(Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

After a talented trio of seniors moved on, coach Shaka Smart and his Marquette program begin their 2025-26 campaign on Monday night when they host Albany in Milwaukee.

Kam Jones (38th pick in the NBA Draft), David Joplin and Stevie Mitchell are no longer on campus, so the focus at Marquette shifts to preseason All-Big East first-team selection Chase Ross.

In 34 games as a junior, Ross averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He returns alongside forward Ben Gold (7.4 ppg last season), with zero players leaving or coming in the transfer portal, a rarity in college basketball.

'There's a group of people out there that still value relationships, growth and victory,' Smart said. 'There's families out there that still want to send their sons somewhere where it's not going to change every year and they can focus on their growth, going after winning.'

Also returning for Marquette, who was picked to finish fifth in the Big East preseason coaches' poll, is junior Sean Jones, who will start at point guard after missing all of last season with an ACL injury. Sophomores Damarius Owens and Royce Parham expect to take a step forward as well.

On the other side, Albany was picked to finish tied for second in the America East preseason poll, with sophomore guard Amir Lindsey named to the preseason All-Conference team.

'As a program, we're ready and hungry to take a big step this season,' coach Dwayne Killings said. 'Preseason rankings are exciting, but it's about the team that grows the most and finishes the race.'

Lindsey (6.0 ppg off the bench) finished on the conference's All-Rookie team. He shot 42.3% from the floor and turned it over just 16 times compared to 41 assists for the Great Danes.

It will be a largely new team around Lindsey, as the program brought in nine transfer players. Also returning are Sully Adewale, Ma'Kye Taylor, Bautista Giralt and Zach Matulu.

This is the programs' first matchup, but there is plenty of familiarity. Killings spent three seasons as Marquette's associate head coach under Steve Wojciechowski before Smart took over the program in 2021 and Killings left for Albany.

--Field Level Media