Is Notre Dame Basketball a Legitimate NCAA Tournament Contender this Season?

Notre Dame Basketball has been a consistent force in the ACC in recent years, but can they take the next step and become a legitimate NCAA Tournament contender this season?

The Fighting Irish are coming off a 20-13 season in which they finished tied for fifth in the ACC and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They return four starters from that team, including senior guard Prentiss Hubb and junior forward Nate Laszewski. Hubb is a dynamic playmaker who led the ACC in assists last season, while Laszewski is a skilled scorer who averaged 14.9 points per game.

Notre Dame also added some talented newcomers this offseason, including graduate transfer guard Cormac Ryan and freshman forward JJ Starling. Ryan is a three-point threat who shot 40.4% from beyond the arc last season at Boston College, while Starling is a highly-touted recruit who is expected to make an immediate impact.

With a strong returning core and some talented newcomers, Notre Dame has the potential to be a dangerous team this season. However, they will need to improve their defense, which ranked 10th in the ACC last season. If they can do that, they could be a legitimate contender for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Here are three key factors that will determine Notre Dame's success this season:

• Health: Notre Dame has been relatively healthy in recent years, but they will need to stay that way if they want to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Hubb and Laszewski are both key players, and if they were to miss any significant time, it would be a major blow to the team's chances.
• Defense: Notre Dame's defense was a liability last season, and they will need to improve it if they want to be a contender this year. They allowed opponents to shoot 45.3% from the field last season, which ranked 10th in the ACC. They will need to be better at defending the three-point line and getting stops in the paint.
• Chemistry: Notre Dame has a lot of new faces this season, and it will be important for them to develop chemistry quickly. The team has a lot of talented players, but they will need to be able to play together in order to reach their full potential.