Notre Dame gets one more tune-up before the calendar turns to a much bigger name.
The Fighting Irish, off to a 3-0 start, host South Carolina State on Wednesday evening in South Bend, Ind. It’s the second game in three days for Notre Dame, and after that comes a five-day pause before a matchup with No. 1 Florida on Nov. 17 in the Players Era Festival.
Even with the unbeaten record, Micah Shrewsberry isn’t handing out any free passes. Notre Dame rolled past Eastern Illinois by 24 points on Monday, but the Irish coach made it clear there’s still plenty he wants cleaned up.
“There’s things that we want to keep working on, we’ve got to keep better at,” Shrewsberry said. “As coaches, we’re all so negative all the time, and sometimes you leave a game and you’re like, ‘Man, that didn’t feel good.’
And then you look (at the box score) -- we forced 23 turnovers, we got 17 steals. But I still think we could be better defensively. ...
“Winning is hard, and we’re always going to celebrate winning. But it gives us a good chance to know that we’ve still got room to grow as a group.”
Notre Dame has been getting production from the top of its rotation. Brady Koehler leads the way at 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, while Braeden Shrewsberry is averaging 14.7 points and Ethan Roberts is right behind him at 14.3.
Then there’s Logan Duncomb, who erupted for 20 points on a flawless 9-for-9 shooting night in the last game. He pointed to the Irish depth as a big reason the scoring has been spread around.
“Our team is so good that it can be anyone’s night, any night,” Duncomb said. “I expected this to come eventually. We’ve been playing well together, so I wasn’t worried about it.”
South Carolina State comes in with a perfect record of its own after wins over NAIA member Morris, South Carolina Upstate and Chicago State. This will be the Bulldogs’ third game in a five-game road swing, with tougher opponents lined up later in the season.
In a preseason news release, head coach Erik Martin said, “Playing teams such as Notre Dame, Wichita State, West Virginia and South Carolina will test us and help us grow as a team,” Martin said. “Our goal is to continue improving throughout the season, compete at a high level every night and be playing our best basketball when conference play and the MEAC tournament arrive.”
Noah Treadwell leads South Carolina State with 15.7 points per game. Teon Tindal is averaging 9.7 points, and Mitchell Taylor adds 9.0.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Got Dragged Into ESPNs Latest CFP Ranking Debate
Stephen A. Smiths latest take on the College Football Playoff rankings quickly turned into more than just another ESPN debate, and Notre Dame got pulled right into the middle of it. Smith questioned whether Utah belonged at No. 2, arguing the Utes had not stacked up enough quality wins and saying Alabama should be in the top 5 instead, a stance that immediately set off a familiar round of pushback online.
The response on social media was swift, with critics accusing Smith of bias and dragging Notre Dame into the comparison by pointing out how its schedule stacks up against Utahs. The larger issue, as usual, is less about one ranking and more about the way ESPNs college football coverage gets read through the lens of perceived favoritism, especially when the Irish are part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freeman May Have A New Answer For Notre Dames Secondary
Marcus Freemans latest update on Notre Dames secondary points to a possible late-season boost, even if the timeline remains fuzzy. The Irish are working through how to bring safety Brauntae Johnson back into the mix after his injury, and the discussion around his return is already shaping how the defense might look if and when he is ready to play.
The appeal is obvious: Johnson could give Notre Dame a chance to roll out three safeties at once with Luke Talich and Joey OBrien, a useful option with injuries thinning the cornerback room. For now, though, Freeman has not put a timetable on Johnsons return, and the expectation is that any real impact may not come until late in the season or even the College Football Playoff. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Mourns A Beloved Voice Fans Had Just Welcomed Back
Notre Dame fans are mourning the loss of a familiar and beloved voice after longtime NBC Sports broadcaster Dan Hicks died at 64. Hicks was widely known for his work around Fighting Irish football, along with his coverage of the PGA Tour and Olympic events, and his death was announced by Golf Channel broadcaster Rich Lerner before being confirmed by his wife, Hannah Storm.
For Notre Dame viewers, Hicks was part of the soundtrack of fall Saturdays and a steady presence across major sporting moments for years. NBC Sports and others have already paid tribute to his career and the way he helped shape big-event broadcasting, leaving the Irish community reflecting on how quickly a voice they had just welcomed back can be gone. [Read more 🡒]