Marquette Men’s Basketball 2024-25 Preview: Spotlight on #22 Sean Jones
The 2025-26 college basketball season is nearly here, and it’s time to break down the Marquette men’s basketball roster to see what each player might bring to the court. In this ongoing Player Preview series, we’re going to follow a specific order: starting with the four true freshmen expected to contribute this season, arranged alphabetically by last name—excluding Sheek Pearson, who is slated to redshirt—then moving on to the redshirt freshman, followed by the redshirt junior who missed last season, and finally covering the returning players in order of their total minutes played during the 2024-25 season.
To keep things clear and organized, our analysis for each player will focus on three main categories:
- Reasonable Expectations
- Why You Should Get Excited
- Potential Pitfalls
Now that we have the framework laid out, let’s dive into today’s feature—the one player who might represent the biggest question mark Marquette faces this season...
Sean Jones
- Redshirt Junior
- #22
- Guard
- 5’10", 185 lbs
- From Columbus, Ohio
You might be wondering why Sean Jones is analyzed here, sandwiched between the freshmen who haven’t yet stepped onto the court and the returning roster players from last season. The simple answer? He doesn’t quite fit anywhere else.
Jones didn’t get to play at all last season after suffering a season-ending knee injury in January 2024. This means we can’t slot him among last year’s players according to minutes played, a list that will begin with Caedin Hamilton in the next preview. Yet it also wouldn’t feel right to discuss him earlier, given that the freshmen are all unknowns with zero collegiate minutes logged. Jones, conversely, is a known quantity—we understand his style and abilities, assuming his rehabilitation has restored him to full strength—so we can make a much more informed projection on how he will fit into Coach Shaka Smart’s system. Given that Jones might be the pivotal figure for the entire season, placing him between the new arrivals and returning veterans makes a metaphorical and practical kind of sense.
Before we get to why he’s so crucial, let’s recap what we know. Jones has appeared in 49 games for Marquette so far. Thirty-three of those came during his freshman year in 2022-23 when the Golden Eagles were capturing a dual Big East title with Tyler Kolek as the starting point guard. Jones played about 12 minutes per game off the bench that season, shooting 42% from the field and just under 32% from three-point range. At his height, he wasn’t expected to contribute much on rebounds, but he averaged over one assist per game, finishing with 3.6 points on average.
Heading into his sophomore year, there were expectations that Jones would take on a bigger role—as is typical for second-year players. In the 16 games he played before injury cut his season short, he averaged a bit more than 16 minutes per game, boosting his stats to 5.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and nearly a steal per contest. When looking at his per-40-minute production, each of these numbers showed improvement beyond just increased playing time. As noted at the time in his Player Review, Jones ranked in the top 400 nationally for assist rate and was just outside the top 100 for steal rate, according to KenPom.com—if he had qualified for national leaderboards by playing enough minutes. While his scoring might have improved more noticeably if his shooting had gotten better, his three-point accuracy actually dipped to 25.7%, hitting only 9 out of 35 attempts in those 16 games.
Reasonable Expectations
The starting point here is that Sean Jones is fully recovered and back to his pre-injury form. Coach Shaka Smart repeatedly confirmed late last season that Jones was a full participant in scout team practices, which wouldn’t have been possible without a clean bill of health from the medical staff. In addition, videos circulating online show Jones performing dunks during non-competitive drills, reinforcing the belief that he’s physically ready to contribute.
With that in mind, it’s entirely reasonable to expect Sean Jones to be Marquette’s starting point guard this upcoming season. We’re not predicting an All-American caliber breakout—like the elite point guard efforts Marquette has enjoyed the past few years—but a solid, dependable, Big East-level starter who plays 25-plus minutes a night. He’ll lead the team in assists, competently defend his position, and score when the team needs him. There will be nights he leads the team in scoring because defenses give him opportunities, and nights he might only chip in a few points but still guide the team to victory. This progressive leadership is exactly what Shaka Smart’s developmental model aims for: grooming a player to take the reins and then delivering on that potential. It’s Sean Jones’ time to step up.
