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Marquette Basketball: 3 biggest takeaways from Eagles win over Purdue

By Brian Rauf

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 13: Koby McEwen #25 of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at the Fiserv Forum on November 13, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 13: Koby McEwen #25 of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at the Fiserv Forum on November 13, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 12: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts during the game DePaul Blue Demons at Wintrust Arena on February 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 12: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts during the game DePaul Blue Demons at Wintrust Arena on February 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

2) Koby McEwen is the secondary scoring option Marquette needed

Markus Howard is a great player but even he has limitations when it comes to what he can do against a quality defense focused on only him (more on that next). Marquette needs at least one other secondary scoring option that can take some of the defensive pressure off him and make opponents pay for overloading to stop Howard.

Last year, the Hauser brothers filled that role with occasional contributions from Theo John down low. Obviously, the Hauser’s opted to transfer to Virginia (Sam) and Michigan State (Joey) and, while John is still on the roster, he’s more of a defensive anchor that needs to have someone else create his offense for him.

Utah State transfer Koby McEwen looks like he’ll be that guy. The 6-4 guard led the Golden Eagles with 23 points in just his second game with the program, 18 of which came in the second half. Wojciechowski told reporters he asked McEwen to be more aggressive after the break, and he delivered.

"“I think Koby came into the game with the mindset of being a distributor. While that’s a good quality to have, you can’t forget your strengths. One of the things we asked him to do at halftime was be more aggressive because he can score. Him being more aggressive will open things up for other guys. He has to find a balance between being a scorer – which he can do at a high level – and being a distributor.”"

McEwen appreciated the green light from the coaching staff, but he said postgame that everyone knew they had to step up after shooting below 30 percent in the first half.

"“We have to be balanced. All guys have to contribute. Everyone’s got to be aggressive and look for their shot. It can’t just be Markus shooting and us watching. We have to help him out. We have good guys on this team, guys that are skill and good basketball players.”"

We know Howard has to be special for Marquette to reach their full potential but, if they’re going to get back to the NCAA Tournament and win a game for the first time in Howard’s career, he’s going to need some offensive help. McEwen looks like he can be that second star with his versatility on that end of the court.

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