Barro....a long way from home

Nice article on Sophomore Ousmane Barro in tomorrow's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.


Click here

MU: Surprise of the Big East; Crean addresses coaching rumors

On a day when MU fell short of a ranking in both the coaches and AP polls, Chris Jenkins of the Associated Press casts the spotlight on the Marquette program. And Tom Crean addressed the annual rumor mill.

Facing their first season in one of the nation's top power conferences with three freshmen guards, this year was expected to test the patience of Golden Eagles coach Tom Crean.........
......."We knew what our goals were and what we expected to do this year," said senior forward Steve Novak. "Obviously, there was a lot of cynics and skeptics that said a lot of things at the beginning of the year, and we've obviously proven many of them wrong."

Oh, and about those silly rumors......looks like Tom Crean will be stickin' around at Marquette for years to come:

With Marquette rising back toward national prominence, and high-profile coaching openings at Indiana and Missouri, the annual rounds of Crean-to-wherever rumors are beginning already.
Crean has turned down overtures from Big State U. in the past, and insists it won't be a distraction.
"I mean, just go to the track record," Crean said. "There's never been any reason to think those things. (I've) got a long-term contract, got a young team. There's no reason to even fuel that speculation or spend a lot of time talking about it."

Big East Tournament: MU Events Update

MU fans -- unite in NYC at MSG!

Here's a quick rundown of MU-specific events for the upcoming Big East Tournament, courtesy of the Marquette University Office of Alumni Relations.

The Big East Tournament is sold out, but its unclear (at this point) what might happen with tickets that were claimed by fans of the teams that fail to qualify for the BET. Perhaps a few tickets will appear via traditional means soon.

Marquette Fan Headquarters:
DoubleTree Guest Suites
Times Square, New York
1568 Broadway at 47th Street & 7th Avenue
(212) 719-1600

Tuesday, March 7
Marquette Hospitality Headquarters
8 p.m.Off-Broadway Room, 5th floor
- Marquette staff will be on hand to provide current updates and assistance.
- Marquette Spirit Shop (a limited supply of items will be available for purchase)

- Marquette in New York Reception5 – 8 p.m.Off-Broadway Room, 5th floor
- Hope to see you at this social gathering of alumni and friends!
- Cash bar and complimentary snacks will be available

Wednesday, March 8
Marquette Hospitality Headquarters 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Off-Broadway Room, 5th Floor
- Marquette staff will be on hand to provide current updates and assistance.
- Marquette Spirit Shop (a limited supply of items will be available for purchase)
- Registration for Tip-Off Brunch, $36 per person

Pre-Game Tip-Off Brunch 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
University Welcome – 10 a.m.
Off-Broadway Room, 5th floor
Pay at registration, $36 per person

Game Time - NoonMadison Square Garden
Game Time – 2 p.m.Madison Square Garden

Marquette Hospitality Headquarters
4:30 – 6 p.m.Off-Broadway Room, 5th Floor
- Marquette staff will be on hand to provide current updates and assistance.
- Marquette Spirit Shop (a limited supply of items will be available for purchase)

Pre-Game Reception
4:30 – 6 p.m.Off-Broadway Room, 5th floor
Cash Bar and complimentary snacks will be available

Game Time – 7 p.m.Madison Square Garden
Game Time – 9 p.m.Madison Square Garden

For more information, check the MUAA Website.

Official MSG website.

NYC tourism information site.

Update: First round bye chances for MU

Another week. Another win under Tom Crean's belt. Time to look at the race for the first round bye in the Big East tournament.

To those who want the bottom line, MU must win out, and one of two things must happen:
a. WVU must beat Pitt on Big Monday, 2/27
b. If Pitt beats WVU, then Cincy must also beat the Mountaineers on March 4th

When we last analyzed the race, the conclusion was that MU's chances for a buy rested on an upcoming February 27 contest between West Virginia and Pittsburgh. WVU losing four of their last six places them in a must win situation themselves--they must win at least one more game for a first round bye.

MU remains in the hunt--other teams with a possiblility--Georgetown, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia.

As before, for MU to have a shot, there is no room for error. TwoThree weeks ago, we said MU needs to sweep the home slate, and take two of three on the road from Rutgers, ND, and Louisville. With wins over Pitt and Georgetown, and now a road win over ND, we only have to win at struggling Louisville, and hold court against Providence to finish 11-5.

West Virginia is 10-4 with games against Pitt and Cincy.
Home: Pitt
Away: Cincy
WVU is in the drivers seat. Win both games--third place. Win just one of these games, and the Mountaineers still clinch third place. Lose both games, and they'll have to count on at least one MU loss amd a USF upset of Georgetown to get a bye.

Seton Hall is 7-7 after back to back losses to St. Johns and DePaul
Home: Cincy
Away: Pitt
They're done as far as a bye. They could help out MU by taking Pitt on March 3rd, but don't count on this happening.

Georgetown has improved to 10-5 with wins over Syracuse and Rutgers. With only USF left, they're likely to go 11-5 as well.
Away: USF
To get the buy, they need to hope that MU and/or WVU falters against UL or Providence. Any tie for them that involveds MU or WVU puts them at the short end of the stick

Pitt is 10-4 after rebounding from the loss to Marquette and beating Providence.
Home: Seton Hall
Away: WVU
We're still predicting the split with WVU--since Pitt won the first game, that gives this one to the Mountaineers. Then, they likely take Providence. Final record: 11-5.

Marquette has helped themselves with a big road win over Notre Dame, with a record of 9-5.
Home: Providence
Away: Louisville
MU needs to take Louisville and Providence to finish 11-5.

Now, the tiebreakers. There's only two things you need to know right now:
1. Barring upsets by others in the hunt, MU must win both road games.
2. The season comes down to Pitt at WVU on 2/27.

First, as a remineder, here's how the Big East tiebreakers work.
From the Big East tie-breaking forumula,
Teams are viewed as a “mini-conference” when comparing head-to-head results. The team with the best record (as determined by winning percentage, even if unequal games) vs. the other teams in the mini-conference gains the advantage.

If Pitt beats WVU (and all other games go as predicted above) Pitt takes 3rd place and WVU, MU, Georgetown will be tied for 4th. The mini-conference would look like this:
WVU: 3-0 (beat MU, sweep over GT)
MU: 1-1 (beat Georgetown, loss to WVU)
Georgetown: 0-3 (loss MU, two losses to WVU)
MU takes 5th seed and plays the first day.

If Pitt beats WVU, and WVU also loses to Cincy, and all other games play out as above:
Pitt takes 3rd place at 12-4
MU and Georgetown are tied at 11-5
WVU is 6th at 10-4
MU wins the tiebreaker with Georgetown.

If WVU beats Pitt:
WVU takes 3rd and Pitt, MU and Georgetown will be tied. The miniconference:
MU: 2-1 (split with Pitt, win over Georgetown)
Georgetwon 1-1 (beat Pitt, lost to MU)
Pitt: 1-2 (Loss to Georgetown, win over MU)

First Time Ever: Marquette sweeps ND and DePaul

The knock on MU this season in Big East play has been that they have been unable to close out big games. Not any more. After losing 2nd half leads to the likes of Cincy, Pittsburgh and Villanova earlier this season, MU made a strong statement over the last eight minutes against Notre Dame to win the game 80-72 in South Bend. MU finshed the game strong, overcomming a late five point deficit and a poor shooting night from Steve Novak to outscore the Irish 29 to 16 down the stretch.

The game marks Notre Dame’s worst loss since a November 28 contest against NC State, and is the first time in MU history that they have swept both DePaul and Notre Dame in the same season. MU had not swept ND since the 1938-39 season.

MU looked to be running the Irish out of their own house earlier in the game, twice making a big runs to take a 7 point lead and looking like they were going to take control of the game. Each time, Notre Dame responded, largely on the 3 point shooting of Russell Carter, eventually taking a 5 point lead with 7:48 to go.

With things looking tight for MU, a flurry of threes of their own (1 from Chapman, 1 from Fitzgerald and 2 from Novak) put MU on top for good. A Chris Grimm stuff capped the excitement before the game turned to a free-throw shooting contest.

Colin Falls and Chris Quinn were limited to just 4 of 21 from the floor.

Novak on 6 for 6 free throw shooting, led MU with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The win keeps MU in play for the final 4th place bye with Georgetown, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

Tom Crean’s post-game comments:
-- Wanted to make history – made the fact that MU never swept both DePaul and ND the focus of the week after learning the MU has never swept both ND and DePaul
-- Wanted to pressure Quinn and Falls
-- Having Wes Matthews back helped on the defensive pressure.
-- Novak did a great job late.
-- “How about Chris Grimm’s dunk”
-- Assistant Coaches have done a great job scouting
-- Challenged Ooze to be an impact player on the road—stepped up for us.
-- Got good contribution from Ryan Amoroso and Dwight Burke
-- Didn’t worry when ND was making their run—a couple of slight defensive adjustments at the next TV timeout. On the road, want to let the team play through it.
-- 35 minutes and no turnovers, a couple of blocked shots. Steve Novak becoming a complete player.
-- Team effort—great crowd from Milwaukee and Chicago that made the trip.
-- Great rivalry.
-- Got momentum through execution tonight.

GAME RECAPS
Chicago Tribune Recap (subscription required - free)

Journal Sentinel Recap

ESPN/AP Recap

GoMarquette.com recap

BOXSCORE

Palladium-Item (IN) recap

The Elkhart (IN) Truth recap

Media Roundup: MU/ND Previews

Here's a quick tour of the previews for tonight's game between Marquette and Notre Dame, which tips off at 6pm EST on ESPNU:

1. Chicago Tribune, "Quinn rates major assist as Irish battle for Big East life"
2. Chicago Tribune, "Marquette fears needy Irish"
3. University of Notre Dame Athletics preview, "Irish Set To Face Golden Eagles At The Joyce Center"
4. Irish Illustrated on Rivals.com, "Everything happens for a reason"
5. South Bend Tribune, "James Looking to Make Point"
6. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Being this good requires commitment"
7. Fightin Irish Insider, "Chance at Payback"
8. Marquette Hoops, "And Down The Stretch They Come"
9. GoMarquette.com, "Men's Basketball's Stretch Run Begins With Notre Dame"
10. Big East Basketball Report picks ND to top MU in their preview.

