Notre Dame basketball isn't going to the NCAA tournament. After yet another loss this weekend, Micah Shrewsberry's team is even on the verge of elimination from the ACC tournament. That's why the coach was especially on edge after a 73-68 loss to a very bad Pittsburgh (10-17, 3-11) team on Saturday.
"I thought we were p--- poor in our execution," Shrewsberry told the media after the game. "I'm doing a bad job of coaching these guys when you don't execute like that."
The Notre Dame basketball head coach isn't wrong. Even if his comments were likely meant to elicit someone correcting him and telling him he's doing a fine job. He then went on to explain another reason why he might not be doing a great job: "If you can't get in the right spot off the board and out of a timeout, maybe I got the wrong dudes in the game."
Micah Shrewsberry’s comments raise fresh questions about Notre Dame basketball’s direction
It was the kind of passive-aggressive blaming of his players that Shrewsberry has become known for over his now three seasons in South Bend. He doesn't seem to have any answers. He never seems to have any answers. And he certainly hasn't had enough wins.
Shrewsberry has demonstrated that he's desperate before. It's been a long three seasons where he's never come close to an NCAA Tournament. That despite there was optimism in the offseason after his first year with Markus Burton coming back.
Shrewsberry is headed for his third straight losing season. He was brought to South Bend because he was known as a coach who could rebuild a program. But there isn't much building despite having talented recruits coming in like Burton and Jalen Haralson.
Even with those guys injured, it doesn't feel like the Notre Dame head coach has many excuses left. There's not a lot of depth or star power on a program that used to be one of the best and most storied in the country. Micah Shrewsberry isn't doing a very good job, and one has to wonder how much longer he'll be allowed to continue.