The Final Stretch of the Big East Season

The 18-game Big East season comes to a conclusion this Saturday, and who is to be league champion is a three horse race heading into the finish line.  Georgetown, Louisville and Marquette are the contenders, and this could be a race that isn’t decided until the last day of the season.

Georgetown Hoyas (13-3 / 0 games back)

Picked to finish 5^th in the 2012-12 Coaches Poll

The Hoyas are the team in the driver’s seat.  They control their own destiny because they only need to win one of their two games left and the league title is theirs.  But that’s easier said than done, because of the five games remaining amongst the three teams in contention they easily have the two most difficult games.

                - At Villanova on Wednesday

                - Hosting Syracuse on Saturday

Georgetown will be getting a very desperate Wildcats team on Wednesday night who just blew a game at Pittsburgh over the weekend that would have almost assured them a spot in the NCAA Tournament.  And Nova has been known to take down some giants (Louisville and Syracuse) on their home floor this year.  Then their home clash with the Syracuse Orange, the very last time these two will face off as Big East foes in the regular season, will obviously be a heavyweight fight.  Expect a lot of emotion and physical play in this game for a lot of reasons, but a Syracuse revenge game factor being the most prominent. 

However, as already stated above - all that the Hoyas need to do is win one of these games and they are crowned Big East champions.  They currently have a half game lead over the Louisville Cardinals, but they own the tiebreaker against them as they beat them in the two teams only meeting. 

Louisville Cardinals (13-4 / .5 game back)

Unanimous selection to finish 1^st in the 2012-13 Coaches Poll

It’s very difficult to say that anyone is playing better than Georgetown currently considering they have rattled off 11 straight victories, but boy are the Louisville Cardinals playing good ball these days.  If the Hoyas and Cardinals were to square off on a neutral court today (or hopefully next week for real), I’d like the Cardinals.  But that’s not the topic at hand here, and Louisville already had their shot against Georgetown earlier in the season and failed (however, the game was away). 

                - Hosting Notre Dame on Saturday

I don’t expect the Cardinals to have much trouble with the Irish this weekend, but they will need assistance from Villanova and Syracuse if they are to accomplish what all the coaches expected of them in the preseason.  

Marquette Golden Eagles (12-4 / 1 game back)

Picked to finish 7^th in the 2012-13 Coaches Poll

It’s amazing the job Buzz Williams does year after year.  Marquette didn’t play much of a non-conference schedule, but when they got smoked by Florida and lost to Wisconsin Green Bay, it looked as if a 7^th place finish or even worse in the Big East was likely.  Now the Golden Eagles are sitting with four losses in the conference with two games to go.

                - At Rutgers on Tuesday

                - At St. John’s on Saturday

Marquette will be favored to win both of these games, but it won’t be easy.  Of their seven losses on the season, all seven have come on the road.  So this will be a good test for this team before heading into tournament season.  The Golden Eagles are a long shot to win the league as they need Georgetown and Louisville to lose their remaining games, but they can’t be complaining too much considered where they were picked to finish in the league and how their season began.  

Changed my Twitter handle - it is now @ShaneInBigEast

Time to Get Back to Action

The busy holiday season has forced me to go over two weeks without blogging.  I’m not happy about that.  But in between traveling, eating, drinking, shopping, spending hours to wrap a handful of presents, more traveling, eating and drinking, I’ve found little time to sit down and write.  But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been watching Big East basketball; because I made sure to get my fill.  Well, in fairness, I watched the games that didn’t involve Alcorn St.

With the non-conference portion of the schedule over with (finally), and with every team getting at least one conference game in the books, it’s time for me to step it up.  With that, let’s go over what happened in the past two-plus weeks during my writing absence.  

Kevin Ollie Received a Contract Extension

It was 12 games into his one-year trial that Kevin Ollie deservingly received a five-year contract extension from the University of Connecticut.  The deal is supposedly worth ~$7 million, but more importantly brings stability to the program.  Recruiting and retaining players should be much easier now that they know who they are playing for.  Ollie has done an excellent job coaching a team that essentially has nothing to play for at the end of the season.  This team could have easily rolled over with no conference tournament or NCAAs in their future, but they have gotten out to a 10-3 start, led by their superb guard play.  Congrats to Ollie and kudos to the Huskies for standing strong.

