the Dean Smith Center, with its lone win coming back in 2015 - a one-point thriller that helped spark the program’s run to its first ACC Tournament championship. A win Monday night would not only snap a four-game skid but also mark a defining moment for a team still trying to find its footing in a loaded league.
North Carolina, meanwhile, is coming off a bumpy West Coast swing, dropping games to Stanford and Cal. The Tar Heels sit at 14-4 overall but just 2-3 in ACC play, and they’ll be eager to get back on track in front of their home crowd.
Tar Heels Bring Firepower and Physicality
UNC is led by a dynamic trio that’s been doing serious damage this season. Caleb Wilson is the headliner, averaging 19.7 points and 10.6 boards per game - a double-double machine who brings it on both ends. Henri Veesaar (17.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and Seth Trimble (15.0 ppg) round out a three-headed scoring threat that will test Notre Dame’s defense at every level.
Expect a war on the glass. These are two of the ACC’s best rebounding teams, with UNC ranking fourth in rebound margin (+7.7) and Notre Dame not far behind at sixth (+6.7). Second-chance points could swing this one.
Life Without Burton: Adjusting on the Fly
The numbers tell the story of how much Notre Dame misses Markus Burton’s presence. With him on the floor, the Irish averaged 76.6 points per game, shot 47.3% from the field, and dished out 13.5 assists per night.
Without him, those numbers dip across the board - just 69.4 points per game, 43.4% shooting, and a turnover margin that’s gone from manageable to problematic (-4.8). The offense is still trying to recalibrate, and it’s been a bumpy ride.
Jalen Haralson: Stepping Into the Spotlight
Freshman Jalen Haralson has taken on a bigger role in Burton’s absence, and he’s responded like a veteran. The 6-7 guard leads the Irish in scoring during ACC play (14.8 ppg) and has been remarkably efficient - hitting 53.8% of his shots over the last four games. He had a 15-game double-digit scoring streak snapped against Virginia Tech, but his recent stretch includes three games with at least 17 points.
Haralson has a knack for setting the tone early. Against Clemson, Cal, and Miami, he combined to go 10-for-13 in the first 10 minutes of those games, scoring 27 points in that span. He’s not just filling in - he’s emerging as a cornerstone.
On the season, Haralson is averaging 14.7 points - fifth among ACC freshmen - and ranks 10th in the league in field goal percentage (.489 overall, .491 in conference play). He’s been especially effective inside, converting nearly 70% of his looks within 4.5 feet and shooting over 51% on two-pointers. He also leads the team in free throw attempts, getting to the line nearly six times per game.
Brady Koehler and Ryder Frost Provide a Spark
Another freshman, Brady Koehler, is coming off his best game in a Notre Dame uniform. He poured in 17 points - 15 of them in the second half - and was efficient across the board: 5-for-7 from the field, 2-for-3 from deep, and 5-for-6 at the stripe. He’s also been quietly effective in the midrange, where he’s shooting 53.8%.
Ryder Frost brought energy off the bench against Miami, rattling off seven straight points - including back-to-back threes - in a key stretch. For a team looking for consistent scoring options, these contributions matter.
Shrewsberry Heating Up from Deep
Braeden Shrewsberry has been lights out from beyond the arc. He leads the ACC in three-point percentage at 42.7% - a mark that also ranks 23rd nationally - and is hitting 2.8 threes per game (fourth in the conference).
His favorite spot? The corner, where he’s knocking down a blistering 52.9%.
He recently joined elite company, becoming just the 14th player in Notre Dame history to hit 200 career threes. His best outing came against Evansville, when he dropped a career-high 26 points on 8-of-10 shooting from deep. That performance tied him for the seventh-most threes in a game in program history.
Other Irish Contributors Making Noise
Cole Certa has found his rhythm from deep, going 9-for-22 from three over the last four games and scoring 46 points in that stretch. He’s averaging 10.2 points in ACC play, second on the team behind Haralson. Certa also started the season a perfect 27-for-27 from the free-throw line and is still shooting an impressive 95.2% (40-for-42) on the year.
Sir Mohammed is another name to watch. He’s coming off a 15-point outing against Miami - his second-highest total of the season - and has been efficient around the rim, converting 51.9% of his shots in the paint.
Milestone Watch and the Road Ahead
Notre Dame is inching closer to a major milestone - just 12 wins away from 2,000 all-time victories, which would make them the eighth program to hit that mark. But before looking too far ahead, the Irish need to focus on the task at hand: competing in a tough ACC and finding ways to win without two of their most important pieces.
Their current NET ranking is 78, with a 2-6 record in Quad 1 games. They’ve gone 1-1 in Quad 2, 1-0 in Quad 3, and 6-1 in Quad 4. Monday night’s matchup in Chapel Hill is another Quad 1 opportunity - and a chance for this young Notre Dame squad to show it can hang with the ACC’s best, even in one of the toughest buildings in college basketball.
A win at the Smith Center wouldn’t just snap a losing streak - it would announce that the Irish, despite the adversity, are still very much in the fight.