Kam Jones is the clear alpha scorer for the Marquette men's basketball team.

If anyone needed any more evidence, the senior guard scored 32 points on a hyper-efficient 14-for-16 shooting in MU's season-opening 102-62 victory over Stony Brook on Monday at Fiserv Forum.

A more interesting question heading into the season was who would emerge as the secondary scorer.

Box score: Marquette 102, Stony Brook 62

All off-season, Golden Eagles head coach Shaka Smart said junior guard Chase Ross has been one of the team's most impressive players.

Ross looked the part of Robin to Jones' Batman with Jones scoring a college high 23 points. He was also efficient at 9 for 11 and added eight rebounds and four assists.

"It felt great to be out there with my teammates," Ross said. "We've been working all spring, fall and summer to be here, where we're at right now.

"So it felt great to be out there with my teammates giving me energy."

Chase Ross finally free of injuries

Ross attacked the basket with a vengeance, earning a team-high six free throws. He's finally healthy after leg and shoulder injuries disrupted last season.

"He's been our most important player from really the end of last season to now," Smart said. "It's really not close, between him and Jop (David Joplin), those guys have really put a ton of work in and those guys have been very consistent in practice.

"With Chase, I think the biggest thing is his confidence is on a whole different level than it was maybe last year at this time. He knows he can do it. He knows that we need it from him. He's got an aggressiveness to him."

Ross also shot 2 for 3 on three-pointers, showing he can be just as effective in half-court shots as he is thundering in transition.

"I'm just trying to help my team as best as I can," Ross said. "So just getting in the gym. Doing what I got to do.

"Play to my advantages. Work out to my advantages. Doing the things that's going to help us on the offensive and defensive ends."

Kam Jones starts red hot

Jones is well on his way to becoming the No. 2 scorer in MU history.

He dropped in shots the way he always has with the Golden Eagles, getting into the paint for crafty finishes while also bombing away at 4 for 6 on three-pointers.

"He's one of the best finishers for a guard that I've ever seen," Smart said. "He's able to get down there and jsut create a lot of short shots.

"They weren't all layups but within his range where he can shoot a jump hook or a floater. He's a very good post player. You don't really think of guards that way. But he's good at turning his back to the basket and using his craftiness to create."

Jones had 20 points in the first half, including knocking down a triple in the corner at the buzzer that gave MU a 48-30 lead.

"That's Kam Jones," Ross said. "He just does what he does.

"It doesn't surprise me. It might surprise y'all out there. But he's been putting in work all summer and fall as well. Doing what he got to do."

Royce Parham has a strong debut as freshman

It was a slow start for the Golden Eagles, who were tied with the Seawolves at 17-17 before pulling away.

The lineup that created that spark featured freshman Royce Parham as a 6-foot-8, small-ball center.

"Royce is just a baller," Smart said. "I'm sure he was nervous, being his first game, but he doesn't show any fear.

"He doesn't show any fear and he's one of the best scorers that I've ever coached. So as he gets more and more comfortable he's going to be able to put that ball in the basket."

Parham finished with four points and three rebounds.

"I was happy, I was excited to see him get that deflection and dunk," said redshirt freshman Caedin Hamilton, who also made his MU debut.

Marquette freshman Damarius Owens sits out with toe injury

As expected, MU freshman Damarius Owens was out with a toe injury on his right foot.

Owens hurt the toe during the Golden Eagles' closed-door scrimmage with Oklahoma on Oct. 26.

Smart did not have a clear timeline on Owens' return.

"He may be back relatively soon," Smart said. "It's a unique injury that he has. And so the first thing is getting his pain back down to where he's comfortable going out there and playing.

"Initially we were concerned that he was going to be out long term this season. And there may be a chance that he may be back sooner."

Sophomore big man Al Amadou will redshirt

The Golden Eagles cleared the bench in the last few minutes, with all the walk-ons in the game.

But 6-foot-9 sophomore Al Amadou stayed in his warm-ups. That's because the big man will redshirt this season.

Amadou has been a project after starting to play basketball as a teenager.

"He's shown some real glimpses in practice," Smart said. "His best basketball is still ahead of him. So that's what we're planning on."

Josh Clark, a 7-foot-1 freshman, is also redshirting this season.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kam Jones' 32 points and Chase Ross' 23 help Marquette top Stony Brook