There was a lot of familiarity during Marquette's practice on Wednesday night at the Al McGuire Center.

The Golden Eagles return eight rotation players from a team that swept the Big East regular-season and tournament championships, so they are expected to enter next season ranked in the top 10.

There was Tyler Kolek, last season's Big East player of the year, whipping perfectly weighted passes all over the court and orchestrating a fast-paced attack. Oso Ighodaro was back-tapping offensive rebounds to teammates and dunking anything near the basket. Kam Jones was twirling in crafty finishes in the paint, and David Joplin was hoisting rainbow jumpers.

But the approximately 500 fans at the practice had seen all of that before, and most wanted to debate who looked most improved and also get a sneak preview of the team's new pieces before it heads to Italy on Thursday for a 10-day foreign tour.

Chase Ross looks ready for a bigger role

The returners certainly flashed some new tricks. Joplin looked improved defensively and showed some playmaking chops. The left-handed Kolek stroked three-pointers with ease and also had a nifty right-handed finish off the glass.

But the player who looked like he had made the biggest leap in the off-season is 6-foot-5 guard Chase Ross.

Ross flashed his talent as a freshman, including some highlight dunks, but he shot 20 for 62 on three-pointers. He looked way more confident beyond the three-point line on Wednesday, spotting up in the corners and nailing the majority of his attempts.

"Just getting in the gym," Ross said. "Getting extra work. Getting shots up. Just getting the routine and more confidence from last year."

Ross even had a play where he pump-faked to get his defender in the air, then side-stepped with one dribble to knock down another triple.

"Chase is probably the most improved player on our team from last year to this point right now," MU head coach Shaka Smart said. "Obviously we still have a few months until we play.

"For us, we want to continue to grow as much as we possibly can. That's every guy on our team. But Chase has really taken a step with his maturity, his confidence and some of the basketball-specific areas like shooting, finishing. Excited about him going into Year 2."

So is teammate Stevie Mitchell.

"He's just in the gym a lot," Mitchell said. "Just getting better. His confidence is going up.

"He's got all the physical gifts and abilities. So now he's jelling that with the skill he's always had. He's figuring it out, the game is slowing down for him."

Ross and Joplin are the obvious candidates to fill the void left by Olivier-Maxence Prosper, the only rotation player who didn't return after opting for the NBA draft and becoming a first-round pick.

"The coaches told me to embrace a bigger role and that's what I'm doing now," Ross said. "I think me and Jop are up for the challenge."

Freshmen Tre Norman, Zaide Lowery and Al Amadou learning the ropes

The practice was also MU fans' first glimpse at freshmen Tre Norman, Zaide Lowery and Al Amadou.

Lowery was impressive with a game similar to Ross as a 6-5 corner shooter with defensive versatility.

"He's a little quiet, but I was a little quiet last year and didn't know what to do," Ross said. "But all the freshmen, they'll be good. Just get more connected with us and then just get in the gym and watch film and they'll be fine."

Norman looked as advertised, a hard-nosed guard and tenacious competitor. He has a tough task in often guarding Kolek in practices.

"I want to be challenged," Norman said. "That's why I came here. He's Big East player of the year and he's one of the best guards - if not the best guard - in the country.

"Every day is a battle. I know I can't just come in here and slack. I know I have to give my all every practice. That's just going to prepare me for the future."

Amadou's game is more raw. He missed some close looks and got frequent pointers by teammates and coaches. He also has a hard duty in tangling with Ighodaro down low.

"We always tell our guys, the key to your freshman year is how you respond when things don't go your way," Smart said. "As a freshman you're obviously going to have that. You're going to have your moments where things don't go your way.

"But they've all really, really responded well. And they all have grown. Al's put on 11-12 pounds. Zaide's gotten stronger. Tre Norman, probably of the three has shown the most readiness in terms of just his competitive maturity out there.

"But at the same time, they're freshmen. They have freshmen moments. You can tell sometimes that they weren't here last year and the other guys were and experienced what they did."

Ben Gold dealing with shin splints

Sophomore big man Ben Gold, also expected to see a big increase in his role, watched the practice from the sidelines with a walking boot on his right foot. He has been dealing with shin splints.

"Been kind of bothering him for a few weeks here," Smart said. "We were hoping that through management and treatment he would feel better.

"But it was kind of bothering him a little but more and the doctor wanted him to get in a boot. So he will not play in Italy. But should be - knock on wood - at the start of school (in late August) be able to work out. He's had a really good summer. He's a big, big key for us."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Chase Ross stars in Marquette's open practice before trip to Italy