By: Mike Stacey ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter: @MikeStaceyIT
Credit: 247 Sports
FINALLY! SOME GOOD NEWS! Notre Dame basketball has been, uh....dysfunctional to say the least here lately. What started out as a promising pre-season with high expectations quickly turned into a raging dumpster fire. Close loss after close loss riddled the Irish season and from very early on it was clear there would be no dancing this march outside of what we got from the leprechaun on the sidelines. To make matters worse, the future at head coach was becoming more and more murky. Beloved coach Mike Brey seemingly had no answers, and it was apparent that time was running out.
Then came the announcement that this would be Mike Brey's last season. Irish fans seemed to be left with a bittersweet feeling as the legendary coach was not going out on the greatest of terms, albeit obviously the right time. Along with coach Brey leaving, so are many Irish players. ND lost 2 of it's 3 incoming recruits, its star point guard, and a handful of other players entered the portal. This has left the cupboard awfully bare. Just a few days ago I couldn't help but wonder, would they have enough scholarship players to even field a roster next year? The Irish ship was sinking, and fast. They desperately needed some good news, and that news just came in.
Micah Shrewsberry has entered the chat....
The Irish needed to stop the bleeding and needed to do so quickly, but they also needed to make sure they found a good fit. Someone who could get them back to the tournament and provide them with some hope for the future. There were a couple names being thrown out, but it was obvious that Micah Shrewsberry was Notre Dame's first option out of the group of candidates. Today, it was announced by Pete Thamel and multiple other reports that he had accepted the job at Notre Dame, and I could not be any happier with this news.
Micah Shrewsberry is fresh off an impressive tournament berth with PSU. Not only did PSU make it to the BIG 10 Championship, but they knocked off a very talented Texas A&M team in the first round of the tournament, and nearly took down Texas in the second round. What is most impressive is he accomplished this feat in only his second season at a "football school." (Sound familiar?) PSU is not exactly known for it's hoops, nor is it the most talented team in the country. If he could do that with PSU, why not Notre Dame?
Micah will be bringing that momentum to South Bend where momentum is desperately needed. This will, hopefully, provide the spark needed around this dormant program. Micah has his work cut out for him. First things first, he needs to get enough players to field a roster for next season. He will need to work on keeping current players, convincing some in the portal to return, and fining new ones. I believe this is a task he is up for. A new coach, from Indiana, who comes with recent success in the tournament? Sign me up. I will miss Mike Brey, but it was time for a change and the change that is coming may be just what the Irish need. Welcome to South Bend, Coach Shrewsberry. Go Irish!
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