Coming to Marquette, Darryl Morsell had cemented his reputation as a defensive stalwart after winning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year at Maryland in 2021. Morsell has been solid on that end of the floor for Marquette guarding the opponents’ top offensive wing.
Morsell’s offense, though, has opened eyes and has been a major boost for the Golden Eagles.
It seems wild now that Morsell wasn’t a featured component on offense at Maryland. At Marquette, Morsell has proven to be a two-way player, He entered this year not scoring 20 points in a single game his entire career at Maryland. This year? Morsell scored 20-plus points in the first four games and seven total, after doing it again Saturday on Senior Night.
Yeah, everybody knows Darryl Morsell is an elite defender.
— Ben Steele (@BenSteeleMJS) November 13, 2021
But with Marquette, the grad transfer has embraced his role as a go-to scorer. He had a collegiate-high 26 points on Friday and #mubb needed every bit of his clutch play.https://t.co/XrDH6oxvY1
A steadying force
Marquette is one of the youngest teams in the country. In fact, out of 359 teams, Marquette ranks 351st in experience according to KenPom.com. Having a steadying force in Morsell has been invaluable to the Golden Eagles. His wealth of experience is big. Throw in Morsell has added a perimeter scoring punch to compliment Justin Lewis along with his strong defensive play, the fifth-year senior is crucial to Marquette’s success.
Morsell averages 13.3 points, 3.6 rebounds on 44.8 percent shooting, and over 35 percent from the 3-point range. His mid-range prowess and ability to step up and score the ball as Lewis’ wingman has been critical this season. When MU needs a bucket it doesn’t need to go to Lewis all the time as Morsell is the team’s second-leading scorer.
Particularly in crunch time, Marquette and Smart know they have an experienced guy they can lean on. Morsell has made numerous clutch plays down the stretch this season highlighted again in the Golden Eagles’ latest victory. Marquette was in a one-possession battle with the Bulldogs and Morsell had a steal, canned a 3-pointer, and a layup as Marquette pulled away. In a narrow 1-point win over Seton Hall, he scored 7 straight points in a pivotal second-half stretch.
Marquette's Darryl Morsell quietly having a solid season after transferring from Maryland.
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) January 15, 2022
Morsell had 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in today's upset win over No. 20 Seton Hall. @410D_ pic.twitter.com/sq6OF3xnFn
Lean on Morsell
Morsell has been all MU could ask for this season. A steadying force on one of the youngest teams in America, he is a major reason the Golden Eagles’ youth hasn’t shown through.
I don’t think Darryl’s impact can be overstated. He has been through the battles and seen it all. His poised play is a determining factor in Marquette’s ability to pull out close wins. Marquette is 6-2 in games decided by 5 points or less despite its inexperience. Marquette will lean on him in March and the way this season has gone, why not?
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