Does D.J. Carton make Marquette a Big East title contender? — Andy R.
When Carton took a personal leave from Ohio State in late January, he revealed on social media that he had been “suffering with mental health issues for a couple of years.” This was a brave and important revelation. Carton later decided to transfer from Ohio State to Marquette, and two weeks ago the NCAA granted him a waiver so he could play this season. So when we’re talking about Carton, the question regarding his well-being is far more important than anything that has to do with basketball.
Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski told me this week that although the players are not yet back on campus, he has been in frequent contact with Carton and the rest of the team, and he is hopeful that Carton will be at full strength, mentally and physically, when the season begins. “Obviously, first and foremost our main concern is his health and well-being, but he seems to be in a really good place there,” Wojo said. “He gives us a dynamic playmaker in the backcourt. Before he took that leave of absence at Ohio State I thought he was one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten.”
Carton was a big-time recruit — he was ranked No. 31 in the RSCI for the Class of 2019 — and he could have a major impact as Marquette’s starting point guard. That’s good news for a program looking to replace the incandescent Markus Howard, who was the nation’s leading scorer last season at 27.8 points per game. It’s not easy replacing a player of that caliber, but in some ways, Marquette could be a better team without Howard — or, at least, a more balanced one. The team will likely have two senior starters — 6-4 guard Koby McEwen, who had an uneven season after his transfer from Utah State, and 6-9 center Theo John, one of the top glue guy/rim protectors in the country. Wojciechowski also signed a stellar recruiting class headlined by Dawson Garcia, a 6-9 McDonald’s All-American from Minnesota.
So this is going to be a younger roster using a more team-oriented offense. As for the Big East, which just got stronger with the official addition of UConn, I would say the league is shaping up to have two tiers: Villanova and Creighton, then everyone else. Marquette has a good shot to be at the top of that everyone else crowd, especially with Carton in the fold. He’s an easy kid to root for, and I hope he continues to speak openly about his battles with mental health. This is a massive problem, and the best way to combat it is to remove the stigma and shame that are too often attached.
https://theathletic.com/1907074/2020/07/03/college-hoops-mailbag-how-newcomers-will-impact-unc-uk-marquette-and-more/
