Notre Dame Basketball Stumbles Again in ACC Play

Irish drop fourth straight league game, ninth in last 10, as struggles continue

Feb. 7, 2026 at 7:47pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Notre Dame's men's basketball team suffered another disappointing loss in ACC play, falling 82-79 to Florida State at home. The Irish dug themselves an early 18-point hole and couldn't fully recover, despite a strong second-half effort. The loss was Notre Dame's fourth straight in conference and ninth in their last 10 games, further damaging their chances of qualifying for the ACC Tournament.

Why it matters

Notre Dame's struggles this season have raised questions about the direction of the program under head coach Micah Shrewsberry. The team has been unable to beat many of the better teams in the ACC, and each conference loss makes it harder for them to earn a spot in the league tournament at the end of the year.

The details

Notre Dame fell behind Florida State 27-9 less than 12 minutes into the game, a deficit they were unable to fully overcome despite a strong second-half rally. The Irish had two clean looks at 3-pointers to tie the game in the final seconds, but couldn't convert. Coach Shrewsberry took responsibility for the team's poor start, saying he needed to have them more ready to play from the opening tip.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
  • Notre Dame has now lost four straight conference games and nine of their last 10 overall.

The players

Micah Shrewsberry

The head coach of the Notre Dame men's basketball team, now in his third season.

Carson Towt

A graduate student on the Notre Dame roster who is known for his toughness and rebounding, but struggled at the free throw line in the final minutes of the game.

Jalen Haralson

A Notre Dame player who fouled out of the game, leaving Towt as one of the few remaining options to inbound the ball in the closing seconds.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I'll take full responsibility for how we started the game. I've got to have us ready to play from the start. I thought we were way too casual. We've got to play with urgency from the start and that's my fault.”

— Micah Shrewsberry, Head Coach

“There's only a couple of guys that we have that can make contested catches in traffic, up in the air, wherever that may be.”

— Micah Shrewsberry, Head Coach

What’s next

Notre Dame will look to bounce back on the road against SMU in their next game.

The takeaway

Notre Dame's continued struggles in ACC play have put their postseason hopes in jeopardy, raising questions about the direction of the program under coach Shrewsberry. The team's inability to start games with urgency and make winning plays in close games has become a recurring issue that they must address if they want to turn their season around.