When revisiting the 2019-20 Notre Dame men’s basketball season, the evaluation brings equal parts celebration and consternation.

The low points were many for the Irish:

• Late blown leads and an inability to finish and win down the stretch left a feeling of “what if” hanging over this season, until postseason play was wiped out.

• Seven defeats in the 11 Irish games decided by three points or fewer — including three losses by two points and three by one point — brought as much late-game excitement as it did post-game heartache.

• Six defeats in six tries versus top-25 teams extended the program-record losing streak to 21 games against ranked teams.

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And while the lows were glaring, much was left to recognize this season:

• After starting ACC play at 2-6 and facing the real danger of this season spinning out of control as it did last year during a 3-15 conference run, Notre Dame responded with a four-game winning streak and finished with eight wins in its final 12 regular-season league games to level its final ACC record at 10-10.

• The Irish were an efficient and entertaining team, leading the nation with a 1.68 assist-turnover ratio, fewest turnovers per game (9.8) and fewest fouls per game (12.4).

• And, after going from just 3-15 in ACC play last season to 10-10 this year, Notre Dame demonstrated one of the best one-year improvements of any Power Five team in the country.

So let’s put a bow on this abbreviated Irish basketball season with some postseason superlatives.

The easiest of these recognitions to hand out, where would this Irish team have been this season without the play of first-team All-ACC forward John Mooney?

Mooney led the nation with 25 double-doubles — including a single-season ACC-record 15.

And with per-game averages of 16.8 points and 12.8 rebounds, this Karl Malone Award top-10 finalist (top collegiate power forward) ranked fifth in the league in scoring and second in the nation in rebounding, and was the only player in the country to average at least 16 points and 12 rebounds.

With 20 out of 32 games scoring in double-figures and a 10.8 scoring average — including a career-high 27 points last December against Detroit Mercy — Irish sophomore Dane Goodwin showed tremendous improvement and ranked in the top five nationally all season in individual scoring off the bench.

The versatile guard bumped his scoring average by 4.4 points per game and his rebounding by almost one per game from his freshman year. Goodwin’s 37.7-percent three-point shooting was second on the Irish.

Goodwin finished third in the voting for ACC Sixth Man of the Year.

Remarkably, he was not recognized on the ACC’s list of the nine most improved players.

With three buzzer-beating victories and many other down-to-the wire wins to choose from, this category is open for debate.

But given what the 62-61 last-second win at Boston College Feb. 26 meant at the time, this win rates best.

A right-handed buzzer-beating floater from senior guard T.J. Gibbs after a nifty pass from sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb secured Notre Dame its seventh win in nine games, pushed it to 9-8 in league play and into fifth place in the conference standings, which resurrected some prospects of an at-large NCAA Tournament berth, until subsequent losses to Wake Forest and Florida State wiped out those hopes.

Fully understanding that Detroit Mercy isn’t necessarily elite competition, Notre Dame’s performance Dec. 17 in a 110-71 win over the Titans nonetheless remains the highlight of the season, and arguably the best single-game showing in the 20 years Mike Brey has been Irish head coach.

The 110 points were the most for a Notre Dame team since 2002 when it scored 116 in a four-overtime game against Georgetown and the most in a regulation game since 1986 when Digger Phelps hung 126 on Miami.

The Irish also tied a single-game program-record 20 made three-pointers, and set a Notre Dame record with 33 assists on 41 baskets. The Fighting Irish recorded season highs with a 59-percent field goal percentage, a 51-percent three-point percentage and 45 bench points.

Trying to snap a 20-game losing streak to top-25 teams that dates back to November 2017, the Irish built a 61-48 lead, March 4, against No. 7 Florida State before being outscored 25-10 in the last 10 minutes of a heartbreaking 73-71 loss that served as the most disappointing defeat of the season.

Notre Dame led for all but 20 seconds in this game, finally losing its grip on the lead with 3.8 seconds remaining, the first time it trailed since FSU led 5-4.

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