shaka smart is heading into a defining offseason as Marquette men’s basketball pivots from a first-round Big East tournament loss to Xavier to immediate roster decisions. The season ended at Madison Square Garden, and the conversation now centers on what stays intact and what changes next. In the transfer portal era, three potential returning starters have delivered unusually clear public signals about their plans.
Core trio speaks up after the Xavier loss at Madison Square Garden
Freshman guard Adrien Stevens addressed the program’s direction after Marquette’s loss to Xavier in the first round of the Big East tournament, and his comments pointed straight to continuity. Stevens talked about himself, fellow freshman guard Nigel James, and sophomore forward Royce Parham—framing the trio as a group committed to continuing the work that brought them to Marquette.
“Why would we stop going after what we came here to do? It doesn’t matter what happened before, it doesn’t matter what’s going to happen in the future, we’re just going after it every day, just get better, ” Stevens said. “We’re trying to win for the name on front of the jersey, just keep going. ”
In a separate public message gathered from the same postgame reporting window, Stevens emphasized the trio’s shared direction even more directly: “We want to help the program win, and us three, doing that together, is the best way for that to happen. So, we’re going to be together. ”
Shaka Smart hears it from Nigel James: “This is home for me. ”
Nigel James, coming off being named Big East Freshman of the Year, also went on the record about his intentions—pushing back on outside chatter and presenting his decision as settled. “I never had a thought of going anywhere else, ” James said. “I wanted to finish my career at Marquette. ”
James said his conviction is rooted in relationships inside the program. “I’ve had a great time here in my first year. It’s just something that the coaches, like I said, they never switched up on me. They always talked to me, ” James said, adding that he values loyalty and consistency. “That just stands for who they are. I value relationships. That was never a question for me, in my book. ”
He also addressed transfer speculation directly. “I just made it known because the media likes to say a lot of things, ” James said. “I seen people make edits of me in different jerseys and things like that. That was never in the picture for me. This is home for me. My brothers made it feel like home… I love Marquette. I love Milwaukee. ”
Those statements place immediate emphasis on roster continuity around James, Stevens, and Parham—an important note with shaka smart having previously said in mid-February that he would be “evolving his roster” for next season.
Quick context: a rough season, a clear signal from three starters
Marquette is coming off what was described as a rough 12-win season, ending with the Xavier loss in the Big East tournament’s first round. With seniors departing, the possibility of returning three potential starters has emerged as a stabilizing development.
What’s next: roster clarity beyond the core, and the offseason decisions to follow
As of 3: 15 PM ET on March 15, 2026, the most concrete public information centers on James, Stevens, and Parham, with no comparable on-record commitments included for other players. The next developments to watch are any additional player statements and official program updates that clarify how the rest of the roster fits into the plan to “evolve” for next season. For now, the clearest offseason message is that shaka smart may be building from a core that is already signaling it plans to stay together.