....And Down The Stretch Like They Come

Looking for a preview of the Marquette-Notre Dame game? Our preview is now up over at the MarquetteHoops site.

Check it out here - - - fire up, Marquette!

Media Roundup

Good morning Jerry Wainwright! Lacy J. Banks of the Chicago Sun-Times offers that the Irish are green with envy --- over Marquette basketball.

How many bids for the Big East? The Cincy Post asked the league's coaches in this report.

The Syracuse Post-Standard selects Dominic James as the Big East's ROY, places Steve Novak on the all conference team, and notes that Tom Crean is a front-runner for Coach of the Year.

The Cincy Post notes that the Irish need to finish strongly to secure a spot in the Big East tournament.

MarquetteHoops delivers a fine preview of the MU/ND game, loaded with fan perspectives.

Updated Big East TempoFreeStats

Team and individual stats updated through February 19.

Many thanks to mutpm for rebuilding both a hard drive and a database to run these numbers!!

Simply the (second) best

It has become quite clear that Marquette's own Dominic James will be the runaway winner of the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year award. Averaging 15.5 ppg, 5.4 apg, and 4.3 rpg overall and 16.8 ppg, 4.9 apg and 4.5 rpg in strictly BIG EAST action, and having won Rookie of the Week for 5 weeks this season, anyone would be crazy to question this point. But Freak Nique aside, who has been the BIG EAST's second best freshman performer? It may surprise non-Marquette fans, but a very strong case could be made for Marquette's other starting guard, Jerel McNeal. Let's take a look at the candidates:


Jerel McNeal, Marquette:
Overall stats: 11.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.2 spg, 45.3% FG%;
Conference stats: 11.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.2 spg, 41.0% FG%

Jerel has been an extremely solid performer for Marquette this year. His one major drawback is turnovers. On the year, Jerel is averaging 3.8 turnovers per game. However, this is made up for with his whopping 2.2 steals per game average, his glove-like defense, and his scoring prowess. It is telling that Jerel's points, rebounds and assists per game are actually higher in BIG EAST play... he is a big time performer and continues to improve as his freshman year moves on. That said, Jerel's shooting percentage has certainly tailed off in BIG EAST play. Clearly, Dominic is Marquette's top freshman performer, but a good case could be made that Marquette would also not be in its current position--on the verge of locking up a Tournament bid-- without the hard-nosed play of Mr. McNeal. His performance was made so much more important after the month-long loss of super frosh, Wes Matthews.


Eric Devendorf, Syracuse:
Overall stats: 12.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 3PM/game, 47.0% FG%
Conference stats: 14.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.4 3PM/game, 48.3% FG%

Devendorf was the consensus pick by the coaches for Freshman of the Year before the season began. After a relatively slow start, Eric has heated up big time in BIG EAST play. Comparing Devendorf to McNeal is a little hard to do. Clearly, Devendorf is more of a scorer than McNeal, but that may be made up for with Jerel's defensive numbers (rebounding and steals). In particular, compare McNeal's 57 steals to Devendorf's 13. While McNeal has 36 more turnovers this year, Devendorf's assist to turnover ratio isn't terrific either for an off guard... Devendorf is at 1:1 exactly, while McNeal is at 0.73/1. Syracuse has perhaps not lived up to expectations this year, but given the loss of Hakim Warrick last year and the bulking up of the BIG EAST, it perhaps is not that surprising. Syracuse has recently won some crucial games to put itself into strong contention to make the NCAA Tournament, and currently stands at 7-6 in conference. It is certainly a close call between Devendorf and McNeal.


Sharaud Curry, Providence
Overall stats: 11.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1 spg, 43.7% FG%
Conference stats: 11.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1 spg, 42.1% FG%

Curry has been a very pleasant surprise for Providence. He has been a consistently strong performer for the Friars all year at the point guard position. Curry also boasts a 1.4 assist to turnover ratio, better than either McNeal or Devendorf, and very impressive for a freshman point guard. Although Curry's individual numbers definitely compare favorably to those of McNeal and Devendorf, one would be hard pressed to say he has been a better freshman, considering Marquette is 8-5 in conference, Syracuse is 7-6, and Providence is 5-8.


Geoff McDermott, Providence
Overall stats: 9.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 42.4 FG%,
Conference stats: 6.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 34.9% FG%

McDermott has been another very impressive player for the Providence Friars. His rebounding stats are easily the best total for freshmen, and place him fifth in conference regardless of class. McDermott impressively also has almost 2 steals per game, a very good stat for a non-guard. The main problem with McDermott being considered for second best freshman is that his scoring average and FG percentage have dropped like a rock since conference play began. This ultimately dooms McDermott's candidacy.


Devan Downey, Cincinnati
Overall stats: 12.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, 2.6 rpg, 2.1 spg, 41.6% FG%
Conference stats: 9.5 ppg, 3.7 apg, 2.7 rpg, 2.1 spg, 35.0% FG%

Downey started out this season as the darkhorse favorite for Rookie of the Year honors. In non-conference play, he seemed on track to battle out for this award with Dominic James. However, although Downey has been an undeniably crucial cog in the undermanned, overachieving Bearcats squad, it is also the case that, like McDermott, Downey's scoring average and FG% have taken a big hit since BIG EAST play began. One very impressive stat that should be noted is Downey's 57 steals (equal to McNeal's 57, in one more game than McNeal has played). Downey is certainly a big threat on both ends of the court.


Wilson Chandler, DePaul
Overall stats: 9.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 42.8% FG%
Conference stats: 12.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 45.2% FG%

Chandler has very impressive stats for a freshman, but in this case, stats certainly don't tell the whole story. First of all, Chandler was suspended for two conference games for actions detrimental to the team. This has to be a huge knock against him in the final tally for freshman honors. Secondly, DePaul has been awful this year, so even though his stats on paper seem very similar to those of McDermott, they lose some of their luster when one considers the disastrous DePaul season. On a bright note, Chandler's scoring average and FG% has markedly improved since BIG EAST play, so there is no doubt he can compete in this league at a very high level.


Other freshmen of note:

Anthony Farmer, Rutgers, 8.8 ppg, 3.9 apg, 2.9 rpg
JR Inman, Rutgers, 8.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.9 bpg (Inman played 22 games, injured for year)
Wesley Matthews III, Marquette, 8.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.5 apg (injury took Wes out of 8 games)
Anthony Mason, Jr., St. John's: 8.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 spg
Sam Young, Pitt, 8.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Terrence Williams, Louisville, 7.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Paul Gause, Seton Hall, 6.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Jeff Adrien, UConn, 6.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg


It seems that the race for second best freshman likely comes down to Jerel McNeal and Eric Devendorf, when one considers overall stats, trend in BIG EAST play, and success of team. A better time to judge this race might be at the end of the year, when one can evaluate how both McNeal and Devendorf perform down the stretch. At this point, it appears a little too close to call. However, of course, the bloggers of Cracked Sidewalks endorse Jerel McNeal for the title of BIG EAST's second best freshman.

Updated Marquette stats

Here are some updated stats for Novak and the freshmen through the Pittsburgh game.

Stats of note:
* Novak is just 5 3PM behind Ray Allen for most three-pointers in a season in the BIG EAST (Allen had 102).
* Novak continues to creep closer to becoming the 6th player in MU history with 1500 points and 500 rebounds. The others are Don Kojis, Bo Ellis, Trevor Powell, Damon Key and George Thompson. Steve currently has 1471 points and 488 rebounds.
* Novak has tied Roney Eford for 12th place all-time in points (1471).
* Dominic James became the second freshman ever at Marquette to score 400 points in a season (Doc Rivers is the other). DJ is currently #2 for freshman points and assists and #1 in scoring average.



Novak stats


Career Points
1. George Thompson 1773
2. Butch Lee 1735
3. Travis Diener 1691
4. Brian Wardle 1690
5. Tony Smith 1688
6. Bo Ellis 1663
7. Damon Key 1647
8. Dean Meminger 1637
9. Trevor Powell 1571
10. Don Kojis 1504
11. Bob Wolf 1479
12. Roney Eford 1471
12. Steve Novak 1471
14. Aaron Hutchins 1439


Career 3PM
1. Steve Novak 330
2. Travis Diener 284


Career 3P%
1. Steve Novak 45.6%
2. Mark Anglavar 43.1%


Career FT%
1. Steve Novak 93.3%
2. Butch Lee 84.8%


3P% in a season
1. Mark Anglavar 53.5%
2. Steve Novak (03-04) 50.5%
3. Mark Anglavar 47.4%
4. Tony Miller 46.9%
5. Steve Novak 46.1% (04-05)
6. Steve Novak 45.3% (05-06)
7. Travis Diener 45.0%


3PM in a season
1. Steve Novak 97 (05-06)
2. Travis Diener 90
3. Steve Novak 89 (03-04)
3. Steve Novak 89 (04-05)


Senior 3PM
1. Steve Novak 97
2. Robb Logterman 75


Senior 3P%
1. Mark Anglavar 47.4%
2. David Diggs 46.0%
3. Steve Novak 45.3%
4. Robb Logterman 44.6%


Freshmen stats

Freshman points
1. Doc Rivers 434
2. Dominic James 402
3. Damon Key 383
4. Bo Ellis 378
5. Trevor Powell 322
6. Brian Wardle 319
7. Trevor Powell 311
8. Roney Eford 307
9. Russ Wittberger 299
10. Jerel McNeal 292
11. Dameon Mason 279


