If you walk into Fiserv Forum on a Tuesday night expecting a typical blue-blood basketball experience, you’re going to be confused. There isn't a massive, storied roster of five-star one-and-done players. You won't see a coach screaming until he’s purple in the face about a missed rotation. Instead, you see Shaka Smart—usually in a hoodie—pacing the sidelines with an energy that feels more like a startup founder than a traditional bench boss.
The Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball program is currently navigating one of its most bizarre and polarizing stretches in recent memory. After years of being the "darling" of the Big East, the 2025-26 season has felt like a splash of cold water. As of mid-January 2026, the team is sitting at 6-12 overall and a dismal 1-6 in conference play. To some, it looks like a collapse. To those inside the program, it’s a stubborn, radical experiment in "Our Way."
The Portal Problem: Why Marquette Stayed Put
Basically, everyone else in the Big East went shopping this past summer. St. John's, UConn, and Villanova used the transfer portal like a Supermarket Sweep, grabbing proven seniors to plug holes. Shaka Smart? He didn't buy a single thing.
He decided to bet entirely on internal development. He lost Kam Jones to the NBA (38th overall to the Spurs, a massive loss of 19.2 points per game) and watched veterans like Stevie Mitchell and David Joplin graduate. Most coaches would have panicked and hit the "transfer" button. Smart doubled down on the guys already in the gym.
- The Risk: You end up with a roster that is technically talented but lacks the "old man strength" of a 24-year-old fifth-year senior from the portal.
- The Reality: Marquette is currently the youngest team in the Big East by a wide margin.
- The Consequence: They are getting "run out of the gym" by teams like St. John's, who used the portal to find Oziyah Sellers and Zuby Ejiofor.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a culture war. Smart believes in cura personalis—the Jesuit value of caring for the whole person. He wants to grow players over four years. But in 2026, college basketball doesn't always have four years to give.
Chase Ross and the Weight of the Crown
Chase Ross is a phenomenal athlete. Truly. His vertical is through the roof, and he’s arguably the best perimeter defender in the league when he’s locked in. At the start of this season, he looked like a superstar, averaging nearly 21 points in non-conference play.
Then came the slump.
In Big East play, Ross has been shooting around 10% from three-point range. It’s painful to watch. Fans on Paint Touches and other forums are losing their minds over the "layup malady"—a strange phenomenon where the team, Ross included, just cannot finish at the rim. Is it a leg injury? Is it mental? It’s probably a bit of both. When you’re the guy everyone is keying on because Kam Jones isn't there to bail you out, the rim starts looking a lot smaller.
The "Kill Zone" and the Metrics of Effort
You’ve probably seen the "Kill Tracker" on the jumbotron if you’ve been to a game in Milwaukee. For the uninitiated, a "Kill" is three defensive stops in a row. Shaka Smart wants eight of them a game.
It’s a way of gamifying defense.
Even in this losing season, Marquette is top 40 nationally in forcing turnovers. They still play with that "Havoc" DNA. The problem isn't the effort; it's the math. They force a turnover, but then they miss a transition layup. They get a stop, but then they give up an offensive rebound because their starting center, Ben Gold, has been battling injuries, leaving 7'1" sophomore Joshua Clark to fend for himself against the monsters of the Big East.
Who are these guys, anyway?
If you're trying to keep track of the rotation, here's the current reality of the roster. It isn't the balanced machine of 2024.
The High-Usage Guards
Chase Ross is the engine, even when the engine is sputtering. Beside him, Nigel James Jr. has been a revelation as a freshman. He’s a 6-foot lightning bolt from Long Island Lutheran who is currently averaging 13.5 points. He plays with a "nothing to lose" attitude that the upperclassmen seem to be missing right now.
The Frontcourt Identity Crisis
Ben Gold is the "unicorn"—a 6'11" senior from New Zealand who can shoot the three. When he’s off the floor, the floor-spacing evaporates. Royce Parham, a 6'8" sophomore, is talented but still finding his "mean streak." He’s averaging 10 points and nearly 5 rebounds, but he’s often outsized in a league that still values bruisers.
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Is the "Our Way" Philosophy Broken?
The biggest misconception about Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball right now is that the program is in "trouble."
It depends on how you define trouble.
If trouble is losing games in January, then yes, they are in deep. But if you look at the recruiting classes coming in and the minutes Nigel James and Caedin Hamilton are getting, you see a long-term play. Shaka Smart isn't coaching for 2026; he’s coaching for a three-year window that starts now.
However, fans are restless. Watching your team sit at the bottom of the Big East standings while "lesser" programs jump ahead via the transfer portal is a bitter pill. Smart’s 26-page "culture document" is a beautiful thing, but it doesn't count for points on the scoreboard when you’re down 20 at UConn.
The Home Court Advantage (Or Lack Thereof)
Fiserv Forum is still one of the best venues in the country. The "Deer District" is electric. But this year, the "Kill Zone" graphics feel a bit hollow when the opponent is shooting 50% from the field. The energy-generating behaviors (EGBs) that Smart tracks—the high-fives, the floor dives, the chest bumps—are still there, but they feel more like a desperate attempt to jumpstart a dead battery than a celebration of dominance.
What Needs to Change Right Now
Marquette doesn't need a total overhaul. They need a "Get Right" game.
The advanced metrics actually suggest they aren't as bad as their record. Their "Net Rating" with a specific lineup of Nigel James, Chase Ross, Zaide Lowery, Royce Parham, and Ben Gold is actually elite (+44.5). The problem? That group has barely played 70 possessions together because of foul trouble and nagging injuries.
What they need to do:
- Stop the Layup Bleeding: The team is shooting a career-low at the rim. This is a confidence issue.
- Shorten the Bench: Smart loves to play everyone, but in the Big East, you need your "dogs" on the floor for 35 minutes.
- Find a Second Option: If Chase Ross is doubled, Nigel James has to be allowed to go into "hero mode" more often.
The road ahead is brutal. Games against Providence, Butler, and a season-closer against UConn at home will define whether this season is a "teachable moment" or a total wash.
For the fans, the advice is simple: don't give up on the process, but it’s okay to be annoyed. This is the messiest version of Marquette basketball we’ve seen in years, but it’s also the most honest. They are trying to win a certain way. Right now, the "Way" is winning, and Marquette is learning.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch the early-game rotations; if Smart sticks with the "Elite Five" lineup for more than 8 minutes in the first half, he's finally prioritizing data over development.
- Keep an eye on Chase Ross’s free throw attempts; his slump ends when he starts getting to the line 6+ times a game.
- Check the "Kill Tracker" in the second half of the DePaul or Providence games—if they can't get to 8 kills against the bottom half of the league, the defensive identity is officially in crisis.