That’s What They Said: A Collection Of Reactions To Justin Lewis Committing To Marquette

Hey, did you hear that Class of 2020 top 100 forward Justin Lewis made a verbal commitment to Marquette on Wednesday? It’s true! If you haven’t already, you should go read our article on that news.

Here, we’re going to round up various reactions and statements from people reacting to Lewis’ announcement. First, let’s stop in and check out the announcement video that Lewis published on the Twitter Machine.

NEAT. Obviously a lot of thought went into the video, and I like the dramatic quick change shot that pulls off the reveal at the end.

With that out of the way, let’s dive in to various reaction and interview articles, starting with Pat Lawless over at Prep Circuit. Why? Well, because Pat tagged AE in the tweet, so that’s why. I am nothing if not easily impressed.

There’s a lot of standard issue recruit stuff from Lewis here, but I think it’s always important to highlight the things that the prospect relays from the coaching staff.

“They say that I can be the face of the program and they want to build it around me,” Lewis said. “That meant a lot to me and I had to hear that.

“He just wants me to be a three or four-man and have plays being run through me,” he said. “He just wants me to be a big part of the offense and I can come in and play right away.”

Next, we’ll keep it quick and simple and drop in a tweet full of quotes provided by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.

Next, I’ll point you to Brian Snow’s breakdown for 247 Sports, but I have to tell you 1) it’s behind a paywall and 2) I don’t care about recruiting enough to pay $75 a year for the content.

The big takeaway from Jake Weingarten’s brief interview on Stock Risers is that Lewis knew Marquette was the place for him after he finished up his official visit in early June.

Here’s a quote from Dwayne Wise, the recruiting coordinator for Team Melo, Lewis’ club team, and as luck would have it, Lewis’ cousin. This comes from a writeup by Adam Zagoria on his website.

“The thing that the coaches are going crazy about is his IQ for the game and his developing skillset,” Wise said. “He can play anywhere from the three to some four depending on if they go to small ball matchups. What makes him so intriguing is his help-side defense and his willingness to compete.”

Here’s what Corey Evans said in the Rivals writeup on Lewis’ decision:

Selecting Marquette over such others as Maryland, UCF, UConn and Virginia Tech, Lewis is a hard playing and active forward that checks a variety of boxes on the final stat sheet. Valued for his toughness and the consistent energy that he provides in the frontcourt, he is someone that should be relied upon immediately thanks to his ability to fill his role at either forward position.

Wojciechowski, a native of the Baltimore region himself, makes his first dent into his hometown area as the head coach at Marquette. In dong as such, Lewis is the type of forward that can make shots to the perimeter, defend various positions thanks to his 7-foot-1 wingspan and rebound in high volumes.

Here’s ESPN recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein:

You have to go over to Prep Hoops for this article by Colby Giacubeno. Big long quotes from Lewis’ high school coach and club team coach, which happens to be the same guy, as well as Lewis’ trainer. Giacubeno notes that Lewis has evolved from an around-the-rim big to an inside-outside wing threat over the past couple of years.

Here’s the big takeaway quote from the trainer, though:

Justin can effectively defend the 2-5 positions. He can effectively score against anyone.

If true for the collegiate level, then Lewis has the possibility of becoming a game changer for Steve Wojciechowski on both ends of the floor. We’ll have to wait and see where things end up once Lewis gets to campus a year from now.

We’ll wrap up on this note from Lewis that Evan Daniels got for 247 Sports:

“At first I was second guessing it, as far as distance, because it was far in Milwaukee, but after I went on the visit I had fun. I got to know the guys a little bit, see how the program is, and it changed my whole mindset about the place.”