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Notre Dame basketball: Irish ranked in top-20 of early 2022-23 poll

By Brad Weiss

Jan 26, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Cormac Ryan (5) reacts after an offensive foul call against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 26, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Cormac Ryan (5) reacts after an offensive foul call against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame basketball team may be losing Blake Wesley to the NBA, but USA Today still feels they will be one of the best teams in the country next season.

This year’s Notre Dame basketball team brought the fan base a lot of excitement, as they were one of the best teams in the ACC. Nobody could have seen that coming, as they were one of the hottest teams in the country once the calendar turned to 2022, and rode that all the way to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in years.

For head coach Mike Brey, the move to true freshman guard Blake Wesley was a wise one, as he hit the game-winning shot against Kentucky in his first collegiate start. From there, he took the college basketball landscape by storm, and the NBA scouts noticed, as he became a legitimate first-round prospect.

Unfortunately for the Irish, he decided to make the jump to the NBA, and is likely to be one of the first 20 selections this year. While he will be gone in 2022-23, the cupboard is certainly not barren, and the Irish are considered one of the top teams in the country in some early 2022-23 rankings.

Notre Dame basketball ranked No. 20 in latest polls

In a recent ranking, a very early ranking, by the USA Today, Scott Gleeson has the Irish as the No. 20 team in the country going into next season. In the piece, he spoke about the loss of Wesley, but also about all the talent that is likely returning for another go around in 2022-23, especially after a strong run to, and through the NCAA Tournament.

Most of the Irish players from this year’s team have eligibility remaining, and we got to see flashes from some of the younger talent that will take on an expanded role next season. Also, the Irish are bringing in one of the best high school players in the country in JJ Starling, a kid who may be ready to start right away.

Overall, the program is in very good shape, and with another solid mix of veterans, and some fresh faces, the Irish should be one of the best in the ACC once again in 2022-23. We saw UNC make a run to the title game as a No. 8 seed in this year’s tournament, so who is to say it is not the Irish’s chance next year.