Marquette Golden Eagles coach Shaka Smart said he is not concentrating on the transfer portal for the 2025 season and that his remaining players will remain his priority.
“It’s definitely going to stress-test our way of doing things. I tend to err on the side of really, really pouring into the guys we have and focusing on them,” he said last month.
“There’s a lot of reasons behind that that, again, we don’t necessarily have time to get into now. So, yes, we believe in our way of doing things.”
That is for 2025 but 2026 is a different story altogether, especially if you get a chance at signing a marquee player like JaShawn “JJ” Andrews.
The Golden Eagles’ chase of the 6’6 small forward from Little Rock Christian Academy in Arkansas remains alive as they were named to the Top 5 programs the high school player wants to commit to.
He will make his announcement on May 15.
🚨 MAY DAY 🚨
MAY 15, 2025 pic.twitter.com/vKDJqw75jN— JaShawn “JJ” Andrews (@JJAndrews2026) April 5, 2025
Marquette Golden Eagles made him an offer on July 2024
Jayshawn Andrews’ name first got attached to Marquette in July last year when the school made their official offer.
“After a great conversation with Coach @ShakaSmart and Coach @CoachDotRiv0 I am blessed to receive a D1 offer from Marquette University @MarquetteMBB,” Andrews posted on X after the offer.
After a great conversation with Coach @ShakaSmart and Coach @CoachDotRiv0 I am blessed to receive a D1 offer from Marquette University @MarquetteMBB pic.twitter.com/1mkDcg5OUS
— JaShawn “JJ” Andrews (@JJAndrews2026) July 16, 2024
The Golden Eagles can use someone like Andrews with the departure of Kam Jones who is expected to get drafted in the NBA this June.
The Little Rock standout has the same scoring prowess as Jones as he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024, averaging nearly 29 points per game. He is a good rebounder, too, grabbing 10 rebounds per game.
He still has one year left in high school but he already scored 2,200 points in total.
For more great Wisconsin sports content
Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for the latest and trending news about Packers, Brewers, Bucks, Marquette, and the rest of Wisconsin Sports. Stay updated by reading more of our Wisconsin Sports articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
