Saturday, May 30, 2015

Marquette Recruiting Update

As we head towards summer, it's a good time to look at how Marquette is sitting with regards to the 2016 recruiting cycle.  

As of today, the Golden Eagles have 3 spots available. To give you an idea of how young this team is going to be, of the current 10 scholarship players, none will exhaust eligibility at the end of the 15-16 season.

2 of those spots have already been filled. Two Saturdays ago, UNC-Asheville sophomore guard, Andrew Rowsey committed to Marquette over Cincinnati. Rowsey was a high volume shooter at UNC-Asheville playing both guard spots. He was a 37% 3-point shooter and attempted 245 3's in 31 games last year. He had a relationship with Coach Wojciehowski prior to his transfer so the coaches should know what they're getting. He'll provide depth at PG where Marquette currently has only one true PG, true freshman, Traci Carter. He'll sit out this season.

A day later, Stevens Point senior SF Sam Hauser committed to Marquette. Hauser was a top priority for the staff as soon as Wojo came aboard and the hard work paid off. Hauser lead SPASH to the State Title this past spring, ending Germantown's long winning streak. Hauser is a natural scorer and great shooter.  He fits the profile for the type of player Wojo wants. He's listed as a 3* but don't be surprised when he's a 4* at the end of his senior season. He's a rising star who was being heavily recruited by Virginia.

That leaves one spot, so where do the Golden Eagles go next? They have NC State transfer F Kyle Washington on campus this weekend and Marquette is reportedly in good position to land a commitment. He averaged 7 and 4 in 18 minutes per game. His playing time dwindled late in the season and needs work on defense but could be a low post option where Marquette could use some depth. He's a solid rebounder.

The other two top options appear to be Minnesota SG Amir Coffey and Whitefish Bay Dominican's Kostas Antetokounmpo. Both have been offered by Iowa State and Coffey is expected to be a top target of Richard Pitino and Minnesota. Coffey is listed as the top player in Minnesota and Marquette is in good shape with him.

Kostas Antetokounmpo is the intriguing name to watch. Yes, he is Giannis' brother and his stock has soared this spring. The big boys are looking at him now as he's risen to a 5* talent. He hasn't received a formal offer from Marquette yet but 247's Jerry Meyer expects him to receive one when he has an official visit. He would be a very intriguing player to bring aboard.

As we see, there's 3 names for 1 spot. I wouldn't worry about that. At this point, it'll be a minor upset if Henry Ellenson is on campus for more than one season. A lot of Marquette fans think he'll be here two years but if he plays up to expectations, he won't be back. He's still a top-10 NBA prospect for 2016. Also, it's possible his brother plays this season and then focuses on making the US Olympic Team in the high jump. And as we know, a transfer is always possible.

The new staff has done a solid job landing players they target. Now it's about developing and keeping the momentum.