Brad Galli and the team from MUTV Sports are back from break and offer this recap of last night's Marquette victory over the Big East's equivalent to the slump buster.
Here is the full Buzz Williams post-game press conference video via GoMarquette.com.
Showing posts with label depaul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label depaul. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Video recaps of MU's win over DePaul
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Marquette takes out frustrations on DePaul
UPDATED
After a soul-crushing defeat is there any greater gift than seeing DePaul next up on the schedule? No sir, there is nothing better.
DePaul basketball ... it's how Big East teams get back on track!
Marquette beat DePaul senseless tonight, racing to a 94- 64 victory highlighted by forced turnovers, alley-oops and domination on the backboards. The Warriors used a convincing 16-2 run to build a commanding 46-29 halftime lead and never looked back. Out of the gate in the second half MU extended the lead to 73-41 with 10:25 to play ending any hope for a Blue Demons comeback.
The Fearsome Foursome led the way for the Warriors. Jae Crowder finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks. Jimmy Butler and DJO finished with 20 points each, while Dwight Buycks added a dozen. Vander Blue played his best game in Big East action finishing with twelve points and two assists while displaying the confidence MU fans noted in his play earlier this season.
Marquette's defense was stifling once again, dominating the Blue Demons throughout. The win marked the third straight game where the Warriors held the opposition to a points per possession (ppp) of 0.92 or less. Last night MU held DePaul to an ineffective 0.88 ppp while running its offense at a remarkable clip of 1.35 ppp. Marquette's efficiency on offense remains impressive, and the defensive numbers are trending positively. Don't look now, but MU has been the fourth best team during conference play (and that was before last night).
With the win Marquette moves to 13-6 overall and 4-2 in the Big East. After disposing of the league's dregs, the Warriors now embark on a stretch of four games against top 20 teams (two in the top 10) in the next two weeks. First up the Warriors head to South Bend to take on the Irish on Saturday. Following the Domer game, MU faces UConn and Syracuse at home before traveling to Villanova on Feburary 2.
Links galore
Monday, January 17, 2011
Warriors Look to Bounce Back
Thank goodness there is a relatively quick turnaround from Saturday. At least now we can move on with new Marquette action instead of rehashing dear God why did the team melt down again? Frankly, today's game offers a great opportunity to get healthy.
Last year's games against DePaul were UGLY. Our first game against DPU was high comedy. Stop me if you've heard this before. The Demons broke an 0-24 slide in the Big East by rallying late and Marquette didn't get stops. The second game was a little bit better, but neither team shot particularly well and there was a lot of time at the charity stripe.
DePaul (6-11, 0-5) comes into the game having lost their first five games in conference play this year. Rosiak plays on the theme from last year and says Marquette looks to escape the Demons. Plus, DePaul has one of the Big East's best freshmen in Cleveland Melvin.
Shenanigans. DePaul isn't good and Marquette is going to roll. Here's why.
Let's give them credit. The Demons are good in two areas. First, they do a decent job at turnover margin (#67 of protecting the ball, #24 at forcing turnovers). Second, DPU guards against three pointers really well (#18 overall). In particular, the perimeter defense and forcing turnovers are very strong.
However, where DePaul is bad... they are really bad. Check these out.
- They can't shoot (#338 from behind the arc)
- Their inside game doesn't compensate for bad shooting (#260 at eFG%)
- They don't rebound (#253 offensively and #309 defensively)
- They are #329 in the country at interior defense
In particular, here's what we're looking for:
- Except for Rutgers, Marquette has been much stronger with the ball since mid-December. Will MU stay strong against a DPU team that focuses on turnover margin?
- After getting their lunch money stolen by Pitt, MU has responded defensively by holding ND and UL (two top 25 offenses) to 0.90 and 0.92 ppp. Let's see if Marquette can play defense against a team that is #178 offensively.
- Last but not least, how will the fans react during the game? Let's face it... the Meltdown was hard to take. How will the home crowd react?
Links
- GoMarquette.com preview of the game, including their Game Notes
- If you have the time, listen to the podcast from the Jan 17 radio show. Buzz's comments on the UL game are really interesting. Skip to the second and third segments.
- Rosiak's dead paper story today is about how Marquette is trying to shake demons, just in case you felt like re-reading about some of the crap games from previous years.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Win pulls MU within 1 game of 4th place, double-bye (Pomeroy predicts 4th place finish for first time)
MU dazzled a national TV audience (ESPN2) for 24 minutes against DePaul, as JC transfers DJO and Dwight Buycks combined to shoot 10 of 15 from the floor and 12 of 15 from the line for a very efficient 21 and 14 points respectively as MU dominated and raced to a 53-27 lead with 14 minutes to go.
The two showed all the excitement of two players who have stepped in to instantly fill the shoes of the Three Amigos, but also reminded everyone they were first year players as they combined for 8 turnovers in 46 minutes. Hopefully most people changed channels at that point, because the final 14 minutes was pretty dreadful, with MU continually struggling against a DePaul press. Outside of DJO and Buycks, the team shot only 9 of 35 from the floor, and outside of great runs at the beginning of both halfs, DePaul won 24 minutes of the game by a 58-24 margin.
It was enough to revenge the loss at DePaul, and with Dominique Jones dominating Georgetown for another 22 second half points (he is now averaging 35 points a game during USF’s first ever 4-game winning streak in the Big East), both MU and USF are in great positions for a final run.
Just 10 days before meeting at the Bradley Center, USF and Marquette not only pulled to .500 in the Big East, but amazingly both have pulled to within one game of 4th place in the conference – the final spot for a double-bye in the Big East Tournament.
On January 13, USF was 0-4 and Marquette was 1-3 in Big East play. However, if you look at their 5-5 marks, and the remaining schedule, both teams have a legitimate shot at the coveted double-bye and 4th place finish. Georgetown’s loss tonight pushes them to 6-4 in fourth place with a tough schedule left with Nova, Syracuse, at Louisville and at West Virginia still on the schedule. In short, it is likely that the winner of next Saturday’s USF at MU game will control their own destiny to 4th place – particularly with Marquette holding the tie-breaker if they can catch Georgetown for the 4th spot.
RealTime RPI (http://realtimerpi.com/bin/rtr/rtrank?type=rpi&gender=1&tid=156) predicts Georgetown will weather the tough schedule to still finish 14-4 in the Big East and easily in 4th place, while Pomeroy (www.kenpom.com) predicts the Hoyas will finish 11-7 and MARQUETTE will do the same and win the tie-breaker due to the head-to-head over Gtown to claim 4th place.
