How did Notre Dame men's basketball fare in its second ACC Tournament test?

WASHINGTON — A second win in as many days was too much to ask of the Notre Dame men’s basketball team this week. 

The Irish tumbled into a double-digit hole almost from the start in a second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Wednesday at Capital One Arena and spent much of the game trying to claw out. It couldn’t, and saw its season end at 13-20 with a 72-59 loss to No. 5 seed Wake Forest. 

Freshman guard Markus Burton led the Irish with 21 points. Tae Davis added 16.

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Notre Dame had advanced to the second round with a victory in the first game on the first day over Georgia Tech. It was Notre Dame’s first ACC Tournament win since 2021. 

Wednesday was the first time the Irish played on consecutive days since Nov. 16-17. It showed. The legs weren’t fresh. The shots didn’t fall. The feet didn’t move as fast as they needed to move. 

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Davis was the only offense for the Irish early in the second half. He scored Notre Dame’s first seven points over the first seven minutes. Notre Dame again played just well enough to hang around, but not well enough to make this interesting. It was getting late in the second half, and the Irish hadn’t yet made a serious move. Time was running out in this game, and in this season. 

After scoring a season high 45 points in the first half on Tuesday, Notre Dame hit 45 until two Burton free throws with 9:31 left in the game. 

The Irish made just two of their first 14 shots from the field and none of their six from 3 to start the second half. A 7-0 Wake Forest halfway through the second half backed Notre Dame into a difficult comeback corner. That run was punctuated by a Parker Friedrichsen punch-away steal of a Braeden Shrewsberry pass and layup to put the Deacons up 13. 

Friedrichsen signed with Notre Dame but left his letter of intent when Mike Brey announced he would not return this season. 

Just before the Irish left the court at halftime, Micah Shrewsberry gathered them for some (very loud and very pointed) words. As poorly as that first half went for the Irish, Notre Dame trailed by only six (40-34) at the break. That was a win for the Irish. 

Everything Notre Dame was early the previous day against Georgia Tech, it wasn’t against Wake Forest. Offensively, everything was a struggle. The ball didn’t move. Shots didn’t fall. Defensively, it felt like the Irish were holding on for their regular season lives, while trying to hold down the Demon Deacons. 

Notre Dame had no interior answers for Wake, which scored half its first–half points (20) in the paint. The Irish also had as many turnovers (six) as assists. 

Justs before the house lights went down and the starting lineups were set to be introduced, Shrewsberry leaned to his top five on the Irish bench and gave them two words — great energy. 

They needed to bring it. The Irish needed it. Right from the start. It didn’t happen. None of it. Not when it was needed, when the game was close and before Wake Forest was confident throwing the ball into the post or running screen and roll and doing whatever it wanted. 

The Irish, in a lot of ways, made it easy for the Demon Deacons. 

Notre Dame never led and trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half. The Irish showed some flashes in those first 20, getting back to as close as five. It was something for the Irish to feel good about, but just like that, it was back at nine and Shrewsberry was burning a timeout to wonder why Kebba Njie decided to do what he tried to do on the offensive end. 

Wake Forest scored the first seven points and was up 11-3 by the first television timeout. When Hunter Sallis sank two free throws back from the timeout, the Irish were already down double digits (13-3). Shrewsberry subbed Julian Roper in for Carey Booth to try and find some more life. 

It didn’t work. Markus Burton offered a spark with a 3, only to see Sallis bang one in on the other end. As it fell, Shrewsberry the head coach just stood in front of the Irish bench, arms folded, shaking his head. 

Three Irish starters — Burton, Davis, Braeden Shrewsberry — all picked up two fouls in the first 12-plus minutes. You know who fouls early and fouls often? 

Tired teams. 

Notre Dame beat Wake Forest late last month in South Bend. 

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