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Notre Dame basketball: Irish MBB poised to make a deeper run in 2022-23

By Brad Weiss

Feb 23, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley (0) goes up for a shot over Syracuse Orange guard Joseph Girard III (11) in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley (0) goes up for a shot over Syracuse Orange guard Joseph Girard III (11) in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame basketball team was eliminated in the Round of 32 on Sunday, but they should be back and ready to make an even deeper run next season.

For the 2021-22 Notre Dame basketball team, the season had its fair shares of highs and lows. First, it was a tough start out of the gate, as they lost four of their first seven games, before starting to find their groove. Their strong play began once coach Mike Brey put true freshman Blake Wesley into the starting lineup, and he rewarded his coach in a big way in his first start.

Playing against an eventual No. 2 seed in the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Wesley hit the game-winning shot against Kentucky, beginning a run that led the Irish to be one of the more consistent teams in the country. They would go on to win enough games in-conference to earn the No. 2 overall seed in the ACC Tournament, though they would end up losing in the quarterfinals.

Still, it was an exciting season for the Irish, as they earned a spot in the First Four, beating Rutgers before upsetting Alabama as an 11-seed in the Round of 64. Their season would end in the Round of 32 at the hands of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, but based on those players from this year’s team that have eligibility left, and a strong recruiting class coming in, the Irish are poised to make a serious run next season.

Notre Dame basketball has a lot of questions heading into 2022-23

It is possible that every player from the 2021-22 team could return, but that is only if Paul Atkinson Jr. is granted another year. Every other player is a junior or younger in terms of eligibility, though seven earned their degree during this past season.

Still, they could return, and with guys like J.J. Starling coming in, which is one of the best players in the country, the Irish would be deep and talented. Blake Wesley is considered a first-round talent for the 2022 NBA Draft, so he has a big decision to make, but one more year in South Bend may be what he needs to vault into the Lottery.

The 2021-22 Notre Dame basketball team has nothing to hang their heads about, as they fought hard all season long, and even seemed to be in control in Sunday night’s loss. Reinforcements are coming, and some veterans will return next season, so this could end up being just the start of a special run for Brey and company.