Weekly throughout the summer, the BIG EAST will check-in with each of its 11 men's basketball programs for a Summer Check-In. Highlighted by a one-on-one interview with each head coach and NBC Sports' John Fanta, the BIG EAST Summer Check-In will cover a wide range of topics from roster changes, highlights from summer workouts, and scheduling updates.
This week, the Summer Check-In series stops at Marquette, where head coach Shaka Smart added several impact transfers to an already talented returning roster. The Golden Eagles turn to sophomore Nigel James Jr. - one of the best players in the country - as they aim toward a return to the postseason in 2026-27.
“The culture of the program that we try to build is holistic - it's on the court, it's off the court, it's workouts, it's the weight room, it's practice, it's who we are when we travel, it's how talk to each other, it's how we interact with the ladies that run our office, it's how we interact with students, it's all of those things. And there's a specific part of your culture that, as it relates to winning, matters most: your in-game culture.
We have certain Marquette characteristics that we look for when anyone that we bring into our program, whether that's a high school kid or a transfer or a student manager. You have to have certain characteristics to be successful here.”
Head Coach Shaka Smart on the culture of his program and how that drives success
Marquette's 2026-27 Scheduling
“We've always tried to play the type of competition that will allow some quad one opportunities and will allow us to see different styles of play, and test ourselves as much as we can. When you get into the BIG EAST, it's always a little bit of a different animal no matter what type of schedule you play. When you're a basketball coach or a basketball player, you love playing against top-flight competition and I think for all the teams in the BIG EAST, it makes sense for all of us to schedule aggressively.”
Smart on the Golden Eagles' 2026-27 non-conference slate
Notable 2026-27 Non-Conference Matchups:
- Nov. 11 at Michigan
- Nov. 15 vs. Missouri (Chicago)
- Nov. 25-27 Texas A&M/Virginia (Battle for Atlantis)
- Dec. 5 vs. Wisconsin
- Dec. 12 vs. Mississippi State
Marquette's 2026-27 Roster
Marquette returns one of the best young core group of players in the country, led by sophomore star Nigel James Jr. During the 2025-26 season - a year that will be remembered for many outstanding freshmen performers - James Jr. took a backseat to no one, shining for the Golden Eagles. Head coach Shaka Smart and his staff added two impact transfers and three incoming freshmen to an already talented roster.
Transfers
"We break everything down culturally, defensively and offensively. Number one, we felt like those guys would fit with what we want to be - and they could even add to who we want to be, relative to who we had coming back on our team. They're both very team-oriented, they have a level of maturity about them, and both of them are low-maintenance. They're not guys you have to worry about being out in left field. On the defensive end, both guys can be significant contributors."
Smart on the addition of transfers Nolan Minessale and Sananda Fru
#4 Nolan Minessale - Jr. - G - 6-5 - 195 - Brookfield, Wis.
- Four-star ranked transfer (EvanMiya.com) from St. Thomas (Minn.); 2025-26 All-Summit League First Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Tournament Team
- Posted 22 games with at least 20 points, setting new single-season records in total points (674), field goals (228), assists (145), and steals (54)
"Nolan is someone that loves to get his hands on the basketball - deflections are a big key for us - and I promise you, he'll be one of our top three or four guys in our deflection interval which is important. He's kind of a jack of all trades on offense - he can play point guard, shooting guard, he can score, he can pass, he can facilitate for other guys, he can help you get into actions and play out of multiple actions, so he'll fit in with us really well there.."
Smart on the impact Nolan Minessale can make on both ends of the court for Marquette
#11 Sananda Fru - Sr. - F - 6-11 - 250 - Berlin, Germany
- Five-star ranked transfer from Louisville; ranked the No. 4 transfer per EvanMiya.com
- Appeared in 35 games (29 starts), averaging 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds, while connecting on better than 75% of his shot attempts; blocked 50 shots
"Sani's a guy that can really help us in pick and roll coverage whether that's switching or being in the coverage. He's a guy that's got versatility, he can rebound, he's got physicality that he can utilize which we certainly needed that coming off last year. We were looking for someone who could help us up front with two things very, very specifically: finishing around the basket and offensive rebounding. Those are two things that he did at a high level."
Smart on what Sananda Fru brings to the floor for the Golden Eagles in 2026-27
Freshmen
#5 Colton Crowdis - Fr. - G - 6-4 - 180 - Toronto, Ontario
- All-NEPSAC point guard who averaged 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 3.0 steals
- As a senior for Bridgton Academy, poured in 40 points, making eight 3-pointers, in a win over St. Andrew's
#21 Alex Egbuonu - Fr. - F - 6-7 - 235 - Nashua, N.H.
- Four-star rated recruit ranked No. 74 nationally by ESPN; averaged 25.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.8 steals
- 2025-26 Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year finished his prep career with over 2,000 points at Lawrence Academy
#33 Ethan Johnston - Fr. - G - 6-7 - 210 - Queens, N.Y.
- Four-star rated recruit (247Sports) who was a three-time all-conference selection at The Hill School
- Compiled 1,330 points during his prep career; played AAU with the New York Rens
Returnees
#0 Nigel James Jr. - So. - G - 6-0 - 195 - Huntington, N.Y.
