Stonehill vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Notre Dame is emerging from back-to-back seasons with 20 losses, a first in the school's history. However, the impressive performance of Markus Burton in his freshman year has given the Fighting Irish hope for a brighter future.

After a standout debut season, Burton is set to begin his sophomore year on Wednesday night as Notre Dame hosts Stonehill in South Bend, Indiana.

Under the guidance of Mike Brey, the Fighting Irish recorded an 11-21 record in the 2022-23 season, followed by a 13-20 record under new head coach Micah Shrewsberry. Despite the team's struggles, Burton stood out among all ACC freshmen with an average of 17.5 points per game, ranking third in the nation among Division I freshmen.

During the preseason, Burton expressed confidence in himself and his teammates, stating, "It's a confidence that I have in myself and my teammates, for them to show the world how good they are, too."

Burton and Syracuse's Judah Mintz were the only freshmen in the country to average at least 17 points, four assists, and 1.9 steals. He closed out the season with six of his last seven games scoring over 20 points and ultimately decided to return to Notre Dame after initially declaring for the NBA draft.

According to Shrewsberry, Burton has been exceptional in the fall and summer, putting in the work to improve his game. The team is hoping that Burton's efforts will help them exceed their preseason expectations, as they were picked to finish 10th out of 18 teams in the ACC.

Aside from Burton, the Fighting Irish also have Braeden Shrewsberry, who averaged 10.2 points last season, and Princeton transfer Matt Allocco and four-star freshman Sir Mohammed joining the backcourt.

Stonehill is entering its third year in Division I and was selected to finish tied for eighth in the Northeast Conference preseason poll, alongside St. Francis. The Skyhawks had a rough 4-27 season last year, following a 14-17 season the year before. Todd Brogna is the only returning starter from last season's team, which averaged 63.5 points and allowed 76.1. He is joined by Chas Stinson, who scored 7.0 points per game as a part-time starter and had a career-high 23 points against Rutgers.

Head coach Chris Kraus is excited about the potential of this group, stating, "I'm really excited about the group and the potential of where this group can be."

PREDICTION

Stonehill

Notre Dame Fighting Irish