In a blow to the Marquette Golden Eagles‘ depth as Big East play ramps up, guard Sean Jones will be redshirting and sitting out the entire 2024/25 season after tearing his ACL in January 2024. The team made the announcement in an Instagram post on Monday, January 6, nearly one year after Jones’s initial injury.
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Jones, a 5’10” point guard from Columbus, Ohio, was a three-star recruit for head coach Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles in the class of 2022. He appeared in 33 games during his freshman season, averaging 3.6 points and 1.1 assists in 12.2 minutes per game. As a sophomore, Jones improved to 5.8 points and 2.0 assists in an expanded 16.3 minutes per game in 16 games before his injury. His best performance came in a win against the Creighton Bluey Jays on December 30, 2023, where he came away with 15 points and 2 steals on 5/8 shooting from the field.
Sean Jones’ injury occurred on January 10, 2024, when the Golden Eagles hosted the Butler Bulldogs. Trailing 59-49 with five minutes to play in the second half, Jones intercepted a pass from Butler point guard Posh Alexander. On the ensuing fastbreak, Jones attempted a layup and came down awkwardly on his right knee. He was diagnosed with a torn ACL and underwent surgery two weeks later, missing the remainder of the 2023/24 season.
Marquette Golden Eagles’ Conference Run
Jones’s redshirt announcement comes a time when the Golden Eagles are diving head-first into Big East conference play. Ranked 7th in the latest AP poll, Marquette are off to a 4-0 start in conference play and are 13-2 overall. Head coach Shaka Smart, now in his fourth season as head coach of the Golden Eagles, has the team in a tie for first place in the conference after the opening stage of Big East play.
A large portion of the Golden Eagles’ early success this season stems from the stellar play of guard Kam Jones. Jones leads the team in points, assists, and field goal percentage. Between his 20.3 points and 6.5 assists per game so far this season, Jones has scored or assisted on 50.1% of all Marquette field goals this season.
Kam Jones has seen an increased workload this season due to the absence of Sean Jones. Both players are point guards, and Sean Jones would have been a primary depth player behind Kam.
Praise From Head Coach Shaka Smart
The Golden Eagles have had key contributions from multiple players on the roster this season, and head coach Shaka Smart has offered praise to them throughout the season. Speaking on what senior guard Stevie Mitchell brings to the table following Marquette’s 79-71 win over Creighton:
“He’s just got this energy that’s unique to him that nobody else has, particularly when he’s kind of in that Stevie mode that is superhuman… We’re going to miss him a lot when he’s gone. So I tell myself in moments like that to make sure to appreciate him.”
Mitchell is averaging 12.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game on 54.7% shooting from the floor and 41.9% from three-point range.
Shaka Smart is now in his fourth season as Marquette’s head coach. So far this season, he has amassed an 88-32 record overall and a 46-17 record in the Big East. The Golden Eagles won both the Big East regular season and conference tournament titles under Smart in 2023, and have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of Smart’s three complete seasons.
The Golden Eagles play next against the Georgetown Hoyas (12-2, 3-0 Big East) in a matchup of teams that are both undefeated within the conference. Tip off is at 8:00 P.M. on Tuesday, January 7. Television coverage will be provided by CBSSN.
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