The Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball program seems to have momentum. Fresh off a program record of 29 wins and their first NCAA Tournament victory in a decade, head coach Shaka Smart is looking to keep the talent stocked on the recruiting trail. Last week, Marquette Basketball Recruiting secured a commitment from top-100 recruit Royce Parham.
Marquette Basketball Recruiting Secure Sought-After Royce Parham
The talent keeps coming in, and the solid season should only help land top recruits like Parham. Parham is listed between 6-7 and 6-9, depending on the recruiting site, and is a big-time scorer.
Parham picked Marquette over other finalists, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Xavier. The lanky power forward chose the Golden Eagles over two home state schools as Parham attends North Hills High School in Pittsburgh. Royce Parham also received offers from Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, and others.
NEWS: 2024 four-star forward Royce Parham tells me he’s committed to Marquette.
He breaks down his decision here: https://t.co/G0C8K4NwWC pic.twitter.com/iewVxDAFxj
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 26, 2023
The big man is the No. 85 ranked player in the 2024 class. That is based on the average of the four major recruiting ranking sites (ESPN, 24/7, Rivals, On3). 247 ranks him 113th, but the 247 Composite slots him at No. 68 in the country. On3 puts Parham at 73rd ranked prospect, and Rivals ranks him 82nd.
Royce Parham said in an On3 article he chose Marquette because they were the ‘best option,’ He went on to say:
“I loved all the coaches, the facilities, and the staff. I was really able to bond with the players and just loved the whole program.”
Basketball Ncaa Men S Basketball Tournament Round 2
Royce Parham Seems Like a Shaka-Type Recruit
On 3s, Jamie Shaw had glowing remarks about Parham in his scouting report of him. If you read the scouting report, it sounds like the ideal Shaka Smart player, saying Parham has “a stand-out motor.” Parham should fit right in where needed in 2024, as Marquette Basketball Recruiting searches for more size and length inside. Shaw said Parham runs the floor on both ends with “purpose.”
He also said:
“Parham is a good athlete with very natural and fluid movements. His frame also looks like it is not done growing. He comes from significant basketball genes as his mom is the career blocked shots leader at Penn State. Young for his grade, there is still time for him, and his ceiling is very high. Monitor his development closely; there are a lot of natural tools working in Parham’s favor.”
247 Sports said:
“Parham is 6-8.5, 200 lb. F who plays bigger than his size. He is an excellent rebounder. The most intriguing part of his game is his shooting touch. He can hit FTs and three pt shots. Very impressive for a player who is only 17 completing his JR yr of HS. Can block shots and rebound. We see a very high ceiling. Like most young bigs…when he gets stronger…a little more confident and becomes self aware of how much he can impact the game on the defensive end….he could be a top power forward in college. See development of Oso Ighodaro at MU.”
https://twitter.com/John_Fanta/status/1651294399685328910
Parham Gives Marquette Basketball Recruiting a Top-10 2024 Class
With Parham joining the long, lanky 6-foot-8 athletic wing Damarius Owens in Smart’s 2024 recruiting class, Marquette is currently ranked the eighth-best 2024 class in the nation by 247 Sports.
Marquette is adding two frontcourt players in its 2024 class with 6-foot-9 Royce Parham joining 6-8 Damarius Owens.
The talented additions look like they have skill-sets that complement each other. #mubbhttps://t.co/QaKysq735q
— Ben Steele (@BenSteeleMJS) April 26, 2023
With two 6-8 prospects in tow for 2024, Marquette Basketball recruiting likely targets a backcourt player with another scholarship. The Golden Eagles are in Nazr Mohammed‘s final six and are after Kon Knueppel, a five-star wing from Wisconsin.
Marquette Basketball Recruiting: Final Thoughts
With the transfer portal, you can never be sure about having players staying at school, no matter the success. However, with Marquette fresh off a school record 29 wins and an NCAA first-round win, Shaka Smart could still have Kam Jones, Stevie Mitchell, and Tyler Kolek with an extra COVID-19 year to go with the pair of 2024 recruits he just reeled in. Smart seems to have Marquette on the precipice of something special. Having a balanced team with top-100 bigs, talented perimeter players, and a coach like Smart, one special season could be turning into several soon.
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