Micah Shrewsberry’s focus on in-state talent has been clear.

As the head coach of Notre Dame’s men’s basketball program, Shrewsberry has directed a recruiting push in the 2025 class that’s been heavy on targets playing high school basketball in Indiana. Six of the 24 recruits Notre Dame has offered in the class are currently playing in the Hoosier State.

It’s only fitting that the first verbal commitment to Notre Dame’s 2025 class came from an in-state recruit. Brady Koehler, a four-star power forward at Indianapolis Cathedral, announced Monday his pledge to the Irish.

The 6-foot-9, 180-pound Koehler picked Notre Dame from a top five that also included Iowa, Northwestern, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. In the last two months, Koehler made official visits to Northwestern, Iowa, Notre Dame and Wake Forest. His visit to South Bend came the weekend of the football program’s home opener against Northern Illinois.

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Koehler averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in his junior season at Cathedral. He shot 38.6% (32-for-83) on 3-pointers. Rivals ranks him as the No. 18 power forward and No. 109 overall in the 2025 class.

“The 6-foot-9 Koehler is already one of the elite defenders in the 2025 class and has the frame and fluidity to get even better than he is now on that end,” said Rivals basketball recruiting director Rob Cassidy. “He moves incredibly well laterally for his size, which helps him defend the perimeter but has also shown flashes of high-level rim-protection.

“Offensively, he has an above-average mid-range shooting touch and has shown signs of being a reliable 3-point threat, though he’d ideally get more consistent from the perimeter coming off a summer that contained some serious ups and downs from that standpoint. Koehler has the kind of raw tools that could make him a player that outplays his ranking down the road, as his defensive ability will be enough to keep him on the floor while he levels out as an authentic threat.”

Koehler spent the spring and summer playing with Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit. That’s where he teamed with fellow Notre Dame target Jalen Haralson, a five-star small forward in the 2025 class who made an official visit to ND the same weekend as Koehler. Haralson is set to make his commitment announcement on Wednesday with three finalists in the race: Notre Dame, Indiana and Michigan State.

Notre Dame’s coaching staff has ties to Cathedral, which is Shrewsberry’s alma mater, and Indy Heat, which was once coached by ND assistant coach Ryan Owens.

Many men’s basketball recruits will be shifting into decision mode in the coming weeks ahead of the Nov. 13-20 early signing period. The Irish have hosted five recruits who remain uncommitted on official visits to date: four-star small forward Cam Ward, four-star point guard Dante Allen, four-star point guard Kayden Mingo, three-star small forward Ryder Frost and Haralson.

Notre Dame is expected to host three-star center Tommy Ahneman for an official visit this coming weekend. Four-star power forward Trent Sisley, who was previous scheduled to visit Notre Dame this weekend, committed to Indiana on Monday.

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