Sheek Pearson will join the Golden Eagles and work on gaining strength before playing games in the 2026-27 season.
Sheek Pearson will be on the Marquette men’s basketball team sooner than most expected.
The 6-foot-11 big man announced on July 28 that he is reclassifying to 2025 and will enroll at MU immediately. The plan is for Pearson to redshirt the 2025-26 season, according to sources within the Golden Eagles program.
Pearson, who attended John Burroughs High School in St. Louis, committed to MU in the 2026 class in May. The option to reclassify was on the table, but Pearson wanted to finish out the AAU season and then finalize his plans.
Pearson’s AAU team, Brad Beal Elite, won the Peach Jam title for Nike’s EYBL circuit on July 20. Interestingly, in the championship game Brad Beal Elite defeated the New York Rens, who featured another player committed to MU in Ethan Johnston.
Pearson also won the 16U title last year with Brad Beal Elite. He has been steadily climbing recruiting rankings in the 2026 class, reaching No. 37 on ESPN's list.
Johnston and Nash Walker, the other players who have announced commitments to the Golden Eagles, are expected to remain in the 2026 class.
What kind of player is Marquette getting in Sheek Pearson?
Pearson is a quick-twitch big man who excels at catching lobs on offense and protecting the rim on defense. He is in the mold of the athletic big men that MU head coach Shaka Smart liked to use at Texas with future NBA players like Mo Bamba and Jaxson Hayes.
The benefit in redshirting is that Pearson will get to spend time with the MU strength and conditioning staff to add weight before playing in the 2026-27 season. Most recruiting sites list Pearson at around 200 pounds.
It is a strategy that Smart likes to use with big men. Current frontcourt players Caedin Hamilton and Josh Clark each used redshirt seasons, and former MU big man Al Amadou also redshirted before transferring in the spring to St. Joseph’s in search of more playing time.
MU will lose big man Ben Gold after the 2025-26 season, so Pearson will give the Golden Eagles depth in the frontcourt alongside Hamilton and Clark.
What is Marquette's roster for next season?
(14 of 15 available scholarships in use)
Guards: Sean Jones (junior), Chase Ross (senior), Nigel James Jr. (freshman), Zaide Lowery (junior), Tre Norman (junior), Adrien Stevens (freshman)
Wings: Damarius Owens (sophomore), Royce Parham (sophomore), Ian Miletic (freshman), Michael Phillips II (sophomore)
Big men: Ben Gold (senior), Caedin Hamilton (sophomore), Josh Clark (freshman), Sheek Pearson (redshirt)
Walk-ons: Jonah Lucas, Casey O'Malley, Braeden Brenn
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sheek Pearson is reclassifying to join Marquette for 2025-26 season.
Category: General Sports
