Notre Dame cornerback Mark Zackery IV joins men's basketball team

After football season prematurely ended and Markus Burton suffered an ankle injury, Notre Dame men’s basketball took an unconventional route to shore up depth at point guard.

The Irish added Mark Zackery IV, a freshman cornerback on the football team, to their men’s basketball roster. Zackery, who stands 5-foot-11 with plus length, was a star point guard in high school at Indianapolis Ben Davis and with the AAU club Indiana Elite.

Official from Notre Dame: Mark Zackery IV Added to Men’s Basketball Roster

“I think that Mark will be a great addition to our program,” Notre Dame head men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry said. “I have seen him play many times throughout his high school career. Whether competing with Team Teague, Indiana Elite, or Ben Davis High School, he always does things that help lead to winning. He will be an asset for us with his ball handling, playmaking, and defensive abilities. More importantly, he is a great young man that will add more value to our locker room and culture.”

Zackery led Ben Davis to the state championship as a sophomore, scoring 16 points in the state title game. As a junior, Ben Davis reached the final two again. Zackery finished his junior season with 11.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 39.4 percent from three-point range.

“He’s one of the few football players that can truly play basketball,” Irish head football coach Marcus Freeman said on National Signing Day in December 2024. “Most of our guys that play basketball are football players, just on the basketball court. He’s a basketball player when he’s on the basketball court. He is a unique talent.”

Because Zackery burned his redshirt on the football field, his addition to the men’s basketball team will not affect his eligibility in either sport.

In football this season, Zackery played in 11 games and started three, due to injuries to starting cornerbacks Leonard Moore and Christian Gray. He struggled in coverage early but got better as the season moved along, finishing the year with a 70.7 PFF coverage grade.

On the basketball court, Zackery will compete for minutes with sophomore Sir Mohammed and junior Logan Imes behind freshman starter Jalen Haralson. With Burton out, Shrewsberry likely eyed Zackery for his ability to initiate the offense.

After Notre Dame was snubbed from the College Football Playoff and decided against playing in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Zackery was suddenly available.