Notre Dame Cruises to 89-60 Season Opening Win Over Stonehill
Notre Dame’s (1-0) season opener went exactly how one would expect a first game to go on Wednesday night.
The Fighting Irish started a little sloppy with some opening night nerves, including Tae Davis scoring for Stonehill College (1-1) for the game’s first points, but Notre Dame turned it on to cruise 89-60 at Purcell Pavilion.
Stonehill felt Notre Dame’s defense all night as the Skyhawks shot just 30 percent from the field and 11-for-31 from three-point range.
“I didn’t think we played well,” Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry stated. “Someone handed me the box score, and they scored 60. They hit six two-pointers and we scored one, so they hit five twos the whole game. They made 11 threes, but some of that is game plan specific for how we guard. I thought we fouled too much, but that happens sometimes. It’s a start. You don’t want to be perfect night one - do not peak on November 6th.
11 of the 13 players who played for Micah Shrewsberry scored as sophomores Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry led the way with 18 points.
Shrewsberry has preached depth during the offseason and it was on full display as the Irish bench outscored Stonehill 25-17, which included JR Konieczny and Sir Mohammed scoring six points.
“We have a lot of film we can watch,” said Shrewsberry. “We can get better from this and we will.”
BURTON STILL GOOD AT BASKETBALL
Burton was his normal self on Wednesday night as he led the team in scoring while shooting 6-of-17 from the floor while also adding five rebounds and three assists. The Mishawaka (Ind.) native had six turnovers in last week’s scrimmage against Purdue Fort Wayne, but that wasn’t a concern in game one. Burton finished the night with two turnovers and the Irish had just 14 as a team.
Three-point shooting was an area of focus for Burton in the offseason as he went through the NBA Draft process before returning to school and his shot looked much smoother. Burton hit his first attempt of the night and finished the game 2-for-6 from deep.
In addition to his scoring, Burton clearly didn’t have to do everything for the Irish on the offensive end, which is a drastic change from a year ago. Burton let the game come to him, and he didn’t have to force shots while also picking times to attack the rim.
THREE-HEADED MONSTER?
Graduate transfer Matt Allocco and Shrewsberry were the main catalysts for taking the load off Burton’s shoulders against Stonehill and the elder Shrewsberry is counting on that to remain the case over the next five months.
Shrewsberry was efficient shooting 6-of-9 from the floor, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Allocco looked like a seasoned veteran as he didn’t force anything and finished the game 3-for-3 from the field for 10 points.
If you’re into +/- stats, then Notre Dame’s guards will have your attention. Burton was +23, Allocco +25 and Shrewsberry finished +13. Sure, the competition wasn’t ACC level, but it was a solid start to the season and their head coach is more than OK with them not getting national recognition...for now.
“Nah, it’s good,” stated Shrewsberry when asked if people should talk more about his backcourt. “They can talk about everyone else. We’re just going to hang out here in the shadows and hope no one notices.”
BIGS
Kebba Njie, Burke Chebuhar and Nikita Konstantynovskyi didn’t have any sexy plays, but all three did their job and made life very difficult for Stonehill in the paint.
Sure, there was a significant size and talent gap, but Notre Dame dominated the glass and forced tough shots at the rim all night. The Irish out-rebounded Stonehill 50-23, which included a huge 17-7 advantage on the offensive glass that led to 12 second-chance points for the home team.
Njie finished his night with nine points and 10 rebounds, while the two transfers combined for seven points and seven rebounds.
“I thought Kebba was a little anxious to start the game,” explained Shrewsberry. “He wants to do so well. He was just a little anxious. Right now, I want to see different combinations, people and see stuff. Sometimes, it’s hard to get into a rhythm. He played the first four minutes and then Nikita subbed and then Burke subbed. Kebba was out eight straight minutes and it’s hard to have consistent production. I thought in the second half, he really settled down with what he was doing.”
For Konstantynovskyi, it was his debut for the Irish as he missed last week’s scrimmage in against Purdue Fort Wayne.
“Nikita still has to grasp everything that we’re doing, but he’s got a knack - he doesn’t always get the offensive rebound, but he’ll tip it and then get it,” stated Shrewsberry. “He’s got a way about him with positioning and pushing guys under the rim and pursuing it in that way.
“I think you’ll see more from him too. He’s a pretty good passer. He didn’t have any assists, but when we’re playing the right way, guys are cutting off him and he’s hitting them at the rim for layups. You’ll see more of that as we start to go.”
ATHLETICISM
Notre Dame enters year two of the Shrewsberry era with more experience, more size and actual basketball talent, but the Irish may have a lack of athleticism, which didn’t hurt them tonight and shouldn’t be a concern until they play quality competition.
The Irish recorded just one block against a smaller and less athletic team, while the Skyhawks recorded finished with six blocks. Notre Dame’s lone dunk of the night came late in the second half as Njie threw one down when Stonehill lost him in the paint.
There was a lack of bounce and explosion in many of Shrewsberry’s lineups. Burton, Davis, Konieczny, Mohammed and Njie are good athletes, but they are also very different. Davis is probably the best pure athlete on the roster, especially give his size, but he isn’t always in attack mode and doesn’t always finish at the rim.
Burton is a great athlete but lacks size, while Konieczny doesn’t have a first-step explosion. Mohammed is an interesting study, and he will need more than one real game to fully understand what he can do.
Mohammed was aggressive in looking for his shot, which is a good sign for Notre Dame long-term as he missed much of the summer and they’ll need him to stay aggressive all year. The freshman guard finished his night with five points on 2-of-7 shooting, six rebounds and three assists.
“You should see the body transformation he’s had since the fall,” said Shrewsberry. “He’s starting to get into shape. He’s starting to feel pretty good about himself. He’s seeing the game. He’ll make some of those open catch-and-shoots. I think he can build off this and keep growing.”
Notre Dame will return to action next Monday night as Buffalo comes to South Bend for a 7:00pm ET tip.
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Columbia Navy/Green Notre Dame Fighting Irish Flanker III Fleece Team Full-Zip Jacket