Boeheim Passes Knight

In Syracuse’s Big East conference opener at home on January 2, the Orange beat Rutgers 78-53 to propel Coach Boeheim to number 2 on the all-time wins list.  Most impressive about the accomplishment is that he achieved every single victory at Syracuse - a feat that we will likely never see again.  He now trails Coach Krzyzewski by 37 wins.  But with Coach K still coaching and thriving at Duke, it will be difficult for Boeheim to cut into the deficit any time soon.  

Dieng Returns and the Cards Beat Kentucky

The Louisville Cardinals had been playing without their center, Gorgui Dieng, since Thanksgiving, when he broke his wrist at the Battle 4 Atlantis.  However, he returned on December 29^th, the day of their much anticipated game with interstate rival Kentucky.  Dieng came off the bench and only played 20 minutes, but he made his presence felt on the defensive end by snatching seven boards and recording two blocks.  KenPom ranks Louisville as the second best defensive team in the country and Dieng will be a key reason why that will continue.  

Syracuse Loses in Their Second Home

Temple had just come off a home loss to Canisius (Go Griffs!); while Syracuse was cruising through their non-conference portion of the schedule looking to enter Big East play undefeated.  But on Saturday, December 22nd in Madison Square Garden, the Owls had different plans.  Khalif Wyatt went off for 33 points, seemingly hitting everything in the second half, while the Orange missed 15 free throws.  Temple attempted two more free throws than Syracuse did (36 vs 34), but they only missed seven.  This proved to be the difference as the Orange fell uncharacteristically in the Garden to a non-conference opponent 83-79.

Todd Mayo Returns for Marquette

Prior to the season kicking off, Todd Mayo was ruled academically ineligible, and it sounded as if his time at Marquette had come to an end.  However, out of nowhere seemingly, he was reinstated as soon as the first semester was complete.  Some find this suspicious as the Golden Eagles were coming off an embarrassing loss at the hands of Green Bay, and feel they were desperate to improve the team, even if that did mean not honoring team discipline practices.  Who knows if that was the case?  Mayo may have propelled himself to becoming Marquette’s most upstanding student in the entire university for all I know.  However, what I do know is that Marquette is 4-0 since his return, including two close but impressive wins at home over UConn and Georgetown to start 2-0 in conference play. 

No Un-Beatens Entered Big East Play

Louisville fell way back in November to Duke (albeit without Dieng on the court), but it looked as if one or two teams would reach Big East play without a blemish on their resume.  As already mentioned, Syracuse fell to Temple on a ‘neutral’ court, but it looked as if Cincinnati might pull it off.  However, the Bearcats lost to New Mexico at home 55-54 in their last non-conference game before Big East play started.  

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Big East Preview: #3 Marquette Golden Eagles

Previewing all 15 teams from #15 to #1

By:  Shane McCarthy

It is easy to predict a down year for Marquette.  They lost the Big East Player of the Year and one of the most dynamic scoring duos in the nation that combined to score 48% of the team’s points last year.  If you are of the view that Marquette is due for a regression this year – you are mistaken.  Buzz Williams should never be doubted, and he is poised to surprise again. 

Who’s Back:

Junior Cadougan –G– Senior – 28.6 Min, 6.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 5.4 apg

Vander Blue –G– Junior – 25.7 Min, 8.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.6 apg

Jamil Wilson –F– Junior – 24.1 Min, 7.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.1 apg

Davante Gardner –F– Junior – 19.1 Min, 9.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.7 apg

Derrick Wilson –G– Soph – 8.8 Min, 0.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.7 apg

Juan Anderson –F– Soph – 4.5 Min, 0.7 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.2 apg

Chris Otule –C– Senior – 17.8 Min, 5.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.1 apg (returning from an ACL tear after only playing in eight games last season) 

Incoming Recruits:

Jamal Ferguson – [Small Forward/Guard] – 6 foot 4, 180

ESPN’s 61^st ranked Small Forward

Rivals.com’s 134^th ranked player and 31^st ranked Shooting Guard

Steve Taylor – [Small Forward] – 6 foot 7, 200

ESPN’s 84^th ranked player and 22^nd ranked Small Forward

Rivals.com’s 109^th ranked player and 24^th ranked Power Forward

Incoming Transfers:

Trent Lockett – [Guard] – 6 foot 5, 210

Trent, a senior transfer from Arizona State who will be eligible immediately, is an attacking guard who can potentially fill the void left by Darius Johnson-Odom.  He averaged 13.0 ppg and 5.8 rpg for the Sun Devil last season, earning him All-Pac-10 Second Team honors. 

