2014-15 #BIGEASTmbb Season Preview: Marquette Golden Eagles

A look at the upcoming BIG EAST Men's Basketball season with the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Nov. 12, 2014

The Big Picture: 

New coach Steve Wojciechowski takes over a Marquette program that had an eight-year streak of NCAA appearances end last year. Wojciechowski comes from Duke where he was part of two national championship teams as an assistant coach and was a standout player as well. His first Marquette team will have two returning starters and six letterwinners. New faces, which include transfers, a redshirt and some freshmen are expected to contribute immediately.

Who's Back: 

Senior guard Derrick Wilson is the most experienced returnee with 100 career games under his belt. Last year, he averaged 5.0 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds. He has a career assist/turnover ratio of 2.84. Senior forward Juan Anderson averaged 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 19 starts. Guard/forward Deonte Burton made the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team after averaging 6.9 points. Six-five JaJuan Johnson played 13.5 minutes per game as a freshman and averaged 4.3 points. Forward Steve Taylor, Jr. (2.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and guard John Dawson (2.0 ppg) both averaged 10 minutes per game.

Who's Gone: 

Forward Davante Gardner won the BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year award in each of the past two seasons. Last year, he led the team in scoring with a 14.9 average. Forward Jamil Wilson averaged 11.7 points and a team-leading 5.9 rebounds. Steady center Chris Otule averaged 5.8 points and 4.3 boards. Guard Todd Mayo bypassed his senior season to pursue a pro career. He averaged 11.3 points.

Storylines: 

Contributions from newcomers will be necessary for a successful season. Scoring punch was sometimes lacking last year. Help can come from guard Matt Carlino, a transfer from BYU who is eligible immediately. He averaged 13.7 points last season for the Cougars and was an honorable mention pick in the Mountain West Conference. Center Luke Fischer, a 6-11 transfer from Indiana, will be eligible after the first semester. He will be the only Golden Eagle taller than 6-7. Guard Duane Wilson, a top recruit last year, missed last season with a knee injury. Sandy Cohen is a 6-6 freshman who will push to be noticed.