The Marquette Golden Eagles have had a rough go of late. They dropped their last two games of the regular season, then suffered an embarrassing loss to St. John’s in the semifinal of the Big East tournament. Peaking inside the top 10 this season, they entered last week ranked 25th and fell from the rankings altogether in the final poll.
However, the Eagles got some news worth celebrating early Monday afternoon, when star Kam Jones was named All-America second team for his performance this season. Certainly he has not been to blame for Marquette’s downward spiral.
Kam Jones Has Emerged in His Senior Season at Marquette
The senior, 23, has put up career numbers across the board in 2024-25, averaging 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists on 48.4% from the field. He put himself on the map, elevating his draft stock to a projected late first round selection. While his shooting efficiency is down (31.2 3P%, 64 FT%), his high-volume production has been indispensable. Although endowed with a variety of options, the Eagles lack another true scorer.
In the Big East tournament, Jones provided 28 points and 5 assists against Xavier in the quarterfinal. He went 11-22 from the floor and 5-10 on threes. He committed 0 turnovers in 38 minutes on the court.
Accounting for most of the offense against St. John’s, he scored 22 points while shooting 10-22 and grabbed 7 rebounds. He played 37 minutes.
Jones’ box scores depict a familiar script as attempted to keep Marquette from collapse down the stretch. In the overtime loss to the Johnnies in the last regular season game, he saw 44 minutes of action, took 30 shot attempts and scored 32 points. He also had 9 rebounds and 7 assists. For five straight games, he has logged 36 minutes or more.
Golden Eagles Need Jones to Continue Being Superman for Deep Tournament Run
Ideally, Marquette will get contributions elsewhere in the NCAA tournament. Senior David Joplin, a Milwaukee native, did not have a good game last time out, going 3-12 from the floor and committing 6 turnovers, but he has emerged as a reliable option this season. His 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals are all career-highs.
Also in the class of ’25, guard Stevie Mitchell is scoring 10.8 points on 48.4% shooting, while hitting 36.3% of his threes. He leads the team with 2.3 steals. Chase Ross, junior Swiss Army knife, is enjoying something of a breakout campaign himself, up to 10.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.8 SPG.
But if the team goes far, it will be because Jones shows out, as he needs to for the team to reach its ceiling. 3.5-point favorites against New Mexico, the 7-seed Eagles will likely face 2-seed Michigan State if they get past the Lobos. No doubt they would open as considerable underdogs. The coaching matchup between Shaka Smart, who has six first round losses, and Tom Izzo, who has made eight Final Fours, would not favor Marquette.
If Smart can guide his guys to an upset, Iowa State is the most formidable potential foe in the Sweet Sixteen. The Cyclones have announced that their best player, Keshon Gilbert, will miss the tournament with a groin injury.
First things first, Marquette must handle the Lobos on Friday. Regular season champions of the Mountain West, New Mexico is not to be underestimated. Lobos over Eagles is a fashionable upset pick. More than likely, Marquette will need a strong day from their All-American point guard to advance.
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