What Notre Dame men's basketball players have entered the transfer portal?

SOUTH BEND − When he was buried on the back end of the Notre Dame men's basketball rotation, he stayed.

When he seldom played a meaningful minute in his first three seasons, he stayed.

When a coaching change occurred after his junior year, he stayed.

Power forward Matt Zona never seriously considered leaving Notre Dame through his first four years, in part because he loved Notre Dame too much. At some point, Zona realized he loved basketball a little more.

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On Thursday, the first day of what many consider the best day for college basketball, Zona officially announced that he would not return for a fifth year at Notre Dame and would do what so many college basketball players do these days.

Zona entered his name in the transfer portal with the goal of finding a place to play more and do more and show more than he did the previous four seasons at Notre Dame. A 6-foot-9, 245-pounder from Blauvelt, New York, Zona has one additional year − his COVID-19 year − to play college basketball.

Zona's last season at Notre Dame was his best. He set career highs in almost every statistical category. Zona played in 33 games and made six starts. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game. He shot .433 percent from the field, .317 percent from 3, and .353 percent from the foul line. He scored a season-high seven points in the first-round Atlantic Coast Conference tournament win over Georgia Tech.

On the morning of Notre Dame's final home game, against Clemson, Zona was named team captain by Irish coach Micah Shrewsberry.

“He’s a guy that will always be a foundational piece for me,” Shrewsberry said of Zona. “I’m using him as an example for other guys, about how you handle yourself when things might not be going your way."

Zona scored six points with four rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes in a 69-62 victory over Clemson. In 75 career games with seven starts, Zona averaged 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds.

Earlier Thursday, former walk-on guard Alex Wade, who was put on scholarship for his third season at Notre Dame, also entered the transfer portal. A San Diego native, Wade played in eight games this season and averaged 6.4 minutes per game. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

A third player from the 2023-24 team, swingman Tony Sanders, has not announced his plans, but he is not expected to return to Notre Dame for what will be his COVID-19 additional year in 2024-25. Notre Dame's roster for 2024-25 currently stands at 11 players, which leaves the Irish with two additional scholarships to offer players in the transfer portal.

The college basketball transfer portal officially opened Monday and will remain open for 45 days. As of early Thursday evening, there were 733 Division I players in the portal.

Five Irish entered the portal last season following the coaching change from Mike Brey to Shrewsberry.

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