Off to a 3-0 start, Notre Dame men’s basketball has a pair of home games coming up this week. The Irish will host North Dakota on Tuesday before squaring off with Elon on Friday. Tuesday’s game will mark just the second time Notre Dame has played North Dakota, as the Irish last claimed a 46-38 victory in 1941.
To begin the season, Notre Dame has defeated Stonehill (89-60), Buffalo (86-77) and Georgetown (84-63). The most recent takedown of the Hoyas gave the Irish their first road win of the season, as they traveled to the nation’s capital on Saturday and controlled the game from start to finish. Notre Dame shot close to 60% from the field, better than 40% from three-point range and north of 90% from the free-throw line while holding Georgetown to a diminutive field-goal percentage of 31.4.
Head coach Micah Shrewsberry has rolled with a clear-cut starting five in all three games, and each player has found a way to contribute. Sophomore guards Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry have carved out a big three with junior forward Tae Davis. Burton has lived up to his Preseason All-ACC billing, leading the team with 17.7 points per game and six assists per contest. Shrewsberry ranks third with 15.3 points per game and has been his usual self from deep, connecting on seven of 14 three-pointers. Davis, who poured in 27 points last Monday against Buffalo, sits between the two backcourt members with 16.3 points per game while adding an average of 6.3 rebounds. The former Seton Hall transfer has also excelled at the free-throw line, making 19 of 22 foul shots to lead the Irish.
Fellow starters junior forward Kebba Njie and graduate guard Matt Allocco haven’t been as consistent, but they have had their moments. Njie, the team’s most efficient player with a 76.5% success rate from the field, paces the Irish with 20 rebounds and three blocks. Allocco just delivered his best game since transferring in from Princeton, going off for 15 first-half points on four made triples at Georgetown. The two are both averaging just under 10 points per game at this point.
Notre Dame’s Tuesday opponent, North Dakota, has not reached the NCAA Tournament since joining the Summit League in 2018. The Fighting Hawks are in year six under head coach Paul Sather and went 18-14 with a 10-6 conference record last year.
Also three games into the 2024-25 season, North Dakota lost its opening game at Colorado State by an 82-56 score before bouncing back with an 85-54 blowout against Dickinson State and a 77-71 takedown of Utah Valley. North Dakota native Treysen Eaglestaff played a starring role in last Wednesday’s most recent win, dropping 31 points in 34 minutes. He currently leads the team with exactly 20 points per game and a terrific free-throw percentage of 94.1. The other Fighting Hawk with a double-figure scoring average, Amar Kuljuhovic, thrived on the interior with 17 points, six rebounds on four assists in Wednesday’s win. He’s tied with Mier Panoam for the team lead at 5.7 rebounds per game.
Notre Dame’s battle with North Dakota will tip off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, airing on ACC Network Extra.
