(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) – The Marquette University men’s basketball team has added transfers Sananda Fru (Berlin, Germany/Louisville) and Nolan Minessale (Brookfield, Wis./St. Thomas) to the program for the 2026-27 campaign, head coach Shaka Smart announced Tuesday afternoon.
A CSC Academic All-District selection as a junior in 2025-26, Fru averaged 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in his first season with the Cardinals. He started in 29 of the team’s 35 outings and shot 75.3 percent from the floor while finishing sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in blocked shots (1.43 bpg.) and 16th in rebounding. He concluded the year with four double-doubles and led the squad in boards on 12 occasions.
Prior to Louisville, Fru played four seasons for Loewen Braunschweig in the German BBL. He started 35-of-39 outings in 2024-25, including games in the FIBA Europe Cup. Fru averaged 12.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest while shooting 64.5 percent from the floor.
Fru (6-11, 250) also competed for the German national team in 2022 and 2023 and on its FIBA U20 squad.
“We’re very excited about Sananda joining our program and the immediate impact he will make.” Smart said. “His athleticism, skillset, and DNA as a teammate will affect our team in a significant way.”
As a sophomore at St. Thomas, Minessale (6-5, 200) was a First Team All-Summit League selection in 2025-26 and was also named to the conference’s all-defensive and all-tournament squads. A finalist for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, the Marquette High School graduate averaged 19.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest. He finished second in the Summit League in scoring and among the national leaders with 22 games of 20-or-more points.
In 2024-25, he started all 34 games as a true freshman and led the Summit League in blocks per game and was sixth in steals. He shot 56.2 percent from the field, ranked third on the team and second among all Summit League true freshmen with 11.2 points per contest, and pulled down 3.5 rebounds per game.
A standout under head coach Casey Kowalewski at Marquette High School, he capped a historic prep career by leading the Hilltoppers to the 2024 WIAA Division 1 State Championship. He was twice named the Greater Metro Conference Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-State honors in back-to-back seasons.
“We are happy to welcome Nolan home and add him to our program,” Smart said. “He possesses a variety of winning traits as a player and person, including his contagious competitiveness, basketball IQ, and ability to make those around him better.”
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