GROTON, Mass. — Alex Egbuonu teased his long-anticipated moment. Five hats were laid out on a table in front of him – each one a finalist for his college destination – and he kept the crowd of his classmates and faculty at Lawrence Academy guessing.
He picked up the Villanova hat. Not that one. Then the Auburn hat. Not them. Then he grabbed the Boston College and nearly put it on before putting it back down.
Then the moment finally followed, for the school that always seemed like destiny. He unzipped his jacket to reveal a shirt with the Marquette logo, and put on the hat that was sitting front and center to confirm his commitment to head coach Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles. Surrounded by his family, he received a standing ovation before making a big embrace with Lawrence Academy head coach Mike Foustoukos. Then a fun scene ensued with his Spartans teammates to the side of the gym, where they swallowed him inside a celebratory mosh pit.
It almost seemed inevitable that the 6-foot-6 Egbuonu – universally recognized as a Top 100 recruit, including No. 51 by ESPN – would choose Marquette and a coaching staff he had a deep relationship with. Smart connected with Egbuonu on the first day of the contact period following his sophomore year, and he’s maintained a consistent relationship since. Smart has been a frequent visitor to New England over the last few years, often attending Egbuonu’s games at Lawrence Academy and BABC, his AAU program.
That relationship ultimately won out, with Egbuonu appreciating the Golden Eagles’ organization and consistency as a program.
“It’s a program I can trust,” Egbuonu said. “Coach Smart, the rest of the staff. They’ve been calling me, checking on me almost every day, and it’s a place I can trust. …
“It means a lot. From AAU to open gyms, they’ve always been there, always been in the front row for the AAU tournaments, and even the NEPSAC games. It just shows that commitment to me and I just felt like giving it back.”
The moment Alex Egbuonu committed to Marquette in front of his community at Lawrence Academy.
Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles got a good one. pic.twitter.com/met4RUcFTU
— Steve Hewitt (@steve_hewitt) November 6, 2025
Egbuonu (Nashua, N.H.) – who was voted as the best player in NEPSAC boys basketball in our coaches’ survey this summer – is arguably the toughest matchup in the region. An athletic, physical wing with guard skills, Egbuonu averaged 25.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.7 blocks per game last winter at Lawrence Academy, and then he was one of the best players on the Adidas 3SSB 17U circuit with BABC, averaging 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks and playing exceptional defense as a 5 as their tallest player defensively.
Q&A: Alex Egbuonu on his development, importance of family
Egbuonu said Smart – who has a history of developing his players into pros – looks at him as an early contributor, and he emphasized that outside shooting will be an important factor in his continued development.
“He sees me coming in and making an impact early,” Egbuonu said. “He loves to play freshmen, so giving me the opportunity to show what I got, bring a lot of the energy towards the Marquette fans.
“Definitely building on my shooting, always getting stronger and getting more athletic and being more conditioned. Shooting is the main thing, being able to shoot consistently. Because in college, if you can’t really shoot, you can’t play.”
What does Foustoukos believe Marquette is getting in Egbuonu?
“They’re getting a hard worker who can play multiple positions and just is always going to want to be the best version of himself,” Foustoukos said. “The relationship he’s built with Coach Smart is tremendous and they know how to really help him get there, so they’re getting a guy who’s going to contribute and help them and hopefully take the Golden Eagles as far as they can go.”
It was important for Egbuonu to make his announcement at Lawrence Academy. After first making his announcement live on CBS Sports’ YouTube broadcast, he walked down to the gym, where more than 250 people – students, faculty members, coaches and teammates – were waiting for him. A four-year student at the school, Egbuonu has become a fixture of its community.
“This is a place I can call my home,” Egbuonu said. “I’ve been here for four years and I just plan on going out strong and I’ve built a good bond with pretty much everyone here in this community. It felt right to do it here.”
Foustoukos arrived at Lawrence Academy after Egbuonu’s freshman season, and he’s proud of the growth he’s seen over the last three years – both on and off the court.
“Today’s the culmination of like thousands of hours of hard work on the court and off the court,” Foustoukos said. “I think you can see how much he means to the school and the community. He loves the school community. He could have done this anywhere and he wanted to do it here. And so, it’s great that a place like LA has helped him grow into the person he is today, but he’s also helped us in so many ways.”
Egbuonu can now enter his senior season at Lawrence Academy without the weight of his college decision hanging over him. The Spartans have hopes for a big winter as one of the best teams in the ISL, with a goal of earning a top-four seed in the Class AA playoffs. They’ll do so with one of the best players in the region leading the way.
“I’m super happy that now there’s absolutely no pressure on him,” Foustoukos said. “He doesn’t have to worry about any of that. He can just go out and have fun with his friends. It’s his senior year, we’re obviously working to try to get better every single day and accomplish our team and individual goals, but the fact that he’s able to do that with his friends and have fun while doing it, that’s the main goal.”
