Micah Shrewsberry Revamps Notre Dame Basketball Roster
What a difference six weeks make. In less than six weeks (41 days to be exact) new Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry has transformed his nearly nonexistent roster into a viable product.
Shrewsberry announced the fourth incoming newcomer of the week on Thursday in Kebba Njie, a transfer from Penn State, where Shrewsberry coached for two seasons before taking the Notre Dame helm on March 30.
“He competed night in and night out versus some of the best bigs in the country,” Shrewsberry said in a release. “And played a big part in helping (Penn State) reach the (2023) NCAA Tournament. I’m excited to continue working with him during this next phase in his development.”
Njie is a 6-10 forward from Centerville, Ohio. He averaged 3.4 points and 3.5 rebounds and 52% from the field while making 26 starts and playing in all 37 games as a freshman with the Nittany Lions. Njie was a consensus four-star recruit out of high school and was rated the No. 16 power forward and No. 100 overall player in the country in the 2022 recruiting class.
The addition of Njie gives Notre Dame a formidable front court after the addition of incoming fellow 6-10 forward Carey Booth on Wednesday. The Englewood, Colo product is rated as the 49th overall and No. 11 player at his position in the 2023 class.
“His combination of size, athleticism, & skill will make him a unique player for opposing teams,” Shrewsberry noted of Booth. “He is a player that keeps rapidly improving. I can’t wait to get him on campus, because his best days are ahead of him.”
Booth averaged 10.6 points and 7.7 rebounds in 22 games as a senior at prep school powerhouse Brewster Academy this past season. He was also one of three incoming freshmen to formally sign with Notre Dame on Wednesday.
6-4 combo guard Logan Imes and 6-3 shooting guard Braeden Shrewsberry also signed this week. Imes, a Zionsville, Ind native, is rated as the No. 7 player in the state of Indiana in the 2023 class. He averaged 16.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in his senior season at Zionsville.
“Logan’s versatility will be a big asset for us,” Shrewsberry said. “He can play multiple positions and is comfortable with or without the ball in his hands. He is also a tenacious defender who enjoys taking on tough challenges on the defensive end.”
Imes will be joined in the backcourt by Braeden Shrewsberry. The two played AAU ball on the Indiana Elite team when Shrewsberry lived in West Lafayette, Ind prior to finishing his high school career at State College High school in Pennsylvania. He is among six finalists for Pennsylvania’s Mr. Basketball award, which will be announced later this month.
“He is a great shooter who has also improved his overall game,” the elder Shrewsberry said of his son. “He is a relentless worker who will embrace the culture of hard work that we want our program to be about.”
The Irish backcourt will also be bolstered by Northwestern transfer Julian Roper II, who became Shrewsberry’s first signee last month. Roper, a 6-3 guard from Detroit, Mich, averaged 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 44 games and two seasons at Northwestern. Roper was ranked as the No. 4 prospect out of Michigan and the No. 32 shooting guard in the country coming out of high school.
He is the ultimate competitor, who will instantly raise the level of everyone in our locker room,” Shrewsberry said of Roper.
The sixth of the Notre Dame newcomers in 2023 is the one who has been committed to the Irish the longest. Point guard Markus Burton of nearby Penn High School is the only Mike Brey recruit who stayed committed to the Fighting Irish after Brey announced he would be stepping down last winter.
Burton is just the third Indiana Mr. Basketball player, and first since Luke Zeller in 2005, to sign with Notre Dame. Burton averaged an Indiana-best 30.3 points per game, with 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.6 steals. He scored a school record 909 points in his senior season at Penn.
The four member incoming freshman class of Burton, Imes, Shrewsberry and Booth gives the Irish a top 25 overall ranking.
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