Looking at the six teams within one game of 4th place, with their games remaining and * to indicate a home game, + to indicate a game in which both RealTime and Pomeroy pick a win, and ++ indicating both picking a double digit win (? = RealTime and Pomeroy disagree on the winner, and – indicates predicted loss) you can see the advantage MU has in having all four tough games behind them and potentially owning EVERY potential tie-breaker for the 4th place spot if they play well down the stretch:
Georgetown 6-4 currently – Nova*+, Prov+, Rutgers+, Syracuse*?, Lville?, ND++, WV-, Cincy*++. (Pomeroy predicts 11-7 and 5th place behind MU, RealTime predicts 14-4)
Pittsburgh 6-4 – SH*+, WV*?, MU-, Nova*?,ND?,SJU+, Prov*++, Rut*++. (Pomeroy predicts 11-7, RealTime 12-6).
Louisville 5-4 - Rut*++, SJU+, Syr--, ND*++, DePaul+, Gtown*?, UConn-, MU?, Syr*-. (Pomeroy and RealTime both predict 10-8).
Cincinnati 5-4 – ND-, Syr*-, UConn-, USF-, MU*?, DePaul*++, WVU--,Nova*-, Gtown--. (Pomeroy 8-10, RealTime 7-11).
Marquette 5-5 – Prov+, USF*+, Pitt*+, Cincy ?, SJU+, SH?, Lville* ?, ND*+. (Pomeroy predicts 11-7 and 4th place on tiebreaker, RealTime predicts 10-8 and 6th place based on predicted loss to Lousville).
South Florida 5-5 – ND ?, MU-, Cincy*+, SJU*+, Nova--, Prov*+, DePaul+,UConn*+. Predicted 9-9 in both, but win at MU next Saturday would push MU down to 7th place).
MU could certainly fall further, but can you believe that in early February we are talking about MU finishing somewhere between 4th and 7th place in the Big East? ESPN says there are five NCAA locks in the Big East, the conference with the top RPI in the country.
If MU wins at Providence Saturday, and South Florida wins at Notre Dame, both would be 6-5 going into what could suddenly be a showdown of teams that were in the bottom quarter not long ago. Even if Providence and ND win, they both face a gauntlet at the end that will make it very unlikely they finish .500 in the Big East and challenge the teams listed above.
MU has the four stars for the stretch run – does it have the bench or height?
The question is still whether or not MU has the depth or height to get through the final Big East run and tournament and end up in the NCAA.
To review the rest of the performances Saturday night against DePaul:
Mo Acker and David Cubillan couldn’t hit tonight, but did continue to provide senior poise in protecting the ball (only 3 turnovers in a combined 70 minutes compared to 8 turnovers in 46 minutes for Buycks and DJO).
Frankly outside of the two incredible runs to open each half, DePaul frustrated MU (outside of DJO and Buycks the rest of the team went 9 of 35 from the floor), slapped on a press that stole the ball 10 times, and actually won the other 24 minutes of the game 58-34 by turning the game into a foul fest (54 total fouls between the two teams). However, with Lazar again doing everything well (18 points, 14 rebounds, 3 early steals, and a “Lebron-style” rejection off a breakaway) and Jimmy Butler looking again more assertive after the game-winner at UConn by continually challenging DePaul’s bigs and getting to the line (his 14-16 from the line led a 36-44 night, or 81.8%, for MU), it is clear MU has four bona fide stars for the stretch run.
Is the bench deep enough and can anyone over 6-foot-6 contribute enough to make the tourney? Joe Fulce and Erik Williams grabbed a combined 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes, and Williams looked very strong in also tracking down a loose ball. With Mboa and Otule out, these two 6-foot-7 players are both looking assertive enough to perhaps provide the boost and give MU the option of a 2-guard offense in stretches.
Junior Cadougan only got in four more minutes with DJO and Buycks hot, but he did drive to the hoop to draw a foul, and put a nice pass into Buycks for a layup.
And of course, DJO and Buycks are just adding to what we already thought we had with Lazar and Jimmy.
Lazar Hayward grabbed a few early steals, but missed his first few shots to be scoreless at the 10 minute mark. However, he then took over with an unbelievable sequence in which he ripped his own miss away from two taller DePaul defenders to stick it back in for his first score with 9:38 to play, then shortly thereafter tracked down a DePaul fast break to reject a layup off the backboard. He finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds.
I'm certainly not counting any of the final games "in the bank." USF looked like a lock a few weeks ago, and now who knows if we can stop Jones. ND on senior day actually looks like the most certain win. BUT, all the rest of the games are winnable. After being picked to finish 13th BEFORE Junior, Otule and Mbao went down with injuries and Maymon quit, can you believe two of the most accurate predictors of college basketball now predict us to finish either 4th or 7th in the Big East?
I really hope to be flying someplace to see MU in the NCAA, but even if not, this has not been the lost rebuilding year I was anticipating.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
High Comedy
Losing to DePaul?
DePaul, a team that was 0 for 24 in the BIG EAST going back to 2008? O-fer 24, folks.
DePaul, a team playing without its best player. DePaul, a team that lost its first five BIG EAST games by an average of 19 points. Sadly, a late lead against the absolute dregs of the BIG EAST is not safe with Marquette this season. Today's recipe for defeat included two seniors missing the front-end of one-and-ones in the last 30 seconds. Incredible.
Marquette's ability to close is officially comical. Welcome back, Shelley Levene.
To put it simply, MU has raised choking to an art form.
Reviewing a Rivalry...MU vs DePaul
Let’s get one thing out of the way from the start, I promise that I’m not going to try to argue with Tracy Webster, the man is going through enough right now. Whether or not DePaul is our best or biggest rival, whether this game means as much to Marquette fans as games against Wisconsin or Notre Dame, whether this game means more to DePaul than it does to Marquette, those are all arguments for another day. The fact of the matter is that DePaul has been a rival since nearly the beginning of Marquette basketball, and given how much the two schools have in common, it really could not be any other way. For more on today's game be sure to check out the informative Q/A John that from Chicago Hoops provided today.
The similarities are numerous. Both DePaul and Marquette are large Catholic institutions located in the Midwest. Both have great traditions of basketball excellence going back decades. Both made their names( at least in a basketball sense) under legendary coaches, DePaul under Ray Meyer and Marquette under Al McGuire. Both teams have had many great players, the names of whom we all know. Perhaps even more important than any of that, both schools have been competing on the recruiting trail since the very beginning. Illinois in general(and Chicago specifically) has a wealth of high school basketball talent, and many of the greats in the past have chosen Marquette over DePaul or vice versa. Bo Ellis, Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings, Doc Rivers, Quentin Richardson, Dwyane Wade. It’s a who’s who of both Marquette and DePaul basketball.
