We’re almost there, almost back in the grind of another college basketball season. Before you know it, there will be a foot of snow on the ground, temperatures will be below zero with another Atlantic Coast Conference game going up and down the court inside Purcell Pavilion.
Poll Position: Where did Notre Dame basketball finish in USA Today’s ACC preseason poll?
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To get you ready for those nights and get you ready for a Notre Dame season that starts Monday, November 3 at home against LIU Brooklyn, we’ll take an alphabetical player-by-player look at the 2025-26 Notre Dame basketball team over the next 13 weekdays (Wednesday, October 15 thru Friday, October 31). Who are these guys? What did they do last year? Where do they fit in this one? And what does third-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry think of them?
Noie: What’s the verdict of the first-ever Irish Jam basketball event at Eddy Street Commons?
We have the answers. Here:
(5) Cole Certa
Hometown (High School): Le Roy, Illinois (IMG Academy)
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Dimensions: 6-foot-5, 200 pounds
Projected position: Backup shooting guard
Class: Sophomore
Notable number: Eight of the 10 3s that Certa made as a freshman came over the season’s final eight games.
24-25 stats: Averaged 2.5 points, 0.2 rebounds and 0.2 assists in 8.0 minutes per game over 18 games. Shot .300 percent from the field, .278 from 3 and a team-best .917 (11-of-12) from the foul line.
25-26 outlook: Pick up where he left off late in the year from a confidence/shot making/contributor standpoint. Certa rarely (almost never) played over the first three months of the season but was a revelation starting with the home win over Pittsburgh when he scored 12 points, including three 3s, in 12 minutes. He showed a penchant to take ― and make ― big shots in the final seven games and showed why he was such a coveted recruit. Now continue that career arc.
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Shrews on Certa: “Cole never loses confidence. That’s the one thing I’ll say about him. He’s the most confident guy that we’ve got. He’s stronger; he’s moving better. He’s shooting the ball great. He’s ready to make another step in his game.”
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Running through the Notre Dame basketball roster for 2025-26 season
