Coach Steve Wojciechowski on first year recruiting for MU: "I think the program is in much better shape"

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Tradition always plays a big role in college athletes -- especially with Marquette basketball, but with a change in coaches before last season, a change in culture is happening.

"I think the program is in much better shape as I stand before you today than it was when I took the job on April 1st last year," Golden Eagles Head Coach Steve Wojciechowski said.

After a season where the Marquette Golden Eagles went 13-19 and failed to reach the NCAA Tournament, Coach Wojciechowski says he's excited about the progress of the program he took over a little more than a year ago.

"First and foremost, I hope the guys who are here and went through a year with us together understand where the program's headed, how they're improving on an individual level," Wojciechowski said.

It hasn't been easy. Deonte Burton and John Dawson left the program, leaving the Golden Eagles with just eight scholarship players. After the season, Steve Taylor decided he was transferring.

"Our concentration is the people who want to be here at Marquette that are here now and that we hope to be here in the future. Especially when there's a transition from coaches, those things happen more, you know, more commonly," Wojciechowski said.

That concentration has paid off. The Golden Eagles' incoming recruiting class is ranked among the top ten in the nation by numerous publications.

"What we look for and what we've always looked for are really good kids who want to be a part of a great community here at Marquette and want to be a part of a winning program here at Marquette," Wojciechowski said.

The class, currently consisting of five players, includes Henry Ellenson, Wisconsin's co-Mr. Basketball out of Rice Lake, Matt Heldt from Neenah, Haanif Cheatham, a shooting guard from Florida, Sacar Anim, also a shooting guard from Minneapolis and Traci Carter, a point guard from Philadelphia.

"I think all five of those kids love Marquette. They love the community outside of our program. And they want to make our program reach incredibly high heights," Wojciechowski said.

The last class that Coach Wojciechowski recruited did just that -- helping Duke win this year's national championship against the Wisconsin Badgers.

"18 months ago I was in their home doing home visits. To see them get it as freshmen is pretty incredible," Wojciechowski said.

Wojciechowski was on hand to see them cut down the nets in Indianapolis, and he's hoping it translates to this year's MU recruiting class.

"Those kids are high-character kids. Those kids are kids that live in the gym and those are kids that believe big time in the jersey. I would hope that all the young men that we bring in to our program you could say the same things about. I think the five young men that we're adding to our program, I think you can say that about them," Wojciechowski said.

Coach Wojciechowski is hoping he can say they'll be where his last class was very soon.

"The teams that will make it next year to the NCAA Tournament or do really well in our league or have the good fortune to end up in Houston, they get there because they pay a price individually and collectively. And hopefully we'll be willing to pay that price and put ourselves in a position where we can do some great things as a group," Wojciechowski said.

Coach Wojciechowski says recruiting is a 365 day/year project and that his staff will continue to look for players who fit the culture of the school and the basketball program.