And yet….something has always seemed a little bit off when looking at the rivalry. The games have never seemed to have the intensity of say a Marquette vs. Wisconsin game or a Cincinnati game during the Bob Huggins era. I've tried for quite awhile to figure it out, and always come up with no real solution. Was it the fact that we're both Catholic schools? No, otherwise there would be no Notre Dame rivalry. Was the fact that we play them so often dulling our sensitivity? I don't think so, we play Wisconsin nearly as often, and no one would accuse Marquette fans of going soft on them. Could it be the fact that we're now in the same conference, and on some level need them to do well for the health of the conference? Again no. The rivalry with Louisville has intensified because of the conference, and we've started new rivalries with folks in other Big East cities.
With no real answer, and in an effort to figure out what makes the rivalry different from nearly every other one we have, I decided to take a look back at the history of the two programs, at least from a statistical perspective. What I’ve found may surprise you.
The Basics…or things to get out of the way before I move on
- Marquette and DePaul have been playing each other since the 1917-18 season, the second in the history of MU basketball. That wouldn't normally be a surprise except for the fact that DePaul didn't hire their first basketball coach until 1923. One could argue that Marquette is doctoring the record books like our friends on the east side have tried to do, but both MU and DePaul agree that these games occurred, so I'm going to let them slide.
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Going into Wednesday’s match up, the teams have played 107 times, with Marquette holding the all time advantage, of 64 wins versus 43 losses. I feel a bit dubious counting games against a team that apparently had no coach when we first played them, but given that they employed Jerry Wainwright for five years one could argue that they haven’t had a coach for the last several years either….low blow I know. Beyond the total numbers though, that’s where things start to get interesting.
Decades of Domination
Most often when people talk about rivalry games, they talk about how both teams need to be capable of winning the game for it to truly be a rivalry game…cough…UWM…cough. If one team has no shot, then really it’s just another game against another team you should beat. And yet, when you examine the history of Marquette vs. DePaul, what you come across is a series of what you might call mini-dynasties, or periods where one team was simply so much better than the other that any win by the opponent was a huge upset. For Marquette and DePaul, those seem to span more than just years…they seem to be decade long streaks. Each team has essentially dominated the other for an entire decade before the pendulum suddenly switches, and the other team becomes dominant for another decade.
For example, in the 1970s Marquette was the king of the rivalry. From 1970 to 1976, they didn’t lose a game to DePaul, and finished the decade with a 14-4 record against the Blue Demons. The 1980s on the other hand were all DePaul. Under Ray and Joey Meyer, DePaul went 12-4 against Marquette in the 1980s. The pendulum swung back in Marquette’s favor the following decade when Warriors/Golden Eagles held a 16-6 advantage over their foes to the south. Given that, one would have expected the most recent decade to be all DePaul, but due to coaching changes, poor coaching, and lack of talent, the decade ended up 13-3 in Marquette’s favor.
When you look at the other early years it's a bit tougher to see that sort of pattern, as the two schools weren't playing nearly that often. The teams played only 3 times in the decades prior to Ray Meyer taking the DePaul job, which doesn't lend itself to much of analysis. In the 1940s and 1950s, DePaul holds a slight edge going 5-2 and 3-2 respectively, they played so infrequently that it's hard to get a read on any patterns. Finally in the 1960s the two teams began playing every year, and had what has been the only decade to date where one team did not dominate the other. Marquette barely eeks out a win, with an 11-9 advantage. But when you look more closely at the end of that decade you begin to see another interesting trend.
Great Coaches – Great Results
Perhaps not unexpectedly, or at least I should hope not, the legendary coaches for each of the programs dominated the rivalries during the height of their careers.
Al McGuire took over a down trodden Marquette program before the 1964-65 season, and going against a legendary coach like Ray Meyer he struggle initially. Of his first 6 games against DePaul, he lost 5. But once he had his players in place, things changed(here's that trend I mentioned before),. From the beginning of the 1967-68 season through the 1975-76 season Coach Al was undefeated against DePaul a staggering 18 game run. For his career, he finished 20-6 in head to head match ups against Ray Meyer.
Obviously, given Al’s success, Coach Meyer’s record won’t be quite as good…and it isn’t. All time he had a losing record against MU, going 25-29. But to have even that level of success despite a period of many down years due to Al, suggest that he had to have had great success at other times, and he did. In his non Al McGuire years, from 1942-1964 and then again from 1977-84, Coach Ray went 19-9 against the Warriors. Not too shabby.
National Prominence versus General Incompetence
One could argue, effectively I believe, that it a great rivalry isn’t about whether or not you and your rival are both good, but whether or not you and your rival are both on equal footing. You don't necessarily have to be competing with each other for national championships every year, some times the pride of staying out of the cellar against another team fighting for the same thing is enough to keep the rivalry going. On he other hand, it’s tough for there to be much of a rivalry when one team is a perennial championship contender and the other is a bottom feeder. And yet, the Marquette-DePaul rivalry has persevered through such times.
No one is going to argue that both programs haven’t at various times been national powers, at least not here. Both teams have won national championships, both teams have been to multiple Final Fours, both teams have made the post season numerous times. Overall Marquette has made the post season 43 times in the program’s history, DePaul comes in just behind at 39. Marquette has made the NCAA tournament 27 times, DePaul 22 times if you count the vacated appearances due to NCAA rules infractions and I’m in a generous mood so why not.
And yet for all the similarities what is staggering, at least in my view, is how rarely both teams have been great, or even good enough to earn a post season bid at the same time. In total, despite the storied nature of the programs, they’ve made the post season tournaments in the same year only 23 times. Further, when you look at whether or not the teams were in the same post season tournament, that has happened only 7 times.
Of the 43 post season appearances for Marquette, 20 of them occurred during a season in which DePaul did not make the post season. Conversely, of the 39 post season appearances for DePaul, 15 of them occurred when Marquette did not make the post season. Looking only at NCAA appearances, 16 of Marquette’s 27 occurred without DePaul in the field, and 7 of DePaul’s 22 occurred without Marquette.
Now I know what some of you are going to say…."but but the old format of the NCAA/NIT selection with the limited number of bids and the fact that both were independents kept them from making the post season in the same year, so it’s not a valid comparison".
Possibly, but when you actually look at the numbers, not very likely. The fact of the matter is, that while one side of the rivalry was enjoying a good season, most of the time the other team was mired in terrible basketball. In short nothing but their own incompetence was keeping them out of the tournament. Let’s take a look at the numbers to see what I mean.
