NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 23 in 2023-24 season

7. David Joplin (Marquette)

The entire Marquette lineup was vital to the Golden Eagles’ success not just this season but since Shaka Smart took over the program in 2021. That was the same time Joplin joined the Golden Eagles as a freshman. He came off the bench as an underclassman, showing real promise as a sophomore after limited chances in his first season. Building on that success, Joplin was even more impactful this past year as a junior, his first in the starting lineup.

Finally a starting forward for Marquette, Joplin averaged 10.8 points and 3.9 rebounds a game while making 35% of his 3-point attempts. The numbers were comparable to his sophomore season, though he was playing more and contributing at a high level on both sides of the ball. Joplin was rarely the main star for the Golden Eagles but his efforts were important to their Sweet Sixteen run.

Joplin dropped 19 points against UCLA during the Maui Invitational and later scored 20 against Georgetown early in league play. He wasn’t someone who was regularly popping off, though he did have three more 20-point efforts during Big East play. Joplin scored 20 points in a win over Seton Hall, 21 against a tough Creighton squad, and scored in double figures in the Golden Eagles’ two wins at both the Big East Tournament and Big Dance.