Howard, Hauser young but reliable on court
The most difficult and important stretch of Marquette’s non-conference slate begins at 1 p.m. Sunday when the Golden Eagles play their first true road game at Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum in Athens. While the team is solely focused on the Bulldogs, home games against Fresno State and Wisconsin loom later this week.
This stretch could have a major impact on the Golden Eagles’ season. After falling in their most high-profile games to date against Michigan and Pittsburgh during the 2K Classic, two or more victories this week would boost their nonconference résumé. Anything less, though, and Marquette likely would have serious work to do in the Big East portion of the schedule to prove that they belong in any type of postseason.
This will be a week when coach Steve Wojciechowski will have to rely especially on the players who are bringing the most energy, playing the smartest and contributing the most reliable performances. Two players who have often fit that description are the two youngest, freshmen Markus Howard and Sam Hauser, both of whom are likely to start for the fourth game in a row Sunday.
“I expect them to handle it well,” Wojciechowski said when asked how his freshmen will handle their first road test. “I think Markus and Sam have shown great maturity. Look, playing on the road is hard, but as a competitor it’s also fun. Those two kids are competitors so I think they’ll be excited about it.”
Seven games into the season, Howard and Hauser have been reliable contributors, enough so to earn starting spots over the past three games. Both have averaged 7.9 points per game, with Howard, a 5foot-11 guard, shooting 50% on 26 three-point attempts to go with 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
That is especially impressive considering Howard was a high school junior at this time last year. He is just 17 years old after graduating high school a year early this past spring.
“My teammates do a great job looking after me,” Howard said. “I mean, I’m the youngest on the team by a lot, so they look after me like I’m their little brother . ...
“You never know what to expect coming into a college atmosphere at this age. I’ve been very happy with what’s been in front of me. I’m truly blessed to be here at Marquette.
Hauser, a 6-7 wing from Stevens Point, has made two or more threepointers in six of Marquette’s seven games, going 15 for 31 (48.4%) overall. His steadiness has applied to more than just his three-point shooting, with Hauser grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game — tied for the second-most on the team — while committing the second-fewest turnovers per minute on the team despite playing the fourth-most minutes. Add the fact he’s been asked to play all over the court, including center at times, and has performed reliably on defense regardless of position and Hauser quickly has established himself as one of the team’s most indispensable players.
“Playing with a guy like Sam it’s every guy’s dream,” Howard said. “He makes the game so much easier for his teammates around him. He’s been big for us from the beginning. He’s been our most consistent player, in my opinion, in practice and in games, so he’s definitely going to be big for us throughout the season.”
While it’s not certain that Howard will make his fifth start Sunday, there’s no doubt Hauser will be on the court for tip-off.
With graduate transfer Katin Reinhardt sick and unable to play Wednesday against Western Carolina, Hauser got his third straight start, but it was initially unclear if that was because of his play or Reinhardt’s absence.
Wojciechowski dispelled any mystery after the game when asked about Hauser’s role.
“Sam has earned the right to start,” he said. “If we had everybody healthy tonight Sam would still be a starter. He’s a good player and he’s a winner and we’re better when he’s in the game.”
Whether or not both Howard and Hauser are on the court when Sunday’s game tips off, they’ll both likely have an impact on how it ends.