NEW YORK — Marquette’s season ended here Thursday afternoon at Madison Square Garden as top-seeded Villanova banged 17 3-pointers en route to an 84-49 blowout in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.
But the future is bright for coach Steve Wojciechowski and the Golden Eagles.
Marquette will lose seniors Juan Anderson, Matt Carlino and Derrick Wilson but has the No. 9 recruiting class for 2015 according to ESPN.com.
(Fellow Big East powers Villanova and Georgetown have the No. 19 and 23 classes, respectively.)
Just this week, Marquette added 6-foot Burlington (N.J.) Life Center point guard Traci Carter to an already strong class that now includes five players. That group also includes center Henry Ellenson, shooting guard Haanif Cheatham, shooting guard Sacar Anim and center Matt Heldt.
“Obviously, we’re excited about our recruiting class,” Marquette assistant Brett Nelson told SNY.tv following the game. “Marquette’s a speical place with a lot of tradition and we have a lot to sell. With these kids, they’re very competitive. The three guys we signed [Ellenson, Chetham and Heldt], they’re really competitive, they love to play but they’re going to bring a level of intensity and enthusiasm to our program.”
The class is highlighted by Ellenson, a 6-11 center projected as the No. 6 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com and who has drawn comparisons to a young Kevin Love.
“I’m very high on him,” Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com told SNY.tv. “He’s a 6-11 power forward with a 7-2 wingspan. He’s very athletic with a strong frame. He can play inside and out. He can handle and shoot. He has good footwork and touch. His defense needs a lot of work and he doesn’t always know his limitations. He should be an impact player from day one for Marquette.”
Nelson is also high on Ellenson, a strong candidate for Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year honors next season.
“We expect him to come in immediately and be impactful,” he said. “He’s a terrific player, very versatile at his size. Can play on the perimeter, can play inside, can get down there and bang. Obviously, he’s had a great high school career and he’s continued to play well.”
The lifeblood of the new Big East — which has struggled with poor TV ratings on FoxSports1 — continues to be recruiting. As long as good young players come into the league, it can continue to do things like have the second-best league RPI in the nation and get as many as six teams (60 percent) into the NCAA Tournament.
“Our league’s really good, top to bottom,” Nelson said. “Obviously, Villanova is deep and they’re talented. Georgetown is recruiting at a high level and you look across our league, guys are bringing in good players so it’s exciting for our league.”
Photo: USA Today Sports
