Coach Steve Wojciechowski officially rounded out his inaugural recruiting class as shooting guard Sacar Anim and point guard Traci Carter signed their national letters of intent Wednesday, the first day of the spring signing period. Wojciechowski went to Twitter to convey his excitement for the signings.
Welcome @Sacar_Anim15 to the #mubb family! He plays extremely hard & makes those around him better. His best basketball is ahead of him.
— Steve Wojciechowski (@steve_wojo) April 15, 2015
We feel @tra_carter is one of the top point guards in the United States & can’t wait for him to get to campus. Welcome Traci! #mubb
— Steve Wojciechowski (@steve_wojo) April 15, 2015
Anim enters Marquette rated as a four and three-star prospect by various recruiting sites. He was rated as one of the top players in the state of Minnesota this season and was named the state’s top player by the Associated Press en route to his fourth state title with DeLaSalle High School. The 6-foot-5, 190 pound guard verbally committed to Marquette Feb. 23.
Wojciechowski mentioned Anim’s winning pedigree as a major asset at his Wednesday press conference.
“He’s kind of a jack of all trades and a winner,” Wojciechowski said. “He played for one of the very best high school coaches in the United States in Dave Thorson at DeLaSalle. To add him gives us versatility, it gives us some depth.
“I think Sacar is a guy who’s played on winning teams and he’s done basically whatever has been asked of him. Winning is a difficult thing to teach and when guys are exposed to winning environments and cultures before they get to college, I think it gives them a head start.”
Anim is a slasher on the offensive end and resembles current Golden Eagle Jajuan Johnson, who is the same height and about 10 pounds heavier than Anim.
Defensively, Anim is a high-energy defender with the length to cover taller players. His skill set may be more suited for the small forward position, but he could play more than one position at Marquette.
Carter verbally committed to Marquette Mar. 10 and signed his letter of intent Wednesday afternoon. The 6-foot, 160 pound point guard hails from Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J. His recruiting stock took a major hit a year ago when he suffered a meniscus injury that kept him out of the crucial summer period.
“He’s got Philly toughness,” Wojciechowski said. “He’s a kid who flew a little bit under the radar because he was injured in July of last year and so he wasn’t playing in all of these big events that a lot of kids get a lot of attention from.”
Carter is a gritty point guard with good quickness and the capability to hit any shot on the floor. He is a bit under-sized, but he makes up for it with a great competitive nature. Marquette currently does not have a true point guard on its 2015-16 roster, which means Carter could start at the point as a freshman next season.
Anim and Carter complete Wojciechowski’s inaugural recruiting class, which is highlighted by Rice Lake’s Henry Ellenson. Along with guard/forward Haanif Cheatham and center Matt Heldt, Marquette’s Class of 2015 is ranked 10th by ESPN, ninth by 247sports.com and fifth by Scout.com.
“Both these kids, they have great personalities, they love Marquette and I think they’re winning players,” Wojciechowski said. “When you combine Traci and Sacar with Henry and Matt and Haanif, those are five really good kids. I think they’ll help our program a lot and we’re thrilled about adding them.”
