When Marquette announced 2018 signee Joey Hauser was enrolling at the university this spring because of an injury, his mother Steph Hauser told the Wire that the family is trying to make the most out of a bad situation.
Through his first full week on campus, he’s done exactly that.
Last December, Joey’s illustrious high school basketball career came to a sudden end with a season-ending left ankle surgery.
“It was really heartbreaking for me,” Joey said. “That month for me was difficult sitting on the sidelines watching. I’ve done it before, but nothing quite like that.”
Joey finished his classes at Stevens Point Area High School last Thursday and Friday then moved into Marquette’s Humphrey Hall Saturday. He’s been getting noticed on campus ever since.
“I’ve had a couple of people come up to me and be like, ‘Welcome, welcome to Marquette. I hope things are going well. How’s classes?’” Joey said. “Everybody’s been really welcoming, not just the team and coaches.”
Even though he is about two hours away from his family in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Joey has some literal and metaphorical family on campus. His brother, Sam Hauser, is a sophomore on the team. Fellow sophomore Markus Howard is also a figurative brother, often going home with Sam for shorter holiday breaks.
“Those two are kind of like my big brothers,” Joey said. “Just having them there as my mentors, they go through practice. I see the extra work that they put in and what they do to prepare; it’s kind of really helped me for next year. (Sam) and Markus have done a really good job to help me out throughout the process.”
Howard, who was 17 for almost his entire his freshman season, can relate to Hauser’s relative youth on the team.
“I just love having him around,” Howard said. “(We’re) just making sure he gets adjusted well into his college atmosphere. It’s difficult for someone his age to come in so early.”
Even though Hauser won’t be suiting up in a SPASH uniform, he still feels like a part of the title-contending Panthers team.
“Coach (Scott) Anderson really wants me to be still engaged with them,” Joey said. “I kind of like have two teams … I’m still in all the group chats and stuff.”
That doesn’t necessarily make it an easy transition, though.
“It’s overwhelming. I don’t think in his wildest dreams, he imagined not finishing his senior year at SPASH,” Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “He couldn’t play his senior year, so coming down here and getting 100 percent healthy was the best option, but still that doesn’t make it easy.”
Hauser still cannot do much cardio work until his foot heals enough to run, but he has made progress in his recovery. He now only needs a walking boot, a significant upgrade after previously requiring a scooter.
“Getting treatment every day from Coach Yoder has been a big reason why I wanted to come here and come early,” Joey said. “Now that I’m off the scooter, things are really becoming brighter.”
He said he is doing weight-lifting and other upper-body exercises with strength coach Todd Smith and hopes to move onto swimming soon.
“It’s going to be a while before he gets back out there, and we’ll have a chance to evaluate him as a basketball player,” Wojo said. “But he’s a great kid. He’s going to fit in great.”
And in the meantime, Hauser is focused on making the most out of an undesirable situation.
“It’s been a really good experience,” Joey said. “I am glad I made a decision to come early. It was a hard decision for me and for my family, but it was the right decision.”