Freshman scoring avg
1. Dominic James 15.5 ppg
2. Doc Rivers 14.0
3. Damon Key 13.2
4. Bo Ellis 12.2
5. Russ Wittberger 12.0
6. Trevor Powell 11.9
7. Jerel McNeal 11.2
8. Roney Eford 11.0


Freshman FGM
1. Doc Rivers 182
2. Bo Ellis 167
3. Damon Key 151
4. Dominic James 150
5. Trevor Powell 139
6. Russ Wittberger 122
7. Terrell Schlundt 115
7. Jerel McNeal 115
9. Brian Wardle 109


Freshman FG%
1. Doc Rivers 55.3%
2. Bo Ellis 53.5%
3. Trevor Powell 52.7%
4. Damon Key 51.4%
5. Dwayne Johnson 50.5%
6. Tom Copa 50.2%
7. Roney Eford 45.6%
8. Jerel McNeal 45.3%
9. Dominic James 45.0%
10. Dameon Mason 44.0%


Freshman 3PM
1. Travis Diener 57
2. Steve Novak 55
3. Robb Logterman 54
4. Brian Wardle 46
5. Mark Anglavar 43
6. Dominic James 36
7. Anthony Pieper 30


Freshman FT%
1. Wesley Matthews 82.5%*
2. Damon Key 81.6%
3. Roney Eford 79.5%
4. Brian Wardle 77.5%
5. Tony Smith 75.3%
6. Jerel McNeal 74.2%
7. Dameon Mason 71.0%
8. Shannon Smith 70.0%
9. Tom Copa 65.1%
10. Dominic James 64.1%
* Wesley is still short on the attempts needed to qualify for this statistic.


Freshman FTM
1. Damon Key 80
2. Dameon Mason 76
3. Doc Rivers 70
4. Dominic James 66
5. Roney Eford 62
6. Tony Smith 61
7. Shannon Smith 56
8. Brian Wardle 55
8. Jim McIlvaine 55
8. Russ Wittberger 55
11. Tom Copa 54
* Jerel McNeal 49
* Wesley Matthews 47


Freshman Assists
1. Tony Miller 221
2. Dominic James 140
3. Doc Rivers 112
4. Cordell Henry 93
5. Robb Logterman 89
6. Travis Diener 86
7. Mark Anglavar 79
8. Jerel McNeal 72
9. Michael Wilson 69
10. Mandy Johnson 64


Freshman Blocks
1. Jim McIlvaine 92
2. Trevor Powell 29
2. Tom Copa 29
4. Scott Merritt 25
5. Charles Luter 19
6. Oluoma Nnamaka 15
6. Tony Reeder 15
8. Rod Grosse 14
9. Jerel McNeal 13
9. Brian Wardle 13


Freshman Steals
1. Doc Rivers 61
2. Jerel McNeal 57
3. Dominic James 42
4. Tony Miller 40
4. Tony Smith 40
6. Travis Diener 39
7. Mark Anglavar 37
8. Kerry Trotter 33
9. Michael Sims 32
10. Cordell Henry 29
* Wesley Matthews 25


Freshman Rebounding %
1. Bo Ellis 8.5
2. Trevor Powell 6.0
3. Damon Key 5.7
4. Odartey Blankson 5.5
5. Oluoma Nnamaka 4.9
6. Jim McIlvaine 4.7
7. Jerel McNeal 4.5
7. Tom Copa 4.5
7. Dameon Mason 4.5
10. Tony Miller 4.4
11. Dominic James 4.3
12. Wes Matthews 4.2

Marquette clinches Big East Tournament berth

With the overtime loss by Notre Dame last night at UCONN, Marquette has clinched a berth into the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Only 12 of the 16 teams make the tournament. At the beginning of the season there were many pundits that believed MU would not make it. The media picked Marquette to finish 12th in the league which meant they were the last team to make it to New York. With three games remaining, Marquette is currently tied in 5th place but holds the tiebreaker over Georgetown.


Congratulations to Marquette, the players and the coaching staff.

We will see you in New York.

First Round Bye Update: Root for WVU over Pitt on 2/27

Two weeks have passed since our last analysis on MU's chances to earn a first round bye to the Big East Tournament.

Things should be clearer today, right?

Wrong.

By losing four of their last five, West Virginia has placed 3rd place into play. Only Villanova and UConn appear to be safe first-round byes in Big East tournament.

Let's update the race. The good news: MU definitely has a chance.

Other teams still in the hunt--Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and West Virginia.

Syracuse was in the hunt last time, but have had losses to UConn and Cincy since then, giving them six losses on the season. We still believe that 11-5 is the minimum record for the 4th place bye, so for now, Syracuse is out, as are the resurgent Cincinnati Bearcats.

As before, for MU to have a shot, there is no room for error. Two weeks ago, we said MU needs to sweep the home slate, and take two of three on the road from Rutgers, ND, and Louisville. With victories over Pitt and Georgetown in the bag, MU should be able to keep the first half of that requirement. The season rests on taking ND and Louisville on the road.

Seton Hall is 7-5 after the upset loss to Notre dame
Home: Cincy
Away: St. Johns, Pitt, DePaul
A strong finish and they could still Cincy at home and St. Johns and DePaul on the road. But @Pitt seems a stretch. Pencil them in for 10-6

Georgetown has fallen to 8-5 three straight losses. Despite what looked to be the easiest path to a bye in our prior analysis, they've probably played themselves into a much less certain picture.
Home: Rutgers, Syracuse
Away: USF
The problem isn't that they are capable of a sweep of their final home games. It's that at 8-5, they fall short in anything but a head-to-head tie with Pitt. Any tie that involveds MU or WVU puts them at the short end of the stick

Pitt is 9-4 after MU's win on Saturday.
Home: PC, Seton Hall
Away: WVU
We're still predicting the split with WVU--since Pitt won the first game, that gives this one to the Mountaineers. Then, they likely take Providence Seton Hall. Final record: 11-5.

Marquette has helped themselves with wins over Pitt and Georgetown, with a record of 8-5.
Home: Providence
Away: Notre Dame, Louisville
Taking care of business against Providence, the season rests on the three road games. MU needs to take ND and Louisville to finish 11-5.

Now, the tiebreakers. There's only two things you need to know right now:
1. Barring upsets by others in the hunt, MU must win both road games.
2. The season comes down to Pitt at WVU on 2/27.

First, as a remineder, here's how the Big East tiebreakers work.
From the Big East tie-breaking forumula,

Teams are viewed as a “mini-conference” when comparing head-to-head results. The team with the best record (as determined by winning percentage, even if unequal games) vs. the other teams in the mini-conference gains the advantage.

If Pitt beats WVU (and all other games go as predicted above) Pitt takes 3rd place and WVU, MU, Georgetown will be tied for 4th. The mini-conference would look like this:
WVU: 3-0 (beat MU, sweep over GT)
MU: 1-1 (beat Georgetown, loss to WVU)
Georgetown: 0-3 (loss MU, two losses to WVU)
MU takes 5th seed and plays the first day.

If WVU beats Pitt, they take 3rd and Pitt, MU and Georgetown will be tied:
MU: 2-1 (split with Pitt, win over Georgetown)
Georgetwon 1-1 (beat Pitt, lost to MU)
Pitt: 1-2 (Loss to Georgetown, win over MU)

Let's make things a bit more interesting. Say that Seton Hall manages the road upset at Pitt to give them an 11-5 record. If Pitt beats WVU, then Pitt, WVU, MU, Georgetown and Seton Hall will be in a 5 way tie for 3rd with 11-5 records:
WVU: 4-2 (split with pitt, sweep of georgetown, beat MU, lost to Seton hall)
SHU: 2-1 (beat Pitt, loss to MU, beat WVU)
MU: 3-2 (win over SHU, split with Pitt, loss to WVU, beat Georgetown)
Pitt: 2-4 (wins over MU, WVU and losses to WVU, SHU, MU and Georgetown)
Georgetown 1-3 (sweep by WVU, loss to MU, beat Pitt)
In this scenario, Seton Hall and WVU would get the byes.

Same scenario, if WVU tops Pitt: WVU is in sole possession of 3rd and MU, Seton Hall, Georgetown are tied for 4th at 11-5. Pitt drops to 10-6.
MU: 2-0 (wins over SHU and Georgetown)
Georgetown 0-1 (loss to MU)
SHU: 0-1 (loss to MU)

Media Roundup

The Marquette Trib says MU is one step closer.

Long-time MU detractor Yoni Cohen gives MU a shout-out in his lastest column, saying that "few expected Golden Eagles freshmen Dominic James and Jerel McNeal to routinely help lift Marquette past the nation's best."

The Courier-News (New Jersey) proclaims, Marquette's made its case for NCAAs.

"We've beaten UConn, played Villanova great with the exception of a couple minutes and have two high-ranked wins this week," Crean said following the Pittsburgh win Saturday. "When you look at all the criteria -- (winning) big games, going on the road and winning like we did early in the conference season, winning a (preseason)tournament like we did -- all those things are in our favor. But the most important thing is that we keep getting better."

Dominic James Big East Rookie of the Week...AGAIN!

For the fifth time this year Dominic James has been named the Big East Rookie of the Year. He should be a mortal lock for Big East Freshman of the Year.


Big East Players of the week here

Chicago Tribune: Novak and MU

Good morning, Jerry Wainwright!

Here's latest effort from Dan McGrath at the Chicago Tribune.

#20 Retired to the rafters...Maurice Lucas

Photo courtesy of Alum91


At halftime of last night's game, one of Marquette's great all-time players had his number 20 retired to the rafters. Though he only played two years at Marquette, Maurice Lucas was one of MU's most important player in bringing the program to the pinnacle of it's historic heights. Lucas helped lead Marquette to the 1974 championship game against North Carolina State. He played all 40 minutes and led the Warriors with 21 points and 13 rebounds in defeat to the Wolfpack.