During the years in which DePaul made the post season, but Marquette did not…Marquette was just bad. In those 15 seasons, Marquette had a combined record of 159-202. In nine of those years they had a losing record, and never once in those 15 years finished more than three games above .500. At no time during those seasons was anything keeping Marquette out of the post season other than Marquette themselves.
It’s pretty much the same for DePaul. In the years in which Marquette made it but not DePaul, the Blue Demons have ranged from decent to downright awful. Their record during those years is a paltry 249-284, with eight losing seasons. Certainly during a few of those years they did have winning records, perhaps even very good records, but as a whole Marquette wasn’t keeping them out of the post season, DePaul’s own play was.
Great Rivalries = Great Games?
Often when people think of rivalry games, they don’t just think of the teams involved, they think about the quality of the games. The players are more animated, the crowd more hyped up, and every possession seems to be the one on which the game will turn. Rivalry games seem to often come down to one play or one coaching decision, they seem to be games that you survive rather than win.
Yet when you really examine the history of Marquette vs. DePaul, that aspect seems to be missing. I’m not here to argue that there haven’t been great games between Marquette and DePaul throughout the years. Who can forget the 1979 NCAA Sweet Sixteen, the various upsets of a ranked team by a plucky underdog, or the numerous overtime games. Certainly there have been many great games. But taken as a whole, the games seem to lack that closeness you would expect from a rivalry game.
Going all the way back to the first game, the average margin of victory regardless of winner is 11.6 points. Not only that, but it’s not as if one team wins big and the other one simply squeeks by. Marquette has won its games by an average of 12.1 points, while DePaul wins by an average of 10.8 points.
When you look at it in more recent terms, i.e. since the two teams joined the Great Midwest Conference together in 1991, the numbers are even worse. The average margin of victory for either team is 13.1, with Marquette winning by an average of 13.4 and DePaul by 11.6. And it’s certainly not as if this has only been happening in recent times. During the Al McGuire era, his teams beat DePaul by an average of 12 points, while Ray Meyer enjoyed 10.42 average margin of victory during his years.
Now obviously average margin of victory isn't the only way to look at whether or not there are close games, you could if you were so inclined go year by year and look at the numbers. Fortunately for those of you who have read this far, I'm not inclined to do that. What I will say, is that in recent memory, even when looked at individually, there haven't been many close games. Since 1991(again conference start date), the two teams have played 36 times. In that span, only twelve games have been decided by 10 points or less, with only two games being one possession games at the end. Obviously there were many close games in the past, but given the general dearth of them in recent years, it’s easy to understand why some question how exactly this game fits the traditional notion of a rivalry game.Hopefully the game tomorrow will be a great one, but from where I sit, I’m just fine with the oddities that make up this rivalry.
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So what’s my point in all of this? As so often happens, I’m not sure. But as this thing moved closer and closer to Pudner-esque length, one thing kept coming back to me. For how different their fortunes may be now, Marquette and DePaul are eerily similar.
And maybe that's why the rivalry with DePaul has always seemed, well, different. As a fan base, we know what makes our program and our school different from Wisconsin and Notre Dame and Cincinnati and Louisville. We embrace those differences, and in some cases thrive on them. Our differences are a large part of what makes those rivalries great. But with DePaul, the differences are too small, and the similarities overwhelming. When it comes to DePaul, as Pogo would say, "We have met the enemy and he is us".
So perhaps, let us refrain from kicking a program when it's down and show a little restraint as we watch DePaul in their current state and remember, there but for the grace of the administration go we. Given our history, the roles will likely be reversed in the years to come.
With that, on to the game at hand -- now read on for more on the game.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Know Your.... Enemy? DePaul
In advance of Marquette's road game against DePaul we were contacted by John over at Chicago College Basketball. John was good enough to share his thoughts on the game and the DePaul program in this installation of Know Your Opponent.
John is doing some really interesting things with his blog, which we encourage you to check out -- and be sure to check out our responses to his questions about MU and the game at Bradley Center South.
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What does the DePaul fan base think of Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto? Is she the right leader to help DePaul emerge from its current struggle with men's hoops?
I think the DePaul fan base is quite frustrated with Jean Lenti Ponsetto right now. Most fans thought that Jerry Wainwright should have been fired at the end of last season. The fact that she waited until halfway through this season has angered a lot of fans. She keeps talking about how DePaul is a great job, but fans wonder if she really understands how hard it is to coach in the Big East night in and night out. Whether she's the right person to get DePaul out of this mess remains to be seen. All of DePaul's other Big East teams are doing phenomenally well, but people don't realize that because of the struggles of the school's premiere program. Her next hire is probably JLP's last chance with the DePaul faithful. She better make the right one.
Does the timing of the Wainwright dismissal help or hurt the program?
The fact is this: Jerry Wainwright had to go. It became obvious as you looked at the roster he constructed that he doesn't have a good grasp on how to recruit Big East level talent. There's no questioning his capability with X's and O's, but you can't win in the Big East when there is no talent on your roster. NBA Lottery picks are going to destroy your average Conference USA caliber athlete (just look at Memphis) and that's what Wainwright had been recruiting. Him stepping down at this precise moment came from a lot of factors, but I think the early dismissal was probably a good thing for the coach and the program. No one wanted Wainwright to have to attempt to coach on the sidelines while hobbling on crutches and the program needed a breath of fresh air. Last season at Allstate Arena felt like a long drawn out death spiral for the program and at least now there has been a resolution and action will be taken at the end of the season.
Can you give us a sign of hope regarding DePaul?
Signs of hope? Hmm... Will Walker is the only senior on the roster. The injuries to Mac Koshwal might force him to stay in college for his senior season. The team played with a tremendous amount of effort for Tracy Webster against Providence. There really is no beacon of light right now and I think that's why places like the Chicago Tribune are asking if anyone can win at DePaul anymore. The first challenge of a new coach will be to instill some hope in the fan base.
There are many people that root for DPU to keep depressed, because of the idea that it benefits Marquette if DPU is not as good. Your thoughts?
I don't think DePaul being down benefits Marquette that much, especially since Buzz Williams became head coach. His recruiting connections don't seem to be in the Chicago area. Two easy wins against DePaul every season might seem helpful, but it hurts the Big East's reputation and gives Marquette the chance to get some ugly losses. Personally I think it's better for the Big East if every program is humming along. There will always be cycles, but DePaul hasn't been in an upswing ever in the Big East. If it never does it'll be an anchor for the conference, and that's definitely not a good thing.
With big man Mac Koshwal out 2-4 weeks, which players should we focus on for Wednesday's game?
