McEwen ready to make his Marquette debut
Koby McEwen is ready to properly introduce himself to Marquette basketball fans.
The hard-nosed junior guard sat out last season after transferring from Utah State. He will make his MU debut on Tuesday night as the Golden Eagles open their season against Loyola (Maryland) at Fiserv Forum.
“He’s a dynamic guard,” MU coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “I think he complements our other perimeter players incredibly well. Really good passer. Terrific driver and can make open shots.
“The thing I really love about Koby is his competitive spirit. He brings an edginess to the floor every time he’s on it and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways. I think he can be a terrific, terrific player for us.”
The 6-foot-4 McEwen is praised by his teammates for his feistiness and ability to attack defenses.
Those skills should pair well alongside All-American guard Markus Howard.
“I’m a guy who likes to get in the paint,” McEwen said. “They have a decision to make. I feel like I’m a good finisher, so if they’re going to stay out there with Markus, I’m going to have the paint all day.
“If they want to help off me, I’m going to get it to Markus. Markus is the best shooter in the country. That’s going to complement each other a lot. And Markus can get in the paint whenever he wants, too, and I can spot up from different areas as well.”
Howard is just as eager for the partnership.
“I’m extremely ecstatic to play with a guy like Koby,” Howard said. “He’s so versatile with the things he can do, on and off the ball. He’s a guy who can really get to the teeth of the defense, draw and make plays for others. He’s a guy who can drive and score for himself. To kind of take pressure off me is something that I’m looking forward to.”
It could be a mutually beneficial backcourt relationship.
“I try to look for Markus a lot,” McEwen said. “I know selfishly I can get an assist because he’s going to make the shot.”
McEwen grew up in Toronto, which has produced numerous extremely talented basketball players for decades.
“Steve Nash, Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, Tracy McGrady, those are the guys that got the wave started,” said McEwen of the inspiration his generation found in Nash, Canada’s greatest player, and stars for the Toronto Raptors.
“Especially Vince Carter, in my opinion, him and Kobe (Bryant) were the guys that got me wanting to play basketball.”
McEwen played for CIA Bounce, an AAU program that has produced No. 1 overall NBA draft picks Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett. A strong performance by McEwen in a showcase tournament caught the eyes of coaches for Wasatch Academy, a prep school in Mount Pleasant, Utah.
After discussions with his family, McEwen decided that heading to the United States as a 15-year-old was the best way to challenge himself.
“It was in the middle of the nowhere, so we didn’t get to do anything but play basketball,” McEwen said. “That was good for me. And it also allowed me to have a college body because I lifted twice a day.”
McEwen landed at Utah State, where he was the Mountain West Conference freshman of year in the 2016-17 season. He averaged 15.6 points per game as a sophomore, but Aggies head coach Tim Duryea was fired after that season.
“Even though, winning-wise, we weren’t doing what we wanted to do, I picked up a lot of things being at Utah State,” McEwen said. “Just in terms of reading help-side defenses when I’m coming off ball screens, being able to make two guys guard me and find the open man.”
After transferring to MU, McEwen spent his redshirt season running the scout team and itching to play in real games.
“I’ve slimmed down a lot, in terms of body fat,” McEwen said. “I feel like my wind is a lot better. I’m in way better shape. I just feel like I have more energy, being able to make multiple plays on the floor without getting tired super quickly.
“I feel like my decision-making has gotten a lot better. I think my defense has improved. I’ve improved a lot of things since stepping on campus until now.”