“He’s playing with more confidence,” Smart said. “He’s always been a guy that’s been really good blending with (previous Marquette stars) Tyler (Kolek), Kam (Jones), Oso (Ighodaro) and attacking after they create a play or they create a closeout.
“And now, particularly with Sean Jones out, we really, really need him to handle the ball quite a bit.”
Down the stretch, with Central Michigan looming closer than Marquette would have liked, it was Ross who helped put the game away. In the final five minutes, Ross went 4-for-5 from the free throw line and hit a layup to give the Golden Eagles a double-digit lead.
In the final seconds, as a finishing touch, Ross aided two crucial, win-sealing 3-pointers. First, he assisted Ben Gold’s at the 1:03 mark to put the Golden Eagles ahead 81-72, then he stole the ball from Chippewa guard Tamario Adley and passed to first-year guard Adrien Stevens, who got Marquette’s final points of the game.
“When he keeps it simple, but really, really aggressive, that’s when he’s at his best,” Smart said.
It’s safe to say Saturday was not Ross’ first time keeping it simple. One week before dropping 27 points over the Chippewas, Ross scored a career-high 31 against Maryland.
Through seven games this year, Ross leads Marquette in points per game (20.9), while shooting the ball at an efficient 51.3%. He has finished as the highest scoring Golden Eagle in all but one game, where he was only three points below the leader, and is also No. 1 on the team in assists (30) and tied for the most steals (14).
“He shot the ball eight times today and had 27,” Stevens said. “He’s a really good player.
“I haven’t been here for long, but I’ve seen him grow in a leadership aspect. You see him coming in every day and just trying to lead us more. I think he’s really taken steps on that. He’s an efficient player, he just makes the right plays. You can’t ask for much more from a guy that’s in that role.”
Along with giving Ross his flowers, Smart emphasized the importance of getting the rest of the Golden Eagles closer to his team leader’s “really confident” play.
“But the reality is, particularly with Sean out, we just can’t afford to have Chase out too long,” Smart said. “And we’ve got to get better as a team winning those minutes when he’s out.”
