Much of the focus on Marquette this season has rightfully been on its offense. We’re certainly offenders—writing 7,000 words on how its core philosophies originated. But lost in the Tyler Kolek alley-oops, Oso Ighodaro floaters, Kam Jones kisses off the glass, and David Joplin rainmakers has been an elite defense—and it’s currently in the process of unlocking another key cog in Zaide Lowery.
It was around this time last season when Chase Ross began to blossom. Though he was a rotation player from Day 1, he put together a nine-game stretch in mid-January that showcased what the spry freshman had in store for an offense that finished the season ranked 7th in the country in efficiency.
That jump feels similar to what Lowery has done over the last two weeks on the defensive end. For all the hand-wringing over the Golden Eagles’ stagnant offense and missed 3s, the defense has vaulted into elite territory—checking in at No. 14 in efficiency, which would be the best mark for a Shaka-led team since 2018.
Much like Ross was an integral supporting cast member on offense, Lowery has injected new life in spurts into Marquette’s defense. Some of that was born out of necessity with Ross’ shoulder injury and needing to cover his 21 minutes—but Lowery has been trending up going back to the win over Texas in early December.
When he checked in late in the first half against Texas, Lowery had played two minutes against high-major competition—garbage time in the final minutes of the Kansas and Purdue games in Maui—but Smart and the staff were looking to change up the defensive look on Texas guard Max Abmas, who had torched Marquette early in the first half.
On Lowery’s second possession, the 6-foot-5 wing picked up Abmas at halfcourt and switched onto a screening Ze’Rik Onyema, who had flushed home a dunk the previous trip down. Lowery fronted Onyema in the post, denying an entry pass. When Abmas dribbled back to the top of the key to reset the offense, Lowery swapped assignments with Ighodaro and took Brock Cunningham, who then received a pass from Abmas. Cunningham drove left and Lowery cut him off on the baseline.
Lowery blanketed three Longhorns in the span of 16 seconds. The possession ended in a live-ball turnover from Abmas, leading to a Marquette runout that they finished in transition.
But Lowery wasn’t done. His situational awareness and length was put to good use.
And when tasked with playing a red-hot Abmas straight up, Lowery proved to be the only Marquette defender that could contain him.
One last time, the defensive surge wasn’t one flashy highlight that looks cool but is ultimately meaningless. Abmas had already scored 13 points by the time Lowery entered the game, and in that 5-minute stretch to end the half, almost had as many turnovers (3) as points (4).
And though he garnered headlines for his back-to-back triples in Monday’s win over Villanova, his defense in that sequence was just as good. See for yourself.
Lowery’s ability to credibly defend perimeter and interior players with his length adds an element that Marquette has missed at times this season without Prosper.
“I’m really happy for him, and it really came on time for our team,” Smart said after the Villanova win. “When I first met got to know him, he didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to come in the game and do what he did. Not even just the 3s, but to come in the game and stand up to—I mean, Villanova’s got grown men […] and I thought Zaide, he’s just grown a lot to be sturdy enough, tough enough to put him on some of those guys and for him to hang in there and play pretty well.”
In all those clips, there’s speed. There’s footwork. There’s basketball savvy. Lowery’s wingspan and strength make for a deadly combination when he’s able to use it effectively—the staff says he’s the team’s second best athlete behind Ross. We’re seeing it more frequently in spurts during his 26 combined minutes against Butler and Villanova.
It’s no secret that defense will be critical down the stretch for Marquette. If the offense can’t replicate last year’s success—and it doesn’t seem likely, considering they haven’t been able to fill the O-Max void, and both Ross and Jones are out—the defense will need to be better than last year’s group, which finished outside the top-40 for a second straight season.
But there are historical trends that Marquette’s defense has staying power. A healthy Stevie Mitchell has 13 steals in his last five games. Jones and Kolek were the only two players in the Big East last season to record more steals than fouls. They’re both doing it again through six conference games this season. Ben Gold just recorded a career-high three blocks against Villanova.
And the team’s most impactful defender still sits on the bench nursing an injured shoulder.
Nevada Smith has vaulted Marquette’s offense to new levels, but Smart-led teams have always hung their hat on the defensive end. In fact, he had 10 consecutive seasons at VCU and Texas that ranked in the top-40 in defensive efficiency. Lowery isn’t Mitchell, and he isn’t going to suddenly be logging 25 minutes (Ross or not), but he’s adding another layer to this rising defense—and his length and unique skill set gives opposing offenses a different look.
“These guys [that] move well, that gives them a quality to be able to do certain things on the defensive end of offensive end differently,” Smart said. “[Lowery] has length, he has quickness, and he can apply that on the defensive end. His defensive confidence is ahead of his offensive confidence right now, but honestly for our team, that’s what we need,” Smart said.
That offensive confidence may not be far behind. In an admittedly laughable small sample size, Lowery has connected on three of four 3-pointers over his last two games. That may not seem like much, but it’s worth nothing that he was a 38% 3-point shooter in high school, and the staff admits that he’s made a big jump in that department from where he was in October.
He isn’t the ball handler that can replicate what Jones brought to the table, and he’ll make his long-term impact as a slasher and cutter (think a smaller O-Max), but he’s looked confident stepping into his 3-pointers from the wing. Similar to Mitchell, anything he can add on that end is a bonus.
“I talked to a couple of my teammates and they just told me to be ready,” Lowery said after the Villanova win. “I’ve got to go in there and be able to step up. I try to focus on defense for the most part when I get into the game and just let the offense come to me.”
Following Monday’s win, Smart recalled a story of discovering Lowery—then a rising junior playing for the Missouri Flight AAU—by accident on a recruiting trip. Nearly two years later, he’s helping fill a critical void, making an impact, and providing a glimpse into the future on what may be in store for this talented freshman.
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