Notre Dame men’s basketball signs three players in class of 2024
Notre Dame men’s basketball signed three players in the class of 2024 on Wednesday: four-star guard Sir Mohammed, three-star guard Cole Certa and three-star forward Garrett Sundra.
As of Wednesday morning, the Irish own the 41st-ranked ’24 recruiting class in the country. It’s the first full group to be fully recruited and signed to Notre Dame by first-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who took over for longtime head coach Mike Brey this past March.
“When we got the job here, we put a premium on bringing in players who fit our team on the court as well as off the court,” Shrewsberry said in a news release. “All three of these young men are not only tremendous basketball players, as evidenced by the fact that this is ranked as one of the top recruiting classes not only in the ACC, but in the country as well, but they are also excellent students who fit the mission and the culture of Notre Dame.”
Certa was the first in the class to commit to Notre Dame, which the No. 153 player and No. 32 shooting guard in the On3 Industry Ranking did May 4. The 6-foot-5 guard from Bloomington, Ill., transferred to Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy for his senior season, and his best trait is his 3-point shooting.
“It just felt like family when I took my visit there, when they were just recruiting me through the process,” Certa told Blue & Gold in June. “I knew pretty early on that this could possibly be the place. When I went on my visit, I felt really good about it and I knew I was ready to commit.”
Sundra was around 6-foot-5 as a freshman at Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI Catholic, which features one of the top men’s basketball teams in the country. He grew to 6-foot-10 by his senior year, and he maintained the athleticism and shooting ability to become a high-major prospect.
He committed to Notre Dame on Aug. 10.
“Ultimately, it came down to the coaching staff,” Sundra told Blue & Gold in August. “Coach [Mike] Farrelly and Coach Shrews are phenomenal coaches off the court. And then pairing that with watching a practice and seeing how good they were with the guys, how good they were with the team, it really made the decision fairly easy.”
While he is the lowest-rated of the three commits (No. 160 in the On3 Industry Ranking and No. 31 power forward), Paul VI head coach Glenn Farello believes his best basketball is ahead of him.
“Once that frame fills out, a lot of the things that he’s able to do will come more to fruition,” Farrell said. “I think we saw a lot of that growth, as far as his personal development and his physical development. They’re now catching up to his skill and his basketball IQ.”
Listed as a small forward and standing 6-foot-6, Mohammed’s game more closely resembles that of a pass-first point guard. He told On3’s Jamie Shaw in May that Shrewsberry sees him as “a lead guard who can do a lot on the floor.”
Mohammed brings length, top-tier passing ability and a high basketball IQ to the Irish. He ranks 71st in the On3 Industry Ranking, and he committed to Notre Dame on Aug. 12.
“People are starting to realize that I’m a lot better when I have the ball in my hands, making plays with people around me,” Mohammed told Blue & Gold in June. “But I feel like that’s always how I’ve been since I was little. Just a really good passer, really good playmaker.”
Mohammed is the son of 18-year NBA player Nazr Mohammed, who is now a scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the general manager for their G-League affiliate, the OKC Blue.
Shrewsberry and recruiting director Brian Snow are scheduled to discuss the signees this afternoon in South Bend.