According to BartTorvik.com’s projections, he’s expected to log around 65% of total minutes—roughly 26 minutes per game—and contribute about 9.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and a team-high 3.4 assists per game. If you think 3.4 assists sounds low, consider this: last season, that figure would have ranked 11th in the Big East, just behind Jahmyl Telfort’s 3.42 assists per game. Also, remember: we’re not forecasting an All-American season, so this stat line fits a solid but not spectacular performance. For comparison, Kam Jones dished out 5.88 assists per game last year—if Sean reaches numbers near that, Marquette will be in great shape, but we start with more modest expectations.
Why You Should Get Excited
But here’s where it gets intriguing. What if Coach Smart and assistant coach Nevada Smith have refined their system so well that any player seasoned within it can perform at an All-American level? Sean Jones’ sheer speed and quickness offer a different style than predecessors Tyler Kolek and Kam Jones, potentially opening up new opportunities both for driving to the basket and finding open teammates for corner threes.
Imagine if that time off due to injury gave Jones a chance to develop his basketball IQ in Smart’s offense, returning as a more optimized version of the player we saw before. He was on an upward trajectory prior to his injury. Could he leap forward faster than expected this year?
Many things could go right to push Marquette into NCAA tournament contention in March, and Jones stepping up as the team’s leader is one of those key factors. Of course, it might also be the case that Jones simply delivers reliable, solid point guard minutes while other elements propel the team. But if Jones blossoms into the star point guard everyone hopes for, Marquette fans will be in for a thrilling season.
Potential Pitfalls
Now, here’s a point you might not anticipate: turnover rate. Throughout his career so far, Sean Jones has maintained a turnover rate of 17.7%, with 18.5% in his freshman year and 16.6% as a sophomore. During that time, he’s posted an assist rate of 16.7%.
For context, Tyler Kolek’s turnover rate at Marquette was slightly higher at 19.9%, though that was influenced by a tough sophomore year. Before jumping to conclusions that Jones is better, consider that Kolek achieved that with an assist rate nearly double Jones’—a remarkable 38.8%.
This means Jones must improve his playmaking efficiency by distributing the ball more effectively while decreasing turnovers. This isn’t optional; a 16.7% turnover just won’t cut it. He doesn’t have to match an All-American assist-to-turnover ratio, but he must exceed his current standard without recklessly tossing the ball around.
Now, the one concern you probably expected: Sean Jones cannot afford to keep shooting under 29% from beyond the arc. His career three-point percentage stands at a disappointing 28.9%. That’s simply not good enough. Last season, teammates Kam Jones and David Joplin shot 31% and 32% respectively from three—not great marks either—and Sean has been even less efficient throughout his career. This trend can’t persist if Marquette wants success.
But there are reasons for cautious optimism. Jones has shot an impressive 40.6% (13-for-32) from three in 22 Big East games, including a hot streak of 6-for-12 in the last five games before his injury. The offensive system relies heavily on the open shooter knocking down catch-and-shoot opportunities. If Jones starts and plays 25 to 30 minutes regularly, he will frequently receive the ball open beyond the arc. He has to be credible enough as a shooting threat for opposing defenses to respect him; otherwise, Marquette must explore other point guard options who can stretch the floor.
Finally, this leads to a crucial, perhaps uncomfortable question: How prepared is Shaka Smart to reduce Jones’ minutes if these challenges persist? More importantly, how ready is the rest of the roster to adjust if Jones struggles as the primary ball-handler? What happens if Jones can’t command the offense effectively, but there’s no viable alternative? How might that scenario affect Marquette's entire season?
The answers to these questions could prove pivotal—it’s one of the key narratives to watch as the season unfolds.
Would you like me to provide similar detailed previews for the other players on the Marquette roster? Or perhaps a summary that contrasts all the key returning players' roles and prospects for the 2025-26 season?