Lucas was named MVP of that 1973-74 squad and was named a 2nd team All-American. In 1974 he left school early and was drafted in the first round in both the ABA (Carolina) and the NBA (Chicago). He played 14 seasons in the NBA including a magical season in 1977 when he averaged 20.2 points per game and captured a NBA title with the Portland Trailblazers. He was an NBA All-Star four times and an ABA All-Star once. He also was voted one of the Greatest 30 ABA players in history. In 1991 he was inducted into the Marquette University Hall of Fame.


Do you have a favorite story and memory of THE ENFORCER? Click on the comments section and share it with us and we will publish it.




Maurice Lucas career NBA statistics here


Maurice Lucas Wikipedia entry here

Thank You Sir May I Have Another!!

Marquette knocks down another ranked team in a span of 48 hours as they defeated #9 Pittsburgh 84-82 tonight in front of 19,007 fans. It was the largest crowd to watch a college basketball game in the state of Wisconsin ever.

Steve Novak scored 27 points to lead MU in the victory. Marquette is now 6-0 when Novak scores 20 or more points. The victory gives MU 8 Big East wins and guarantees them a non-losing conference season in their inaugural season in the league.

The game in general was another cardiac treat for MU and its fans. These guys sure love to play havoc with our nerves and tonight was no exception. Pitt jumped out to the early lead in the first half on strength of Aaron Gray and the outside shooting of Fields and Krauser. The Panthers led 30-24 at the 6:49 minute mark on a Krauser three pointer. MU then went on a 12-2 run largely on the shooting of Wes Matthews and Steve Novak. After Pitt managed to tie the game at 36-36, the Golden Eagles dropped in two more three pointers by Novak and Chapman and ultimately led 44-41 at the halftime.

During halftime MU retired the number of Maurice Lucas. More on that later in a separate blog post.

The second half started like the first half with Pitt scoring the first two baskets and retaking the lead at 45-44. The game see-sawed the next few minutes until Marquette seized a mini-lead on three pointers by Novak and McNeal to push MU to a 57-53 advantage. Minutes later MU added to their lead and seemed poised to put Pitt away when Dan Fitzgerald's three pointer gave MU a 68-58 edge with 9:46 left, the largest lead for either club all night.

The Panthers would not go away, however. Over the next 6:46 the Panthers outscored MU 19-10 to cut the lead to one point with three minutes to play. A Steve Novak three at the 2:55 mark pushed the lead back up to four points until Ronald Ramon answered with his own three cutting it to an 81-80 MU lead with less than two minutes to play.

This is when the 19,007 hearts and those watching and listening at home really began to pound. MU was able to get a close in look by Wes Matthews who missed about a 5 footer. Fortunately Barro grabbed the offensive rebound, MU's tenth offensive rebound of the night and brought it back out for us to reset. Tom Crean signaled a timeout at 1:17 to create a play. Unfortunately the kids weren't able to execute or Pitt just shut down our options and MU was forced to call another timeout by an obviously frustrated Crean with 5 seconds left on the shot clock and :46 on the game clock. They ran a curl up top for Novak to come off several screens. Pitt defended it very well and Novak's shot didn't even draw iron forcing a shot clock violation. Pitt ball down one point and they call a timeout with :36 remaining.

Jamie Dixon drew up a play for Aaron Gray and the play worked well. The ball was thrown into the key where Gray dribbled and turned to his left causing Barro to rake him across the arms and a foul with :26 left. Gray to the line shooting two. He was 2 for 3 at that point at the line. Two attempts later he was 2 for 5 as he missed both and MU secured the rebound. Instead of Pitt fouling immediately, they allowed MU to bring the ball up court and burn 14 seconds. More importantly was MU's ability to put the ball into Novak's hands at the end of those 14 seconds when Pitt finally fouled. Money time. Novak hit both free throws and the Golden Eagles led 83-80 with 11 seconds.

Pitt now had to take a three to tie the game and a three point attempt they got. Ramon missed a tough attempt which Gray managed to rebound under the basket. Instead of kicking the ball back out for a tying three, he went up and made a two pointer from about 6 feet with plenty of bumping going on. No call but the basket counted and the horn sounded off for a MU victory, players and fans going crazy and Tom Crean shaking hands.....until....

But wait a minute....upon further the refs decided there were still 0.2 seconds left on the clock when Gray's shot went in. MU would have to inbound the ball again. Crean huddled the players for the final strategy plan of the game. Before the ball was in bounded Pitt fouled Joe Chapman but were not called for an intentional foul. The senior knocked down the first shot to make it 84-82. On the second shot he missed (intentionally I could not tell) and Pitt grabbed the rebound and threw it the length of the court as the horn sounded. I doubt the shot would have counted if it had gone, but it didn't so the game was over for a second time. MU is now 18-8 and 8-5 in the Big East.

Dominic James finished with 16 points while Wes Matthews chipped in 13. Chris Grimm added 4 points to the cause and played another solid defensive game in the post. It was the third time in Marquette history that we beat ranked teams back to back in the same season (regular season games only).


GoMarquette.com game story, game notes, quotes

Todd Rosiak article here

Pittsburgh Post Gazette article here

Associated Press article here

Boxscore here

Know your Opponent: Pitt Panthers

OK, here's the Pitt preview courtesy of Chas Rich of the PittSportsBlather.

Also, pls see our MU preview on his site right here. Many, many thanks to Chas and Marquette92 for their time and effort on these previews.

1) Aaron Gray has continued his dominant play but might have tweaked an ankle against PC. What's his status?

He came back into the game after only a couple minutes off the court. All appears to be well.

2) In the second half of the first meeting between these two, the Panthers backcourt took over....how have Ramon and Krauser played of late?

Krauser has not been hitting his shots lately. Especially in the first half. It almost seems like he is pressing, which tends to make things worse until halftime. The shots start falling later in the game. The thing is, Krauser keeps playing the rest of the game. Against Providence he shot horribly in the first half, picked up 3 fouls and played only 9 minutes. In the second half, he shot better, but more importantly he had 6 of his 7 assists.

Ramon has just looked more confident further into the season. His stroke has gotten a lot more consistent and he is taking greater pride in the way he is playing defense.

3) Jamie Dixon is making a strong case for Big East coach of the year. What's the most impressive aspect of his work this season to date?

His use of the roster and a deep bench. Last year, he seemed stubborn for not using some of the freshmen and sophomores much. Keeping his rotation too short and it seemed hindering the development. It was looking like a huge flaw.

This year, he has been willing to go 10 deep even late in the conference schedule. He has managed to keep everyone happy and use players effectively. Against a depth-deprived Cinci team he used the the depth of his team to actually speed up the game to wear down the Bearcats rather than give them a chance late. With the notable exception of the Georgetown game, he has been very good this year with halftime adjustments.

4) Since the last time MU and Pitt played, have the Panthers improved or regressed. In which areas?

The one area Pitt has regressed has been in turnovers. There has just been some sloppy ball handling for stretches in the game. Points where it seems the entire team brainlocks. Sometimes it hurts (Georgetown) and sometimes they get away with it (Cinci).

Improvement has continued from the bench. Both Keith Benjamin and Sam Young have been playing smarter, better and more. Both are players that have nice short jumpers but also enjoy/relish attacking the basket. With them playing more it adds a new wrinkle beyond simply perimeter and dumping into Gray.

5) MU has nickname issues, and Pitt has flipflopped on names to a degree....what was the genesis of Pitt to Pittsburgh to Pitt?

The one great error of former AD Steve Pederson (well that and changing the colors). Pitt athletics, to be kind, were in the dumps for most of the 90s. Old, outdated facilities (charming, but old and decrepit) were part of the problem. Pederson decided that the colors were too -- well I don't know what -- but like the San Diego Chargers he went to a more corporate/bland blue and gold. I tend to call it an Indiana rip off -- Purdue gold and ND Blue.

He also decided that the moniker -- Pitt -- too often was being utilized to degrade the school. So he issued a decree/press release that it would be Pittsburgh not Pitt. I still have nightmares of when Sportscenter (with Patrick and Olbermann) in 95 read the press release with the appropriate levels of sarcasm in their voices. My roommate and classmates in law school gave me shit about that for days. To which I could only say, "it's Pitt. It always will be."

After nearly a decade of trying and failing to go with Pittsburgh, the Athletic department finally went back to Pitt, albeit with block letters. I am fairly sure that there has been a lightening of the blue this season, though not officially stated.

From what I understand, as to why the script Pitt is not used by the athletic department any longer is money. The school not the athletic department actually owns the script Pitt logo. So the school takes a cut from any script Pitt merchandise.

6) Other than Gray, who is playing above expectations for the Panthers right now?

The bench. Specifically Keith Benjamin, Sam Young and Levance Fields.

Benjamin is a sophomore who has really come on in the last couple of weeks as he finally looks comfortable playing defense. He has always been so eager on offense, but at Pitt it is defense first. It has finally sunk in, and his offense has actually flourished.

Young and Fields are Freshmen and while a lot was expected from them because of their reputation and talent, it has been the speed with which they have acclimated and fit right into the system.

7) What is the most encouraging trend for the Panthers since they last played MU......what is the most discouraging (backcourt defense? - McGrath had a nice game a few days ago)

The Offense has been looking even better in recent games -- not quite the slow start that Pitt had fallen into for a while. Defense has been steady.

Don't read too much into McGrath's game, regarding the backcourt D. Providence was setting a lot of well executed screens and picks to free up McGrath. He shot an excellent 10-16 (FG%=62.5; eFG%=81.25). The rest of the team was a pedestrian 15-38 (FG%=39.5; eFG%=42.1).

The most discouraging has been that turnovers have been on the high side the last few games. Really, though, for this game, the most discouraging thing has been that Pitt has shot the ball so poorly from 3-point range in away games versus at home. All other numbers tend to remain stable.

