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    • Kam Jones’ 32 points and Chase Ross’ 23 help Marquette dominate Stony Brook
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    Kam Jones’ 32 points and Chase Ross’ 23 help Marquette dominate Stony Brook

    Pabio Posted on

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    Kam Jones is clearly the alpha scorer on the Marquette men’s basketball team.

    If anyone needed more proof, the senior guard scored 32 points on hyper-efficient 14-of-16 shooting in MU’s season-opening 102-62 win over Stony Brook on Monday at Fiserv Forum.

    A more interesting question early in the season was who would become the secondary scorer.

    Box score: Marquette 102, Stony Brook 62

    Throughout the offseason, Golden Eagles head coach Shaka Smart said junior guard Chase Ross was one of the team’s most impressive players.

    Ross played the role of Robin in Jones’ Batman, with Jones scoring a college-record 23 points. He was also efficient at 9 of 11 and added eight rebounds and four assists.

    “It was great to be out there with my teammates,” Ross said. “We worked all spring, fall and summer to get to where we are now.

    “So it was great to be out there with my teammates giving me energy.”

    Chase Ross finally free from injuries

    Ross attacked the basket with a vengeance, winning a team-high six free throws. He is finally healthy after leg and shoulder injuries disrupted last season.

    “He’s been our most important player from the end of last season until today,” Smart said. “It’s definitely not close, between him and Jop (David Joplin), those guys have really put in a lot of work and those guys have been very consistent in practice.

    “With Chase, I think the biggest thing is his confidence is at a whole different level than it was maybe last year at this time. He knows he can do it . He knows we need it from him.

    Ross also shot 2 of 3 from three-point range, showing that he can be just as effective shooting half-court shots as he is thundering in transition.

    “I just try to help my team as best I can,” Ross said. “So just go to the gym. Do what I need to do.

    “Play to my advantage. Work to my advantage. Do the things that are going to help us offensively and defensively.”

    Kam Jones starts hot

    Jones is on track become the top scorer in MU history.

    He made shots like he always did with the Golden Eagles, get started with painting for clever finishes while also bombing 4-for-6 from three-point range.

    “He’s one of the best finishers for a goalie I’ve ever seen,” Smart said. “He’s able to go out there and create a lot of short shots.

    “They weren’t all layups but within his range where he can shoot a jump hook or a floater. He’s a very good post player. You don’t really think of guards that way. But he is good at turning his back to the basket and using his wit to create.

    Jones had 20 points in the first half, including hitting a corner triple at the buzzer that gave MU a 48-30 lead.

    “It’s Kam Jones,” Ross said. “He just does what he does.

    “It doesn’t surprise me. It might surprise you all. But he worked all summer and the fall as well. He’s doing what he has to do.”

    Royce Parham makes strong freshman debut

    It was a slow start for the Golden Eagles, who were tied with the Seawolves at 17-17 before pulling away.

    The lineup that created that spark featured freshman Royce Parham as a 6-foot-8 small-ball center.

    “Royce is just a ballplayer,” Smart said. “I’m sure he was nervous, it was his first match, but he doesn’t show any fear.

    “He shows no fear and he’s one of the best scorers I’ve ever coached, so as he gets more and more comfortable, he’ll be able to put that ball in the basket. “

    Parham finished with four points and three rebounds.

    “I was happy, I was excited to see him get that deflection and that dunk,” said redshirt freshman Caedin Hamilton, who also made his debut at MU.

    As expectedMU freshman Damarius Owens was out with a toe injury on his right foot.

    Owens injured his toe during the Golden Eagles’ closed-door scrimmage against Oklahoma on Oct. 26.

    Smart didn’t have a clear timetable for Owens’ return.

    “He could come back relatively soon,” Smart said. “It’s a unique injury that he has. And so the first thing is to get his pain back to where he’s comfortable to go play.

    “Initially we were concerned that he would be out long-term this season. And there may be a chance that he could return sooner.”

    Second-year big man Al Amadou will redshirt

    The Golden Eagles cleared the bench in the final minutes, with all the substitutes in the match.

    But Al Amadou, a 6-foot-9 sophomore remained in his warm-ups. That’s because the big man will be redshirting this season.

    Amadou was a project after starting playing basketball as a teenager.

    “He’s shown some real glimpses in practice,” Smart said. “His best basketball is still ahead of him. So that’s what we expect.”

    Josh Clark, a 7-foot-1 freshmanalso wears a red shirt this season.

    Pabio
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