The player that has really stepped up since the firing of Jerry Wainwright has been Mike Stovall. The junior is listed as a forward, but at 6'5" he'd much prefer to slash to the basket and make plays. He has the athleticism to play in the Big East, but he's more of a streak shooter. Against Providence he was hot and scored 30 points, against St. John's he was cold and scored 11. He wasn't getting much playing time under Wainwright, but Tracy Webster seems to feel he's a very important guy for the rotation. He's the guy to watch.
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Thanks John!
Gametime is set for 8pm Marquette Standard Time on Wednesday night. Fans can watch the game on the BIG EAST Network. Marquette enters the game at 11-6 overall and a respectable 2-3 in conference play.
Is the proverbial cavalry coming for the Warriors? There's been plenty of anticipation about the possible return of Junior Cadougan to the active roster. The freshman was thought to be lost for the season with an Achilles tendon injury but recent comments from Buzz Williams indicate that help might be on the way. Of course, the basketball gods giveth and taketh away -- on Tuesday MU announced that big man Yous Mbao will now miss up to six weeks with a knee strain.
The Blue Demons are lousy and reeling, off to an 0-5 start in conference play and 7-10 overall. Last time out DePaul was smoked 67-47 by St Johns in Queens. Sadly the Demons even to Florida Gulf Coast in their final tune-up for BIG EAST action.
Linksy Linksy Linksy
- Rosiak's blog preview of the game
- GoMarquette.com's preview, including their excellent Game Notes.
- DePaul game notes are ready too
- More from DePaulBlueDemons.com on the game.
- Quevedo at the Buffet speaks the truth -- there's no juice with DePaul hoops.
- Chicago Tribune on Lazar Hayward.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Marquette extends DePaul's misery
Marquette did what it had to do tonight and not much else in defeating the DePaul Blue Demons, 76-61. With the win Marquette extended its win streak to 12 games and moved to 20-2 overall and 9-0 in the BIG EAST.
Jerel McNeal led MU with a Wadesque line of 26 points, six assists, four rebounds, five steals and four blocked shots. Read that again. Wesley Matthews finished with 20 points and Dominic James had 15, 13 in the second half. Marquette shot a season-high 57% from the floor tonight.
Will Walker led DePaul with 30. The Blue Demons hit the floor tonight without their best player and leading scorer, Dar Tucker, who injured an ankle in the team shootaround earlier in the day. DePaul remains winless in the BIG EAST (0-10) and 8-15 overall.
Despite the margin of victory, the Golden Eagles played their best ball early and that proved to be enough. MU raced out to a fast 27-9 lead just nine minutes into the game only to let the Blue Demons off the respirator in the final ten minutes of the half. Led by Will Walker the Blue Demons went on a 23-11 run to close to within 42-37 at the break.
In the second half, the Marquette backcourt went to work on defense. Triggered by Dominic James' aggressive play, MU turned DePaul over four times in the first two minutes of the second half as the Golden Eagles built a 56-45 lead with 13:30 to play. From there MU was content to muddle along while maintaining a safe lead over the out-manned Blue Demons for the rest of the evening.
Next up for MU is a road tilt at South Florida on Friday evening.
BTW -- kudos to the Marquette fans at the Bradley Center South tonight........"We Are Marquette" came through loud and clear on the television broadcast during the game's closing minutes. Allstate Arena remains OUR HOUSE.
Media updates
Marquette journeys to the Bradley Center South
”Bunch of mites. Run you off the boards. You gotta push ‘em back! Make ‘em chuck it from the cheap sheets. Watch that purgatory they call a gym, no shot 12 foot in. That’ll do.” ... 'Shooter’ Flatch, from "Hoosiers".
The 295th tallest team in the nation leaves the friendly confines of the Bradley Center for the (ahem) nearly equally friendly surroundings of the Allstate Center tonight as the Golden Eagles visit DePaul in the first of three road games in the next seven days.
While Shooter Flatch may have Marquette figured out, the rest of the BIG EAST has yet to architect a defense to contain the Golden Eagles' high-octane offense. In conference play, Marquette leads the BIG EAST in scoring at nearly 82 points per game, is second in the league in field goal percentage (48%), and is setting the pace with the best assist to turnover ratio as well.
Riding an 11-game win streak and now alone atop the BIG EAST conference, Marquette (19-2, 8-0) surely has a more visible target on its back. Jerry Wainright's Blue Demons (8-14, 0-9) will look to derail the Golden Eagles tonight and even up the season series after falling 79-70 in Milwaukee last month.
The victory-starved Blue Demons are coming off an embarrassing 75-56 loss at Rutgers last weekend. Will Walker led the Blue Demons with 23 points in the loss. Despite sitting at 0-9 in BIG EAST play, the Blue Demons have yet to reach the bottom. DePaul started the 1995-1996 Conference USA season at 0-12.
Game time is 8 pm. Check here for TV clearances.
Let's move on to the numbers.
As for the strengths and weaknesses, they haven't really changed since the last preview. DePaul is still strong at defensive free throw rate, not getting blocked, and protecting the ball. They're still weak in lots of areas, but particularly at offensive eFG%, defensive rebounding, and forcing turnovers. Check the Pomeroy scouting report to see the specific numbers. What has changed, however, is our view of the keys to victory.
Here are the Specific Statistics Recommendations (In order of importance)
1. Stop DePaul from making shots (eFG% of 50% or less)
2. Force turnovers (TO Rate of 18% or more), which is about 12 turnovers (DPU's average)
3. Don’t turn the ball over (TO Rate of 14% or lower)
4. Prevent offensive rebounds (DPU OR% of 29% or less)
5. Get offensive rebounds (OR% of 29% or more)
Bottom line
Pomeroy predicts a 91% chance of victory, but we are slightly less optimistic at 81%. In a slower game (67 possessions), Marquette is expected to win the game by nine points. The model predicts that FTR and OR% will be about even, but MU will have an advantage on turnovers and field goal percentage. As is the norm on the road, MU's offense is predicted to be about average, but defense is predicted to be worse than average.
Media Updates
- Official GoMarquette.com release, which includes their Game Notes
- In case you missed it, McNeal was named Big East player of the week for his performances last week. This is his third time receiving the accolade this season. McNeal is tied with Shrek among all active BE players with four BE POTW honors.
- Rosiak has a story for this morning's paper. Plus, Todd also had a chat session last night. Good stuff.
- The Chicago Tribune has a really nice story on Marquette. Well worth reading.
