It’s been seven months since Marquette suffered a disappointing first round-exit in last year’s NCAA Tournament to end their season. The Golden Eagles also lost three key seniors, Stevie Mitchell, David Joplin, and Kam Jones. Content in leaving the past in the past, head coach Shaka Smart and Marquette once again avoid the transfer portal and turn the page to roll out returning seniors Chase Ross(Big East Preseason First Team) and Ben Gold, along with the highly anticipated return of Sean Jones, coming off of a torn acl in 2023 and a medical redshirt year to run the point for his junior season. Joining the starting five were junior Zaide Lowery and sophomore Caedin Hamilton as the Golden Eagles hosted UAlbany for their 2025-26 season opener Monday at Fiserv Forum.
Not only did the Golden Eagles debut a fresh lineup, they also sent four freshmen to the floor for the first minutes of their Marquette career. In what seems to be a deep rotation that Shaka Smart has been on the record as saying is “deep, and will play with high tempo”, the first half saw much of what you expect from a season opener. Excitement and some inexperience took a front seat for much of the opening session, with Marquette shooting just 32% from the floor and 18% from beyond the arc.
What the Golden Eagles were missing on offense early, they made up for with their staple high-pressure defense. Marquette forced 13 UAlbany turnovers and held the Great Danes to 27% shooting. Some new faces have slid into the core philosophy, and Marquette took a 30-21 lead into the break behind a game-high 9 points from senior Chase Ross. Freshman Adrian Stevens also showed off his elite shooting skills by knocking down two of Marquette’s three 3-point makes in the half, as Shaka Smart deployed all twelve of his scholarship players.
The Golden Eagles would adjust at halftime and come out to have a much better and more cohesive second half. Marquette shot 52% in the half, adjusting to UAlbany’s 1-3-1 defense that Smart said “We were not prepared for, nor did we practice for”. Zaide Lowery and Demarius Owens both led Marquette in scoring in the second half with 11 points, and the Golden Eagles pulled away to win their season opener over UAlbany, 80-53.
Chase Ross led the way for Marquette in scoring with 15 points, followed by Zaide Lowery’s 13. Senior Ben Gold secured a team-high 8 rebounds while Ross also sparked the defense with a team-high 5 steals. The Golden Eagles also executed a program record 13 kills(three consecutive defensive stops). Overall, eleven different Marquette players scored in the opener, showcasing the depth potential that the Golden Eagles will deploy this season.
Freshmen guards Adrien Stevens and Nigel James Jr. looked the part in their debuts, and Sean Jones looked 100% in his first return to action since his ACL tear nearly two years ago. Like it always does, it will take some time for the team to gel and form consistency and confidence, especially with the mix of experience and youth that the Golden Eagles bring to their rotations, but Marquette showcased a roster full of promise and players that fit the culture on Monday night. Beginning the season unranked for the first time since 2022, there is still much to be excited about as we begin the 2025-26 campaign.
Marquette gets right back to work on Wednesday when they welcome Southern into Fiserv Forum at 7pm CST on ESPN+
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