Busting Brackets
Fansided

Marquette Basketball: 2018-19 player reviews for the Golden Eagles

By Brian Foley

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: The Marquette Golden Eagles huddle before the game against the Seton Hall Pirates during the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: The Marquette Golden Eagles huddle before the game against the Seton Hall Pirates during the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 05: Sam Hauser #10 of the Marquette Golden Eagles dribbles the ball while being guarded by Ed Morrow #30 of the Marquette Golden Eagles in the second half at the Fiserv Forum on February 05, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 05: Sam Hauser #10 of the Marquette Golden Eagles dribbles the ball while being guarded by Ed Morrow #30 of the Marquette Golden Eagles in the second half at the Fiserv Forum on February 05, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

F Sam Hauser (JR)

14.9 ppg – 7.2 rpg – 2.4 apg – 46/40/92 percent shooting

Season’s Successes

Efficiency: Even though his three-point shooting “dipped” to a career-worst mark, Hauser still managed to post the second-best offensive rating in the Big East, among players operating with an 18 percent usage rate. Everyone knows about his long-range game, but his efficiency now stretches to the mid-range (Hauser, Tennessee’s Grant Williams, and Iowa State’s Michael Jacobson were the only three high-major players to top 50 percent shooting on at least 120 two-point jumpers) and the free throw line (he was a career-best 73-79 from the stripe this season).

Forcing the Issue: Hauser is still relatively cautious when it comes to putting up semi-contested shots – at least in comparison to the never bashful Howard – but he certainly took a step in the right direction during Big East play. The road victory at Georgetown was the line of demarcation for Hauser this season. In the five games prior to that contest, he was averaging just 8.6 attempts per game, but when Howard went down with an injury, he was forced to take over. From that point on, the All-Big East second-teamer averaged 12 shots a night and his numbers climbed as a result. Bad shots don’t really exist for someone of Hauser’s skill set, so he should continue to let it fly in 2019-20.

Areas to Improve

Running the Offense: Hauser is such a heady offensive player, and we’ve seen flashes of his ability to control the tempo of Marquette’s offense. I’d like to see him take even more responsibility as a senior, which would toss different looks at the defense, occasionally shift Howard off the ball, and allow Hauser to call his own number more often.

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