• Marquette goes all in, hits it big with Sacar Anim

    When Marquette Coach Steve Wojciechowski really knows what he wants he goes all in, and there is no question that he went all in on Sacar Anim from Minneapolis. His efforts paid off in a big way on Tuesday when the 6’5 SG committed to play his collegiate ball for Marquette at a press conference at De LaSalle High School.

    “Marquette showed me that they really wanted me. Coach Mark Phelps and Coach Wojo came to see me, and every time they came back they both came. They were here three weeks in a row, they came back every week. We talked a lot, we were on the phone constantly. I talked to coach Wojo on the phone almost every day. If not every day, then every other day. It really showed me that they cared about me.”

    Because of the way Marquette handled the recruitment, Anim made his decision a week prior to his announcement. “Some schools wanted to wait to offer me, some schools wanted to meet with me more, but not Marquette, the second time they saw me they pulled the trigger and offered. They knew exactly what they wanted and moved forward. I knew Marquette was the place for me, and I told them I was going to commit when I was on my visit, I just wanted to do it the right way.”


    Sacar Anim selected Marquette over Northwestern and St. John’s


    Marquette went all in with Anim’s official visit too. Sacar visited Marquette during the middle of last week. Recruits will often take their official visits over a weekend to take in a game, but the dates didn’t match up with De LaSalle’s playoff schedule so he was in Milwaukee mid-week, but that didn’t seem to matter to Anim. “The visit was great. I met with the academic advisers, the AD and I was able to meet with the rest of the coaching staff too. They were all impressive. I spent time with Coach Diener, Coach Gainey, Coach Thorson, everyone was great. I even got to meet with the president of the university (Dr. Michael Lovell). They met with my family and shared with us what my four years would be like, what I would go through in my time there.”

    While on his visit Anim was able to see what he needed to see, the entire campus, The AL McGuire Center and the Bradley Center. On Thursday the Milwaukee Bucks held an open practice on campus at The AL McGuire Center and he was able to take that in too. “With the Bradley Center, Marquette plays in an NBA arena, but for the Bucks to have a practice at Marquette too? To have that type of a relationship with an NBA team, that really says a lot about the school and how committed they are to basketball, it’s unbelievable.”

    Anim also met the players on the team, and felt he hit it off with red shirt freshman Duane Wilson. “Duane was there working out and I met him right away. It turns out we worked out with the same trainer, so we had some things in common. He even called me to congratulate me, that really meant a lot.”




    The Sacar Anim Fil
    e

    Shooting Guard
    6’5, 195 lbs
    De LaSalle High School
    Minneapolis, MN
    AAU Team: Howard Pulley

    Described as a slasher, a scorer who can get to the basket. Averaging 25 pts and 6 rebounds per game. With a 6’8 wingspan, he is also known as a defensive
    stopper.





    Making the jump from high school to big time college basketball is never easy, but Anim is sure he is up to the challenge. “I think I am ready. I have a lot of versatility in my game. I can hit outside shots and I can defend at a high level. I know playing in the Big East there is a lot of talent and it’s a very physical league, I think that’s a great fit. It won’t be easy though, I need to keep working on my ball handling skills, just become much stronger with the ball. I will need to work on my outside jump shot, but I also need to work on constantly running with a high motor and I’ll need to get stronger.”

    With any recruit, Marquette fans always discuss what position the player will play in college, but that is ultimately up to the coaching staff and Anim has a good read on that too. “Coach Wojo wants me to start out in that 2-3 slot, maybe more of the small forward because of my size. With my development over the summer he feels I can comfortably move to the 2G spot. If I really improve my ball handling over the course of my career maybe I can play some point in the future, but for now I need to focus in on that 2-3 slot.”

    For now there is more basketball to be played on the high school level. De LaSalle has won three consecutive Class 3A State titles with their eyes on a fourth. They play St. Paul of Como Park on Thursday night in their sectional with the winner advancing to play in Coon Rapids on March 3rd. “We should win on Thursday but you never know what will happen. We need to stay focused and come out and play our game. If we play hard enough we will advance, but the games only get harder every step of the way, but we want to win it all.”

    Marquette fans will have to wait until next season to watch Anim in a Golden Eagles uniform and Mark Phelps and Steve Wojciechowski will keep up the full court press until national signing day which is April 15th. But Anim says he is firmly committed to Marquette and wants the fans to know it. “I want Marquette fans to know that they are getting someone that will work hard every day, someone that is driven to constantly improve, someone that will be a strong role model for young kids in Milwaukee and around the Marquette program.”

    Anim adds to an already strong recruiting class joining Henry Ellenson, Haanif Cheatham and Matt Heldt. There is no question that Wojo & Co are getting it done on the recruiting trail!

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