Everything you need know as Notre Dame basketball hosts Mercyhurst
Notre Dame basketball opened the 2026-27 regular season with an impressive win over Villanova in Rome. The Irish now work on being better at home.
Notre Dame basketball returned from Italy and practiced before facing Mercyhurst in their opening game of the 2026-27 season. The teams have never met before. Notre Dame aims to build on their impressive victory over Villanova (74-72). Mercyhurst, a new Division I team, lost their first game 78-43 to Marquette and will compete against typically stronger opponents like Western Carolina, The Citadel, and Elon.
Mercyhurst's Jake Lemelman, their only returning starter from the previous season, increased his minutes, games started, points scored, and scoring average. He's a first-team all-league preseason pick and is expected to compete despite the challenges posed by the new Division I level. The Irish led by Braeden Smith, a fifth-year player who played a key role in their victory over Villanova.
The next five games for Notre Dame include matches against Eastern Illinois, South Carolina State, Florida, and potentially Houston/Rutgers.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
