USC Graduate Transfer Katin Reinhardt Commits To Marquette

Just your average Saturday night after Andy DeMichiei broke the men's lacrosse single game goals record..... right up until the moment when the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Matt Velazquez took to Twitter to break some Marquette recruiting news: USC graduate transfer Katin Reinhardt has committed to Marquette.

Source tells the @journalsentinel that Marquette has secured a commitment from grad transfer Katin Reinhardt, a 6-foot-6 G/F from USC.

— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) April 10, 2016

Reinhardt is a 6'6", 220 lb. guard.  He averaged 11.4 points and 2.8 rebounds last year for the Trojans, along with just over an assist and a steal per game.  He's never been a strong rebounder in two seasons with USC nor during his freshman campaign with UNLV, which is why Steve Wojciechowski's interest in him was always fascinating.  Right now, the glaring need for Marquette is to fill in the rebounding that MU is losing with Henry Ellenson entering the NBA Draft.  Even with Ellenson leading the Big East in rebounding last season, the Golden Eagles ranked in the 220s in both offensive and defensive rebound rate in 2015-16.

Where Reinhardt does fit in, though, is a theoretical plan to shoot ALL of the three pointers next year.  Reinhardt has never attempted fewer than 150 long balls in a season, and he's never hit fewer than 35% of his attempts, which came in his freshman year.  He sank 39% of his tries his sophomore season and 38% this past year, both of which had him as one of the 500 best shooters in the country.  Mix in Reinhardt to a roster with returning players that shot 35% last year, PLUS adding career 39% shooter Andrew Rowsey AND freshmen Sam Hauser and Markus Howard, both of whom have a rep for knocking it in from distance and HOOOOOOOO BOY, does that look like a squad that's going four shooters and a post next season.

Reinhardt will fill the final available scholarship for the 2016-17 season, making MU's situation look like this:

The question here is whether or not this affects Kalif Young's intention to visit Marquette at the end of April, which only came to light on Friday.  Young, a 6'9", 225 lb. forward, would appear to have been exactly the roster piece that Marquette most needed before the news of Reinhardt's commitment.  There is no space for him on the roster now.  If he still takes that visit..... Well, then something may still be in motion.  Keep your eyes and ears open....