Coming off a memorable four days that included a home victory over previously undefeated Missouri and an overtime win at TCU without leading scorer Markus Burton, Notre Dame basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry shared a saying that he learned from Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who he has worked with the previous two offseasons with USA Basketball.
Coming clear of success, Lloyd often asks his team two questions. So what? Now what?
That pertains to Notre Dame this week. Win two big games last week? So what? Now what? Can Notre Dame be mature enough and focused enough and humble enough to return to work and be good enough to win two non-league home games this week? Do that, and those wins against Missouri and TCU will carry even more weight. Don’t do it and then, so what?
“We’ve got to be a ‘Now what?” group,” Shrewsberry said. “We’re going to turn the page and keep trying to get better as a group.”
Idaho (6-3) versus Notre Dame (7-3)Date: Wednesday, December 10 Site: Purcell Pavilion (9,149) What channel is Idaho at Notre Dame on?Radio: 960 WSBT-AM in South Bend. Also on SiriusXM on ACC Radio and channels 955 and 956. You can also listen live free on Audacy. Series history between Notre Dame basketball and Idaho
Notre Dame won the only previous meeting, 50-48 in overtime, on January 25, 1982, at Purcell Pavilion. The Vandals were 16-1 and ranked No. 8 in the country before Ron Rowan scored 17 points with five rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes while Billy Varner added 11 points and five rebounds in 41 minutes to lead the Irish.
In a pre-shot clock era grinder, Notre Dame trailed 36-26 at halftime, then outscored Idaho 20-10 in the second half. The Irish outscored the Vandals 4-2 in the extra five minutes.
Notre Dame basketball storylines versus Idaho
∎ The Irish finished with a season-high 27 assists in the win over TCU. Can they keep caring and sharing the way they did in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex?
∎ Home attendance (4,759 avg.) remains a sore spot for Notre Dame basketball, but this is the week that starts to turn, right?
∎ Don’t feel sorry for Notre Dame no matter how long it might be without leading scorer Markus Burton, who suffered a lower left leg injury midway through the first half of the TCU game. The Irish don’t want any sympathy.
Keep an eye on …Idaho SF Jackson Rasmussen
The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder from Meridian, Idaho has made the transition from high school to college basketball look relatively easy. Through nine games, all starts, Rasmussen is averaging 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 31.4 minutes. He’s shooting .595 percent from the field, .333 percent from 3 and .689 percent from the foul line.
In Saturday’s victory at South Dakota State, Rasmussen had 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes. He’s scored double figures in seven of his first nine games and has been a key reason why the Vandals have won four of five.
Notre Dame G Sir Mohammed
Following an injury-plagued freshman year, Mohammed (3.9 ppg., 2.6 rpg., 1.5 apg., 16.9 mpg.) has worked as the ultimate team guy 10 games into his second season. He gave up secondary ball handling responsibilities to freshman wing guard Jalen Haralson and has seen minutes as the backup small forward, even though he’d never before played at that spot.
Now with Burton out, Mohammed has the first real chance to show why he was such a coveted Top 50 recruit coming out of Charlotte, North Carolina. There’s no “if” anymore with Mohammed. With Burton out, the Irish need quality minutes at the point guard spot. Mohammed must be that guy.
Start him. Play him at point. Let him settle in and show out.
A deeper Notre Dame basketball diveNotre Dame basketball 2025-26 scheduleOct. 17 at Butler (W, 77-76) Exhibition Oct. 24 DEPAUL (L, 69-62) Exhibition Nov. 3 LIU BROOKLYN, 7 p.m. (W, 89-67; 1-0) Nov. 7 DETROIT MERCY, 7 p.m. (W, 102-70; 2-0) Nov. 11 EASTERN ILLINOIS, (W, 78-58; 3-0) Nov. 16 At Ohio State, (L, 64-63; 3-1) Nov. 19 BELLARMINE, 7 p.m. (W, 86-79; 4-1) Nov. 24 vs Kansas (L, 71-61; 4-2) Nov. 25 vs Rutgers (W, 68-63; 5-2) Nov. 26 vs. Houston (L, 66-56; 5-3) Dec. 2 MISSOURI (ACC/SEC Challenge), (W 76-71; 6-3) Dec. 5 At TCU (W, 87-85 OT; 7-3) Dec. 10 IDAHO, 7 p.m. (ACCNX) Dec. 13 EVANSVILLE, 2 p.m. (ACCNX) Dec. 21 PURDUE FORT WAYNE, 12 p.m. (ACCNX) Dec. 30 At Stanford, 9 p.m. (ESPN2) Jan. 2 At California, 11 p.m. (ESPN2) Jan. 10 CLEMSON, 6 p.m. (ESPN2/U) Jan. 13 MIAMI (Fla.), 7 p.m. (ESPN2/U) Jan. 17 At Virginia Tech, 12 p.m. (ACCN) Jan. 21 At North Carolina, 7 p.m. (ESPN2) Jan. 24 BOSTON COLLEGE, 6 p.m. (ACCN) Jan. 27 VIRGINIA, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/U) Jan. 31 At Syracuse, 6 p.m., (The CW) Feb. 4 At Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN/U) Feb. 7 FLORIDA STATE, 4 p.m. (ACCN) Feb. 10 At SMU, 7 p.m. (ACCN) Feb. 14 GEORGIA TECH, 12 p.m. (The CW) Feb. 21 At Pittsburgh, 2 p.m. (ACCN) Feb. 24 DUKE, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/U) Feb. 28 NORTH CAROLINA STATE, 12 p.m. (The CW) March 3 STANFORD, 9 p.m. (ESPNU) March 7 At Boston College, 12 p.m. (ESPNU) March 10-14 ACC Tournament (Charlotte) TBD.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com