- One of the top guards in America; 2025-26 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and All-BIG EAST Third Team pick returns for sophomore campaign
- Reached double figures in scoring in 19 of 20 league games, including three 30-point performance a season ago; set a new Marquette scoring standard for true freshmen with 38 points against Providence
"The simple answer is that he has 'it.' We've heard players talked about that way before and everyone can understand what 'it' means even if we can't completely describe it; or if we needed to describe it, it would take several paragraphs. He's got the combination of personality and leadership traits, basketball traits, athleticism, and flair to his game that makes him someone that is always going to be the focal point of our team and what we do as long as he's here at Maruquette. And I appreciate the fact that he values connection with his teammates and his coaches. I appreciate the fact that he's very, very driven to win. He knows - he's very keenly aware of that fact - that our first four years at Marquette we went to the NCAA Tournament every season and then last year we did not. He really, really wants that, and more than that, he wants to advance deep into the tournament."
Smart on the "It" factor that Nigel James Jr. possesses and how he is driven to win
#1 Nash Walker - Fr. - G - 6-6 - 205 - Smithton, Tasmania
- Joined the Marquette roster in late-December 2025 but did not play; product of the NBA Global Academy
- Has represented Australia several times, most recently at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup
#7 Ian Miletic - Fr. - F - 6-7 - 205 - Arlington Heights, Ill.
- Sat out the 2025-26 season
#8 Joshua Clark - So. - F - 7-1 - 245 - Virginia Beach, Va.
- Appeared in 23 games as a redshirt freshman in 2025-26, tallying a season-best six points and six boards at UConn
#9 Damarius Owens - Jr. - F - 6-7 - 205 - Rochester, N.Y.
- Versatile forward saw action in 30 games, earning one start
- Posted a career-best 15 points against Georgetown in the BIG EAST Tournament
#10 Adrien Stevens - So. - G - 6-4 - 215 - Potomac, Md.
- Talented young guard poised to make a jump as a sophomore
- Started 23 of 32 games, averaging nearly 8.0 points per game; drilled six 3-pointers against Butler
"Adrien is a great young man and he's someone that is very cerebral...he is a real candidate to take a significant jump; he already did from the middle of his freshman year to the second half of the year. He's a guy who you'll see as a sophomore doing more and more great things for us on both ends of the floor."
Smart on Stevens' intelligence and how he is poised to make a jump as a sophomore
#13 Royce Parham - Jr. - F - 6-9 - 230 - Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Earned 20 starts in 31 appearances and ranked among the BIG EAST leaders in field goal percentage (.522)
- Over final seven games of the season, averaged 16.4 points while connecting on nearly 65% shooting from the floor and 50% from the perimeter
"Royce Parham is a unique player because he very much is in between positions, and I say that in a good way. He's someone that can be tough to deal with around the basket because of his size and athleticism, but he also has pretty good perimeter skill. He got much, much better shooting the ball from three the second half of the year and that opened a lot of things up."
Smart on the power of Parham's versatility as a big man in the Marquette lineup
#18 Caedin Hamilton - Jr. - F - 6-9 - 245 - Santa Maria, Calif.
- Saw action in all 32 games, earning 17 starts
- Active post presence; grabbed career-high 10 rebounds versus Valpo
#35 Michael Phillips II - So. - F - 6-6 - 205 - Rolesville, N.C.
- Saw action in 28 games; 17 of his 19 made field goals on the season were from beyond the arc
- Versatile forward connected on 37% from beyond the arc
"The vision is for him to become one of the best players in the BIG EAST and beyond. The goal is to progressively work toward that vision. Michael came in here as a very young player, he was 17 at this time last year. As he continues to get older, and stronger, and more experienced, he's going to gain confidence. He can really, really shoot the basketball, he's got an uncanny ability to block shots, to come out of nowhere to make plays on the ball...I think the great thing about him is he's willing to be uncommon. That's been a big emphasis from me to him. I think he also understands that uncommon results are going to come from an uncommon process and it doesn't always happen when you want it to, but it's going to happen."
Smart on the long-term vision and goals for Michael Phillips II
#42 Braeden Brenn - So. - F - 6-8 - 215 - Appleton, Wis.
- Walk-on appeared in three games during the 2025-26 season
Departures
- Chase Ross - G - eligibility expired; Tre Norman - G - transfer; Sheek Pearson - F - transfer; Ben Gold - F - eligibility expired; Sean Jones - G - transfer; Casey O'Malley - G - eligibility expired; Jonah Lucas - G - eligibility expired; Zaide Lowery - G - transfer
By The Numbers
22 - While at St. Thomas (Minn.) last season, Nolan Minessale ranked sixth nationally with 22 games while scoring at least 20 points.
1st/2nd/1st - Among all returning players in BIG EAST play, Nigel James Jr. is the top returning scorer (19.3) and steals (2.05) while ranking second in assists (5.5)
62.2% - Marquette returns better than 60 percent of its scoring from the 2025-26 season, including two of its top three scorers in James and Royce Parham