Transfer Portal: Former Princeton guard Matt Allocco commits to Notre Dame
Notre Dame men’s basketball has its first transfer addition: Former Princeton guard Matt Allocco, who shoots better than 40 percent from three-point range.
Allocco started 61 games over the past two seasons for the Tigers and averaged 12.7 points per game in 2023-24. He appeared in all 30 games for Princeton as a sophomore in 2021-22, while his freshman season was canceled due to COVID-19.
The Hilliard, Ohio, native has one year of eligibility remaining. He announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Wednesday morning.
Notre Dame was likely attracted to Allocco’s shooting splits throughout the 2023-24 season: 50.8 percent from the field, 42.7 percent from beyond the arc and 90.9 percent from the free throw line. He was a high-volume scorer for the Tigers as well, averaging 8.6 shot attempts each outing. Allocco made second-team All-Ivy League for the second straight year.
Allocco had taken a visit to Ohio State, according to multiple reports. Notre Dame’s interest in the graduate transfer was not known before Wednesday’s announcement.
Allocco comes to Notre Dame with significant postseason experience, having made the Sweet 16 with Princeton in 2023. He scored 15 points — including three made three-pointers — in the Tigers’ Ivy League championship win over Yale. He also scored 10 points and dished out 7 assists in No. 15 Princeton’s round of 32 win over No. 7 Missouri, shortly after upsetting No. 2 Arizona.
In games against high-major and eventual NCAA Tournament competition this past season, Allocco shined for the Tigers. He scored 21 points in Princeton’s season-opening win over Rutgers, and also scored 23 points in a win over eventual Atlantic 10 champion Duquesne.
The Tigers won the Ivy League’s regular-season title with a 24-3 overall record, including a 12-2 mark in conference play. They were upset by Brown in the Ivy League semifinals, although Allocco scored 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting and a 5-of-9 effort from behind the three-point line in the loss.
Allocco is the No. 178 player and No. 33 shooting guard in the On3 Industry Ranking among transfers in the current cycle, and he was given a four-star rating.
At Notre Dame, Allocco will join a young, talented backcourt led by rising sophomores Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry — assuming the former eventually withdraws from the 2024 NBA Draft. Shrewsberry, Allocco and incoming freshman Cole Certa project as the best three-point shooters on the Irish, along with lead guards like Burton and incoming freshman Sir Mohammed.
According to The Trentonian, Allocco is related to former Notre Dame football and men’s basketball player Frank Allocco.