- We Are DePaul offers a solid preview of the game as well.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
MU beats DePaul 79-70
On Saturday, as expected, Marquette stayed unbeaten-in-the-Big-East, victorious over a "victory-challenged" DePaul squad. While Marquette won 79-70, the 2nd half was irritating, as DePaul actually outscored MU, 36-31.
Marquette improved to 6-0, DePaul unimproved to 0-7.
McNeal scored 21, Matthews 20, Lazar had a double-double with 17 and 16 (sixteen) rebounds. Even Dwight Burke got into double-digits, with 10 and 7 rebounds. DJ almost had a double-double the hard way, 8 points, 9 assists, 2 turnovers and 3 steals. You take that line any day.
After beating DePaul Saturday, Marquette left for South Bend to play Notre Dame on Monday Night.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Marquette to Face DePaul at the Bradley Center
Cripes. Is it Saturday yet? After a scheduling quirk that resulted in Marquette having two consecutive bye weeks, the team finally returns to the hardwood tomorrow. It's not a moment too soon, because tomorrow's game returns to a brutal stretch that will see MU face three teams in eight days. While I'm sure that lots of folks are looking forward to the Big Monday matchup at Notre Dame, the team has to play DePaul.
DePaul (8-11, 0-6) is not a good team. They have two decent players in 6'5 sophomore Dar Tucker and 6'10 sophomore Mac Koshwal. Check out Rosiak's blog entry for more information on those players, as well as some quotes from Wainright. However, I'd like to point out two things about those guys. First, just like last year, Dar Tucker shoots on one out of every three possessions when he's on the floor. He may be scoring a lot, but that's because he takes a lot of shots. Second, neither Tucker nor Koshwal have an offensive efficiency greater than 104. When your two top contributors are only modestly efficient, that's not good.
Even more concerning, there is a question if the DePaul program will ever revive, inspiring a mostly thoughtful thread about the state of DePaul hoops and the comparison with Marquette. I hate to say DePaul is done, but things do not look hopeful for the rest of the season. Let's see what happens after they fire Wainright after this season.
Moving on to the Opponent Strengths and Weaknesses. As always, most of this information comes from Pomeroy's scouting report and game plan.
DePaul Strengths
- Not putting opponents on the line – DePaul is #8 in the country at defensive free throw rate (FTR). They only allow opponents to shoot free throws at a rate of 24.1% (FTA / FGA). In contrast, Marquette has a FTR of 47.4%
- Not getting their shot blocked – DePaul is #16 in the country at not getting an offensive shot blocked. Like that stat will do anything but get better against Marquette.
- Protecting the ball – DePaul is #32 in the country at protecting the ball. They only turn the ball over on 17.9% of all possessions.
- Offensive eFG% - DePaul is #274 in the country at effective field goal percentage. They only have an eFG% of 45.7% (MU is at 53.2%). This includes them being #335 in the country at 3-point field goal percentage (27.0%), and #319 in the country at FT percentage (61.9%)
- Giving up offensive rebounds – DePaul allows opponents to get an offensive rebounding percentage of 36.8% (#291 in the country)
- Forcing turnovers – DePaul is #220 in the country at forcing turnovers (only 20% of all defensive possessions result in a turnover)
Specific Statistics Recommendations (In order of importance)
1. Limit DePaul to an eFG% of 41% or less (~22 made field goals - including 5 threes). That's three below their season average and gives a 98% chance of Marquette win (23 point win)
2. Achieve an eFG% of 56% or higher (~28 made field goals, including 7 threes)
3. Force DePaul to a turnover rate of 22% or higher (~15 turnovers), which is two more than their average
4. Hold DePaul to an offensive rebounding percentage of 31% or less (12 offensive rebounds), which is two less than their season average
5. Turn the ball over on 16% of possessions or less (~11 turnovers), which is two less than average
Bottom Line
Pomeroy predicts a 97% of Marquette victory, and I am actually pretty close (98% of victory). In a slightly slower game (67 possessions), Marquette should win easily due to a significant advantage on field goal percentage. Turnover rate and offensive rebounding should be a decent advantage for Marquette. Despite the season trends, expect the free throw rates to be close for both teams. Marquette should win this game easily.
Media Updates
- Here is the Marquette official release. Check here for the game notes, as well as podcasts from Buzz, Wesley, and McNeal. In particular, the McNeal podcast has some funny comments. With him being close to the scoring record, he said he didn't want the scoring record anymore once he found out George Thompson did it in three years and without a 3-point line.
- Marquette got a mention in Jay Bilas' chat yesterday
- Here's a collection of famous DePaul alumni
- Want to make the return to to the Bradley Center South on Feb 3rd? Catch the bus trip offered by Marquette.
- Don't forget to read Rosiak's blog entry up above
- The Chicago Tribune has their view of Who is hot (Marquette), lukewarm, and cold (DePaul)
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Big East Preview - Part One
I'm going to run this down from worst to first. My approach to the analysis is to look at five various factors to see how they might impact each of the teams in the Big East. The factors under consideration were:
- A team that underperformed or overperformed based on last year's stats
- Consistency (or Inconsistency) of the team last year
- Quality of Junior and Senior players (Using data provided by Villanova by the Numbers and then modified)
- Regression of a team towards 0.500
- Quality of incoming players based on RSCI
Today's preview focuses on the bottom eight teams in conference.
====
The Bottom of the Barrel
These three teams show that it's hard to dig yourself out
#16 - DePaul
- 2007 Results - Overperformed. Based on their stats in conference, DePaul (6-12), should have finished with a record of 5.4 - 12.6. Yay?
- Consistency - Unfortunately for DePaul, they were one of the most consistent teams in the league. Being consistently bad is less than desireable. Red Flag
- Quality of Returning Starters - DePaul returns one of the fewest number of junior and senior leadership. Red Flag
- Expected Regression - Based on being one of the lower teams in conference last year, DePaul is expected to improve their win% significantly. Bonus
- Incoming Freshmen - Nobody on the RSCI Top 100 list
#15 - St. John's
- 2007 Results - Overperformed. Based on their stats in conference, St John's (5-13), should have finished with a record of 4.6 - 13.4
- Consistency - No impact. St. John's was about league average
- Quality of Returning Starters - St. John's returns the fewest number of junior and senior leadership in the Big East, highlighted by the transfer of the productive Larry Wright. Red Flag
- Expected Regression - Based on being one of the lower teams in conference last year, St John's is expected to improve their win% significantly. Bonus
- Incoming Freshmen - Nobody on the RSCI Top 100 list
#14 - South Florida
- 2007 Results - Significant Underperformer. Based on their stats in conference, USF (3-15), should have finished with a record of 4.9 - 13.1. Look for some correction this year. Bonus
- Consistency - Limited impact. USF was slightly above average for consistency in the Big East last year
- Quality of Returning Starters - Slightly below average, although South Florida does lose massive big man Kentrell Gransberry
- Expected Regression - Based on being one of the lower teams in conference last year, USF is expected to improve their win% significantly. Bonus
- Incoming Freshmen - Nobody on the RSCI Top 100 list, but coach Stan Health will welcome seven (7!) new players to the program this fall. Let's see what they can do.
