Marquette Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Golden Eagles
By Brian Foley
Projected Starting Lineup
G DJ Carton, G Koby McEwen, F Jamal Cain, F Dawson Garcia, C Theo John
Let’s start with the easy part – Carton and Koby McEwen starting in the backcourt.
Carton comes off a highly productive freshman season at Ohio State, averaging 10.4 ppg and 3.0 apg despite playing fewer than 24 minutes a night. He showed the ability to play on and off the ball with the Buckeyes, and can score at multiple levels of the floor. Carton shot 66 percent at the rim, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 76 percent from the free throw line last season. The Iowa native should fit in seamlessly in a Big East that has increasingly become a guard’s league.
Marquette’s defense has largely prevented the Golden Eagles from finding any sustained success in the Wojo era. Carton’s defensive metrics were very solid in his lone season at Ohio State; with his 6-foot-2 frame, he should be an upgrade over Howard defensively, even if Howard’s defensive struggles were somewhat overstated. Pairing Carton with the 6-foot-4 McEwen should fortify Marquette’s defense at the point of attack.
McEwen certainly did not lock down a 2020-21 starting spot with his struggles last year. But considering he was a full-time starter before MU lost Howard and Anim, it is safe to say the fifth-year senior will get the nod on Opening Night.
Despite his glaring inefficiencies as a shooter, McEwen does bring a skill set to the table that Marquette sorely needs, as he uses his physicality to hunt free throws and rebounds. He really struggled as a ballhandler down the stretch in 2019-20, though some of that could be explained away by a right thumb injury that he rehabbed over the summer.
In the frontcourt, Theo John will be locked and loaded into his typical center duties. John has started every game for Marquette the past two seasons, excluding the two Senior Day games in 2019 and 2020 when his elder backups received senior sendoffs.
John even managed that impressive level of availability throughout the 2019-20 season despite playing with a wrist injury that was severe enough for John and the program to consider a redshirt year. John underwent wrist surgery early in the offseason.
John has always been a fourth or fifth option offensively, though that could change this season, especially as he returns to full health. He couples some skill in the post with decent passing vision for a big man. Of course, John’s calling card is his defense; he recorded the most blocks of any Big East player (151) over the last three seasons.
Garcia figures to be the leading candidate to man the 4. The 6-foot-11, left-handed freshman has an advanced offensive skill set and could be a regular double-double threat for the Golden Eagles.
The fifth spot in the starting lineup could be up for grabs. The departed Brendan Bailey was in line to keep his starting job, but as he pursues a professional career, Wojciechowski will have to look elsewhere to fill out the wing.
Senior Jamal Cain is probably the favorite to land the job. Cain has started five games in his college career and intrigued as a freshman and junior when he averaged 5.0 ppg on nearly 43 percent three-point shooting in roughly 18 mpg.
As a sophomore, though, Cain found himself glued to the bench as he completely lost his jump shot. His shooting surge in 2019-20 from both beyond the arc and the free throw line was encouraging, but only time will tell if he can sustain those numbers as a senior.
Perhaps some of Cain’s sophomore year slump can be explained by playing out of position; Cain spent more time at the 3 in 2018-19, compared to his freshman/junior years when he was largely a 4, spotting up for corner treys and skulking along the baseline for easy looks in the paint.
In this 2020-21 projected starting lineup, Garcia’s presence, however, would kick Cain back out to the 3, so it is possible Wojo keeps Cain as the sixth man and uses three guards in the starting five. Wojciechowski has never been afraid to include a surprise in his Opening Night lineup, but with Greg Elliott working back from another injury and Akanno battling a “COVID-related illness,” Cain might be the only realistic option. Wojo could plug in Symir Torrence, but I expect Torrence to spell Carton or McEwen as the first guard off the bench.
Speaking of the reserves…