Marcus Burton returns but Notre Dame loses heartbreaker to North Carolina
Markus Burton is back, and Notre Dame men’s basketball nearly pulled off its first signature win of the 2024 season. But in the final seconds, the Irish let it slip through their fingers.
With a 3-point lead and 4.8 seconds left against North Carolina, sophomore Tar Heels guard Elliot Cadeau fired a three-pointer from the right wing. Graduate student Notre Dame guard Matt Allocco, the transfer from Princeton, closed out on him too aggressively. Allocco fouled Cadeau in the act of shooting, and he watched the attempt swish through the basket.
Cadeau made the ensuing free throw, and Burton’s running layup attempt at the other end hit the backboard but missed the rim. The Irish lost 74-73 and fell to 7-7 (1-2 ACC).
Burton returned after a knee (specifically MCL) injury sidelined him for 39 days. He missed eight games, including the loss to Rutgers in which he got hurt before the under-16 timeout. Notre Dame finished that stretch 3-5 with wins over Syracuse, Dartmouth and Le Moyne.
Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry brought Burton in off the bench, and he took the floor to resounding cheers from the Purcell Pavilion Crowd in South Bend. He didn’t make his first basket until 5:35 remained in the first half, but after Notre Dame entered the halftime break down 39-32, he exploded and nearly won the game.
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Burton scored 17 points in the second half and 23 in the game, shooting 7-of-14 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. The two players who had to carry the load with the star sophomore guard out, sophomore guard Braeden Shrewsberry and junior forward Tae Davis, scored 16 and 17 points, respectively.
Still, the Irish couldn’t get it done in the final seconds, nor could they stop freshman North Carolina guard Ian Jackson. In the midst of a breakout stretch, Jackson scored 27 points. He has at least 23 in each of his last four outings.
Burton’s return — and, crucially, return to full form — gives the Irish hope as the calendar turns to 2025. Road tests against North Carolina State and No. 4 Duke loom. Short of a dominant run in league play, Burton’s injury may have nixed Notre Dame’s NCAA Tournament chances but building momentum into next season would be huge.
Presuming Burton, Braeden Shrewsberry and Davis return, the Irish will welcome a stacked 2025 recruiting class and should be an attractive destination for graduate transfers looking to win in their final year of eligibility. If the remainder of the 2024-25 season goes well, 2025-26 may look like Notre Dame’s year.
That would have been impossible without Burton, but the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year is back.