Jake Thomas – [Guard] – 6 foot 3, 200

Jake played for St. Catherine’s, winning two WIAA Division 3 championships, before becoming a two-year starter at the University of South Dakota.  He averaged 13.4 ppg with the South Dakota Coyotes and is known for his shooting capabilities, but his ball-handling and all-around athletic ability will be on display as well.   

Who’s Out:  Jae Crowder, Darius Johnson-Odom, Todd Mayo, Jamail Jones

Overview:

It is not groundbreaking analysis to state that the loss of Crowder and DJO is a significant negative for the Golden Eagles.  They both developed into extremely talented players who scored half of Marquette’s points last year.  That’s insane.  But with their eligibility now expired, the Eagles are forced to move on without them.

The big question being asked heading into the 2012-13 season is: Who will replace that production?

That doesn’t seem to be a fair question.  Just because there weren’t other significant scorers on the team last year, doesn’t mean those same players returning can’t be the answer.  With Crowder and DJO dropping over 35 a game last year, it was the law of attrition that prevented others from filling up the stat sheet on a consistent basis.

While there is talent on this roster, there is no reason to believe or expect that two guys will step up and average ~18 ppg.  While that would be ideal, it’s not needed.  Marquette has enough skill spread throughout to keep them competitive.

It starts in the front court where Davante Gardner, Jamil Wilson and Chris Otule are all above average players.  And if more than one of them can stay healthy for the entire season, they have the potential to be a terrorizing force. Both Gardner and Otule showed t glimpses, but neither was on the court for the full year.  Both are healthy heading into the season and need to keep it that way.

Like the front court, the back court is just as talented.  Junior Cadougan, Vander Blue and Derrick Wilson may not be household names (much like the front court), but they are a lethal bunch.  And if I were to pick one returning player to have a significant jump in production, it would be Blue.  He was ESPN’s 31^st ranked player in the class of 2010 who has yet to live up to full potential.

However, it could be senior transfer from Arizona State Trent Lockett, who eventually has the biggest impact.  Earning All-Pac 10 Second Team honors is not the most glorified recognition in the country, but his size and style of play make him a good fit to assume the DJO role.  He was a great grab for Buzz Williams, and could be this team’s X-factor.

Unfortunately, Todd Mayo has been ruled academically ineligible for the year and it is suspected that he will likely leave the program.  Mayo’s brief career was a rocky one, but he was the team’s best three point threat.  With his absence, incoming recruits Jamal Ferguson and Steve Taylor will provide needed depth in the back and front court respectively.

It’s no doubt going to take some getting used to watching Marquette play without Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom.  Those are big pieces to replace, and that means everyone needs to step up and contribute.  The Golden Eagles have the roster to do that and then some.  Year after year it seems that Marquette is consistently underrated (at least until mid-February when they gain respect and become everyone’s sexy Final Four pick), and this year is no different.  I believe they surprise once again, but this year they do it with more of a collective effort. 

Twitter:  @shane_t_mac

Previewing the Big East Player of the Year

By Shane McCarthy on March 2, 2012

Next week, before the Big East Tournament tips off at Madison Square Garden, the award for the most outstanding basketball player in the Big East Conference will be handed out. The award, currently held by the former Notre Dame guard Ben Hansbrough (who has since taken his talents and finances to the economic rattled European Union) will be going to a first time recipient as no former conqueror of this title remains in the conference or the NCAA for that matter.

It seems pretty obvious that there are only a select few that deserve to be in this discussion, but nonetheless, when the head coaches of the conference cast their ballot – they have a tough decision on their hands.

Here are the four players that deserve to be on the ballot accompanied with some key statistics…

Jae Crowder (Marquette Golden Eagles) – Of my four candidates, Jae Crowder is easily the most consistent, most well-rounded, and has the best hair. Even though Marquette has been able to creep into the top 10, this team still seems to be undervalued by the public, and Crowder epitomizes this. He does not specialize in any one aspect when on the court, which is to his benefit, because the fact that he excels at all portions of the game, it makes him a complete player and a match-up problem for opposing defenses. He is an extremely intelligent player who has a great knowledge of the game and he is able to use this to his advantage. He’s undersized but is able to play bigger than he is, and this allows him to out muscle opposing players down low (both offensively and defensively) or step out and guard the perimeter on defense and drain threes in peoples’ faces on offense. Crowder probably was not in this discussion until about two weeks ago, but he really cemented himself in the talks with his play at West Virginia last week when he had a huge game while some of his key teammates were suspended for a half. His ‘will’ to get it done and his persistent drive to out-work his opponent has helped lead Marquette to a 24-6 record with one game remaining in the regular season.

Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette Golden Eagles) – Johnson-Odom is the most talented player on Marquette, more so than Crowder, and it is his play that opens up the offense and allows them to play at a fast pace. Marquette’s game style is to step up and bring it as hard as possible at their opponent , wreaking havoc, but always seem to be in control and comfortable. DJO has been terrific all year, when he is actually on the floor and not suspended that is, as he is not only a great scorer, but also a great leader. DJO and Dion Waiters of Syracuse are very similar players in terms of style and build. Both are strong bodied guards who are above average shooters, but excellent slashers to the basket. DJO just happens to get more playing time than Waiters as his supporting cast is not as deep, thus being more relied upon each and every game compared to Dion. Johnson-Odom is the main reason why Marquette is one of the best teams in transition and his presence on the floor is critical to Marquette’s success. Unlike other players around the country that post similar numbers, DJO’s statistics have done this team a lot of good this year.

Kevin Jones (West Virginia Mountaineers) – Jones had been the front-runner all season and it looked as if he was going to run away as Big East Player of the Year. That was until recently. Caught in a 3-7 slide, the Mountaineers have struggled mightily in the last month and they are at risk of not making the NCAA Tournament. While team success is obviously going to play a role in the decision-making, it is hard to argue with the production Jones has put forth over the entirety of the season. He leads the conference in both points per game and rebounds per game, which really is an amazing feat when you think how deep and talented the Big East Conference is. What is even more impressive is that he is not your prototypical dominant big man, a la DaJuan Blair of a few years ago, who is bigger, stronger and more talented than everyone else on the court and having the statistics come easy each and every night. His work ethic and tenacity are really exemplified in the fact that he also leads the conference in offensive rebounds. Jones, a senior and terrific leader, has been great all year long without much talent around him. A typical Kevin Jones game combined with a win at South Florida on Saturday (a must win as the Bulls are a competing bubble team) would vastly improve his chances of taking home the award.

Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall Pirates) – Jordan Theodore probably won’t receive a single vote for Big East Player of the Year, but I think he deserves to be considered and I for one will at least give him recognition. Slated to finish 12th in the conference based on preseason rankings, Theodore has led the Pirates to an 8-9 conference record (19-10 overall) which is currently 8th, with a very winnable, and must win game, at DePaul on Saturday. A win means they get a first round bye in the Big East Tournament starting next Tuesday and keeps hope alive for a NCAA Tournament berth. Theodore, a prototypical point guard and engine of this team who distributes the ball well (second in the conference in assists per game) has been forced to shoot more than usual this season as there is a lack of talent surrounding him. Still, he is a hard working player who leads by example and sets the tone for this team to get the best out of his teammates in each game. Without Theodore, the Pirates are probably a .500 team and not a team that is 10 games over .500. Odds are is that he is not going to win the award, but he has had an excellent season and his play has directly related to the success of Seton Hall, and should therefore at least be considered.

My Worthless Prediction – If you would have told me before the season that a Big East team was going to lose one total game combined between non-conference and conference play - I would have pointed out two or three teams capable of doing such a thing and picked the best player on each of those teams as my prediction for Big East Player of the Year. Well, that is not the case because the deep, talented and best team in the conference Syracuse Orange, play 10 guys in almost every game without one player standing out any more than the others. In essence, they cannibalize each other because they do have players capable of winning this award, but they have bought into Jim Boeheim’s style of play, which is great team basketball. That is just fine for the Orange though, as they have bigger aspirations than winning individual accomplishments.

OK, now for my prediction. Six times in Big East history there have been co-winners of the Big East Player of the Year award. I believe this year will be the seventh, but I also believe this will be the first time in the history of the award that those players are on the same team. With no disrespect to Kevin Jones who has had a tremendous season being one of two players in the conference to average a double-double (the other being Herb Pope), but Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom have Marquette playing at such a high level that they have become one of the best and most feared teams in the country. We will have to wait until next week to see what the Big East coaches decide on, but I’m going with the two guys who are directly responsible for their team’s outstanding success.

