Markus Howard: College Star Turned EuroLeague Phenom
Markus Howard began his collegiate career in 2016 at the University of Marquette. He was able to see immediate success, which was rare for a true Freshman, especially one at the size of 5'10". He started 27 of the 31 games that he played in, averaging 13.2 points his Freshman season. Those numbers would only be the start of his illustrious college career. The following season he averaged 20.2 points per game, following that up by averaging 25 points per game his Junior year, and finishing his college career in 2019 averaging 27.8 points per game, which led all of college basketball that season. He finished his career as Marquette Basketball's all time leading scorer.
After a brief stint in the NBA, Howard felt that his best chance of ever making it back to playing NBA Basketball was to take his talents abroad. He signed a two year deal to Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2022, and has seen much success on the court since his arrival. In his first season playing in the EuroLeague, Howard is leading Cazoo Baskonia in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game, which leads the team. The addition of Markus Howard unique ability to score at will poses Cazoo as a serious threat in the EuroLeague.
In addition to Howard, Baskonia's roster features Darius Thompson, who has been a journeyman throughout the EuroLeague. He has found a home in Baskonia, averaging just under 11 point per game, as well as 3 rebounds per game, and almost 6 assists.
Pierria Henry is also a large contributor to Baskonia. This is his first year with the team, and has found himself exceeding expectations, averaging 10 points per game, 3 rebounds per game, and 6 assists per game.
Baskonia is Coached by Joan Penarroya. This is Penarroya's first season as head coach of Baskonia. He has coached at Valencia Basket for a year, and San Pablo Burgos for three years prior to accepting the head coaching job at Baskonia in 2021. This is his first season coaching in the EuroLeague.
Currently standing at 13-11, and currently the 7th seed in the EuroLeague standings, do you think that Baskonia has the tools necessary to make a run deep into the playoffs?
https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/bitci-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/roster/bas/?season=2022-23
https://basketnews.com/news-175312-markus-howard-officially-joins-baskonia-on-a-two-year-deal.html
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarma02.html
I had always wondered what happened to Markus Howard following his days at Marquette. Being from Milwaukee I was able to watch many of his games with the Golden Eagles and there were times were he had the hottest hand in the NCAA. It seems as though Baskonia has done a good job of surrounding Howard with talent but I think their record could also just be a reflection of the coach's first year in the position.
ReplyDeleteMarkus Howard is an awesome example as to how euro league teams can identify talent that may struggle at the NBA level. For teams who may be in financially difficult siutations, I feel an awesome strategy would be to target talented collegiate players, or NBA flameouts. Howard was given no chance in the NBA, yet has found a team and dominated for them, with other players such as Dante Exum seeing a similar path. (even though he was a lottery pick) I would be interested to see how financially difficult it is to recruit players from college/nba, and if this strategy is already being used.
ReplyDeleteWith new talent across the roster and coaching staff, I think Baskonia has a higher chance of making the playoffs. Looking at their past standings, without these new stars on the team their odds of making the playoffs are at their peak. Even if the team doesn’t make the playoffs, the new talent will only help improve ratings and media coverage for the team ultimately aiding them financially especially with the extra expenses this season with the new players and coach.
ReplyDeleteIt's cool to see that Markus Howard has found a home in Baskonia. I remember watching him on a pretty decent Marquette team in March Madness. I do think that they have the tools to make a playoff run and I think it's very important that they do from a financial viewpoint. This would attract more fans and bring funds to a smaller market team.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy these posts highlighting some of the great college stars and how they are currently doing on their new club. I hope that he can continue to find success leading this team and turns the season around for a good EuroLeague run. I think his success can be influential for the club down the road getting more college stars to play for them which could also give them more money if they continue to win.
ReplyDeleteWow, I had no idea a player from Marquette was playing in the Euroleague. I am from Milwaukee so that is really interesting to see. It sounds like Howard leaving the NBA and joining the Euroleague was a win-win situation! Now he is receiving more playing time and averaging a lot more points per game, and Cazoo is reaping the benefits too.
ReplyDeleteI was not aware that players who underpreform in the NBA sometimes take their talents abroad, like Howard did. It`s nice to see that he hes found a home on Baskonia, is able to play his game with ample playing time, and succeed at a different level of play.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of Markus Howard, but it is cool to see them flourishing in this league. It is not always easy to pan out in the NBA, so Euroleague is always a good outlet for these kind of players. Being the leading scorer in his first year in the league is also extremely impressive. Sometimes these players go overseas for a brief stint and sometimes return to the NBA in hopes of revitalizing their careers. Maybe Markus can do the same.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching Markus Howard as a college player and loving his game. I have always loved to watch undersized guards as they have to really work for all of their buckets that they get. That being said, I think it will be tough for Baskonia to make a deep run in the playoffs with their current roster given their recent results.
ReplyDeleteMarkus Howard was a dawg at Marquette. His game was always one that I looked up too, and am glad to see he is doing well. I do think it will be hard for Baskonia to make a deep run in the playoffs, however, if March has told us anything Markus Howard can carry a team to victory.
ReplyDeleteI also looked up to Howard when I was younger. He was such a great player at Marquette, and I would love to see him lead Baskonia on a magical run like he was able to do in college.
DeleteThat is so cool to see that a player from Marquette is playing in the Euro League. I know that former NBA players have good chances of playing overseas, but I never really heard of that many college stars, especially from a smaller school.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article because I loved watching Howard in college! As a player that saw his NBA dreams fall through, I am curious on what his mindset is playing in Europe. Is he consistently looking for potential NBA opportunities, or is he set on staying in Europe! He will be pivotal for a playoff run!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how Markus Howard's career has progressed from his college success to his struggles in the NBA and now his resurgence playing in the EuroLeague with Baskonia. It's also worth noting the contributions of Darius Thompson and Pierria Henry to the team's success this season, as well as the impact of their coach, Joan Penarroya, in his first season with the team. Baskonia seems to have a strong roster and coaching staff, which bodes well for their success in the EuroLeague. It will be exciting to see how they perform as the season progresses.
ReplyDeleteAlways interesting to hear the whereabouts of ex-college stars. One thing I have noticed is that none of them are ever averaging over 15 points a game in the euro league. You would think that coming from the NBA, the most talented league in the world, they would be able to produce a little bit more.
ReplyDeleteI think that has to do with the style of play in the EuroLeague. The European games are shorter than NBA games and the plays are a lot more set-based, resulting in longer possessions, therefore less points per game.
DeleteI think Baskonia has put together a solid roster this season led by the scoring of Markus Howard. They are currently sitting at a 13-11 record and in 7th place in the EuroLeague standings. With their recent success and talented roster, Baskonia certainly has the tools necessary to make a run deep into the playoffs. However, it will ultimately depend on their ability to perform in key moments and execute their game plan against tough competition. The EuroLeague is filled with talented teams, so Baskonia will need to continue playing at a high level and remain consistent if they hope to make a deep playoff run.
ReplyDelete