Men’s basketball made its long-awaited return to South Bend as Notre Dame hosted Long Island University for the first game of the season. The Irish came off a win-lose split in their two exhibition games of the preseason, holding off against Butler 77-76 and falling short to DePaul 69-62 after a close second half.
The Irish established an early lead and maintained their pace for the entirety of the game, with a final score of 89-67. Graduate student forward Carson Towt led the Irish to victory with 19 rebounds and, alongside him, junior guard Markus Burton put up an impressive 24 points.
Energy on the Irish bench was electric coming into warmups, the assurance no doubt due to the leadership of Towt and Burton. Towt, who played throughout his undergraduate career at Northern Arizona, is a steadfast presence on and off the court. His experience has aided the Notre Dame locker room in the transition to a new season.
The Irish secured possession at tip-off, setting freshman guard Jalen Haralson up with a floater to capture an early lead for the Irish. The Sharks struggled to maintain possession, falling victim to the Notre Dame defense that loves to cherry pick passes. Despite their size, this Irish team emerged playing a smart defense, anticipating passes and forcing turnovers they could manipulate in their favor.
One of Notre Dame’s predominant offensive concerns is its hesitancy to drive to the basket. The Irish have shown their preference in shooting from the 3-point line or just inside it, resulting in the Long Island defense recognizing their strategies holding the Irish offense back. Sophomore guard Cole Certa was Notre Dame’s best three-point shooter in the first half, scoring three on four attempts. The reluctance on the Irish offensive end to drive deep towards the basket is no doubt due to Long Island junior center Isaiah Miranda, standing at 7-foot-1 and a key component to Long Island’s defense.
On the other end of the court, the Sharks had the opposite opinion influencing their offensive strategy. Long Island drove deep into the paint on most possessions, forcing their way to the basket, hoping to draw as many fouls as possible. Free throws accounted for 11 of the Sharks’ 25 points in the first half, betting on Notre Dame’s heavy-handed defense to place the Sharks on the free throw line.
Both teams earned 11 fouls in the first half, but Notre Dame was not dependent on them to get on the board. The smart passing of the Irish accounted for their maximized possessions, securing a 15-point lead for Notre Dame.
The first half was choppy for both teams, and the inconsistent whistles and missed calls made for a disjointed start to the game. Coming into the second half, both teams tried to minimize their fouls and play as smart as possible.
The Sharks specialized in a scrappy style of play, and their greatest strength was their ability to rotate all positions on the ball. They were cohesive and communicated well on the court, and their ability to anticipate and adjust to each other contributed as well.The Sharks refused to be counted out of the game despite trailing the whole time. Long Island worked to reduce the deficit as much as possible, but their urgency made them brash on defense, giving up fouls they could not afford.
Notre Dame rotated most of their bench into the game, and Monday’s game pace was perfect for easing into the flow of the season while continuously working to maintain their lead. In his first career start, freshman forward Ryder Frost scored 15 points and went 4-for-5 at the arc in only 14 minutes.
Tonight was a good night for the Irish bench, and although they emerged with a victory, there is still room to grow moving forward in the season. Notre Dame must lessen its turnovers, because giving up 19 in the game tonight caused their lead to be far less. The beginning of the season is always a journey to find the team’s rhythm, but more confidence in driving to the the basket and making those plays will increase their offensive play. A greater willingness to experiment with plays will make them more difficult to guard, and the foundation of strong communication with the players on the court is already present. It just needs to be built upon.
Regardless, the Irish had phenomenal aspects to their play that, if continued throughout the season, will set them up for success. The rebounding, thanks to Towt, was a great strength for Notre Dame. The team, despite whichever players were out, had a really strong passing game around the key, which enhanced their playmaking.
Looking forward, there is room to improve on the strong basis for this Notre Dame men’s basketball team, and the coaching staff has plans to capitalize on the potential they know is present.
“Sometimes the best teacher is experience, and this is that experience for how a game gets called early,” coach Micah Shrewsberry said after the game. “So we did good things. You know, you want more of it, right? We’re not peaking on game one.”
The Irish take the court again this Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. against Detroit Mercy. The next few days will be ample for fine-tuning details and will be vital for the next two home games, especially as the Irish prepare for a season full of tough ACC opponents.