@shane_t_mac

Power Rankings / A Look Back & Ahead 2-27-12



Dion Waiters and Cuse out-dueled UConn on Saturday

Gearing up for the conference tournament

By Shane McCarthy on February 27, 2012

1.     #2 Syracuse Orange (29-1 / 16-1)

Last week:  WON 56-48 vs South Florida, WON 71-69 @ Connecticut

This week:  Sat, March 3 vs Louisville

The only semi-negative thing you can say about the Orange is that they have trouble putting together 40 minutes of the good basketball that they are capable of playing, but this team is 29-1, #2 in the country, have not lost with Fab Melo in the lineup, and always find a way to win.  Being so deep and talented, there are only a handful of teams that can matchup with them barring an off-shooting night.

2.     #7 Marquette Golden Eagles (24-5 / 13-3)

Last week:  WON 82-65 vs Rutgers, WON 61-60 @ West Virginia

This week:  Wed, Feb 29 @ Cincinnati; Sat, March 3 vs Georgetown

Part of me wants to power rank Marquette #1, but that's difficult to warrant without an Orange loss.  They are playing at a very high level right now, as was on display Friday night when the Golden Eagles beat West Virginia without DJO, Blue and Cadougan playing the first half.  I would like to see this team get another shot at Syracuse in the Big East Tournament.        

3.     #12 Georgetown Hoyas (21-6 / 11-5)

Last week:  LOSS 73-55 @ Seton Hall, WON 67-46 vs Villanova

This week:  Mon, Feb 27 vs Notre Dame, Sat, March 3 @ Marquette

The Hoyas slipped up at a desperate Seton Hall team in the middle of the week, but they recovered nicely with a decisive win at home over Villanova on Saturday.  They aren’t the most talented team offensively, but they wreak havoc on the defensive end.   They will be a tough team to prep for on short notice.

4.     #18 Louisville Cardinals (22-7 / 10-6)

Last week:  LOSS 60-56 @ Cincinnati, WON 57-54 vs Pittsburgh

This week:  Wed, Feb 29 vs South Florida; Sat, March 3 @ Syracuse

The Cardinals haven’t been playing their best basketball as of late, but they are still a talented team that can stay on the floor with anyone.  They get a desperate South Florida team and another shot at Syracuse this week to garner some momentum heading into the Big East Tournament.

5.     #19 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-9 / 12-4)

Last week:  WON 71-44 vs West Virginia, LOSS 61-58 @ St. John’s

This week:  Mon, Feb 27 @ Georgetown; Fri, March 2 vs Providence

After reeling off nine straight victories, the Irish faltered at St. John’s over the weekend.  As poorly as they shot the ball and as little involved that Jack Cooley was, it was encouraging that they only lost by three.  They are in for a tough game at Georgetown on Monday night, but they are more than capable of winning.

6.     Connecticut Huskies (17-11 / 7-9)

Last week:  WON 73-70 OT @ Villanova, LOSS 71-69 vs Syracuse

This week:  Tue, Feb 28 @ Providence; Sat, March 3 vs Pittsburgh

Tough loss at home to Syracuse, but it was encouraging to see them come back from 17 down in the second half.  They could be the most talented team in the conference if they could display more cohesiveness and showed some controlled urgency on the court.   I do not think anyone would be surprised if the Huskies won the Big East Tournament in two weeks.  Maybe the return of Coach Calhoun will bring the spark they need.

7.     Cincinnati Bearcats (20-9 / 10-6)

Last week:  WON 60-56 vs Louisville, LOSS 46-45 @ South Florida

This week:  Wed, Feb 29 vs Marquette; Sat, March 3 @ Villanova

After Sunday’s loss at South Florida, the Bearcats are probably back on the bubble.  Cincinnati is a tough team to figure out as they have been incredibly inconsistent all year long.  They have a tough matchup in Marquette this week, but a win will put them firmly back in the tournament.

8.     West Virginia Mountaineers (17-12 / 7-9)

Last week:  LOSS 71-44 @ Notre Dame, LOSS 61-60 vs Marquette

This week:  Tue, Feb 28 vs DePaul; Sat, March 3 @ South Florida

Very tough loss at home on Friday night to a short-staked Marquette team.  Coach Huggins should probably put a limit on the number of shots Truck Bryant is allowed to take per game.  Once he sees a few go through the bucket, he’ll shoot a trillion times if he could.  They have two favorable matchups this week to get back on the right track, but they have work to do.

