Marquette men's basketball 2021-22 season at a glance

Golden Eagles at a glance

Coach: Shaka Smart (first season; 272-142, 13th season)

2020-21 record: 13-14 overall, 8-11 Big East

2020-21 postseason: Lost to Georgetown, 68-49, in first round of the Big East tournament.

Home court: Fiserv Forum. Tickets: 414-288-4668.

Starters

22 Tyler Kolek (6-3 Fr., G): Kolek was the Atlantic 10 rookie of the year last season at George Mason. He is probably the team’s best shooter and passer.

32 Darryl Morsell (6-5 Grad. transfer, G): Morsell was the Big Ten defensive player of the year last season at Maryland. Smart wants him to set the tone for a young roster with his gritty mentality.

12 Olivier-Maxence Prosper (6-8 Fr., F): Montreal native played sparingly last season at Clemson. His versatility and athleticism should make him a disruptive force on defense and a slasher on offense.

10 Justin Lewis (6-7 Fr., F): Lewis flashed his talent last season and should be poised for a breakthrough season with his physical tools.

35 Kur Kuath (6-10 Grad. transfer, C): The long-armed transfer from Oklahoma should pile up a lot of dunks and blocked shots.

Reserves

1 Kam Jones (6-4 Fr., G): Jones stuck with commitment to MU after coaching change. He’s a crafty player who should play a big role in the offense.

2 Emarion Ellis (6-5 Fr. G): Coaches are bullish on Ellis’ long-term potential, but it could take time adjusting to a new level.

4 Stevie Mitchell (6-2 Fr. G): Originally committed to previous coaching staff, Mitchell has been called the “best freshman defender” by Smart.

5 Greg Elliott (6-3 Jr., G): Elliott enters fifth season in program and has battled numerous injuries. He is suspended for the first four games of the season for a "failure to adhere to department policies."

13 Oso Ighodaro (6-9 Fr., F): He played in just five games last season but looks much improved. The springy Ighodaro could find a role as a shot-blocker and lob threat off the bench.

23 David Joplin (6-7 Fr., F): The Brookfield Central product is willing to let his shots fly and could be a microwave scorer off the bench.

40 Keeyan Itejere (6-9 Fr., F): Itejere has exceptional leaping ability but is more of a project and will redshirt this season.

21 Cameron Brown (6-1 Fr., G): Walk-on played at John Paul II High School in Texas.

41 Brendan Carney (6-2 So., G): Carney has played in five games over two seasons as a walk-on, sinking one three-pointer.

42 Michael Kennedy (6-5 So., F): Former Homestead High School player has appeared in five games over two seasons as a walk-on.

Reason to believe

Smart's teams at Virginia Commonwealth and Texas were always stout defensively, and MU has enough talent to disrupt opposing foes. If the Golden Eagles can notch an upset victory during a tough non-conference slate that includes Illinois, UCLA and Wisconsin and then not finish with a losing record in the Big East, MU could be in the NCAA Tournament conversation.

Reason to doubt

There are just so many new parts with nine players in their first year in the program and a coaching staff in its first season in the Big East. Smart has brought optimism back to the MU fan base, but asking for stellar results in Year 1 might be too much.

Five things to watch in the Big East

SAME OLD SITUATION: Villanova is the universal pick to win the regular-season title for the eighth time in nine seasons. Head coach Jay Wright, fresh off his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in the offseason, welcomes back All-American point guard Collin Gillespie and forward Jermaine Samuels for their extra seasons of eligibility. If Villanova is vulnerable, it is because the frontcourt will be missing the production from the departed Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

WHO CAN CHALLENGE THE THRONE? Several teams appear to have enough talent to battle Villanova at the top of the league standings. Xavier has a deep backcourt that includes Paul Scruggs, returning for a fifth season, and sharpshooter Nate Johnson, but important forward Zach Freemantle will miss the beginning of the season with a foot injury. Connecticut made a successful return to the Big East last season, and head coach Dan Hurley looks to have a strong defense with a loaded frontcourt. The question for the Huskies is who will be their go-to scorer after James Bouknight bolted to the NBA. St John’s has two of the top players in the Big East in Julian Champagnie and Posh Alexander, but the rest of its roster is a question mark.

REGIME CHANGE AT DEPAUL: MU’s Smart isn’t the only new coach in the conference. Tony Stubblefield has taken on the monumental task of trying to rebuild DePaul, which went 5-28 in league games the last two seasons under Dave Leitao. The Blue Demons’ pieced-together roster might not be ready to compete this season, though Javon Freeman-Liberty (14.4 points per game last season) is returning. Stubblefield is a former Oregon assistant coach and he brought to Chicago an intriguing transfer from the Ducks, point guard Jalen Terry.

GEORGETOWN'S ENCORE: The Hoyas made a stunning run to the Big East tournament title last season, winning four games in four days. Then Georgetown quickly crashed back to reality, first losing to Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and then seeing star center Qudus Wahab stunningly transfer to Maryland. Head coach Patrick Ewing is still trying to find consistency in his fifth season at his alma mater, though one reason for optimism is bringing in his highest-rated recruit in five-star guard Aminu Mohammed.

NEW FACES: Roster churn is a fact of life in college basketball. There are many notable newcomers in the Big East, including transfers and freshmen. Top transfers include DePaul’s Terry, Seton Hall’s Kadary Richmond (Syracuse) and Providence’s Al Durham (Indiana). Georgetown’s Mohammed might be the most-hyped freshman, but Creighton has strong class that features top-100 recruits Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette men's basketball 2021-22 season at a glance