====
The dangerous road game
These three teams will probably be towards the bottom of the league, but that doesn't mean they won't be tough to beat on any given night.
#13 - Seton Hall
- 2007 Results - Overperformed. Based on their stats in conference, Seton Hall (7-11), should have finished with a record of 6.3 - 11.7 last year.
- Consistency - Limited impact. Seton Hall was slightly above average for consistency in the Big East last year
- Quality of Returning Starters - Slightly below average just on the numbers, although the Pirates also lost senior leader Brian Laing and notable Dominic James fouling machine Jamar Nutter. Note that Seton Hall also expects to return steals leader Paul Gause, who was injured for much of the year.
- Expected Regression - Seton Hall can expect some modest regression towards 0.500, but I don't think it's significant
- Incoming Freshmen - Nobody on the RSCI Top 100 list though the Pirates will welcome perhaps the best transfer player into the Big East this year in 6'6" Robert Mitchell. Mitchell played one year at Duquesne and was one of the nation's best freshmen, averaging better than 16 points and 5 boards per game.
#12 - Cincinnati
- 2007 Results - Overperformed. Based on their stats in conference, Cincy (8-10), should have finished with a record of 7.2 - 10.8
- Consistency - Cincy was one of the most inconsistent teams in the league last year. That means that they probably won more games than they should have last year. Red flag
- Quality of Returning Starters - On top of being inconsistent last year, Cincinnati also returns one of the fewest amount of junior and senior minutes this year. Not a good combo. Red flag
- Expected Regression - No real impact
- Incoming Freshmen - The Bearcats welcome two players on the RSCI Top 100 list. 6'8" PF Yancy Gates (#41) and 6' G Cashmere Wright (#94) join their program this year. Bonus
#11 - Rutgers
- 2007 Results - Underperformed. Based on their stats in conference, Rutgers (3-15), should have finished with a record of 3.5 - 14.5
- Consistency - Limited impact. USF was slightly more inconsistent than the league average last year
- Quality of Returning Starters - No impact. Rutgers is about league average
- Expected Regression - Based simply on being one of the worst teams in conference last year, Rutgers is expected to improve their win% significantly. Bonus
- Incoming Freshmen - Fred Hill is bringing in a spate of talented players to the Rutgers team. This year they'll add 6'1 sharpshooter Mike Rosario (#44), 6'9" big man Greg Echinique, and 6'9" Christian Morris. Bonus
====
Fighting for that Tournament Berth
These two teams will be somewhere around 0.500 and they'll probably be in contention for the eight or nine bids the Big East is expected to receive in the NCAA Tournament this year.
#10 - Providence
- 2007 Results - Significant Underperformer. Based on their stats in conference, Providence (6-12), should have finished with a record of 7.1 - 10.9 last year. This certainly contributed to the hiring of a new coach this offseason. Bonus
- Consistency - Providence was one of the most inconsistent teams in the league last year. While it might means that they probably won more games than they should have last year, I believe their underperformance indicates otherwise. I have to flag it but it's worth watching. Red flag (possible bonus)
- Quality of Returning Starters - Limited impact, though a return to health for point guard Sharaud Curry will make Keno Davis' transition to the Big East much smoother. Curry missed nearly all of last season with a stress fracture in his right foot. Providence is slightly above league average, even with the transfer of productive point guard Dwain Williams.
- Expected Regression - Significant impact. Based on where they finished last year, Providence should expect a solid boost just by virtue of a regression towards 0.500. Bonus
- Incoming Freshmen - No impact
#9 - Villanova
- 2007 Results - Overperformed. Based on their stats in conference, Villanova (9-9), should have finished with a record of 8.3 - 9.7
- Consistency - No impact. Villanova was right at league average
- Quality of Returning Starters - Limited impact. Villanova is slightly above average for returning junior and senior minutes.
- Expected Regression - No impact
- Incoming Freshmen - No impact
====
Speaking of the top eight teams (Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia), we'll cover the remainder tomorrow.
Contributions from NYWarrior. Thanks
*edit - Messed up the Villanova results from last year
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Marquette tops Blue Demons
Marquette returned to the win column tonight with a 79-71 win over the DePaul Blue Demons in front of a record crowd of 19,037. Dominic James led the Golden Eagles with 19 points. After leading by just a bucket at the half, MU poured it on in the second half building an 18 point lead before settling for the eight-point win.
With the win, Marquette moves to 14-4 overall and 4-3 in the Big East. DePaul fell to 9-10 and 4-3.
Jerel McNeal chipped in with 15 points and Lazar Hayward delivered 14. In an interesting twist, Crean started senior Dan Fitzgerald tonight rather than Dwight Burke. Fitz landed up with two points.
Updates to follow. Talk about the win over at MUScoop. Next up for Marquette are the USF Bulls who stampede the Bradley Center on Tuesday night.
Media recaps
Friday, January 25, 2008
MU looks to bounce back, hosts DePaul
UPDATED
After a week to stew over ugly back-to-back road losses, the Marquette Golden Eagles (13-4, 3-3) return home on Saturday to take on the DePaul Blue Demons (9-9, 4-2). For more than a decade the Blue Demons have been a welcome opponent on the schedule -- Marquette has beaten DePaul in 26 of the last 32 meetings, though the Golden Eagles did fall short at the Bradley Center South last season.
After last year's aberration, it is time for the Golden Eagles to return to form and bludgeon the Blue Demons......if only DePaul was as rotten as most college basketball fans have come to expect. Fact is, Jerry Wainwright's crew is a major surprise these days boasting a 4-2 record in Big East play. The Blue Demons struggled early this season, but a combination of quick guards and an improved inside game is paying dividends in conference action. Coach Wainwright has one of the league's most dynamic freshman duos in center Mac Koshwal and forward Dar Tucker. The 6'10" Koshwal averages 11 points and nearly eight boards per game. Tucker is the team's second leading scorer at 13 points per game. Senior Draelon Burns, a Milwaukee native, leads the Blue Demons with 15 points per game. Good players, all.
As for MU.....we've had a week to consider the back-to-back road blowouts. Look for MU to come out with a ferocious defensive effort on Saturday night, and hope that the offense gets back on track. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST on ESPNU.