Chas, thanks once again!

A Pre-Preview For Pitt

We'll have a Q/A with Chas Rich, the mastermind behind the PittSportsBlather, later today.....that'll get us all updated on the state of Jamie Dixon's crew.

In the interim, here's a bit from Chas on Gearing Up for The Golden Eagles. Check his site later today for a Q/A completed by Marquette92 as well.

Also, here's an entire article full of bulletin board material from tonight's opponent. I especially liked the bit about Dominic James being 'timid' in the game at The Pete. Let's face it -- he was outplaying the Panthers backcourt before hurting the shoulder (and landed up with 16 pts, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists against 0 turnovers in that game). Gotta love love homer beat reporters and a potentially overconfident opponent, I guess.

Here's the MarquetteHoops preview of tonight's game. BTW, the game looks to be close to a sellout.

Pls check back in later today for more preview info.

Updated Stats through Georgetown

Congrats to Steve Novak for becoming the all-time leader for 3PM in a season (92). Steve passed Travis Diener with Travis looking on in the front row during the Georgetown game. Two other stats of note:

* Dominic James vaulted from 4th to 2nd place all-time for freshman points (386).
* Steve Novak shot his way past Aaron Hutchins for 13th place all-time in career points (1444).

Here's a look at some updated stats:


Novak stats:

Career Points Career 3PM
1. George Thompson 1773
2. Butch Lee 1735
3. Travis Diener 1691
4. Brian Wardle 1690
5. Tony Smith 1688
6. Bo Ellis 1663
7. Damon Key 1647
6. Bo Ellis 1663
7. Damon Key 1647
8. Dean Meminger 1637
9. Trevor Powell 1571
10. Don Kojis 1504
11. Bob Wolf 1479
12. Roney Eford 1471
13. Steve Novak 1444
14. Aaron Hutchins 1439


Career 3PM
1. Steve Novak 325
2. Travis Diener 284


Career 3P%
1. Steve Novak 45.8%
2. Mark Anglavar 43.1%


Career FT%
1. Steve Novak 93.1%
2. Butch Lee 84.8%


3P% in a season
1. Mark Anglavar 53.5%
2. Steve Novak (03-04) 50.5%
3. Mark Anglavar 47.4%
4. Tony Miller 46.9%
5. Steve Novak 46.1% (04-05)
6. Steve Novak 45.8% (05-06)
7. Travis Diener 45.0%


3PM in a season
1. Steve Novak 92 (05-06)
2. Travis Diener 90
3. Steve Novak 89 (03-04)
3. Steve Novak 89 (04-05)


Senior 3PM
1. Steve Novak 92
2. Robb Logterman 75


Senior 3P%
1. Mark Anglavar 47.4%
2. David Diggs 46.0%
3. Steve Novak 45.8%
4. Robb Logterman 44.6%


Freshmen stats:

Freshman points
1. Doc Rivers 434
2. Dominic James 386
3. Damon Key 383
4. Bo Ellis 378
5. Trevor Powell 322
6. Brian Wardle 319
7. Trevor Powell 311
8. Roney Eford 307
9. Russ Wittberger 299
10. Jerel McNeal 283
11. Dameon Mason 279


Freshman scoring avg
1. Dominic James 15.4 ppg
2. Doc Rivers 14.0
3. Damon Key 13.2
4. Bo Ellis 12.2
5. Russ Wittberger 12.0
6. Trevor Powell 11.9
7. Jerel McNeal 11.4
8. Roney Eford 11.0



Freshman FGM
1. Doc Rivers 182
2. Bo Ellis 167
3. Damon Key 151
4. Dominic James 143
5. Trevor Powell 139
6. Russ Wittberger 122
7. Terrell Schlundt 115
8. Jerel McNeal 112
9. Brian Wardle 109


Freshman FG%
1. Doc Rivers 55.3%
2. Bo Ellis 53.5%
3. Trevor Powell 52.7%
4. Damon Key 51.4%
5. Dwayne Johnson 50.5%
6. Tom Copa 50.2%
7. Roney Eford 45.6%
8. Dominic James 45.5%
9. Jerel McNeal 45.2%
10. Dameon Mason 44.0%



Freshman 3PM
1. Travis Diener 57
2. Steve Novak 55
3. Robb Logterman 54
4. Brian Wardle 46
5. Mark Anglavar 43
6. Dominic James 36
7. Anthony Pieper 30


Freshman FT%
1. Wesley Matthews 81.8%*
2. Damon Key 81.6%
3. Roney Eford 79.5%
4. Brian Wardle 77.5%
5. Tony Smith 75.3%
6. Jerel McNeal 73.4%
7. Dameon Mason 71.0%
8. Shannon Smith 70.0%
9. Tom Copa 65.1%
10. Dominic James 64.0%
* Wesley is still short on the attempts needed to qualify for this statistic.



Freshman FTM
1. Damon Key 80
2. Dameon Mason 76
3. Doc Rivers 70
4. Dominic James 64
5. Roney Eford 62
6. Tony Smith 61
7. Shannon Smith 56
8. Brian Wardle 55
8. Jim McIlvaine 55
8. Russ Wittberger 55
11. Tom Copa 54
* Jerel McNeal 47
* Wesley Matthews 45


Freshman Assists
1. Tony Miller 221
2. Dominic James 134
3. Doc Rivers 112
4. Cordell Henry 93
5. Robb Logterman 89
6. Travis Diener 86
7. Mark Anglavar 79
8. Jerel McNeal 72
9. Michael Wilson 69
10. Mandy Johnson 64



Freshman Blocks
1. Jim McIlvaine 92
2. Trevor Powell 29
2. Tom Copa 29
4. Scott Merritt 25
5. Charles Luter 19
6. Oluoma Nnamaka 15
6. Tony Reeder 15
8. Rod Grosse 14
9. Jerel McNeal 13
9. Brian Wardle 13



Freshman Steals
1. Doc Rivers 61
2. Jerel McNeal 55
3. Dominic James 41
4. Tony Miller 40
4. Tony Smith 40
6. Travis Diener 39
7. Mark Anglavar 37
8. Kerry Trotter 33
9. Michael Sims 32
10. Cordell Henry 29
* Wesley Matthews 25


Freshman Rebounding %
1. Bo Ellis 8.5
2. Trevor Powell 6.0
3. Damon Key 5.7
4. Odartey Blankson 5.5
5. Oluoma Nnamaka 4.9
6. Jim McIlvaine 4.7
7. Jerel McNeal 4.6
8. Tom Copa 4.5
8. Dameon Mason 4.5
10. Tony Miller 4.4
11. Dominic James 4.3
12. Wes Matthews 4.2

Ring Up A Hoya. MU beats #17 Georgetown Hoyas

Marquette defeats #17 Georgetown 57-51 on National Marquette Day.

MU survived an early Georgetown onslaught to start the game and a 14-4 run at the end of the game but somehow managed to not let this one slip away.

It was a low scoring game and a physical one from start to finish. The Hoyas established an inside game early going 5 for 5 in the first five minutes of the game, all points coming from the paint. MU trailed 6-0 and 14-7 before Tom Crean then switched to a zone defense and it was very effective it allowing MU back into the game. The Hoyas went to the perimeter and they were stone cold. Some great defense by Barro and Grimm on the post held the Hoyas big men at bay. The Warriors (as Rick Majerus referred to them on the broadcast at least 5 times) finally caught GU at 22-22 with 4:15 left in the first half. MU extended that lead to complete their 14-1 run by on a reverse dunk by Dominic James which gave MU a 29-22 lead. The Hoyas added the last basket of the half to trail 29-24.

In the second half, MU struggled a bit out of the gate but then looked to possibly run away with the game. At the 7 minute mark MU led 44-35 and controlled the tempo. Then the collapse started, a collapse we have seen on several occasions with this young squad this year. Then James left due to cramping in his legs again. Turnovers, made three pointers by Georgetown and suddenly MU was in big trouble. At the 4:00 minute mark the Hoyas made a 3 pointer to take a 49-48 lead. MU's NCAA hopes were about to take a huge hit.

At 2:52 a timeout gave the boys a chance to catch their breath and setup an inbounds play that worked to perfection. Dominic James drove the baseline and kicked to an open senior...no, not that senior but Joe Chapman. Chaps nailed a 3 pointer at 2:33 left to put MU back on top 51-49. MU never trailed again. A minute later Dominic James threw up a floater that looked like a bad shot but somehow went in to give MU the 53-49 lead. They clamped down on defense and hit their free throws in the final seconds to put the game away and move to 7-5 in the conference and 17-8 overall.



#9 Pittsburgh comes into Milwaukee on Saturday.

Todd Rosiak Article here

Associated Press Recap here



Boxscore here

Media Roundup: Marquette/Georgetown Previews

Here's the Media Roundup for tonight's game. Tipoff is at 8pm EST on ESPN. Happy National Marquette Day! --

The Washington Post, "For Hoyas, Tough Road Test"

The Washington Times, "Hoyas face challenging road"

MarquetteHoops, "Hoya Paranoia Comes To Milwaukee"

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Eagles facing key tests"

CSTV, "No. 17 Georgetown Plays at Marquette Thursday in Key BIG EAST Matchup"

GoMarquette.com, "Men's Basketball Looks to Bounce Back Against No. 17 Georgetown"

Marquette Tribune, "Ring out a (Georgetown) Hoya"

HoyaSaxa.com, "Georgetown Basketball: Pre-Game Report"

Yahoo! Sports game preview

Hoya Paranoia Comes to Milwaukee

Our blog is one of several online communities devoted to Marquette basketball. Realizing that many fans make the rounds at these sites, we thought we'd try something different with our Georgetown game preview.

