Marquette players receive a blue and gold welcome at Major Goolsby's

Marquette players receive a blue and gold welcome

Major Goolsby's, a well-known sports bar in downtown Milwaukee, pulled out all the stops for Marquette basketball's newest nationally ranked recruiting class.

MILWAUKEE - Major Goolsby's, a well-known sports bar in downtown Milwaukee, pulled out all the stops for Marquette basketball's newest nationally ranked recruiting class.

Local perspective:

Forwards Ian Miletic and Michael Phillips II, along with guards Adrien Stevens and Nigel James Jr., got an exciting Blue & Gold welcome.

"It was great, seeing the city of Milwaukee," said Nigel James Jr., Marquette guard. "Obviously, I'm new here. It was a great welcoming. They were very loving, very outgoing. Brought me in like family and that’s something that anyone would ask for at a college you're going to, so it was great."

This first-of-its-kind event was something that Major Goolsby's owner, Jerry Cohen, wanted to do, so that these players could feel the love they know they will be receiving from Marquette fans this season and beyond.

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That really struck a chord for Miletic, who is from Arlington Heights, Illinois.

"I've just been glad to get out here, get to know everybody at the bar and obviously just get a feel for the community that I'm going to be around for however long these next couple years I'm in college for and obviously just enjoying that," said Ian Miletic, Marquette forward. "I love interacting with the fan base and the community and just getting to know the people who have our backs day in and day out."

The players participated in a Q&A session and a trivia contest. They also signed some autographs and took pictures with Golden Eagles fans.

This event also reinforced why coming to Marquette and playing for Shaka Smart was the right choice. 

What they're saying:

"I was just blessed enough to have Coach Smart put his faith in me, put his trust in me and you know, I really enjoyed everything that Marquette stands for," said Miletic. "Not just as a basketball program, but you know what it stands for as a campus and what it stands for as a collective whole in Milwaukee."

This upcoming season, these four freshmen are looking to make a big impact. They've been in town together since late May.

"Our freshman group, we're really closely tied together," said Miletic. "We've been getting to know each other far beyond when we got down here as a group."

"A lot of us have been recruited since we were sophomores, so we all had a bond already and when we got here, it was just like, we clicked automatically with the whole team and the coaches," said James Jr.

They're also hoping their close bond translates to success on the court. 

"I'm looking forward to playing with everyone, but especially the guards, NJ (Nigel James Jr.), Sean (Jones), Adrian (Stevens) and Chase Ross, all those guys," said Miletic. "Being able to play off talented guards, who can you know, obviously I can create off of in my own game and help you know, just press my advantages in a positive way."

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And it's clear, they cannot wait for this season to begin. 

"I've just been excited to get up here, play at Fiserv Forum with my whole team, be able to get some wins, that's really what I'm excited about," said James Jr.

When it does, Marquette fans are returning to that excitement ten-fold.

What's next:

Marquette's season tips off on Nov. 3 against Albany.