Basketball season always brings a wave of energy to campus, and it becomes clearer day by day that Marquette is ready for the commencement of the season. Marquette fans have a lot to look forward to as the countdown to tip-off winds down, and it’s already been proven that this is a season that shouldn’t be missed. With a strong foundation of skill, team chemistry and energy from fans, Marquette Men’s Basketball is heading into an exciting era.
The men’s basketball Blue and Gold scrimmage, which took place this past Saturday, October 5th in the Al McGuire Center, provided a glimpse into what’s to come. Fans got the chance to see the team in action just about a month before the season opener, proving there’s a captivating season ahead.
Moments during the scrimmage transformed the Al McGuire Center into the energetic student section of Fiserv Forum on game day. Head Coach Shaka Smart shared praise towards his team at the beginning of the event, taking time to showcase each roster player. With players making their comeback from injury and a wave of new recruits, Smart’s confidence in the team’s potential seems well-founded. Marquette men’s basketball is something to watch out for, as the season is already looking very promising without officially starting.
There are clearly new assets to the team; Joshua Clark, a 7-foot-1 first-year from Texas showed incredible potential as a new forward for the team, his height combined with his skill giving him an advantage on court. Freshman Royce Parham also demonstrated strong defense against his opponent and is bringing in a lot of talent in that area. Combined with current talk surrounding Kam Jones as the potential Big East preseason player of the year, these new additions to the team will no doubt enhance the skill that was already there.
A dunk from Chase Ross in the first half set the crowd’s energy to a level that mirrored that of a game-day crowd, proving that the community is ready and waiting for the start of the season. Despite having only nine days of practice, everything looked thorough to the average eye — communication was strong, defense was tight and team chemistry was on full display even though it was only a scrimmage. These are factors that arguably contribute to a successful team, therefore their first appearance on the court makes everything look incredibly polished, and it can only go up from here.
The crowd’s energy was sustained throughout the scrimmage, and each player seemed to take it seriously while still visibly having a fun time. Seeing this type of energy from both the fans and players at a scrimmage should be motivation to get excited for what’s ahead.
As tip-off approaches, anticipation is only growing. There’s a lot of potential energy surrounding men’s basketball at Marquette, and the momentum has laid a foundation for a very successful start. Only good things can be said about what’s to come, but regardless, this isn’t a season to miss. A lot is happening in the Marquette basketball world, and this is just the beginning.
This story was written by Lilly Peacock. She can be reached at [email protected]
