Notre Dame Basketball Searching for Grit After Lopsided Loss to North Carolina
Notre Dame (10-9, 1-5 ACC) had no answer for No. 22 North Carolina’s frontcourt in a disappointing 91-69 loss Wednesday night in Chapel Hill.
Freshman Caleb Wilson led all scorers with 22 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting, while Henri Veesaar added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Tar Heels (15-4, 3-3).
North Carolina took a 42-33 lead into halftime as the Irish made several small runs to stay within striking distance. Any momentum Notre Dame had was quickly erased early in the second half when the Tar Heels opened on an 8-0 run, stretching the lead to 50-33 less than two minutes after the break.
“We talked about the start of the game and the start of the half,” said Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry. “They try to onslaught you. We didn’t come out in that manner. I apologized to those guys because I've been too nice to them. I've been too soft on them to be ready to fight and compete in an environment like this.
“Dudes have talent, but they've never been through the wars before. They've never been through the grit and grind. I gotta get us gritty and grimy to be able to come in here and sustain and do what we need to do.”
The Tar Heels three-point attack was deadly as eight players knocked down at least one three-pointer. North Carolina finished 13-of-34 from beyond the arc, while Notre Dame shot a respectable 8-of-25 but struggled to find rhythm overall, finishing at just 36 percent from the field.
Notre Dame was simply dominated in the paint. While the overall rebounding margin was close at 44-39, North Carolina controlled the defensive glass with a 34-21 advantage. The Tar Heels also consistently attacked the basket, earning trips to the free-throw line and converting 16-of-23 attempts. The Irish finished just 7-of-13 at the charity stripe.
The Tar Heels also attacked and got to the line. North Carolina shot 16-of-23 from the free throw line, while the Irish finished just 7-of-13.
Sir Mohammed led Notre Dame with 14 points and four rebounds. Jalen Harlson added 13 points and six rebounds, while Ryder Frost chipped in 10 points off the bench.
North Carolina closed the night shooting 51 percent from the field and dishing out 18 assists on 31 made baskets.
GRIT
How does Micah Shrewsberry get his team to play with more grit 19 games into the season? It starts and ends in practice.
“We gotta practice it. We gotta do it in practice. I can't worry about legs, can't worry about we got 12 dudes that practice. We can't worry about that.”
That raises the obvious question. Why has it taken 19 games to reach this point?
The Irish have been without Markus Burton for over a month and the loss of Kebba Njie, while unfortunate, wasn’t going to swing the outcome against a team like North Carolina.
Those absences don’t explain the lack of physicality, toughness, or consistency that continues to show up in ACC play.
Shrewsberry is confident he can still change the team’s practice habits and lay a foundation over the remainder of the season.
“We gotta build calluses in practice and that's the only way that you're gonna be ready to do it,” explained Shrewsberry. “You can show flashes in practice, but to do it every day, we gotta push them harder in what we do. It's hard to do when you're down people, but that's what they need.”
BIGS
The result itself wasn’t surprising. North Carolina’s margin of victory may have caught some off guard, but it stemmed from a massive advantage from three-point range and the free-throw line, combined with an overwhelming edge up front.
Wilson will be a Top 5 pick in the NBA Draft next summer and it showed. The 6-foot-10, 215-pounder is a true five-star and what a one-and-done looks like on the floor. Wilson dominated on the block, hit a three, made his foul shots and hit the boards, while also adding five assists.
Add in Henri Veesaar, an efficient, physical big man, and it was a nightmare matchup for Notre Dame, especially with Njie lost for the season.
Carson Towt, Brady Koehler, Garrett Sundra, and Matthew MacLellan combined for just 16 points and 17 rebounds. Wilson and Veesaar alone accounted for 37 points and 19 boards.
If Notre Dame wants to compete in the ACC, Shrewsberry and his staff need to upgrade the frontcourt. Plain and simple.
Koehler earned his first start of the season and has shown growth during the five-game losing streak, but Wednesday night was a tough ask. He finished with two points on 1-for-5 shooting and three rebounds.
Still, Shrewsberry views nights like this as part of the learning curve for his young bigs.
“As we’re building for the future, it should help now,” Shrewsberry said. “It should help the present if we’re doing it the right way.”
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will host Boston College on Saturday for a 6:00 PM ET tip on ACC Network.
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