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Marquette Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Golden Eagles

By Lukas Harkins

GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 17: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 17, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 17: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 17, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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BLOOMINGTON, IN – DECEMBER 28: Morrow #30 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers attempts a free throw. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN – DECEMBER 28: Morrow #30 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers attempts a free throw. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Key Reserves

In regards to bench play, Marquette basketball will have several solid options this year. Coach Wojo is returning so much talent this year that it will be difficult for him to form a consistent rotation throughout the year. In my opinion, though, the three most important reserves will be Ed Morrow, Joey Hauser, and Greg Elliott.

Morrow, a 6-foot-7 forward, sat out last season due to transfer rules but posted a strong sophomore season at Nebraska in 2016-17: 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. With a whole year of development under his belt, Morrow should be poised for an even better campaign.

Joey Hauser (yes, he is Sam’s brother), on the other hand, is an incoming freshman ready to play his first season for the Golden Eagles. Ranked as the No. 52 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, Joey is a 6-foot-9 versatile forward. He might not be on the same level as Sam as a shooter but he could be the more talented all-around player.

In regards to Elliott, he is the only true reserve guard on the roster. At 6-foot-3, he has plenty of size to play either backcourt position and should see plenty of minutes behind Howard/Chartouny. However, fans will have to wait a bit to see Elliott back on the court because he is currently out for an extended period of time with a thumb injury. He averaged 4.5 points (.505/.367/.792), 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game last season.

Additionally, Coach Wojo will have a few other frontcourt pieces that could see significant playing time this year. Among the returners, Jamal Cain (4.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg) and Theo John (3.9 ppg and 2.3 rpg) both averaged over 10 minutes per game last season. Then, newcomers Brendan Bailey (top-100 recruit in 2016 who spent the last two years on a Mormon mission) and Ike Eke (redshirted last year) could see playing time in their first true seasons.

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