Howard Is A Big Man On The Court
By Richard Finn
Special to BIGEAST.com
NEW YORK – Standing just 5-feet, 11-inches by today’s standards Markus Howard is not a BMOC (Big Man on Court).
But by many other metrics, the Marquette junior guard is definitely a BMOC.
He averaged 25.0 points a game and his 24.9 scoring mark in league play made him BIG EAST scoring champion. Howard led the league with 112 3-pointers by shooting a deadly 41.6 percent from beyond the arc.
In overtime win against Creighton on Jan.9, Howard broke his own BIG EAST single-game scoring record with 53 points. Last season Howard threw down 52 points against Providence.
He was a unanimous pick to the 2018-19 All-BIG EAST first team and is a finalist for several national wards including the Wooden Award and Bob Cousy Award.
He was a key to the Golden Eagles 23-8 record (12-6 in the conference) resurgence this year as a top 25 ranked team in the country for most of the season and second seed in this week’s tournament. Marquette begins play Thursday night against the winner of Wednesday’s night nightcap between No. 10 DePaul and No. 7 St. John’s.
On Wednesday Howard was introduced as BIG EAST Player of the Year at a news conference at Madison Square Garden just hours before the opening night doubleheader. Howard is the second BIG EAST Player of the Year from Marquette following Jae Crowder in 2011-12.
“It’s a mindset,” Howard said of his success in a game of all big men “You want to be aggressive at all times, no matter what has been thrown at me, no matter what happens I am going to maintain that and keep fighting. It is something that I have always had and it has been brought out especially this year.
“Different teams are throwing different things at me so I need to adjust and need to have a quick mind when I see it,” said Howard.
Howard’s go-to shot is a step back jumper that might be one of the most lethal in college.
“I think it was something he learned because he wasn’t the biggest guy. He wasn’t going to shoot it over people,” said Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski.
Howard’s selection was met by soaring accolades from across the league.
“Wow,” was how BIG EAST Senior Commissioner Basketball Stu Jackson opened his introduction.
“I know he is one of the best basketball players on the planet,” said Wojciechowski.
“He’s a great player,” said Providence coach Ed Cooley. “He’s a talented individual scorer. He’s one of the best players in our league. “
While it has been his scoring that has made headlines, Wojciechowski says that there is much, much more to Howard’s game than just lighting up the scoreboard.
“He is most well known to have the ability to have huge scoring games but he has helped our team in more ways than just scoring, “said Wojciechowski. “His leadership, his defense, his decision making, his ball handling, all those areas that have been instrumental to the team’s success as well.”
Wojciechowski has had a front row seat to the development of the Chandler, Ariz., native since his arrival in Milwaukee.
“He has been a really good player all three years,” Wojciechowski said of Howard whose success has been a very much a home grown effort with older brother Desmond and middle brother Jordan helping shape his development.
“The thing about Markus that has been a theme is that he has gotten better every year. He had a good freshman year, and a good sophomore year and now a great junior year,” said Wojciechowski.
“He has gotten better in everything, from a basketball standpoint, from an emotional and personal standpoint, he has really grown by leaps and bounds” he said.