The 6’6” wing from Queens is the first 2026 commitment for Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles
And so, YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team is on the recruiting board for the Class of 2026. On Wednesday, Ethan Johnston made his verbal commitment to play for Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles.
NEWS: 2026 Top-150 recruit Ethan Johnston, a 6-foot-6 wing, has committed to Marquette, he told @On3sports.
Story w/ quotes: https://t.co/kIkpCJnnAV pic.twitter.com/qlCX83vFZB
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) May 7, 2025
We found out from On3’s Joe Tipton, so let’s just keep the ball rolling with some quotes from Johnston to Tipton on his commitment:
“I chose Marquette because of not only their belief in me, but because of their three core values which is relationships, growth, and victory. They demonstrated those to me on a daily basis.”
What led to his trust in the coaching staff?
“They established a connection with me and my family early on. Whether they were giving me tidbits on how I can improve or watching me play. I felt the love from the whole coaching staff. It’s like a real family. Witnessing that firsthand is what made it a no brainer decision for me and my family.”
In his own words, what type of player is Marquette getting in Johnston?
“I am a big guard, I can do it all on offense and defense. I guard 3 positions, I can handle, shoot, and I love making my teammates better by getting them shots in the right spots.”
He has a message for Marquette fans.
“I can guarantee y’all that I will give my heart and soul to the team and this fanbase. Y’all got a winner.”
247 Sports lists Johnston as a 6’6”, 185 pound shooting guard. Internally, he ranks #142 in the Class of 2026 as a three-star prospect, but the Composite has him at #118 in the country, and that means a bump up to a four-star prospect. On3 rates Johnston as a three-star guy, ranking him at at #145 in the country. Rivals says Johnston is at #146 in the country, while ESPN doesn’t have anything at all for him, not even a page. I don’t think I quite understand how Johnston is at #118 in the Composite, but who am I to argue with them?
Johnston hails from Queens in New York, but he attends The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, which is about 30 miles northwest of Villanova’s campus outside of Philadelphia. I can’t track down season long stats for him, but he had 17 points and six rebounds in Hill School’s PAISAA championship game back in March. They ended up with a 66-56 loss to Phelps School there, but they did win a program record 25 games before that defeat.
I found some highlights on Instagram for you:
And now, the freshly updated scholarship chart.
In the immediate sense, in terms of who is leaving and who is coming in, Ethan Johnston takes up Chase Ross’ spot in the lineup. Guard out, guard in. Johnston is already listed at an inch taller than the 6’5” Ross, but Ross has 25 pounds on him thanks to Todd Smith’s strength and conditioning program. It’s safe to say that no one is expecting Johnston to take Ross’ spot in the rotation immediately in November of 2026, but at the very least, the addition of Johnston balances out the loss of Ross from Marquette’s backcourt depth for that season.
Also: I just want to point out that Ethan Johnston is the first player projected to suit up for Marquette in the year 2030.
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