- Markus Howard is the single-season scoring leader in Marquette history.
- Dwayne Wade averaged 19.7 points per game across two seasons.
- The Golden Eagles have won one national championship.
Since that 1977 win, the furthest Marquette has made it was the Final Four in 2003.
The Golden Eagles have made 35 NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Elite Eight in 2013, making their college basketball odds a popular choice during March Madness.
Over the years, they’ve had numerous stars, including one still playing in the NBA and one recently retired. These players altered basketball lines for the college game and when they went to the NBA.
Below, I’ll detail the top seven players in Marquette history, starting with Dwayne Wade.
Best Marquette Basketball Players of All Time
| Rank | Player | Position | Marquette Years |
| 1 | Dwayne Wade | G | 2001-2003 |
| 2 | Maurice Lucas | F | 1972-1974 |
| 3 | Markus Howard | G | 2016-2020 |
| 4 | George Thompson | G | 1966-1969 |
| 5 | Don Kojis | F | 1958-1961 |
| 6 | Doc Rivers | G | 1980-1983 |
| 7 | Jimmy Butler | F | 2008-2011 |
1. Dwayne Wade
Wade played two seasons for the Golden Eagles and averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. As a junior, the Golden Eagles made it to the Final Four, their best performance since winning the championship in 1977. Not only was his No. 3 retired, but he was a first-team All-American, Conference USA Player of the Year, and a two-time first-team All-Conference USA honoree.
In the Midwest Regional final during his junior season, Wade posted a triple-double— 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists— against the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats, cementing his NBA draft stock.
2. Maurice Lucas
Suiting up for the Golden Eagles in the early 1970s, Lucas’ squad made it to the national championship game in 1974 before he left for the NBA, going 14th overall in that year’s draft.
In two seasons, he averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds. He shot 49.4% from the floor.
Lucas’ No. 20 jersey was retired by the school.
3. Markus Howard
Howard played four seasons at Marquette, starting 121 of 128 games. He was a lights-out scorer for the Golden Eagles, averaging 21.6 points over his career with a career-high of 27.8 in 2019-2020.
He was a first- and second-team All-American, Big East Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-Big East, received one second-team All-Big East nod and made the Big East All-Freshman team.
Howard holds the top two scoring spots in a season at Marquette, with 851 points in 2019 and 806 in 2020.
4. George Thompson
In 87 games, Thompson averaged 20.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He also shot better than 48% from the floor.
The school retired his No. 24. Thompson held the school’s single-season scoring record for 50 years until Markus Howard topped it.
5. Don Kojis
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, Kojis played three seasons for Marquette. During that time, he averaged 18.6 points and 15.1 rebounds per game. He never averaged fewer than 13 rebounds in a season and finished under 20 points per game once—his first season.
His No. 44 was retired.
6. Doc Rivers
In three seasons for Marquette, Rivers, who we mostly know as a long-time NBA head coach, averaged 13.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. He shot nearly 48% from the floor.
While with Marquette, Rivers played for the United States National Team in the 1982 FIBA World Championship.
His No. 31 was retired by the program.
7. Jimmy Butler
Playing three seasons for the Golden Eagles, Butler got his first crack at the starting lineup in his junior season. From there, he averaged no less than 14.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
In his final season, he averaged 15.7 points and 6.1 rebounds and shot 49% from the floor, including 38.3% from 3-point range.
