Marquette basketball is welcoming a few newcomers to the program this year. How might each impact the future of the Golden Eagles?
Marquette basketball was one of the top teams in the nation throughout most of last season. And while the year did not end as planned and the offseason has been tumultuous (to say the least), expectations are still relatively high heading into this coming season. Even without the Hauser Brothers, the program is returning a superstar guard in Markus Howard and several capable surrounding pieces. They might not be a preseason top-25 team anymore, but they should still be firmly in the early NCAA Tournament conversation.
Of course, Howard and his fellow returners are the No. 1 reason for this but the program is also bringing in a fair number of newcomers. On the transfer market, head coach Steve Wojciechowski has been quite active over the last few years. One of the best sit-out transfers in the country from last offseason, Koby McEwen, will be eligible this season and the coaching staff also landed a grad transfer in Jayce Johnson to add another big body inside.
In addition, the program has two incoming freshmen. Dexter Akanno was the lone member of the 2019 recruiting class for a long time but was recently joined by Symir Torrence, who reclassified into the class. These two guards should be in for exciting careers at Marquette and they will surely be in the future plans of the program. These newcomers should play a major role in determining just how successful the Golden Eagles will be this season.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive into breaking down each of the four players.
SR – Jayce Johnson – Utah
C | 7-foot-0 | 235 lbs | Grad transfer
One of the better grad transfer bigs on the market this offseason, Jayce Johnson is a solid addition for Marquette’s roster during this coming season. Even though the Golden Eagles already have their center spot locked down by Theo John, this move makes sense with regards to adding another back-up option. Ed Morrow is also still a member of the frontcourt but the team has minutes available for all three following the departure of the Hauser Brothers.
As a player, Johnson is not a tremendous scorer but does a lot of things well as a big man. He swats shots at a relatively high rate and uses his 7-foot frame well to consistent snag rebounds. During this past season for the Utah Utes, he averaged 7.1 points (59.7% FG), 7.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He does commit a fair amount of fouls but his production as a rebounder and rim-protector offsets that.
With the addition of Johnson, the Golden Eagles will have four seniors on the roster this year, leaving open plenty of scholarships for what could be a special 2020 class. With regards to his impact on the court, Johnson projects as a solid reserve option at the center position with the ability to step in for multiple starts if an injury occurs.
JR – Koby McEwen – Utah State
G | 6-foot-4 | 200 lbs | Sat-out transfer
Koby McEwen is one of the main reasons why I believe that Marquette is still a fringe top-25 team heading into this coming season. An elite scorer who sat out this past season due to transfer rules, McEwen should join forces with Howard to form one of the most electric backcourts in the country. These two can both fill it up with high volume shooting and could combine to average over 40 points per game.
Additionally, McEwen’s 6-foot-4 frame adds more size to the backcourt, making it more difficult for opponents to create size mismatches. Across two seasons with Utah State, McEwen averaged 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on shooting slashes of .427/.367/.726. Howard will clearly be the top scorer for the Golden Eagles next season but McEwen should be a strong second option.
McEwen does turn the ball over a bit more than is advisable, but there should be less pressure on his shoulders at Marquette compared to Utah State. He will be able to pick his spots a bit more while playing alongside a dominant scorer in Howard. It is also important to mention that McEwen should take some of the scoring burden off of Howard’s shoulders as well.
FR – Dexter Akanno – Blairstown, NJ
CG | 6-foot-4 | 200 lbs | No. 387 overall
Possibly one of the most underrated freshmen in the country, Dexter Akanno was unranked for the majority of the recruiting process. With that said, though, he has a solid all-around game and a strong frame. He will arrive at Marquette as a rather chiseled 6-foot-4 guard with long arms. As a player, he uses his strength well on both ends of the floor with regards to shutting down opposing guards and bullying his way into the paint offensively.
In my opinion, Akanno’s recruiting ranking is deceiving as he is a much better player than given credit for. He can score at a high rate around the rim and uses his size well on the defensive end of the floor as well. He might not seem like the prototypical Marquette guard, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t be an impactful player on both ends. For the time being, Akanno is not a major 3-point threat but that is an area that he is willing to work on and that will go a long way in expanding his game (JS Online):
"“[Marquette’s] player development is very good, especially in the part that I need, my jump shot….I think they really know how to teach shooting and basketball IQ in general. They have a great coaching staff over there.”"
With regards to his playing time right away, Akanno likely will not see a ton of minutes as a freshman. The Golden Eagles already have a solid group of guards with Howard, McEwen, and Greg Elliott with the possibility of minutes from highly-touted recruit Symir Torrence. Akanno’s two-way potential is extremely high and it wouldn’t be a major surprise if he develops at a quick rate under the Marquette coaching staff before sneaking into minutes right away.
FR – Symir Torrence – Syracuse, NY
CG | 6-foot-3 | 170 lbs | No. 44 in 2020 (reclassified)
Originally an early 2020 commit, Symir Torrence reclassified recently to join the roster for this coming season. While there are rumors of a potential redshirt year, I will assume that he takes the court this year for this breakdown. An elite 6-foot-3 playmaking guard, Torrence is at his best with the ball in his hands. Although definitely a solid scorer, his biggest offensive strength lies in creating for others. Torrence is a strong ball-handler with the ability to let it fly from three as well.
It is on the defensive end, though, where Torrence might be at his best. With remarkable quickness and an insane motor, he is seemingly everywhere on the court. Due to his size and speed, he can also be quite versatile on the defensive end with the ability to guard 1-through-3. In addition, he seeks out loose balls at a high rate and rebounds quite well for a guard. To put it simply, he does a little bit of everything when on the court.
If he does play during this coming season, it will likely be in a reserve role. As already mentioned when discussing Akanno, the backcourt is relatively full for the Golden Eagles right now but if he can make a major impact right away, you can be sure that the coaching staff will have him on the court. Prior to announcing his reclassification, Torrence had been averaging 16.3 points (.422/.292/.756), 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game across 11 contests for City Rocks on the EYBL circuit.
That concludes this look at Marquette’s four incoming players for 2019-20. I considered including Ike Eke, but he has already been with the program for a couple of years. He should, though, be mentioned as someone that will likely see his first minutes with the program this season.