The Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball team is working its way back toward relevancy. After a season that didn’t get them there a year ago, there was enough progress that some think year two of the Shrewsberry regime could be the trick.
While it’s not yet at the point where it can compete with the best in college basketball, all signs point to the program being on an upward trajectory. The Irish widely are expected to make some sort of progress during the 2024-25 season.
To that end, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein talked to Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry. Rothstein wrote on social media that Shrewsberry told him he has especially high expectations for Tae Davis, the former Seton Hall forward who is entering his second season with the Irish just like Shrewsberry is.
Micah Shrewsberry tells me that he feels Notre Dame's Tae Davis is one of the best defenders in the country.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 31, 2024
Averaged 9.2 PPG and 5.1 RPG last season as a sophomore.
Irish feel like a potential bubble team to monitor in 2025.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish are starting on the bubble for Rothstein, proving that it’s not just Shrewsberry that has high expectations not just for Davis but for the entire team.
Rothstein feels the Irish could make a run at a 2025 NCAA Tournament spot. To already be a bubble team in Shrewsberry’s second season would be a tremendous sign of progress.
It is worth noting that the analyst is not in any way guaranteeing that the team should or could be on the bubble. However, it’s clear he thinks that there’s enough talent, especially when teaming Markus Burton with a roster that is learning how to play with each other, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish could take some serious leaps forward.