We've previewed the game on Marquette Hoops over on Scout.com. John Dodds and his team do a fine job with that community, and we'll do our best to contribute there from time to time (as we did with the Rutgers preview over the weekend) -- and down the line, we'll have some surprises here on the blog as well.

Regardless, we'll keep the content flowing here on Cracked Sidewalks - so keep those bookmarks in order.

For now, here's the preview of the Marquette game against Georgetown on Thursday night.

Know Your Opponent: Georgetown Hoyas

OK folks, its time to get smarter on one the charter members of the Big East, the Georgetown Hoyas. Coach John Thompson III has rekindled Hoya Paranoia, and the editors at HoyaSaxa.com took the time to let us know what to expect on Thursday night. Many thanks for the effort, guys.

1) Georgetown is a remarkably balanced team, with six players averaging between 9 and 12ppg. Who is the Hoyas' go-to guy?

Georgetown's strength all year has been in turning to four or five different options for scoring, but the recent play of 6-8 forward Jeff Green has been at the forefront.

Green has led the team in scoring in three of the last five games, and for the season averages 12 points and 6.4 rebounds a game. Surprisingly, he is second on the team in assists and averages only two fouls a game despite playing inside. He is remarkably adaptive to slower or up-tempo play.

2) How would you characterize Georgetown's play?

Much has been made in the press about the "Princeton style" of play that coach John Thompson III learned under Pete Carril, but Thompson's play is not a slowdown game. In a different sense, it bears a resemblance to the motion offense seen in John Beilein's West Virginia team--a pass oriented offense which opens up opportunities both on the perimeter and down low. This was particularly effective in the Jan. 21 win over then-#1 Duke.

3) Which teams give the Hoyas the most trouble (in terms of style of play)? Which teams do the Hoyas have the most success against?

West Virginia posed a problem because the motion offense was so familiar to them. It's hard to say which types of teams the Hoyas have had the most success against, but teams that do not adjust to Georgetown's offensive sets can play to its favor.

4) The Hoyas have won seven of their last eight, and look to have turned the corner this year. What 'clicked' with this team?

Getting to understand Thompson's offensive game plan takes time and this season still remains a work in progress. The style of play is a considerable departure from the style employed by Thompson's father and by Craig Esherick, which focused a game plan built on defensive intensity. In 2000, for example, Georgetown shot only 39% from the field but collected upwards of 43 rebounds a game and worked to physically wear down opponents. In 2006, Georgetown's rebounds are down to only 32 a game but the shooting is up to 48%, which is substantially more efficient on a per possession basis.

5) Jeff Green is heating up, averaging nearly 17ppg in the last seven games. Has Green emerged as the Hoya's top threat?

As threats go, 7-2 Roy Hibbert is capable of the big game, and there aren't many Big East teams with centers matching his ability close to the basket. The style of play often dictates Hibbert's effectiveness, though, and his time was limited in the West Virginia game as a result.

6) Green and Bowman are two of the Big East's best. Which player on the Hoyas roster have we not heard about but could surprise on Thursday night?

Georgetown does not go deep on its bench but graduate student Darrel Owens is an effective three point shooter off the bench.

7) What was the reaction when the Big East expanded to include the five universities from Conference USA?

It's generally been well received. Much of the indigestion about expansion has come from I-A football fans that wanted teams like Memphis or East Carolina, but those schools didn't fit the Big East's needs. DePaul and Marquette will hold their own in the league.

Of the five schools, Georgetown had a long running series with DePaul in the 1980's and 1990, but little or no history with the other schools. The last time Georgetown and Marquette met date was in the 1971 Milwaukee Classic.

It will be interesting to see how Marquette grows over the next four years. While it would be great to see Marquette football rejoin Georgetown and Villanova on the Division I-AA gridiron, MU's present philosophy seems to dictate otherwise. With both the Bradley Center and the Al McGuire Center in place, the ability of the school to take additional steps to build the overall athletic program will prove interesting.

Thanks again, guys. For the latest and greatest on Georgetown basketball, please visit HoyaSaxa.

The Bloody Big East; Dominic James over Dee Brown?

Tony Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution evaluates the exceptionally deep and talented Big East (which has nine teams in the RPI top 33 - incredible). The article sheds some light on the decision to limit the Big East tournament to the top 12 regular season finishers -- and includes Dick Vitale's role as Predictable Sycophant for both Notre Dame and Louisville. Barnhart also take a look at the unbalanced schedule, which is likely to change next season.

Here's the link.

MU alum and sports columnist Mike Nadel compares Dominic James to Dee Brown in his latest effort. You be the judge:

Dee or Dom?
Dee Brown is averaging 14.8 points on 37 percent shooting for a good (not great) Illinois team that started the season fantastically but has struggled lately.

Dominic James is averaging 15.4 points on 46 percent shooting for a good (not great) Marquette team that started wonderfully but has hit the skids lately. (Full disclosure time: I'm a Marquette alum.)

Both stand a shade under 6 feet. Both are cheetah quick. Both have exactly 38 steals. Brown is shooting slightly better from 3-point range and has a few more assists while James, an explosive leaper who often dunks, is a superior rebounder and gets to the foul line more often. Both seem to have great heart.

Brown regularly appears on all-America lists. James sometimes doesn't even get mentioned in discussions about the nation's top freshmen.

It doesn't compute.

Read the entire article, including more on this comparison here.

Stats Watch: Where do Steve and the Fab 3 rank all-time at Marquette?

After a disappointing game at Rutgers, it might be good to step back and take a look at just how special some of these current players are, especially when one considers how they stack up against some of the all-time greats in Marquette history. I will be updating these stats regularly...

Steve Novak: 1425 career points and 482 career rebounds. Novak is on pace to become only the 6th player in MU history with 1500 points and 500 rebounds (Kojis, Thompson, Ellis, Powell and Key are the others).

Career Points
1. George Thompson 1773
2. Butch Lee 1735
3. Travis Diener 1691
4. Brian Wardle 1690
5. Tony Smith 1688
6. Bo Ellis 1663
7. Damon Key 1647
8. Dean Meminger 1637
9. Trevor Powell 1571
10. Don Kojis 1504
11. Bob Wolf 1479
12. Roney Eford 1471
13. Aaron Hutchins 1439
14. Steve Novak 1425
15. Mike Moran 1355


Career 3PM
1. Steve Novak 320
2. Travis Diener 284


Career 3P%
1. Steve Novak 45.6%
2. Mark Anglavar 43.1%


Career FT%
1. Steve Novak 93.0%
2. Butch Lee 84.8%


3PM in a season
1. Travis Diener 90
2. Steve Novak 89 (03-04)
2. Steve Novak 89 (04-05)
4. Steve Novak 87 (05-06)


3P% in a season
1. Mark Anglavar 53.5%
2. Steve Novak (03-04) 50.5%
3. Mark Anglavar 47.4%
4. Tony Miller 46.9%
5. Steve Novak 46.1% (04-05)
6. Steve Novak 45.1% (05-06)
7. Travis Diener 45.0%


Senior 3PM
1. Steve Novak 87
2. Robb Logterman 75


Senior 3P%
1. Mark Anglavar 47.4%
2. David Diggs 46.0%
3. Steve Novak 45.1%
4. Robb Logterman 44.6%


Freshmen points
1. Doc Rivers 434
2. Damon Key 383
3. Bo Ellis 378
4. Dominic James 370
5. Trevor Powell 322
6. Brian Wardle 319
7. Trevor Powell 311
8. Roney Eford 307
9. Russ Wittberger 299
10. Dameon Mason 279
11. Jerel McNeal 273


Freshman scoring avg
1. Dominic James 15.4 ppg
2. Doc Rivers 14.0
3. Damon Key 13.2
4. Bo Ellis 12.2
5. Russ Wittberger 12.0
6. Trevor Powell 11.9
7. Jerel McNeal 11.4
8. Roney Eford 11.0


Freshman FGM
1. Doc Rivers 182
2. Bo Ellis 167
3. Damon Key 151
4. Trevor Powell 139
5. Dominic James 137
6. Russ Wittberger 122
7. Terrell Schlundt 115
8. Brian Wardle 109
9. Roney Eford 108
10. Jerel McNeal 107


Freshman FG%
1. Doc Rivers 55.3%
2. Bo Ellis 53.5%
3. Trevor Powell 52.7%
4. Damon Key 51.4%
5. Dwayne Johnson 50.5%
6. Tom Copa 50.2%
7. Dominic James 45.7%
8. Roney Eford 45.6%
9. Jerel McNeal 45.0%
10. Dameon Mason 44.0%


Freshman 3PM
1. Travis Diener 57
2. Steve Novak 55
3. Robb Logterman 54
4. Brian Wardle 46
5. Mark Anglavar 43
6. Dominic James 34
7. Anthony Pieper 30


Freshman FTM
1. Damon Key 80
2. Dameon Mason 76
3. Doc Rivers 70
4. Roney Eford 62
4. Dominic James 62
6. Tony Smith 61
7. Shannon Smith 56
8. Brian Wardle 55
8. Jim McIlvaine 55
8. Russ Wittberger 55
11. Tom Copa 54
* Jerel McNeal 47
* Wesley Matthews 45


Freshman FT%
1. Wesley Matthews 81.8%
2. Damon Key 81.6%
3. Roney Eford 79.5%
4. Brian Wardle 77.5%
5. Tony Smith 75.3%
6. Jerel McNeal 73.4%
7. Dameon Mason 71.0%
8. Shannon Smith 70.0%
9. Tom Copa 65.1%
10. Dominic James 63.3%


Freshman Assists
1. Tony Miller 221
2. Dominic James 129
3. Doc Rivers 112
4. Cordell Henry 93
5. Robb Logterman 89
6. Travis Diener 86
7. Mark Anglavar 79
8. Michael Wilson 69
8. Jerel McNeal 69
10. Mandy Johnson 64


