Fresh off a loss from Iowa, Marquette walk-on Cameron "Cam" Marotta does not discourage his teammates' efforts, but instead praises their teamwork.
"We need to bounce back," Marotta said.
He believes that this season still holds the chance to be a promising year. And he has a point, it is still early on. However, the Marquette basketball team doesn't have any time to waste if they want to turn this season around.
The night of the Marquette vs. Iowa game was a game day that meant more to Cameron than others. It was his dad, Marc Marotta's birthday.
Marquette fans will remember Marc Marotta as number 52 back in the day when he was a part of the Marquette basketball family. He was the only three-time Academic All-American selected player, led MU in two rebounding final two seasons, and was 21st all-time in Marquette history in rebounding, a.k.a an ultimate Marquette basketball star. Unfortunately, Marc Marotta passed away in April of this year due to a brain aneurism.
Now it's Cam's turn to leave his mark on the Marquette basketball family.
"All-in." Marotta says that's the team's motto. Everyone has to be all-in at all times if we want to succeed. Coach Steve Wojciechowski, Wojo, created gold coins for each team member that say "MU All-In" on one side and a Theodore Roosevelt quote on the other side. Cam says that Wojo makes every team member put their coins in a basket before practice, indicating that everyone is all-in and they're going to make this a productive practice.
For all of you, who are like me, and a little unknown to the world and lingo of basketball, a walk-on is a player who may not get the chance to play on the court during their time at the school, but they are a vital part of the program. They are the players who are a constant source of positive energy for the team. "It's our job to keep up the energy on and off the court," Marotta said.
They are matched up with a lifting partner and they help conduct drills at practice. The walk-on players have just as much passion and love for the game as every single one of the starting players, maybe even more sometimes, especially for Marotta, who is following in the footsteps of his father.
Cam's favorite memory of his father? The fact that he was always there.
"He would leave work early, and even if my sister and I had a game at the same time he would leave at halftime and run over to the other game. He never missed a single one of my sporting events," Marotta said.
How Cam got offered the walk-on position at Marquette University was that Coach Wojo came to his AAU Basketball practice, coached by Marc Marotta, to recruit fellow teammate Henry Ellenson. This was Cam's junior year of high school; however, that was not the only recruiting offer he was given. Butler University offered him a spot on their football team as a corner back. Cam was a very successful corner back for his high school Homestead in Mequon, Wis. leading them to the semi-finals his senior year.
"I love football," Marotta said, "but I didn't want to miss this opportunity to be apart of the Marquette Basketball family."
And quite the family it is. The team traveled to Europe this summer and without a doubt, Cam says, that has been his favorite experience in college so far. He has loved everything about Marquette and the basketball program. Even when asked if Wojo is as intimidating as he looks, Marotta laughs and says, "No, honestly he is an all-around great guy. I love him."
As the Golden Eagles headed to Brooklyn, N.Y. to play in the Legends Classic Tournament against LSU and Arizona State, all Marquette fans were hoping for the turnaround we needed. As fans, we have the utmost faith in our team that they can achieve this goal. Just like Cam said, we need to bounce back.
What did the team do when they got back from the tournament? Well, all of the teammates who are from out of state or from too far away spent Thanksgiving at the Marotta household. This Marquette team really is more than just a team, they're a family. A family that supports each other through triumph and failure. No, I did not know Marc Marotta personally, but I don't know of any father that could ask for a better college experience for their son than being a part of a family such as Marquette. With that being said from my short time getting to know him, I have no doubt that over the next three years Cam will continue to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience at his father's alma mater.
And bounce back did we ever. Marquette not only beat LSU, but they "interrupted" the Ben Simmons show. Along with beating LSU the Golden Eagles beat Arizona State University to win the Legends Classic. But, that's not where the winning-streak ends for us if you didn't watch the game today we beat Jackson State 80-61 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. It's obvious that Marquette is "All-In" for the season.
For all of you that have not had the opportunity to read this incredibly well-written article about Cameron Marotta and his family, specifically his father, by Steven Greenberg it is a must-read and I highly recommend it.
