Jalen Haralson’s exit from the Notre Dame basketball program was expected for weeks. That doesn’t make the announcement that he plans to transfer on Thursday afternoon hurt any less.
Haralson was named an All-ACC honorable mention after averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and a team-leading 2.6 assists per game as a freshman. He also shot 51.5% from the field while starting 23 games and appearing in 27 this season. Haralson -who had to step up in the wake of Markus Burton’s injury - also led the Irish in scoring 10 times this season while producing double-digit scoring efforts in all but three games.
Haralson was the crowning jewel of Micah Shrewsberry’s recruiting efforts since he took over Notre Dame basketball. Now he joins three other players who have already announced their intention to enter the Transfer Portal when it opens on April 7.
Jalen Haralson entering the transfer portal is a brutal loss for Notre Dame basketball
When the Irish season ended by missing the ACC Conference Tournament, rumors were that Shrewsberry was on the hotseat. However, not long after the campaign’s finale, the school announced that he was sticking around and had the administration's full support.
If Notre Dame had hoped that keeping Shrewsberry would prevent players from leaving, it had miscalculated. Now that Haralson has exited, the program will need to start a rebuild in earnest.
The biggest worry now is that Burton might follow his other teammates out the door. Some experts believe Shrewsberry might have just three returning players by the time the smoke clears. If that’s the case, starting over with someone who didn’t have success starting over the first time will bring serious doubt on whether he can do the job.
Until Notre Dame sees who will be the last men standing, it’s hard to know the direction of the program after four straight losing seasons.