The hype around Marquette basketball this season should have been sky high. If the Hausers came back, this would have been a top 10 team out of the gate. We’ll hear that statement a lot starting in October this season. But the hype around Markus Howard will still be there. Andy Katz of NCAA.com listed his top 25 players of next season, and Markus Howard finished in the top five. He is number two players only behind Michigan State’s Cassius Winston. It’s impressive that Winston can be in school after six years but I digress. It is very cool to see Howard near the top of this list.

TOP 5! 🔥@TheAndyKatz‘s Top 25 Players countdown is complete!

5. Cole Anthony, @UNC_Basketball
4. James Wiseman, @Memphis_MBB
3. Myles Powell, @SetonHallMBB
2. Markus Howard, @MarquetteMBB
1. Cassius Winston, @MSU_Basketball pic.twitter.com/dskRkOeXBI

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) July 12, 2019

Howard had a rough ending of the season. To the point where I think some Marquette fans really soured on him. That being said, I’m back on his bandwagon to start the year. Howard was really hurt last year and think the final few games should be taken with a grain of salt. I get that he wanted to help his team potentially win a Big East title and get far in the tournament, yet I wonder what happens if he missed a couple of games with his multiple injuries. Howard wasn’t right.

It is a minor step back for a major comeback. Howard has the hype and has something to prove to start the year. It is exciting to watch a guy of his greatness take on a challenge like that next year.