ACC Roundup: Notre Dame Wins In Rome
TOPSHOT – Pope Leo XIV receives a basketball as a gift during an audience with delegations from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame at the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican on October 31, 2026. (Photo by TIZIANA FABI / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
College basketball started on November 1st, with Notre Dame and Villanova playing in Rome. We honestly thought Villanova might get an easy win here, but that’s not what happened.
The Wildcats did build a double-digit lead at times, but the Irish kept fighting back, and at the end, they pulled off a pretty good win.
It wasn’t always pretty, but Notre Dame hung around, got 14 steals, and was up by two when Braeden Shrewsberry went to the line with just a few seconds left.
You could tell by his face that he was uncertain, and he did miss, but Notre Dame’s defense held up, and the Irish won, 74-70.
It reminded us somewhat of Butler, where coach Micah Shrewsberry once worked for Brad Stevens. Villanova would get ahead, but couldn’t stay ahead. Notre Dame just wouldn’t go away.
Things get cranked up in earnest on Monday, starting at 6:00 PM when #14 Miami takes on #1 Florida. That could get really interesting, and we’ll learn a lot about both teams.
The rest of the games are pretty mundane tune-ups: Stetson and Clemson tangle, Western Carolina visits UNC, New Haven travels to Syracuse, Rider tests Pitt’s rebuilt roster, Campbell checks in to play NC State, Southern goes to SMU, Adams State will play Cal, Maryland Eastern Shore flies down to Wake Forest, Florida A&M will try to rattle Florida State in the Orion180 Tipoff Classic, Chattanooga challenges Louisville, and Eastern Washington jets down to the Farm to take on Stanford. Here are some of the things we’ll want to learn about:
- How UNC fares. The Charlotte game was not encouraging, but it’s probably a one-off.
- How Syracuse looks under Gerry McNamara. Was Siena a prelude?
- How Jeff Capel’s new roster looks for Pitt.
- How well Justin Gainey’s NC State team has adjusted to his system.
- How Florida State’s Massive Marcis Ponder looks (we claim full credit for Massive Marcis Ponder. You heard it here first).
- Finally, how Louisville looks with its new roster, including how Flory Bidunga fits, and freshman big Obinna Ekezie, Jr, who was highly impressive in Louisville’s exhibition win at Kansas. It hasn’t happened yet, but this is coming: people are going to try to foster a rivalry between Ekezie and Duke’s JoJo Boumtje Boumtje. Both freshmen are 7-2 and versatile. Incoming!
- What are realistic expectations for FSU basketball this season?
- Here’s NC State men’s basketball schedule for the 2026-2027 season
- How Much Is NC State’s Basketball Roster Worth? CBS Sports Reveals Where the Wolfpack Ranks in the ACC
- Men’s Basketball Hosts Eastern Washington in Season Opener
- Virginia Tech Hokies News: Coaches’ hot seats warming, men’s basketball preseason award
- Clemson Basketball Preview: What Should Clemson’s Expectations Be?
- Predicting Virginia Tech Basketball’s Top Three Scorers for 2026-27
- What Virginia Tech Basketball Fans Need To Know Ahead of the Season Opener
- Three Bold Predictions for Virginia Tech Basketball In the 2026-27 Season
- Virginia Tech Basketball’s Biggest Preseason Concern And How The Hokies Can Fix It
- Has Kyle Smith Built an NCAA Tournament Team at Stanford?
- Here’s UNC men’s basketball schedule for the 2026-2027 season
- Villanova vs. Notre Dame Game Highlights | 2026-27 ACC Men’s Basketball
- Upset in Rome: 3 takeaways from Notre Dame Basketball’s big upset over Villanova
- Season Preview: Can Wake Forest Basketball Find Their Way Back?
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Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.