Here are the Top Five Numbers to Know about DePaul. As always, information comes from Pomeroy's Scouting Report and Game Plan.
9 - DePaul has played nine games against teams in the RPI Top 50
- DePaul has played Creighton (43), Kansas (3), Vanderbilt (14), Mississippi (12), Clemson (26), Villanova 2x (37), Providence (44), Georgetown (11)
- They are 2-7 in these games with wins against 'Nova and Providence
- PS - Marquette has played 8 games (record 4-4) against the RPI Top 50
- The Blue Demons only turn the ball over on 18.2% of all possessions (less than one in five possessions)
- On the other hand, Marquette forces opponents into a turnover rate of 23.7%
- It may not seem like a big difference, but we almost always force our opponents into more turnovers than they usually commit
- Turnovers are the matchup of the game
- DePaul allows opponents to average 52.6% at effective Field Goal Percentage against them
- Hooray! Finally an opponent that isn't in the top 20 at eFG% defense (Unlike UConn, Louisville, and WVU)
- In some bad news, Pomeroy also predicted that we'd beat Louisville (66%) and UConn (66%)
- Feel much more confident about this one, however, because we are back at home
- We have a thieving defense, averaging a steal on 14.4% of all possessions
- That's almost ten steals per game, or a steal about one out of seven defensive possessions
Above post is a joint contribution from NY and Henry Sugar
UPDATED LINKS
- GoMarquette.com preview.
- Todd Rosiak says MU is having trouble in the post this season. We at CS agree!
- The DePaul Rivals board has a solid preview - and recipe for a DPU win. Nice work.
- The Chicago Tribune talks up Jerel McNeal in their game preview, calling him a 'dominant defender'.
- The Sun Times looks at Milwaukee's Draelon Burns in today's preview.
- The Daily Herald preview.
- The MU Tribune.
- Chicago Tribune calls MU 'chilly' in this look around the Big East.
- Gary Parrish says MU needs DJ to get healthy fast. No kidding, Gary.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Marquette drops 2nd in a row
Marquette went into DePaul tonight with a chance to inch closer to first place Pittsburgh. Instead, the Blue Demons dealt MU it's second straight road loss 72-67 as MU drops to 8-4 in the league with a very hot Louisville team coming to Milwaukee this weekend.
MU looked pedestrian in the first half giving up 40 points and missing plenty of bunny opportunities. MU trailed 40-33 at the break. The second half MU fought back and took the lead 49-48 at the 10:02 mark. Less than 30 seconds later a Sammy Meija layup put DePaul back on top for good.
That is not to say the game didn't remain close because it did. MU had many opportunities to go back ahead or win the game, but missed shots were the name of the game. That and missed free throws. MU shot a horrid 52% from the line tonight.
With under a minute to play MU was within 3 points or less on 5 possessions but could only manage 1 point on a free throw. The critical play came with under :18 to play and MU trailing 70 to 67. With Tom Crean screaming for a timeout (the refs didn't hear or see it), Dominic James forced about a 35 foot game tying attempt that fell short by plenty and missed the iron. MU then fouled Meijia who managed to make one free throw. MU ran the ball up the court and DJ took another 3 pointer that again missed the mark and sealed the game. Overall James played a pretty good game tonight, but the 3 pointers at inopportune times continue to be a struggle for him.
James finished with 17 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Dan Fitzgerald added 16 points on 3 of 6 from deep. Chicago native Jerel McNeal also added 16 points. The biggest disappointment had to be Barro who had played several great games in a row. Barro laid a big goose egg on the scoring front (he did manage 9 rebounds). Cubillian also score zero points.
It was clear in the post game press conference and radio interview that Coach Crean was not pleased with some of the officiating. He was also displeased with the play of his bigs and the continued erratic free throw shooting. Only a few days ago the Golden Eagles shot 93% from the line only to follow-up with a 52% effort tonight.
MU will attempt to snap their 2 game losing streak against Rick Pitino and Louisville this weekend.
AP Recap
Todd Rosiak Recap
Box Score
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Windy City Romance
UPDATED
Marquette, who swept its foe from the Windy City last season and has won 26 of the last 31 games in this rivalry, will look to break the hearts of the Blue Demons once again -- this time on Valentine's Day. In its home away from home, Tom Crean can expect a rowdy group of MU fans to cheer on the Golden Eagles. Dozens of DPU students are expected to attend as well.
Marquette (21-5, 8-3) enters the game with loads of question marks from where you'd least expect it. Dominic James is fighting through the worst slump of his career. To make matters worse, running mate Wesley Matthews is battling the flu and his status for the game is uncertain. Matthews did not practice on Monday.
Despite winning eight consecutive Big East games before the humbling defeat at Georgetown over the weekend, MU's core strength this season -- its backcourt -- is a major question mark heading into tonight's conference road game. Time for Chicago's own Jerel McNeal to step up!
Tom Crean will also look to the vastly improved Ousmane Barro to tip the scales in MU's favor. The 6'10" junior already has six double-doubles this season -- including MU's last two outings.
DePaul (14-11, 5-6) has has plenty of time to prepare for MU. Paul Gleason's crew last played on February 8 when they stole a victory from Notre Dame at the great airplane hangar in Rosemont.
DePaul is led by Sammy Mejia and Wilson Chandler. Mejia, who celebrated his 24th birthday last week. um. ah. well. hmmm ........sorry, I lost my train of thought. ....his 24th birthday.
Back to the game preview. As a versatile forward, Chandler figures to be MU's toughest matchup.....anybody remember how Alando Tucker, Jeff Green and Demetris Nichols did against the Golden Eagles?
All together now: "They torched Marquette!!"
Well -- enter Mr. Chandler ....... as with the bunch mentioned above, MU does not match up well with him at all, particularly if Matthews is not 100%.
Tough game coming up folks, tough game.
Media Updates Galore!!
- MUScoop info header on tonight's game.
- Eric Silver has a stellar preview at Marquette Hoops.
- Here's the AP preview of the game.
- WeAreDePaul offers this solid preview.
- Details on Todd Rosiak's informative blog.
- Todd Rosiak's preview -- focused on DJ's recent struggles from the field.
- The Daily Herald on the role post play production could play tonight.
- The Sun-Times on how revenge is on the minds of the Blue Demons.
- The Chicago Tribune focuses on the improved play of the Demons' Draelon Burns.
- The Sports And Pop Culture Bank offers its take on where MU stands after the GTown loss. Its a fun read (given the off-the-deep-end mentality) but wow --- talk about an over-reaction to one loss, fellas.
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