Marquette finished 97th in KenPom, 107th in offense and 93rd in defense. Marquette was one of the worst rebounding teams on both sides of the court. On offense, they were one of the worst at protecting the ball. There is a lot of room for growth.
Freshmen
Sacar Anim - The Minnesota Player of the Year saw little playing time. Hard to say what they have with him.
Matt Heldt- Wojo's first commit in the class got hurt late after seeing a little more playing time as Big East play went on. Heldt mostly saw time when Fischer got into foul trouble and Ellenson needed a blow. Needed to get stronger and looks a lot different than he did when he arrived on campus. May take another year but has a chance to be a solid upper class men. With Ellenson's likely departure, might be in line for a big bump in playing time next season.
Traci Carter - Carter was thrown into the fire as a starter. By the end of the year, he was coming off the bench but seeing a lot of minutes. Carter was 45th in assist rate this season nationally. He was also 74th in steal rate. Carter's problem was turnover rate, 29.1% and getting in foul trouble. He'll have to improve his 3% shooting. I think the positives outweighed the negatives given his youth. Asked to do a lot early, it should bode well for his growth.
Haanif Cheatham - By the end of the year, Cheatham showed glimpses of being the type of player that becomes the face of a program. He saw a lot of playing time and finished with an effective fg% of 54.3. Cheatham was good at getting to the free throw line and showed the ability to become a good 3-point shooter. Needs to add a mid-range game. Had a turnover problem as well. If he can be more efficient in that regard, he could be All Big East type player.
Henry Ellenson- Lived up to the hype and then some. Some will call it a wasted year for him and the program. Perhaps it was. Given the team and coaching staff inexperience, he was probably "wasted". That said, he was still an important get for the staff to establish itself. The hope is the staff experience with a player of his caliber makes them better going forward. Won't hurt them if he's a lottery pick.
Sophomores
Sandy Cohen - Cohen started the year well and was a defensive star in their win in Madison. Once Big East play started, he completely disappeared. He was lost on defense and his shot broken. His role going forward is uncertain. Also had a turnover rate of 20%.
Duane Wilson- Thought Duane could break out this year. Instead, he was erratic all year. Brilliant one game, he would be borderline unplayable the next. Took 156 3-pointers and shot 35%. Bad Duane bogged down the offense. Good Duane attacked the hoop and gave them a threat from outside. Too much of the former, not enough of the latter. Team needs good Duane in 2017.
Juniors
Wally Ellenson- Did Wally get recruited to help bring in Henry? Probably, at least partly. His role likely doesn't differ much next year. Occasional minutes with a hope of some high energy.
Luke Fischer- The optimist hopes an off-season without any injury issues lets him develop his game further. The pessimist worries he is what he is. A silly-foul prone big with streaks of brilliance and streaks of invisibility. Luke is an effective around the hoop offensive player. He finished with an effective fg% of 60.8%, 48th. He was 59th in offensive rebounding% but has to get stronger on the defensive glass where he averaged less boards than on offense. That's not good. Cohen actually was a better defensive rebounder. Fischer would get into foul trouble far too often and far too often they were soft and silly fouls. If he doesn't get that cleaned up as a senior, it could be a long season. He'll need to stay on the court and be productive. Next to Cohen, he was the most disappointing player this year. Skills are there. Can he develop them? Can the staff help him reach them? Think we learn a lot about him and the staff based on how his senior year is. Given the reaction to his game winning free throws against Georgetown, there's little doubt the staff loves the kid and want him to each that potential. A good senior season possibly gets him drafted.
Jajuan Johnson- Johnson seemed to be coming into his own as the season progressed. A former top-50 recruit, he flashed those moments a lot more this season. His shooting improved and started making steals on defense, 38th in steal %. Still disappears on defense to the consternation of the staff. Also fails to get back on occasion. If he cleans that up, he could have a special senior season. Like the rest of the team, needs to clean up turnovers. Scored double digits in 9 of his last 12 games.
Arriving: Sam Hauser, FR, Wisconsin State Player of the Year, good shooter compared by Wojo to Kris Jenkins; Andrew Rowsey, SG transferred from UNC-Asheville, good 3-point shooter.
One spot available, two if HE leaves.
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