The overall vibe at Marquette has been pretty good since Shaka Smart took over as head coach in 2021 but the Golden Eagles put together a real stinker last season. After four straight trips to the Big Dance, including a Sweet Sixteen in 2024, Marquette finished just 12-20 last season and really struggled out of the gate. A largely homebuilt Golden Eagles squad couldn’t get the job done and we’re wondering if things will be different next season.
Some movement in Milwaukee
Among the notable additions, Marquette added 4-star small forward Alex Egbuonu and 3-star Ethan Johnston, with both likely joining the fold and finding their roles to come. This program truly hasn’t used the transfer portal to build this roster in recent years, but Smart and company found two names this time around. Nolan Minessale comes around after averaging nearly 20 points a game at St. Thomas in the Summit League.
The big German
The other big name is Sananda Fru, a 6-11 forward from Berlin, Germany who just spent his first collegiate campaign at Louisville. Fru averaged 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds, starting most of the games in the Cardinals’ frontcourt during a solid 24-win season. Notably, Fru finished second in the entire nation by making 76.5% of his 2-point field goal attempts and was a very solid rebounder and shot blocker as well.
There’s a sea of young returning talent at Marquette next season and Fru adds a necessary touch of experience. This may only be his second collegiate campaign but he’s technically a senior and had significant run in European basketball, featured on several teams in Germany. In addition to that experience, he’s a force in the frontcourt, filling a major hole for a team that might instead have hoped for major leaps from young pieces like Braeden Brenn or Josh Clark.
There are a lot of questions surrounding this program as a whole after that disappointing season and Smart’s reluctance to use the portal was certainly gathering attention. However, Fru can make that noise dissipate if he continues to develop as a demon around the rim on both sides of the ball. He adds strength, size, and experience around an up and coming lineup that could surprise people in the Big East this year.
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