As his final season with BBE gets into full swing this weekend with the second session of the EYBL circuit in Memphis, BBE 17U big man Sheek Pearson made a big decision on Monday, committing to Marquette University and coach Shaka Smart.
Committed ‼️ pic.twitter.com/tZPRLAt3Su
— Sheek pearson (@Sheek_Pearson) May 12, 2025
Pearson, a consensus Top 100 prospect in the Class of 2026, was down to five, with Missouri, Saint Louis, Purdue and Iowa State also on his radar, but the pull of the Golden Eagles was too strong from his first visit.
“From when they started recruiting me until now, they’ve been tremendous in staying in contact,” Pearson told 247Sports. “They came to see me and had me on campus. It wasn’t just about building a relationship with (Marquette assistant) CJ Rivers—I also liked how I connected with Shaka Smart. That played a big role in my decision.”
Sheek is continuing to grow his game, both at the high school level and with BBE. He’s known as a defensive anchor on one end and a player who loves to play above the rim on the other, as he continues to add strength with post-ups in mind.
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“I’m a lob threat on the offensive end,” he told 247Sports. “Defensively, I’m someone who wants to block every shot. Those two things are what I bring.”
Marquette is coming off an outstanding season that saw them win 20 games for the third straight season and reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight time. They’re one year removed from a trip to the Sweet 16. Sheek visited the Milwaukee-area school during the season and took note of how close knit the team was.
“I got to see how together the team really is,” Pearson said. “That goes a long way. I saw how comfortable the guys are with each other.”
Marquette is 4-for-4 in tournament appearances under Smart, who has 11 tournament trips under his belt in 16 seasons split between Marquette, Texas and Virginia Commonwealth. He famously led VCU to a Cinderella Final Four trip in 2011.
“I like Coach Shaka’s background and the players he’s worked with in the past who resemble me,” Sheek said.
