Having Chase Ross back gives Marquette versatility as the Golden Eagles chase Big East title

It didn't take long for Chase Ross to show that having him back in the lineup could be a difference-maker for the fourth-ranked Marquette men's basketball team.

The 6-foot-5 guard checked in at the 17-minute, 17-second mark of the first half in the Golden Eagles' victory at Villanova on Jan. 30, wearing a bulky brace around his left shoulder.

Ross had missed five games after dislocating his shoulder and had been through only one practice with the team. But three minutes into his return, the left-handed Ross pulled up and nailed a three-pointer from the left wing.

"It definitely helped my confidence, especially my first shot back," Ross said. "I was working out a little bit before that, non-contact. It went in and my confidence shot through the roof."

A confident Ross makes the Golden Eagles more dynamic as they chase a second straight Big East regular-season championship. MU (18-5, 9-3 Big East) has won seven straight games heading into Tuesday's matchup at Butler (16-8, 7-6).

'The trainer needs to get over here right now'

Ross played 31 minutes against Villanova. That was a surprise since he hadn't appeared since suffering his painful injury while fighting for possession of the ball against Seton Hall on Jan. 6.

"My arm just had like a shocking pain, where it just went numb," Ross said. "I remember just having a ball in my hands and my arm just didn’t feel right. That’s when I fell down and was grabbing my shoulder.

"And I didn’t even know it was dislocated until Sean (Jones) came over and his eyes bulged open. He was, like, the trainer needs to get over here right now. I looked over and my shoulder was out of place."

Ross went through a tedious rehab process.

"Just trying to get my range of motion and strength back," he said. "It was difficult at times. I had some setbacks mentally. But the coaches and players were all around me, so that’s why I came back earlier than expected and did what I did."

Chase Ross finds shooting stroke

Ross knocked down both his three-point attempts against Villanova.

He wasn't as sharp against Georgetown on Feb. 3, with four turnovers and four fouls in 15 minutes.

Ross shed the shoulder brace in Saturday's victory against St. John's, and he looked way more comfortable. He knocked down 2 three-pointers and threw down a highlight dunk in the waning minutes.

Ross is shooting 4 for 5 on three-pointers since his return. Before getting hurt, he was just 9 for 34 (26.4%).

Early in the season, opposing defenses were playing way off Ross, Jones and Stevie Mitchell and daring them to shoot. Jones is out for the season with a knee injury, but Mitchell has been knocking down shots. He was 2 for 3 from deep against St. John's and is 6 of 14 during MU's winning streak.

"I like the aggressiveness with which those guys shot the ball from outside," MU head coach Shaka Smart said. "There was no half-shots, they let it go. They shot the ball really well.

"And we needed it. Because when the three-ball went in early in the second half, you could feel the momentum going for us. And then we got enough stops."

The Golden Eagles have shot 44% or better on three-pointers in five straight games. That makes MU's offense hard to stop.

"When we have guys that get going from outside, it stretches the defense," Smart said. "Now you've got passers like Tyler (Kolek) and Oso (Ighodaro). Drivers like some of the guys we have. Finishers like some of the guys we have. And it opens things up."

Shaka Smart likes Chase Ross' defensive versatility

Ross is also one of MU's most versatile defenders.

"I just feel like I have the determination to guard anybody," Ross said. "If you want to put me on a big, I can. I can guard bigs. If you want to put me on guards, I can do all that. I feel like that helps me in transition."

MU is among the top 20 teams in defensive efficiency according to statistical website KenPom.com. That's surprising given that the Golden Eagles finished 43rd last season and lost their best defender in Olivier-Maxence Prosper to the NBA.,

"We have next-man-up mentality," Ross said. "We all have bigger roles. Bigger shoes to fill, especially with O-Max gone. So I feel like we all just took a step forward, like, OK, O-Max is gone, we have to step up defensively and do what we have to do."

With Ross available, Smart likes to unleash lineups that use him alongside Mitchell, another dogged defender.

“I told you Stevie is one of one," Smart said. "Chase is extremely unique, too. Those guys, when you have them together, now you got a tougher backcourt than most of the people we’re going to be going against.

"And at least one of those guys in the game at all times means we feel really good putting him on a matchup. That doesn’t mean it’s going to work out every time."

Maybe not every time, but it is still a comfort for MU to have Ross back on the court.