Busting Brackets
Fansided

Marquette Basketball: 3 questions facing the Golden Eagles

By Lukas Harkins

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 20: The Marquette Golden Eagles bench celebrates during the second half of the game against the VCU Rams at Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2017 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 20: The Marquette Golden Eagles bench celebrates during the second half of the game against the VCU Rams at Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2017 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 17: Sam Hauser #10 of the Marquette Golden Eagles shoots. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 17: Sam Hauser #10 of the Marquette Golden Eagles shoots. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

How will Hauser’s efficiency hold up at higher volumes?

Markus Howard and Andrew Rowsey rightfully received the majority of the media attention last season as 20+ points per game scorers. However, Sam Hauser was often the key to Marquette’s offense as clearly one of the most efficient scorers in the nation. At 6-foot-8 with a smooth shooting stroke, Hauser is extremely dangerous when it comes to putting the ball in the basket from just about anywhere on the court. This was made evident this past season when, considering the defensive attention that Howard and Rowsey warranted, Hauser received his fair share of open looks and made defenses pay.

For the year, Hauser averaged 14.1 points per game on shooting splits of .499/.487/.836 (FG/3P/FT). He also led the team in rebounding at 5.7 per game.

While these numbers are obviously outstanding and placed him near the top of the country in many offensive metrics, it is reasonable to question how his efficiency will translate to this upcoming season. Now that Rowsey has graduated, Hauser is a lock to become the secondary scorer on the team next to Howard. And while I am sure that he will fill this role well, Marquette fans should not expect the incredible efficiency that Hauser displayed in 2017-18.

Defenses will start to key in him much more during this upcoming year and this means that he might have to put the ball on the deck more often. Per T-Rank, 98.9% of Hauser’s 3-pointers last season came off of assists and nearly 40% of his other shots also came of that variety. While he will certainly still do his fair share of damage in catch-and-shoot situations, he may be forced into more drives this time around.

Given the fact that Marquette has struggled defensively in recent years, the team will need Hauser to be an elite offensive player. Although I have been a bit negative in this section, I believe Hauser can easily be an 18+ points per game scorer this season but it just might not be on the shooting percentages as this past season.

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