Why Notre Dame football is again the focus for cornerback Mark Zackery

SOUTH BEND — If it was going to end for Notre Dame football cornerback turned Notre Dame basketball point guard Mark Zackery, it was fitting that it ended against that Atlantic Coast Conference team in that building. In December, with more athletic time on his hands than anticipated, and with the Irish basketball team down starting point guard Markus Burton for the rest of the season following surgery on a broken left ankle, Zackery became the first Irish football player since 2003-04 (tight end turned power forward John Carlson) to play for the basketball team. Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry liked the potential for Zackery to help.

He was long and athletic. He could defend and make a shot. He looked the part.

Having recruited Indianapolis for the likes of Jalen Haralson, Logan Imes and Brady Koehler, Shrewsberry often watched Zackery play point guard and play it well for Ben Davis High School. Noie: Notre Dame basketball stares down crucial 14 days that will define future Noie: This is why one Notre Dame football player appreciates the game more When Notre Dame needed to bolster its guard depth, Shrewsberry called on Zackery. For the first time since his junior year of high school (his senior season was derailed by a left thumb injury), Zackery was a basketball player.

In Notre Dame’s conference opener in late December, Zackery made his college basketball debut on the same campus (Stanford) where his freshman football season ended. Days later, Zackery scored his first career basket at Cal. His only career basket.