14. Marquette (2-0)
Shaka Smart has had a profound impact on Marquette basketball since he was brought into the program three and a half years ago. The Golden Eagles are established as a top-tier team in the Big Eastprofoundly impacted and are looking like a strong team again this season. A lot of last year’s talent is back, with Marquette coming off a Sweet Sixteen run and looking for even more. Do they have enough talent to win the Big East potentially?
Few complaints were had for the opener, as the Golden Eagles won 102-62 against Stony Brook in a great offensive performance. Kam Jones starred with 32 points while Chase Ross added 23 points and 8 rebounds. Friday brought a bit of a tougher challenge, though Marquette prevailed 82-63 over George Mason. David Joplin was the standout this time around, throwing up 27 points and 10 rebounds, with Jones adding 24 points himself.
As previously mentioned, Marquette returned critical talent from last season, with Jones certainly the most notable of those names. If he’s going to play like this, then the Golden Eagles can cause major havoc this season, even when the schedule starts getting rougher. They won’t have to wait long for that, as they have their first true road test against Maryland at the end of next week.