Freshman Blocks
1. Jim McIlvaine 92
2. Trevor Powell 29
2. Tom Copa 29
4. Scott Merritt 25
5. Charles Luter 19
6. Oluoma Nnamaka 15
6. Tony Reeder 15
8. Rod Grosse 14
9. Jerel McNeal 13
9. Brian Wardle 13


Freshman Steals
1. Doc Rivers 61
2. Jerel McNeal 53
3. Tony Miller 40
3. Tony Smith 40
5. Travis Diener 39
6. Dominic James 38
7. Mark Anglavar 37
8. Kerry Trotter 33
9. Michael Sims 32
10. Cordell Henry 29
* Wesley Matthews 25


Freshman Rebounding %
1. Bo Ellis 8.5
2. Trevor Powell 6.0
3. Damon Key 5.7
4. Odartey Blankson 5.5
5. Oluoma Nnamaka 4.9
6. Jim McIlvaine 4.7
7. Tom Copa 4.5
7. Dameon Mason 4.5
7. Jerel McNeal 4.5
10. Tony Miller 4.4
10. Dominic James 4.4
12. Wes Matthews 4.3

Rutgers Runs Past Marquette

Look, I'm too tired from shoveling and sledding to wax poetic on the game today, a humbling 91-84 loss at the hands of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Here's the simple truth: for the first time in three months, Marquette lost a game it should have won. Consider what MU had going for it today at the RAC:

• One full week to prepare;
• A healthier Matthews and James;
• Facing a team riddled with injury and absent its best inside player;
• Facing a team reeling from three consecutive losses;
• Facing a team without its head coach;
• Playing a road game in an arena that's far from capacity due to a record-setting snowstorm.

Credit Rutgers with simply outrunning MU. 91 points!? The Scarlet Knights scored 26 points -- in the last 7:50 of the game. Rutgers shot 57% from the field in the second half.

Defense like this will cost a team a shot at an NCAA bid, especially with two of the nation's top 15 teams coming your way within a 40-hour period later this week. Unless MU splits this week at home with Georgetown and Pitt, the wins just won't add up to a brass ring on Selection Sunday. And while the team has greatly exceeded expectations this seaso, today's loss is a bitter pill to swallow. But, with two home games this week, opportunity is still knocking for MU.

Quincy Douby led RU with 32 points, while Dominic James paced Marquette with 22. Steve Novak added 18. Marquette fell to 16-8 overall and 6-5 in the Big East. Next up for MU are the Georgetown Hoyas on Thursday night at the Bradley Center.

Time to regroup, hold serve at home -- and get rolling again. Fire up, MU!

Here is the MJS recap from Rosiak.

Here is the GoMarquette.com recap.

Here is the box score.

Here is the Courier-News recap.

Here is the recap from the Rutgers blog.

MU Takes It to the RAC

Blizzard? What blizzard? It's time for Big East basketball. Despite the record snowfall -- THE GAME IS ON! MU will tipoff against RU at 2pm EST.

Coming off a woulda, shoulda, coulda performance last week at Villanova, the Marquette Golden Eagles travel to New Jersey on Sunday to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Marquette (16-7 overall, 6-4 in the Big East) enters the game with a full week to prepare for the Scarlet Knights (13-10 overall, 3-7 in the Big East). Rutgers, losers in four of their last five outings, is coming off of an ugly loss on the road at Notre Dame, 90-63. The defeat ended a three-game road trip for the Scarlet Knights. Their last home game was a victory over Louisville on January 28.

With just six Big East games left this season, MU remains in the thick of the NCAA tournament hunt. With an RPI hovering near 30, the Golden Eagles can strengthen their case with a late-season road victory this weekend. A win at the RAC would be MU's third conference road win of the season, potentially separating the Golden Eagles from the pack on Selection Sunday. A loss would put MU's NCAA tournament hopes in doubt,, particularly with tough games next week against Pittsburgh and Georgetown at the Bradley Center.

The Scarlet Knights are paced by the prolific Quincy Douby, the Big East's leading scorer at better than 24 points per game. Unfortunately for Rutgers, Douby is the only player on the roster averaging double figures although senior Marquis Webb averages nine points per contest, scoring in double figures in seven of his last eight outings. Webb, RU's best perimeter defender, will likely matchup with Novak.

Injuries have contributed to Rutgers' recent slide. Coach Gary Waters lost both J.R. Inman and Adrian Hill to injury within the last two weeks. Inman, a promising freshman post man, was averaging nearly nine points and five rebounds per game.

The injury woes continued against Notre Dame on Wednesday when freshman point guard Anthony Farmer did not play because of an injured shoulder, and center Byron Jones left the game early due to a lingering toe injury. Farmer is expected to play on Sunday, while Jones' status remains very much in doubt. Rutgers' strategy for this game might be determined by the health of both Farmer and Jones. Against the Irish, Coach Waters tried to shorten the game by using most of the shot clock to protect his injury-depleted roster, but Notre Dame's depth and shooting ability thwarted that move.

With a depleted roster, to know Rutgers is to know one player: Douby. For MU fans of a more recent vintage, this RU squad is similar to the Larry Hughes-led SLU teams from the mid-1990s. Douby is a gifted scorer, and he'll get his shots. In fact, the last time Douby attempted fewer than fifteen shots in a game was on Decmember 15, and he's scored 20 or more points in 14 of the last 18 games. In each of the last three games, Douby has attempted at least 25 shots and averaged a mind-boggling 32ppg. With MU's deep backcourt, coach Tom Crean will be able to throw a number of different defensive looks at Douby. Jerel McNeal, Dan Fitzgerald, Joe Chapman and Wesley Matthews all figure to rotate into this tough assignment.

Marquette will look to rebound from a rough week of its own. The Golden Eagles blew a double-digit lead in the second half at Villanova, failing to claim what would have been a signature road win in conference play. Turnovers plagued the Golden Eagles as they coughed the ball up 25 times against the Wildcats . Remarkably, Dominic James and Jerel McNeal combined for eleven turnovers -- one less than the entire Villanova team.

Upon returning to Milwaukee after the game, coach Tom Crean revealed that both Jamil Lott (mononucleosis) and Mike Kinsella (emergency appendectomy) would be out indefinitely. Given Rutgers' own struggles in the paint this season, the loss of these two upper classmen should not limit the Golden Eagles' attack this weekend. On a positive note, the week off should aid Dominic James' recovery from an injury to his right shoulder and accelerate Wesley Matthews' re-acclimation to competitive hoops. Matthews, who played only nine minutes against Villanova in his second game back following a foot injury, could become a difference maker for MU down the stretch.

In a league where road wins are precious, the scheduling gods have presented MU with a golden opportunity this weekend. With a healthier James and Matthews to go along with one full week to prepare, the Golden Eagles can prove once again that good teams take advantage of opportunity, even on the road.

A Marquette Preview for Rutgers Fans

The Q/A that the Cracked Sidewalks staff completed for the the RU blog is now ready for your consumption.

Link to it here over at RAC 'Em Up.

Glenn, thanks for your time on this -- its been fun.

We'll have our game preview up later this weekend.

Go Marquette!

Know Your Opponent: All About Rutgers

Based on the positive feedback we received from earlier installments, we're pleased to roll out our latest Q/A with an expert on an upcoming Big East opponent. Today, we're happy to introduce Glenn Wohl, the RU blogger over on NJ.com -- you can reach his blog directly by clicking here.

Glenn is an expert on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and took the time to update the MU community on the state of the RU program.

1) Rutgers relies heavily on Quincy Douby yet has wasted some of his best individual performances this season. What's more important to the Scarlet Knights -- a great performance from Douby, or a more balanced attack?
While a balanced attack would be better for the team, it doesn't look possible. Even with a fully healthy team, Douby was the only proven scorer on the roster. With the injuries, Webb, Farmer, and Bailey would seem most likely to contribute. But Douby will have to get 25 in any game for RU to have a chance to win.

2) J.R. Inman broke his leg last week and won't play against Marquette. How significant is his loss for Rutgers? Who will take his minutes?
Very significant. He was emerging as a legitimate second scoring option, and was the only real shot-blocking threat on defense. I would expect Ollie Bailey to start in his place, with Danny Waterstradt also getting time at the 4. Depending on the lineup, Jaron Griffin will also play in his place.

3) What sort of team gives Rutgers the most trouble, offensively and defensively?
RU is good at defending the three point shot, and usually are OK with zones and presses, as long as Webb and Farmer are on the floor. Although he has struggled a little recently, Webb can be a shutdown defender on almost anyone. They have the most trouble against good front lines, so Georgetown might be scary. Good thing no UConn this year. Same is true on offense. RU is perimeter-oriented, and has no legit low post threat to go to on offense.

4) Marquette, Providence and Rutgers have the most productive freshman classes in the Big East. What should MU expect from Farmer and Griffin this weekend?
Assuming Farmer is healthy, he has emerged as a good floor general. He can hit the shot if left open, can drive and dish, and plays pretty good defense. Griffin still needs to improve defensively. On offense, he has a relatively flat shot (no arc), and early on he would shoot as soon as he touched it. Lately, he has been ball faking and taking shorter shots and hitting them.

5) What was the reaction within the Rutgers community to a) the defections of the VaTech, BC, and Miami, and b) the addition of the four CUSA institutions?
The defections hurt the football side of the conference more. Only BS (er, Boston College) was a threat in hoops, and once they emerged as two-faced it was good riddance. The addition of the C-USA teams was brought on with great anticipation, given the caliber of the programs and coaches, most notably Pitino. However, I think the unbalanced scheduled and sheer size may be causing some dissatisfaction, and there has been persistent conjecture since last year that there will eventually be a bball-only (Marquette, St. John's, Seton Hall, Nova, Providence, DePaul, GTown. ND would stay with the hopes that their FB might join BE.) split of teams from the conference.

