Notre Dame Shows Progress, But Growing Pains Remain After Mixed Results in Vegas
Notre Dame’s return to the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas brought a bit of redemption-and a healthy dose of reality. After going winless in the inaugural event last year, the Fighting Irish managed to notch a win this time around, taking down Rutgers 68-63.
But the rest of the week reminded them just how far they still have to go, falling by double digits to No. 21 Kansas and No.
8 Houston.
So, how did head coach Micah Shrewsberry feel about it all?
“I guess that would be a C,” he said.
A passing grade, sure. But just barely.
A Step Forward, But Still a Long Way to Go
Notre Dame’s lone win over Rutgers was a sign of progress, especially considering how last year’s trip to Vegas ended. But the two losses-first to Kansas, then to Houston-highlighted some familiar issues.
Against the Jayhawks, the Irish couldn’t buy a bucket from deep, shooting just 16.7% from three (4-for-24). Kansas also dominated the glass, pulling down 10 more rebounds, which gave them a clear edge in second-chance opportunities.
The Houston game, though, was the real gut check. Notre Dame found itself in a 26-4 hole midway through the first half. It wasn’t just a slow start-it was an avalanche.
“I dunno if we were too hyped up to play, too jittery,” Shrewsberry said. “But I told those guys at halftime, there were no adjustments to be made until we reached the right competition level. Once we started competing, then you can talk about adjustments.”
To their credit, the Irish didn’t fold. They clawed back and cut the deficit to four-twice-midway through the second half. But each time, Houston responded, including a backbreaking 10-2 run that sealed the deal.
The Details That Define Games
Shrewsberry isn’t questioning his team’s effort. He sees a group that wants to compete. But he’s also seeing a team still learning how to match their energy to the moment-and how to lock in when it matters most.
“We cut it to four points and give up an offensive rebound,” he said. “Everybody gives up offensive rebounds, but in the guts of the game, those might be the most important plays. Those little details are where we need to increase the most right now.”
That theme-attention to detail-showed up in the box score, too. Across the two losses, Notre Dame totaled just 16 assists while turning it over 14 times. That’s not a winning formula, especially for a team that isn’t going to overwhelm opponents with raw talent.
“How many extra passes did we make in Vegas?” Shrewsberry asked.
“I could probably count it on my hand in three games. That’s who we have to be.
We’re not going to out-talent people. We’ve got to out-team people.”
Big Challenge Coming to South Bend
There’s not much time for Notre Dame to regroup. On Tuesday night, the undefeated Missouri Tigers (8-0) come to town as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. Missouri enters ranked 30th in KenPom’s net rating-well ahead of Notre Dame at No. 73-and brings serious size and scoring punch.
All five of Missouri’s top scorers stand 6-foot-3 or taller, including 6-foot-9 guard Mark Mitchell, who’s averaging 17.1 points per game. That length, combined with their paint dominance, makes them a tough matchup. Missouri ranks top-five nationally in both two-point shooting percentage and offensive rebounding.
“They’re a big team. We’ve played big teams,” Shrewsberry said.
“They’ve been great in the paint. That’s an area where we’ve got to get better.
We didn’t handle it well against Kansas. Against Houston.
This is the next chance to see how we rebound better against a team that’s big. We have some big guys, too.
They’ve got to play big.”
Lessons in the Losses
Despite the losses, Shrewsberry sees value in what his team experienced in Vegas. Going toe-to-toe with ranked opponents offered a real-time lesson in what it takes to compete at a high level.
“Sometimes that’s your greatest experience,” he said. “I sat in the locker room and told Tommy Ahneman-he’s not playing right now-I hope you’re watching these dudes, and you see how hard you’ve got to compete, how physical the game needs to be.
It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘I can do that.’ It’s a lot harder when you get out there and get into the mix.”
For a young team still developing its identity, those moments matter. They’re the building blocks for what Shrewsberry hopes will be a stronger, more connected group by the time ACC play rolls around.
The Road Ahead
After Tuesday’s game against Missouri, Notre Dame hits the road for a one-off matchup at TCU (5-2) on Friday. The Horned Frogs sit at No. 50 in KenPom and represent another tough-but winnable-test for the Irish.
If Notre Dame can go 2-0 this week, it would give them momentum heading into a favorable three-game home stand against Idaho (Dec. 10), Evansville (Dec. 13), and Purdue Fort Wayne (Dec. 21)-all ranked outside the KenPom top 230.
That stretch could be pivotal. Because once conference play begins with a trip to Northern California on Dec. 30, the margin for error shrinks.
The Irish will need to improve on last season’s 8-12 ACC record if they want to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. And while November doesn’t define a season, it does lay the foundation.
“I’ve been around teams that were okay in November and got really good later,” Shrewsberry said. “I’ve seen teams that were great in November and terrible at the end. It doesn’t write your story.”
He added: “We’ve lost to Ohio State, Kansas, and Houston. No shame in that.
But we’re competitors. We want to win every time we’re out there.”
The message is clear: progress is happening-but the clock is ticking.