The Marquette Golden Eagles aren’t having the type of season they did last year. Despite returning every contributor from last year’s team other than Olivier Maxence-Prosper, it took a while for the Golden Eagles to find their groove this season.
However, now Marquette is riding an 8-game winning streak heading into its matchup with top-ranked and defending National Champion, UConn. Marquette has rocketed back up the polls entering the UConn game ranked No. 4 in the country.
Stevie Mitchell healthy, Marquette surging since his return
Marquette had a rough stretch at the start of Big East Conference play. Some of that was injuries and some with shooting struggles. Sean Jones suffered a torn ACL in a home loss to Butler, Chase Ross suffered a shoulder injury vs. Seton Hall and missed a few weeks. Mitchell missed four games with a strained hamstring, including MU’s Dec. 19 loss to Providence. Star Tyler Kolek, Ben Gold and Kam Jones have gone through shooting slumps.
Now, though, Marquette has seemingly hit its stride coinciding with Mitchell’s health and some shooting bounce back for the team. Marquette is riding an 8-game winning streak and are now up to No. 4 in the country in both the AP and Coaches Poll.
The MU shooting guard’s stats aren’t going to wow anyone. Mitchell is averaging 8.2 points per game, 3.6 rebounds and under an assist per game. But Mitchell averages a team-best 2 steals per game and deflects a ton more passes. Mitchell is a defensive menace spearheading Marquette’s aggressive defense and is the best on-ball defender on the team.
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Mitchell is only shooting 26.3% from 3-point range, but his value to Marquette goes beyond scoring and shooting. The energy Mitchell brings to the team is felt and visible. He also has been pretty darn good offensively during Marquette’s winning streak.
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Stevie Mitchell finding his offensive game in 2024
Mitchell was paramount against Seton Hall on Jan. 27 and vs. Villanova three days later. Mitchell’s off-ball cutting and terrific on-ball defense (particularly vs. Hall) jumped off the screen. Mitchell’s energy woke up a lethargic Marquette team vs. Nova and Mitchell consistently brings that energy for the Golden Eagles. Mitchell had 13 points, six rebounds and five steals vs. Seton Hall and added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds against Nova.
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Despite his low 3-point shooting percentage, Mitchell is shooting over 51% from the field overall. Since the calendar hit 2024, Mitchell has shot 50% from the field or better in eight of those games and scored in double figures in six of them. He has also hit 7 of 18 3-point attempts in the last 10 games.
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Mitchell is one of the more overlooked guys in the country. With the attention Kolek and Oso Ighodaro receive, Mitchell isn’t the first or even third or fourth player people think of when it comes to the Golden Eagles. But, Mitchell is vital to Marquette’s success. Teammate Kam Jones had this to say in a Ben Steele article before the season in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
“On the court, bringing his energy. You definitely feel his energy when it’s there, and it’s there every day. He helps you. He makes you want to stay up to the standard because of hard he plays and how hard he works. That obviously plays a key role into what makes us who we are and makes us better.”
Stevie Mitchell infectious energy big reason MU has won 8 straight
While Stevie Mitchell doesn’t get the attention or love of many of his teammates, his importance to MU is paramount. His teammates know it. The Marquette fans know it. Despite not having gaudy statistics, Mitchell has been much better offensively since returning from a hamstring injury. Scoring isn’t what Mitchell is depended upon to bring to Marquette anyway. His standout defense, relentless effort and energy is what the Golden Eagles look to Mitchell for. And Mitchell always delivers in that regard and is a big reason why since his return to the lineup Marquette has hit its stride.
