Marquette lands versatile wing Damarius Owens
Wednesday was a big day for Shaka Smart and Marquette, who landed one of the more rapidly improving prospects in the 2024 class in the form of Hudson (Ohio) Western Reserve Academy wing Damarius Owens. Below, Rivals has a look at what the Golden Eagles are getting in the 6-foot-8 Owens, a New York native for whom Smart and company beat out fellow finalists Syracuse and Virginia Tech.
WHAT MARQUETTE IS GETTING
Owens is a good bet to debut in the the rankings when the Rivals150 refreshes next month, as the Hudson (Ohio) Western Reserve Academy standout has become a more versatile prospect as a junior. He’s improving as a ball handler and a shooter and his trajectory in those areas have made him capable of creating matchup problems on the perimeter. His improvement also suggests he’s not yet reached his ceiling, as the 6-foot-8 wing suddenly has rapidly developing guard skills that may not be finished improving. There’s plenty of work left to do in the weight room and from a skill standpoint, but Owens has shown enough as of late to warrant a healthy rankings jump. Defensively, he has the length and quickness to be effective, even if the effort on that end isn’t always as consistent as you’d like. He impacts games on the glass but will do so even more regularly as he continues to get stronger in the upper body.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES
The timing of Owens’ commitment shouldn't be ignored, as Shaka Smart and company have landed the wing in the midst of a sudden improvement that should help his stock dramatically. Getting the 6-foot-8 wing in the fold now, before his final grassroots season, is ideal because there’s no telling what sort of late-arriving offers would show up otherwise. This is, of course, a testament to the Golden Eagle staff’s talent evaluation as well as its ability to build momentum in a hurry since taking over prior to last season. Success tends to compound in college hoops and it seems we're watching that take place in real time at Marquette, whose 20-6 record is certainly turning heads.