With Marquette’s decision to let go of former head coach Steve Wojciechowski and hand the reigns to Shaka Smart came almost an entire new roster of players and coaches for this upcoming season compared to last.
For Smart’s first season in Milwaukee, he will have multiple players that were already committed to him before he even considered leaving Texas and taking the Marquette job.
First-year forwards David Joplin and Keeyan Itejere as well as first-year guard Emarion Ellis were all committed to and signed to Texas, where they would have played under Smart for the Longhorns.
Smart was officially hired by Marquette on March 26 and within three weeks, Itejere, Ellis and Joplin had requested for their release from Texas and committed to follow Smart to Marquette.