Notre Dame basketball 2013-14 season preview

Outlook: Heading into their first go-round in the stacked ACC, the Fighting Irish were picked to finish fifth in the ACC by the conference's coaches and should be well-equipped to succeed. They return four starters from last year’s team that finished tied for fifth in the Big East, but Notre Dame will lose its biggest inside threat from last year, decorated forward Jack Cooley. An AP honorable mention All-American and first team All Big-East selection, Cooley averaged a double-double at 13.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season. The Fighting Irish will look for a combination of Zach Auguste, Tom Knight and Garrick Sherman—all of whom are 6-foot-10 and weigh more than 230 pounds—to pick up the slack on the glass and in the post.

Notre Dame’s success this year will likely hinge on the play of its backcourt, led by seniors Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant. Both players averaged 5.5 assists per game last year, and they will have to continue to spread the ball around on a team that lacks a dominant scoring threat. Atkins poured in 11.2 points per game last year, and Grant was the team’s leading scorer with 13.3 points per game, but both may have to look to score more if other players do not emerge as legitimate scoring options.