How does Notre Dame men's basketball feel now that everything about this season has ended?

WASHINGTON — When everything was over, and there were no more scoring runs to make, no more shots to take, no more stops to get, no more timeouts to rest and regroup, no more buzzers to beat, members of the Notre Dame men’s basketball team were left early Wednesday evening with one overriding emotion. 

Regret. 

Not because they didn’t make enough shots or they didn’t get enough stops. Not because they never could do enough to seriously challenge No. 5 seed Wake Forest and hang around the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament for a third straight day and third straight game. Not because they lost.

No, the reason these Irish felt regret above everything else following a 72-59 loss that closed the books on their first season under first-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry was the fact that it was indeed over.  No more games or practices. No more film sessions or bus rides. No more just being one of the guys for this group of guys, each of whom took a chance on a first-year head coach and took a chance on another. 

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In the spring and the summer and the fall, there was a basement, and somewhere below that was Notre Dame basketball. There was real talk that Notre Dame would go 0-20 in the ACC. Lunch bets likely wagered that these Irish surely wouldn’t win more than a half dozen league games. That’s why the Irish were picked last in preseason. They won seven league games and were on the verge of winning a lot more if they had another piece or two or three. 

Those pieces are coming. Maybe through recruiting. Maybe through the portal, but they're coming.

“We took a big step this year,” said sophomore power forward Kebba Njie. “We locked into our own selves and blocked out the outside noise and just focused on us. 

“We turned a lot of heads this year and we’re going to do the same thing next year.” 

League tournament rules stipulate that locker rooms remain open to media for a 30-minute window after games. Win or lose, players are there to answer questions if needed. No running. No hiding. No ducking. Really, these Irish really had nowhere to go in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s loss, but even if they did, they may have all stayed right there. 

There in those quiet and cramped quarters. Seated in chairs, some staring at the walls, others staring at one another. Others just staring. Not sure of what to do or what to say next, but sure that they didn’t want this to end. But end it did. It’s over, and that’s hard. 

Like, wait, what now?

“This shows that everybody cares,” said sophomore swingman Tae Davis. “This program needed something from everybody. That’s a good sign that everybody wants to be better. It’s a quiet locker room because this program means everything to everybody in here. It has to. 

“That’s what we play for.” 

Going 13-20 in a season is nothing to remember, but these guys will remember this season. Not because of the end, but because it should serve as a start. 

“It was a great season,” said freshman guard Markus Burton. “We did what we were supposed to. We fought all season long, and just know we'll be back.” 

Forget this early-round nonsense

Back and better. Book it. There will be a day — one far sooner than anyone in this league sees coming if the head coach has his say — when Notre Dame won’t play the first game on the first day of the ACC Tournament. The Irish aspire to be among the league elite, who were still yet to even take the Capital One floor before Notre Dame headed home. 

That’s what these Irish want to do someday soon. 

“It’s hard in the moment,” Shrewsberry said of accepting the end. “I’m not boasting. I’m not bragging, but we’re not coming back here on Tuesday again. It’s not happening. We’re not doing that.” 

Looking around that locker room, seeing the faces of his players, hearing a few sobs, told Shrewsberry that this program’s on the right road to avoid any future ACC Tourney Tuesdays. They’ll get there, maybe not with this group but with a group that will know of this one and its struggles, successes and sacrifices. 

Spend almost every day for the past six months with someone, doing something that you love, and there are bound to be times when you might wish to do something else. At least, for a few hours. Times when it gets tough to get yourself motivated to go to another practice, to sit through another film session that you know won’t be pleasant, to play an ACC game somewhere along Tobacco Road where you know the chances of winning are slim. 

Notre Dame had those moments this season. Had them in December when they were blown out at home by The Citadel. Had them in January and February when they lost seven straight league games. Had them in late in the regular season in March, when they couldn't defend anybody and lost their last two road games. 

It was enough for anyone to kind of, sort of wish for it to all be over. Be done with everything. All the games and the practices and those film sessions and everything that entails a college basketball season. Still, the Irish kept showing up. Kept competing. Kept believing. 

Even Wednesday, they believed. In this program. In one another. 

“This just adds fuel to the fire,” said Davis. “All summer, we’re going to be working, working, working. Everybody. That’s what it has to be.” 

Notre Dame had the want-to to extend its season to one more game, but it ended there. As the house lights dimmed and the Irish starters were set to be introduced, Shrewsberry said two words to the five still seated on the bench. 

“Great energy.” 

For Notre Dame to win, it had to have it. When the game started, it was obvious it had none of it. One team was playing for its postseason life, and the other was playing its second game in as many days for the first time since mid-November. Wake Forest was the fresher, more determined, better team. The Irish were running on fumes, and fumes weren’t going to get it done. Not in this tournament. Not against that team. 

Notre Dame never led and trailed 24 seconds shy of a full 40, That's hard to do. One day after scoring a season high 45 points in the first half, the Irish didn’t get to 45 until 9:31 remained. Everything it hoped to do, what it tried to do, what it did do, was a chore. Nothing came easily against the Wake Forest perimeter or the Wake Forest bigs or the Wake Forest anything. 

The Irish made a run here and there, but really, they were never in it. That will change. Next season, with a tweak or two of the roster, a couple of additions here, maybe a subtraction there, they have what it takes to get over the hump that they couldn’t clear Wednesday when Notre Dame was only going to be so good. 

In the end, it wasn’t good enough. For now, that’s enough. 

Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact: (574) 235-6153. 

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Wake Forest 72, Notre Dame 59

NOTRE DAME (59): Booth 3-10 2-2 11, Davis 4-6 8-10 16, Njie 0-3 1-2 1, Burton 4-16 12-12 21, Shrewsberry 1-9 2-2 5, Roper 2-2 0-0 5, Konieczny 0-2 0-0 0, Imes 0-0 0-0 0, Zona 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-49 25-28 59.

WAKE FOREST (72): Carr 5-9 2-2 12, Reid 4-7 0-0 8, Hildreth 4-9 1-1 10, Miller 6-12 4-5 17, Sallis 4-14 4-7 14, Friedrichsen 3-5 0-0 7, Marsh 1-2 0-0 2, Keller 0-1 2-5 2. Totals 27-59 13-20 72.

Halftime: Wake Forest 40-34. 3-Point Goals: Notre Dame 6-23 (Booth 3-8, Roper 1-1, Burton 1-6, Shrewsberry 1-6, Konieczny 0-1, Zona 0-1), Wake Forest 5-16 (Sallis 2-7, Hildreth 1-1, Miller 1-2, Friedrichsen 1-3, Carr 0-1, Keller 0-1, Reid 0-1). Rebounds: Notre Dame 28 (Booth, Njie 6), Wake Forest 35 (Carr 11). Assists: Notre Dame 7 (Burton 3), Wake Forest 10 (Reid 5). Total Fouls: Notre Dame 16, Wake Forest 19. A: 9,920 (20,356).