When Steve Wojciechowski took the reins at Marquette, there was no question that he had some work cut out for him. He had some holes to fill and he needed to hit the ground running. One option that started a lot of discussions on message boards was the possibility of a transfer in who has already graduated. And why not? These are players that have a great deal of experience, only take up one year of a scholarship and Trent Lockett proved how valuable this type of player can be when he helped lead Marquette to an Elite 8.

Enter BYU guard Matt Carlino. His name immediately filtered to the top of the list, not because he had a previous relationship with Coach Wojo, but because he had a previous relationship with Marquette. And by relationship, I mean he is related. He already was part of the Marquette family as his uncle Brian Brunkhorst played at Marquette for Al. McGuire.

Over the weekend Carlino ended the speculation and confirmed that he would be transferring to Marquette to play for Steve Wojciechowski and the Golden Eagles. “It feels great to be coming to Marquette,” said Carlino, “My family is really happy. I’m ecstatic.”

This isn’t the first time family has brought Carlino to Marquette, he has been to Milwaukee many times before. “Whenever my family came back to Milwaukee I would always go to the AL McGuire Center. It always meant a lot to see my uncle’s name listed in The AL. When Tom Crean was the coach I remember coming and shooting with Dominic James, and when Buzz was the coach I got to play against Jimmy Butler, now I am one of them. It means a lot to me and my family. It is amazing how since I committed I have relatives coming out of the woodwork, calling me, e-mailing to congratulating me, I knew there were a lot of Marquette fans, but I had no idea it was this big.”

With every graduate transfer there are people left behind and this is no different. “I had a great relationship with my teammates at BYU. I really enjoyed playing there, the fans were great but I will really miss my teammates. It was hard to make the decision to leave, but I was ready for the next chapter.”

It didn’t take long for Carlino to believe in Coach Wojo. “It was one of those things where well, I was a free agent. When I saw that the job opened up and they began their process, I was hoping and praying that Coach Wojo would get the job. I always like and respected Duke and Coach Wojo. When he got it I had hoped we would call. When he did I was even more excited. When I got to talking to him it didn’t take long to figure out that he was the real deal. He has coached some of the best players in the world and in talking to him I realized there wasn’t anyone that I wanted to play for more. My uncle doesn’t get excited about much, but he was ecstatic to meet him.”

Carlino comes to MU from BYU where the combo-guard excelled for three seasons. Over the three year span the 6’2 guard averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. He also shot over 33% from behind the arc, and MU needs 3pt shooters.

Looking at the current roster, there is some experience in the back court with starting PG Derrick Wilson and key contributor Todd Mayo scheduled to return as well as freshmen John Dawson, Duane Wilson and Jajuan Johnson returning, so where does Carlino fit in that mix, PG, 2G? “I think Wojo sees me as a point guard, but he will have me do a lot more. He never said he wanted me to play the point, he never said he wanted me to play the two, he said he needs me to be a leader and a winner. He needs me to grow with him, to grow with the team. He loves the experience that I bring and just wants me to be the best that I can be.”

So many players are asked to compare themselves to a pro, but with Carlino’s ties to Marquette, what former MU player does he see in his game? “Its hard, because when I really followed Marquette, I did because of my family ties. I know they had Diener, Novak and Wade, but I really didn’t study the game the way I do now. I remember how much I liked Diener, but I really can’t remember how he played. I did really like Wesley Matthews.”

While Carlino will be new to Marquette and the Big East, he is no stranger. “My freshman year I played against Marquette and I remember playing DJO (Darius Johnson Odom) and Jae Crowder like it was yesterday. We had a young team, but DJO was so strong and so quick. He was amazing. And Jae Crowder was a beast. Playing at the Bradley Center in the NCAA this year was a great experience. I am super excited to play in the Big East. It is still one of the best conferences in the country. There was a year at BYU where we played in the NIT at Madison Square Garden. Playing in The Garden is an incredible experience, and in the Big East you play in NBA arenas in almost every game. I am so excited for that.”

It won’t be long before Matt Carlino arrives in Milwaukee and officially becomes a member of the Golden Basketball team and he can’t wait. “Since I made my decision, from what I can see people everywhere are tied to Marquette. People are coming up to me congratulating me saying they love Marquette, even at the airport. I couldn't be more excited and can’t wait to be playing with that name on my jersey.”