Marquette Basketball: 5 storylines for Golden Eagles in 2020 offseason

Besides McEwen, who could be in line to make The Leap?

If Marquette is to rebound from the loss of its two leading scorers, Wojo will need at least one member of the returning rotation to take a massive step forward. The four candidates include rising senior Jamal Cain, juniors Greg Elliott and Brendan Bailey, and sophomore Symir Torrence.

Cain has shown plenty of flashes during his first three seasons. His performance perked up with increased playing time down the stretch in 2019-20 and led the team in plus/minus by a wide margin this year (plus/minus is a flawed stat, but does have some value over a full season). If the Golden Eagles are going to make the tournament for the fourth time in five years, they’ll need Cain’s full 3-and-D arsenal on display. Cain is a career 40 percent three-point shooter and possesses the length and rebounding acumen to guard opposing 4s.

However, he does not seem comfortable putting the ball on the deck, is not particularly strong with the rock in traffic, and rarely fights his way to the free throw line. Marquette is desperate for a creator without Howard and Anim around to do the heavy lifting; Cain does not quite fit that bill.

Bailey is clearly the player the coaching staff thinks can be the next “guy.” He started every game this season and put together some monster performances against quality teams: 27 points vs. Maryland, 19 vs. Providence, 18 at Creighton, and 16 vs. Butler. He is at least somewhat willing to put the ball on the floor and did flash some nice baseline drives throughout the year.

He also seems allergic to the foul line however. Bailey is one of just 16 players to total at least 1,200 minutes over the past two years while attempting less than 50 free throws. Most of the other guys on the list are tiny guards from mid-major schools, not 6-foot-8 former four-star recruits battling in the Big East. Too often, Bailey settles for twisting jumpers from inside the free throw line rather than using one more dribble to muscle his way to the hole for two free throws. Drawing fouls is easier said than done, and as Bailey continues to add muscle to his frame, he’ll likely feel more comfortable inside. But he must commit to a more aggressive mentality if he wants to hit his ceiling as an All-Big East player.

That leaves Elliott and Torrence. The gangly Elliott has battled injuries throughout his MU tenure – he redshirted in 2018-19 with a thumb injury, underwent ankle surgery last offseason, and then missed six games in the middle of 2019-20 with another ankle malady. When he has been able to stay on the court, though, he has been tremendously helpful; Elliott was one of the few players who managed to stay above water even during Marquette’s season-ending slide. He is a reliable spot-up shooter (40 percent on threes throughout his career), can play in transition and has the length to be an above-average defensive presence.

There’s a world where Elliott has a full, healthy offseason, gets his strength back, and turns on the jets in 2020-21. Unfortunately, with the country on virtual lockdown as we grapple with the coronavirus outbreak, it’s hard to know when Elliott – or any of us – will return to a normal routine.

Torrence, meanwhile, went through all the classic highs and lows of a freshman point guard, doubly so as someone who reclassified and left high school early. His preternatural passing abilities were on display often, and with more opportunities, it would be no surprise to see him land among Marquette’s all-time assists leaders once his four years are up. On the flip side, Torrence struggled with turnovers and was routinely a defensive liability. If he can curb some of those issues as a sophomore, he will likely see upwards of 15 minutes per game in a backup point guard role.

To earn even more responsibility, Torrence will need to actually attack the basket, probe the paint, and put pressure on opposing defenses. Torrence attempted just seven shots at the rim as a freshman, and defenders were often sagging into his passing lanes because they knew he was no threat to shoot. His own offensive arsenal needs to take a significant step forward to make full use of his excellent diming ability.