Since Shaka Smart arrived at Marquette back in 2021, the golden Eagles have made the NCAA Tournament each season, rebuilding this program back into a Big East contender on a regular basis. They haven’t had the national success of uconn or necessarily made the headlines of a Creighton or St. John’s in recent years, but Marquette means business and has proven this in recent years.

Last season Marquette won 23 games and tied for 4th in a talented Big East race, but this team couldn’t get the job done in the postseason again, this time falling in the first round of the Big Dance. Making Tournaments and averaging nearly 25 wins a season has been the model of consistency under Smart’s leadership but at some point the postseason wins have to come back to Milwaukee.

We’re not dredging up the past but looking to the future and it’s an upcoming season that looks more uncertain than recent years. The Golden Eagles bid farewell to notable talent, losing top scorers Kam Jones, David Joplin, and Stevie mitchell, who all ended their careers after brilliant work with this program. Many names return to Milwaukee alongside a few new freshmen, though Marquette strangely enough didn’t add any players from the transfer portal.

Guard – Zaide Lowery (Junior)

while an underclassman Lowery served as a handy reserve in the frontcourt for the Golden Eagles. Last year as a sophomore he put up 4.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game but will clearly have a larger role with those offseason departures. Marquette is counting on Lowery, who tracks as a stronger scoring guard who should take up some of that mantle from losing Joplin and the others.

Guard – Chase Ross (Senior)

Ross showed great signs last season as a junior, becoming a full-time starter in his third year with the Golden Eagles. He averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and is the top returning scorer from last season. Suffice to say that Marquette will need even more from the crafty dallas native who showed promise, finish 4th in the Big East in steals and 8th in true shooting percentage.

##Key Reserves

###Guard – Nigel James Jr. (Freshman)

James is a 6-0 point guard from the state of New york who might carve out a role as the backup right off the bat for the Golden Eagles. He’s just one Top 100 recruit in this new class and his aggressiveness will make him a favorite pretty quickly. James plays hard on both sides of the ball, fills the stat sheets, and has even grown as a long-range shooter over the years.

###Guard – Tre Norman (Junior)

Norman came to Marquette from Boston and has been a reserve for his first two seasons in Milwaukee. He’s put up similar numbers in both seasons, averaging just under 2 points a game with less than stellar shooting numbers. Now an upperclassman, there’s a chance for more minutes for this crafty guard, but plenty of other young names clawing to contribute in this rotation.###Forward – Ian Miletic (Freshman)

Grabbing a lefty wing from the nearby suburbs of Chicago, Marquette is hoping that Miletic can develop into a top talent in the coming years. A 6-7 forward from Rolling Meadows,Illinois,he’s got plenty of potential with his size and athleticism,though he still has to build strength. Once he adjusts to the college game and can improve on that, he could be a dynamic player especially with his potential and shooting ability.

###Forward – Michael Phillips II (Freshman)

Phillips is a 6-6 small forward from raleigh, North Carolina who reclassified to the 2025 class and chose the Golden Eagles last fall. He’s a dynamic shooter who does the little things and has built his strength recently as well. Despite being another true freshman, this young wing has a chance to earn significant minutes with the new openings in this rotation, especially if he can become a scrappy defender.

Schedule Outlook

marquette Basketball Season Outlook

The key point is that Marquette has lost their top three scorers from last season’s team and did not add any players through the transfer portal. However, this isn’t necessarily a negative for a Marquette roster built on homegrown talent. It is unusual to see a starting five comprised entirely of players who began their careers with the same program.

Marquette is confident in what they’ll get from Gold and Ross, the two returning starters. However, there are many questions surrounding the rest of the team. Parham demonstrated potential as a freshman, but can he handle a larger role in the offense? Can he and owens, his former high school teammate, both improve significantly in their second year?