SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Robby Carmody got the closure he was looking for.

Now he wants to open another door.

Using the transfer portal, the 2018 Mars graduate — the high school’s all-time leading basketball scorer — is leaving Notre Dame to continue his academic and basketball career at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.

Because of assorted injuries and the COVID-19 year, Carmody has two years of college basketball eligibility remaining.

“It’s just time for a fresh start,” Carmody said. “I’ve loved my time at Notre Dame. I don’t regret a minute of it. Being able to get on the floor for meaningful minutes in our last few games here meant the world to me.

“I don’t need (college basketball) closure. I got that when I was able to get back on the court this year. All of those injuries and time away from the game made me fall in love with the sport all over again. I appreciate basketball now more than I ever have.”

Carmody scored 2,390 points and grabbed 1,216 rebounds during his high school career. He was heavily recruited by numerous Division I programs, including Purdue. Current Mercer head coach Greg Gary was recruiting coordinator for the Boilermakers then and first made contact with Carmody during his freshman year.

“We developed a great relationship,” Carmody said. “The hardest phone call I’ve ever made in my life was when I called him to tell him I was going to Notre Dame.”

Carmody became the first freshman in the previous 16 years of Notre Dame basketball to start his first game with the Fighting Irish. He scored 11 points against Illinois-Chicago, but suffered a torn labrum in that game. He later tore his meniscus and ACL, then fractured the kneecap of that same knee when he returned to the team post-COVID.

“Robby was getting into rehab after that torn ACL when COVID hit and everybody was sent home,” his father and Mars boys basketball coach Rob Carmody recalled. “He had to scramble and get some rehab done near home, on his own. He’s had to deal with swelling, rehab, procedures ... everything that goes with coming back from a knee injury.”

Carmody eventually returned to the Notre Dame roster, but rarely saw the floor and was never totally healthy until the last few games of this season.

Gary has been at Mercer for four years now. The Bears compete in the Southern Conference and were 14-19 last season, 6-12 in league play. Mercer played in the league title game three years ago.

Gary was an assistant coach at Purdue for eight years before taking on the Mercer job.

“Robby is coming full-circle, really,” Coach Carmody said. “He’s going to play for a coach who knows him well. He’ll be going in there totally healthy and ready to go. A lot of guys in his situation would have given it up, shut it down, concentrate solely on academics. He never gave up on the game because he loves basketball so much.”

Carmody said he “thought about giving it up” prior to the 2022-23 season.

“I called home and we talked,” he said of he and his parents. “When it came down to it, I just couldn’t quit.”

Carmody got his masters degree in non-profit administration at Notre Dame. He plans to get a masters in higher education with an emphasis on sports management at Mercer.

The Bears had seven seniors/graduate students on their 2022-23 roster.

“My goal is to go in there and earn a starting position,” Carmody said. “All I want is an opportunity to prove myself and show I’m ready to play again. I feel like I could play a full 40-minute game right now, so stamina won’t be an issue.

“If it turns out I’m not good enough to start and I have to assume another role, if that’s where I slot out at. I’ll be fine with it. I’m treating this as a second chance.”

Mike Brey stepped down as Notre Dame coach after 23 seasons this year. If Brey was returning, Carmody admitted it would be harder to leave the program.

“If Coach Brey was back and asked me to stick around, I probably would have,” he said. “But his leaving and my decision to transfer are not related.”

His father said Carmody’s situation is one of the things the transfer portal is designed for.

“His is not a case where he doesn’t like the coach, is unhappy with his minutes, nothing like that,” Coach Carmody said. “This is about a fresh start and new opportunity. The transfer portal really benefits Robby and people in similar type of situations.”

When his basketball playing career does end, Carmody’s basketball life will continue.

“Yeah, I’ll get into coaching,” he said. “I can’t see myself not doing that.”