Marquette Basketball: Sacar Anim emerges as glue guy for Golden Eagles

Sacar Anim emerged as an effective two-way player for Marquette Basketball last season. What does he bring to the table and what can he add in 2018-19?

Sacar Anim joined Marquette as the fifth player in Steve Wojciechowski’s five-man 2015 recruiting class that included future first-round pick Henry Ellenson. Anim played just 83 total minutes as a freshman, and ended up redshirting as a sophomore to develop his game. But now that he enters his fourth season with the team and his third in uniform, Anim has proven to be the do-everything force that Wojo and Marquette so desperately need.

Coming off his redshirt year, Anim was quickly thrust into a starting role in 2017-18 when starting wing Haanif Cheatham transferred after the Maui Invitational. From then on, Anim was a fixture for Marquette and was often tasked with guarding the opponent’s top wing scorer.

More from Big East

Anim actually finished with the worst defensive rating in the Big East, but it’s clear larger issues were at play. Marquette players posted the 5 worst defensive ratings in the conference, and 7 of the bottom 10. Scheme concerns combined with a pair of sub-6-foot guards combined with the Golden Eagles’ general indifference on that end of the floor resulted in a horrifically incompetent defense that ultimately tanked everyone’s defensive rating in the process. Anim clearly has legitimate defensive IQ and the athleticism to back it up. Wojciechowski agreed when he awarded the Minneapolis product with the team’s defensive player of the year award after the season.

Anim is a sturdy defender, and at 6-foot-5, he was frequently asked to guard bigger opponents in Marquette’s small-ball lineups last year. This year, with plenty of frontcourt options dotting the roster, Anim will likely line up with more guards. Matching up with smaller players will present new challenges, but it could also open up Anim as a shot blocker and a rebounder, two areas in which he needs to improve.

Offensively, Anim – a former AP Player of the Year in Minnesota – is a relentless attacker. Nearly 56 percent of his attempts came at the rim, and he converted 63 percent of such shots. He is remarkably adept at flinging his body into the defender to clear space, while also maintaining his balance to finish the shot.

His game can get a little herky-jerky around the rim, but he also has shown some flair if the defender gives him too much space.

A reverse finish under the basket and over the big man’s outstretched arms is not teachable. You either have it or you don’t. And heaven forbid the defense give Anim the lane because he will quickly turn it into a crime scene.

At Creighton last year, with Marquette desperate for a win and Markus Howard out with an injury, the Golden Eagles turned to Anim down the stretch as a go-to scorer, even with Sam Hauser and Andrew Rowsey still available. Anim finished with 26 points on 11-16 shooting and tacked on four assists in MU’s 90-86 win.

Anim is just 10-39 from beyond the arc in his career, so he isn’t much of a threat from deep yet. But he still must be reasonably guarded away from the basket, because if a defender hands him even a sliver of space, he will bully his way into the paint. And with how much Anim developed during his redshirt season, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him return from the summer with an effective three-point shot in his arsenal.

Even if he doesn’t add a three-pointer, his slashing makes him a valuable offensive player. With two of the best shooters in the nation, and its younger players still developing offensive games inside, Marquette needs Anim’s driving and cutting through the paint so the team doesn’t have four players simply spotting up around the arc around Howard.

And that might be Anim’s greatest strength – filling the gaps across Marquette’s roster. Last year, the Golden Eagles featured an abundance of perimeter shooting but lacked defense and driving. Anim stepped in and proved to be a solid option in both roles. Marquette figures to have more trustworthy wings this season, but it’s safe to assume Anim will find another way to earn regular playing time, whether it’s doubling down on his defensive intensity or adding a more consistent jumper.

Next: Predicting Big East stat leaders for 2018-19

Anim will likely never be a star player for Marquette, but as the old cliché goes, he can be a star in his role. Howard and Hauser can take all the headlines; Anim will just keep plugging away as one of the best glue guys in the Big East.

Home/Big East