Shaka Smart is still building his culture at Marquette after his first season as men's basketball coach. He's hoping that his three-player recruiting class for next season will help him continue that.

Ben Gold, a New Zealand native who committed to the Golden Eagles in February, signed his national letter of intent on Wednesday. So the 6-foot-11 forward joins fellow 2022 prospects Sean Jones and Chase Ross as the first players fully recruited by Smart at MU.

"I'm super excited about Ben Gold," Smart said. "There's a lot of attributes that he has that I believe, once he gets his feet under him here, and that does take time for any freshman, but once he makes the transition it's really exciting what he can become as a player.

"For an incoming player, he has very good maturity. There's something about international guys with some of the experience they have, that makes them a little bit different than American-born players. From the standpoint of perspective. From the standpoint of lived experiences. He has that."

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Gold plays for the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. He first attracted attention as a shooter, but his game has expanded as Gold has gotten stronger.

"One of the best things about him is he can really, really move at that size," Smart said. "He's what we call a clean mover and that's so important in basketball. He's got a lot of positive attributes and I think his best basketball, like a lot of these guys, is still ahead of him. I think the key for all of our incoming freshmen, just like our freshmen this past year, just like freshmen any year, is how you respond when things get really, really challenging. And Ben will have to deal with that just like any other freshman.

"I think he's got a maturity about him. He's got a really good way where he doesn't get too high or too low, which I think will serve him well. Because in college basketball, you have ups and downs and if you can stay even-keeled during that time and continue to grow and develop, I think he will be a significantly better player by the second half of the season compared to where he is right now. And it's just a matter of him getting a ton of experience being around our guys, being in our competitive environment and getting out there in real games."

Gold has sprouted several inches over the last few years and has put on a lot of muscle.

"One thing I like about him, he's got rugby background," Smart said. "He used to play rugby, which to me is like football players in this country. They're not going to be soft."

The 19-year-old Gold also spent a few weeks in February playing with New Zealand's senior national team.

"He's on the court with guys in their 30s," Smart said. "And guys that have been playing professional basketball for a long time. And one of the reasons they included him, he was by far the youngest guy that was included when he played a couple months ago with that group, is that they see a bright future in him and potentially long-term could be a significant piece on their national team. Maybe even in Olympic Games or big, big international competitions."

Gold should be a nice fit alongside incoming freshmen Jones and Ross. Jones, a 5-10 guard from Gahanna Lincoln High School, was named co-player of the year in Ohio's Division 1 after averaging 21 points per game as a senior. The lightning-quick and aggressive Jones profiles as a defensive disrupter, but he also scored 1,680 points in high school. Ross averaged 15 points per game at Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, which plays in the competitive New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. The 6-4 Ross shot just 23.5% on three-pointers but used his athleticism to get 2.4 steals per game.

"Ben Gold is on an upward trajectory," Smart said. "He's getting better and better. His confidence has grown as his body's gotten stronger. And he's really excited about coming here in late May and getting to work with Sean Jones, Chase Ross and the rest of our guys."

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Zealand native Ben Gold officially signs with Marquette