After finishing last season unranked, Notre Dame is ranked 23rd in the USA Today Sports poll at the onset of the 2012-13 season.

Notre Dame was the seventh seed in last year's NCAA tournament but was eliminated in the first round by 10th ranked Xavier. The Fighting Irish are only one of three Big East teams to open the season ranked. Louisville is ranked second in the poll while Syracuse is slotted at ninth.

The Fighting Irish will be led this year by senior forward Jack Cooley in the front court and guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant. Cooley averaged 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on 62.5 percent shooting from the field last season. Grant and Atkins averaged 4.9 and 4.1 assists respectively.

Notre Dame opens the season on November 10th versus Evansville.

The complete rankings:

1 Indiana
2 Louisville
3 Kentucky
4 Ohio State
5 Michigan
6 North Carolina State
7 Kansas
8 Duke
9 Syracuse
10 Florida
11 Arizona
12 North Carolina
13 UCLA
14 Michigan State
15 Creighton
16 Memphis
17 Missouri
18 Baylor
19 UNLV
20 San Diego State
21 Wisconsin
22 Gonzaga
23 Notre Dame
24 (tie) Florida State
24 (tie) Texas