6) Everybody talks about Quincy Douby, but which player have we not heard of that fans should pay attention to heading into the game?
With Inman out, I think Farmer is the one for you to watch, especially since he will be facing Dominic James. If he is out, Marquis Webb, the team's best defender and second best remaining scoring option.

7) Gary Waters is in his fifth season at Rutgers -- are the RU faithful comfortable with the state of the program?
The majority would say no. There has been no NCAA berth, and not one likely this year. Two of his four recruiting classes have been awful. While some are willing to give him next year to get to the NCAAs, he has lost many of those supporters in the past two weeks. The two keys that will decide, IMO, are if RU makes the BET and NIT, and/or if Lance Thomas commits to RU. If the BET is missed and Thomas goes elsewhere, I think Gary might be gone. Any other outcome might lead to him getting a 6th year. No one would doubt he has improved the overall program, but the question now is can he get us to the next (NCAA) level.

Glenn, thanks so much for your time!

Media Roundup

Todd Rosiak's profile of Steve Novak is a must-read. Rosiak chronicles Novak's maturation as a player, and the recognition that he's now the go-to guy for Tom Crean. Here's the link.

The Daily Southtown wonders if Jerry Wainwright can keep up "with the likes of Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, Tom Crean and Rick Pitino recruit for recruit, victory for victory." Here is the link.

MU's next opponent, Rutgers, was hammered at Notre Dame last night. Here's a recap. And here's a perspective from Glenn Wohl on his Rutgers blog.

Marquette alumnus and current Orlando Magic rookie Travis Diener will host a chat this afternoon at 3pm EST. Here is the link.

Big Ugly News for MU Bigs. Kinsella & Lott out several weeks

Tom Crean announced on his radio program tonight that Jamil Lott has mono and Mike Kinsella was rushed to the hospital last night for an emergency appendectomy. Lott is expected to miss at least three weeks and Kinsella at least two weeks.

This is a huge blow from a depth standpoint. Lott has not played of late and now we know why. Kinsella started against Villanova just this past Saturday. Chris Grimm, Ryan Amoroso, Dwight Burke and the Oooooze (Barro) will be called on for some major minutes. Good thing the coaching staff has 7 days to prepare the squad for their next road game at Rutgers.

FROM THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE

What is an appendicitis?



What is Mononucleosis?

According to RU board, Rutgers' JR Inman out 4-6 weeks

Life in the BEAST is a bitch. All Marquette fans have been told how tough all their road games would be, and one that has loomed large on the schedule is the upcoming game at the Rutgers' rowdy bandbox of an arena, the RAC, which has been an extremely tough place to play for the rest of the BIG EAST.

Unfortunately for Rutgers, Marquette chances for success in Jersey probably improved substantially with the loss of solid freshman, JR Inman. It is being reported on the Rutgers Rivals board that Inman cracked his fibula recently and will be out 4-6 weeks with that injury. Although there has been no newspaper confirmation to this point of this injury, rumors are rampant that this is an accurate rumor and that Inman has been walking around in a cast.

Obviously, the biggest challenge for Marquette will be stopping Rutgers' superb scorer, Quincy Douby. However, not having the 6-9 Inman, the Scarlet Knights' third leading scorer and second leading rebounder who might have attempted to guard Steve Novak, will certainly hurt. It should also help Marquette that they have a full week to prepare for Douby and Co. with no games in the interim, while Rutgers must focus on winning at Notre Dame on Wednesday before they can think about Marquette.

The Rutgers game could be a critical one to Marquette's NCAA hopes, as a win would put MU at 7 conference wins and would probably take away some of the pressure of feeling like they absolutely must win both the Georgetown and Pitt home games later in the week.

Can MU earn a first round bye?

West Virginia, Villanova and UConn appear to be in the drivers seat to earn three of first round byes in Big East tournament this year. The race for 4th place, however, and it's all-important first round bye in the Big East tournament is still very much up in the air. Based on the remaining schedule, MU definitely has a chance.

Other teams in the hunt--Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and Syracuse.

For MU to have a shot, there is no room for error. We need to sweep our home slate, and take two of three on the road from Rutgers, ND, and Louisville.

At 4-4, Syracuse isn't mathematically out of it, but looks to have the toughest path:
Home: Cincy, UL, WVU, VU
Away: UConn, St. Johns, Georgetown, DePaul
For the sake of argument, lets project 3 of 4 at home (losing to West Virginia), with road wins at St. Johns and DePaul. That gives them 9-7 on the season.

Seton Hall is 5-3 after today's win over Rutgers
Home: UConn, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Cincy
Away: USF, St. Johns, Pitt, DePaul
A strong finish and they could take ND and Cincy at home, and USF, St. Johns and DePaul on the road. Losses are likely versus UConn, WVU and @Pitt. They would finish 10-6

Georgetown is 7-2 after today's win over Pittsburgh, and probably has the easiest path to the 4th place finish.
Home: St. Johns, WVU, Rutgers, Syracuse
Away: MU, Villanova, USF
Lets say they take SJU, Rutgers and Syracuse at home, and USF on the road. That puts them 11-5.

Pitt is 6-3 after today's loss at Georgetown.
Home: WVU, UC, PC, Seton Hall
Away: PC, MU, WVU
West Virginia is their biggest rival--it seems fair to project a split. Then, they likely take UC, Providence twice and Seton Hall. Final record: 11-5.

Marquette is currently behind all these teams in the standings, with a record of 6-4.
Home: Pitt, Georgetown, Providence
Away: Notre Dame, Louisville, Rutgers
If you've read this far, you already see projections that MU will take the rematch with Pitt, as well as the Georgetown game at home. Taking care of business against Providence, the season rests on the three road games. If MU can take two of three against UL, ND and Rutgers, they finish 11-5 as well.

If the season breaks out this way, it would put three teams tied at 11-5 at the end of the season: MU, Georgetown and Pittsburgh.

How does the tiebreaker work?
From the Big East tie-breaking forumula,

Teams are viewed as a “mini-conference” when comparing head-to-head results. The team with the best record (as determined by winning percentage, even if unequal games) vs. the other teams in the mini-conference gains the advantage.

The mini-conference would look like this:
MU: 2 -1 (split with Pitt, win over GT)
Georgetown 1-1 (win over Pitt, loss to MU)
Pitt: 1-2 (split with MU, loss to GT)

Everything has to go right for MU down the stretch, but MU still has a chance to be the 4th seed in the Big East tournament, earning the first round bye.

Opportunity wasted: VU 72 - MU 67

For all but about six minutes today, MU (16-7) proved itself to be as good as one of the best teams in the Big East. Unfortunately, three of those minutes were at the end of the game, when the Wildcats of Villanova (#4, 17-2) turned a 7 point deficit into a five point lead.

For the first three minutes of the game, Villanova looked to be running Marquette out of the house, looking good and going up by the score of 13-4. For the next 30 minutes, MU dominated play. Starting with a 19-3 run, MU build and maintaned a lead that varied between 5 and 10 points for most of the game. That is, until one wild stretch beginning with about 3 ½ minutes to go when Villanova used a 12-0 run to take a five point lead with 1:49 remaining.

Over that stretch, Villanova was rebounded a missed free throw, was fouled (and made 2 free throws) on the ensuing play, made another basket, then then retook the lead on an Allen Ray 3-point basket.

MU wasn't quite done--back to back layups by James and McNeal brought MU to within 1. Two Villanova free thows extended the lead to 3 with under :30 to go, setting up the chance for MU to tie at the end of regulation. Steve Novak got a good look at a three point shot, but missed it, and Villanova recovered the ball with 2.8 seconds.

After an MU foul on Dominic James, Nardi hit two free thows to close out the scoring.

MU got off to a shaky start, finding themselves down 13-4 early on a pair of Allen Ray threes and some surprising inside play from the Wildcats. Meanwhile, MU got some good open looks, but missed many easy shots, including a Kinsella tip in attempt, a McNeal drive, and even some missed Novak jumpers. At the same time, MU couldn’t hang onto the ball, with several early turnovers.

MU roared back into the lead with a 19-3 run. A pair of Novak free throws brought MU back within one, and MU took their first lead thanks to seven straight points and a nice defensive stand from Dominic James--first a lay up, then taking a charge, then another basket and capping the effort with a three to put MU up 21-15.

MU then protected the ball well, and held Villanova to under 30% shooting, and only 2 of 13 from the 3 point line, extending the lead to as large as nine points. Villanova had one more run in them, taking advantage of a flurry of MU turnovers to narrow the margin to a single point. MU built their lead back to 5 at the half--MU 33, Villanova 28

Novak led four Marquette players in double figures with 18, and Allen Ray had 28 for Villanova.

Coach Tom Crean's post-game comments:
--Disappointed—it was important for our team to understand that we can play with anybody. Now we have to learn how to win against anybody.
--Proud of the determination, courage, toughness and determination. Now need to take some steps to become a better team.
--Good defense—did some things differently based on their lineup.
--The rebound on their missed FT was huge.
--We got exactly the look we wanted at the end, taken by the guy we wanted. Against ND we made the shot, today we didn’t.
--We have lots of guys who have confidence that they’ll make that shot.
--20 extra FT’s for Villanova probably didn’t hurt their chances.
--We knew when we saw VU 4 years ago that they’d be a good team if they stuck together, and here they are--#4 in the nation.
--Tough atmosphere in the locker room, because everyone came into today’s game thinking we can win.
--On Dwight Burke: Family was at the game today, wish he could have given him more playing time in the 2nd half. He’s getting better, and did a fine job today.
--On Wesley Matthews: “Dream date” to have him back this early. He’ll get better and make plays for us before the end of the year.
--On Fitz and leaving the game: He’s okay. We have tough players—we need to be tough to win in this league.


CNN-SI Box Score

ESPN Coverage

PhillyBurbs.com coverage: Another great escape.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinal coverage here

The Richmond, IN Palladian Iten continues to give MU (and Dominic James) great coverage

Finally, check out MU's own site