This morning began with a rather surprising announcement that Nigel James had been selected as the Big East’s Freshman of the Year. Surprising not in that he didn’t earn it, but in the fact Villanova’s Acaden Lewis had been selected to the all-conference 2nd team, while Nigel was only on the 3rd team.
As I wrote about previously, this was one of the best classes of freshmen we’ve seen since the Big East reformation. Winning the award is always special, but doing so when there were some tremendously deserving names is a great barometer for just how special the league coaches think Nigel is (and still can be).
That news alone would make for a great day for most Marquette fans, but during his acceptance speech, he turned the great day into a historic one.
My over-active imagination went straight to reading way too much into this one sentence. Marquette showed him loyalty and he would show it back to the coaches and teammates. But for once, my optimistic interpretation was solidified as the actual one.
He’s not just back, he’s all in.
Boy that grass looks green
If you spend any time on social media, it didn’t take long for any one of Nigel’s 43 highlight reel plays making the rounds to turn into a comment section full of “can’t wait to see him in a “XXXXXX” jersey next season.” And while a lot of that is playful shitposting from burner accounts desperate for engagement, we live in a day and age where it is safer to assume most players will transfer when given an opportunity to do so.
There will always be boosters willing to pony up more money in revenue sharing and NIL. There will always be coaches promising more playing time and opportunity. There will always be programs with more pedigree and potential for NCAA Titles ready to elevate a player on a bigger stage.
In a lightly regulated market like the NCAA transfer portal, the safe assumption is to keep your guard up, because no matter what is already being provided, someone can always offer more.
And let’s face it, as highly as I personally think of Marquette, and the general respect it does garner nationally, it isn’t a blue blood. It has only been to 1 Final Four since 1977. It produces lots of NBA talent but very few lottery picks. And it’s coming off one of its worst seasons in its modern history. If ever there were a set of factors that would lead to a breakout player seeing what other programs could provide, this season would have been the perfect storm.
And yet that did not happen. Nigel didn’t even make us break a sweat. The season hadn’t even ended and he was telling us there was nowhere he’d rather be. And that’s incredibly special.
Tell me why
First off, he’s special. On the court he’s a wizard that is worth the price of admission. He’s audacious with his play and relentless with his intensity. But as Shaka has said multiple times, he’s a special player off the floor as well. Again, I’m quoting Shaka loosely, based on comments from the radio show, that recruits and players gravitate towards Nigel. My generation called it swag, my kids call it aura, but whatever you want to call it, Nigel has IT. He comes from a great family and has been a role model for how to handle yourself.
The program is special. Marquette may not have the largest fanbase or compete for titles regularly, but this relatively small university has proven through the last 3 decades that it puts tremendous value on the basketball team. It plays in an NBA arena, paying premium rent prices to do so, it spends on a large staff and chartered flights and all the premium perks of any blue blood program. But aside from the investments, the program is special because it really is a tight brotherhood.
Legends like Dwyane Wade regularly pay visits, and stay connected season after season. Its NBA alums comment on social media and represent each other, even after being teammates. All of this is really cool from a fan perspective, but imagine being a player and seeing that. It isn’t something you can buy or fake.
It feels like a lifetime ago, and was a different environment, but even after the 2023 season, there was no chatter about Tyler Kolek transferring. After the 2024 season, Kam Jones didn’t wait long to tell the world he would spend all 4 years at Marquette
He could have easily “tested the waters” and drawn a bigger paycheck from Marquette, but like Kolek, and now Nigel, he showed his loyalty to the people that believed in him. One last time, this isn’t normal. In an era where greed is not only good, but optimal, having 3 separate All-American type players strongly affirm their commitment is something to be cherished. We have been spoiled by such a unique set of men recently, as Marquette fans. We should never take that for granted.
And the one connector around all these pieces? Shaka.
Marquette’s coach has taken plenty of lumps (and deservedly so) for leaning fully into an internal growth model that believes valuing relationships and development are the most consistent paths to victories. When the growth didn’t happen for most players this summer, and the victories failed to materialize, it felt like Marquette’s program walls would come down.
But after one of the best in-season turnarounds we’ve seen, performance wise, and now Nigel’s reaffirmed commitment, you can clearly see the outline of what Shaka has preached since the 3rd minute of his introductory press conference in 2021. And you can hear Shaka’s influence in Nigel’s own comments today.
“That just stands for who they are. I value relationships. That was never a question for me, in my book. Never in my head. Because those people always believed in me and some people didn’t believe in me at that time. People want to believe in me now because I have a lot of accomplishments, so why go with them now. I stay down with the people that stayed down with me when I was at my lowest and my highest, too.”
Of course, that isn’t to say an insular internal growth only model is the way forward. As Shaka himself has said over the last month he and the staff have evolved in their thought process on how best to mesh the best of both worlds. When you have a star as bright as Nigel’s, you want to use it to build around.
But we will discuss that repeatedly over the next month. For now, I’m just left with an intense gratefulness.
I’m grateful for a school that invests heavily in what it believes in. A fan community that embraces its position and holds those that value it dearly. A coaching staff that still believes in the humanity aspect of sport. And a program that doesn’t settle.
For a coach that lives exactly what he preaches. He doesn’t just promote players pouring into each other, he lives it each and every day.
Most of all, I’m so grateful that I get to write and think and talk about one of the most exciting players we’ve ever seen, for at least another year. Nigel James is my point guard, and that makes me feel like the luckiest man alive.
Paint Touches 
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