KU’s Marcus Garrett seeks long postseason run: ‘I want to get to another Final Four’
Marcus Garrett remembers the excitement, the euphoria on Kansas’ campus after an overtime victory over Duke in the spring of 2018 propelled the Jayhawks into the Final Four.
“Knowing how great that felt — all the love — being in the Final Four is definitely a feeling I want to have again,” Garrett, KU’s 6-foot-5 senior point guard from Dallas, said in describing his feelings entering what figures to be his final March Madness at Kansas.
Garrett, who was a freshman on KU’s last Final Four team, is eligible to return for a fifth season in 2021-22 thanks to an NCAA rule allowing all players an extra year of eligibility in response to this pandemic-plagued season. However, barring some huge surprise, he is expected to begin his pro career after four years in college.
He said in a Wednesday video call with reporters he’s enthused about KU’s chances of reaching the second Final Four of his career. The first test comes Saturday when the No. 3-seeded Jayhawks (20-8) meet No. 14 seed Eastern Washington (16-7) at 12:15 p.m. at Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis. The first-round West Regional game will be shown live on TBS. Winner advances into Monday’s second-round game against either USC or Drake; loser calls it a season.
“When I came in as a freshman, I was already a Devonté fan,” Garrett said of former KU point guard Devonté Graham, who is now with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. “That’s part of the reason I came to KU. I knew how he always went to the Elite Eight and never got to the Final Four. When we were able to get there, I cherished the moment. I want to get to another Final Four.”
Graham, a senior at the time, and Garrett, a first-year player, were able to experience the Final Four together in 2017-18. For Graham, it was a great sendoff to the pros after his KU teams lost in the Elite Eight his junior and sophomore seasons and also lost in the second round in his freshman campaign.
“We are ready,” Garrett said of the 2020-21 Jayhawks. “Last year we didn’t get to play in March Madness (as tourney was wiped out because of COVID-19). This year we are ready for the opportunity. This definitely feels good. Knowing we have a chance to play for a championship always feels good and I can’t wait.”
As usual, the versatile defender is ready to fill a multiple of roles in Saturday’s game. Coach Bill Self has said KU’s starting point guard could fill in at the 5-spot guarding 6-foot-9 Big Sky player of the year Tanner Groves depending how many minutes David McCormack can go after being out for more than a week after a positive COVID-19 test.
“I like defending. I like taking on the challenge,” Garrett said, noting he trusts Self to play him where he can best help the team.
“We have one of the best coaches in the country. We’ll definitely be prepared,” Garrett added.
Garrett’s leadership figures to be important this postseason. He’s one of five Jayhawks with NCAA experience. McCormack, Mitch Lightfoot, Ochai Agbaji and walk-on Chris Teahan are the others.
“I would say the people that are most vocal, having been here in the past, are Marcus and Mitch. They have the most experience in the tournament,” KU sophomore Christian Braun said. “We’ve got a Hall of Fame coach. He’s been through all of it. He does a lot of the talking. Marcus and Mitch talk the most of the players. Coach does a really good job telling us what to expect in the tournament.”
The 6-foot-6 Braun, who also may play some at the 5-spot, said it’s obvious how much Garrett “wants to win. He is extra focused. He knows for his future it’s a big tournament for him. I think everybody is locked in. We want to win for Marcus because it’s the last one.”
KU in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament opener faces the task not only of stopping Groves (16.4 points a game; 8.1 rebounds a game) and his brother, Jacob (8.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg), but several other players. The Eagles, who average 78.0 points a game (while allowing 69.4), have five players who average double digit points per game.
KU’s defense will be led by Garrett, who enters the postseason with a team-leading 44 steals. He also averages 10.4 points a game with 99 assists, 55 turnovers.
“It’s like he’s on a whole different level,” junior guard Agbaji said. “Having that defensive intensity kinds of stands out. Coach loves him for it. It’s contagious on the whole, entire team. Coach loves him for his toughness. He gets everything done on both ends,” Agbaji added. “Coach always needs him in the game. The way he trusts him is good.”
Garrett said he likes KU’s position entering the tourney. The KU team his freshman year that advanced to the Final Four only to lose to Villanova in the national semifinals was a 1-seed, while the Jayhawk squad that lost to Auburn in the second round his sophomore season was a 4-seed.
“I think it’s great we are a 3-seed,” Garrett said, “because that month of January was kind of rough (five losses in seven games).”
Saturday’s game will be KU’s third in the entire month of March. The Jayhawks, who defeated Oklahoma in a Big 12 tournament quarterfinal on March 11, have been idle since then.
“I think we all handled it great,” Garrett said of a recent period in which the Jayhawks have been without McCormack, Jalen Wilson and Tristan Enaruna because of COVID-19 positive tests. McCormack is the only one of the three that Self has said figures to suit up for Saturday’s game. “We are making sure we stay together, focused and knowing what our goal is,” Garrett added.
Though Garrett stressed a “one at a time” mantra, he conceded it would be ideal to win three games and advance to the Elite Eight where KU could once again meet Gonzaga, the country’s No. 1 team that beat the Jayhawks, 102-90, on Nov. 26 in Fort Myers, Florida.
“It’s definitely something that we look forward to, a team we played earlier in the year. If we get that matchup again, it would be a great game,” Garrett said. “We’re just trying to advance as far as possible and having fun while we’re doing it.”