9.     South Florida Bulls (18-11 / 11-5)

Last week:  LOSS 56-48 @ Syracuse, WON 46-45 vs Cincinnati

This week:  Wed, Feb 29 @ Louisville; Sat, March 3 vs West Virginia

Well, for the first half of the first half it looked as if South Florida was going to take down Syracuse, but come to find out, winning the first 10 minutes of a basketball game is worthless unless you win all 40.  Their bounce-back win [and their first notable win at that], over Cincinnati had the feel of a tournament game as both teams knew the importance of it.  More work is probably needed by the Bulls and they will get that chance at Louisville this week. 

10.  Seton Hall Pirates (19-10 / 8-9)

Last week:  WON 73-55 vs Georgetown, LOSS 77-72 OT vs Rutgers

This week:  Sat, March 3 @ DePaul

All that Seton Hall needed to do after getting that noteworthy win over Georgetown, was not take a bad loss; which meant not losing at home to Rutgers.  Of course, however, that is exactly what they did.  DePaul is an absolute must win this week and a win in the Big East Tournament may be a necessity at this point.    

11.  Pittsburgh Panthers (15-14 / 4-12)

Last week:  LOSS 57-54 @ Louisville

This week:  Wed, Feb 29 vs St. John’s; Sat, March 3 @ Connecticut

The disaster season for Pitt continues as they have now lost five in a row.  I’m not sure what they were thinking when they were down three at L’ville with 13 seconds left going for a two, fouling, and ultimately giving themselves less time to tie the game with a three point desperation heave.  Nonetheless, this team is still putting up a fight and possesses talent.  It’s highly unlikely, but I suppose they could somehow pull it together in time for the Big East Tournament.

12.  St. John’s Red Storm (13-16 / 6-10)

Last week:  WON 79-72 vs DePaul, WON 61-58 vs Notre Dame

This week:  Wed, Feb 29 @ Pittsburgh; Sat, Feb 3 @ Rutgers

St. John’s is a fun team to watch right now as they have been playing better basketball as of late, taking down UCLA and Notre Dame in the past two weeks.  Moe Harkless has to be the frontrunner for Big East Rookie of the Year and he has his team poised for an upset in the Big East Tournament. 

13.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-16 / 5-11)

Last week:  LOSS 82-65 @ Marquette, WON 77-72 OT @ Seton Hall

This week:  Thu, March 1 vs Villanova; Sat, March 3 vs St. John’s

Rutgers played spoiler role at Seton Hall over the weekend and their season finale matchup with St. John’s this week should be a fun one.  Both teams are talented, just raw, but it makes for entertaining basketball.

14.  Villanova Wildcats (11-17 / 4-12)

Last week:  LOSS 73-70 OT vs Connecticut, LOSS 67-46 vs Georgetown

This week:  Thu, March 1 @ Rutgers; Sat, March 3 vs Cincinnati

You know you are having a rough season when one of your starters, JayVaughn Pinkston, comes down on a ball after dunking in warm-ups and turns his ankle.  It’s almost over Villanova, two more weeks.

15.   Providence Friars (14-15 / 3-13)

Last week:  WON 73-71 @ DePaul

This week:  Tue, Feb 28 vs Connecticut; Fri, March 2 @ Notre Dame

Providence handled DePaul to get out of the Big East basement on Saturday.  For a team that is 3-13 - you have to appreciate the little things. 

16.   DePaul Blue Demons (11-17 / 2-14)

Last week:  LOSS 79-72 @ St. John’s, LOSS 73-71 vs Providence

This week:  Tue, Feb 28 @ West Virginia; Sat, March 3 vs Seton Hall

The Blue Demons have lost 13 of their last 14.  Not really much else to say besides that they have been competitive in their last three games.  

@shane_t_mac

Marquette is Rolling

Buzz has his team playing some good basketball

The Golden Eagles are ready for March

By Shane McCarthy on February 25, 2012

Sports are supposed to be fun, but really the only way a team and their fans can have fun is with victories.  That’s why when Mr. Sunshine on my god damn shoulders, John Denver, started playing over the loud speakers, Coach Buzz Williams was simply enjoying the moment when he decided to two-step around the court after Marquette’s 61-60 win at West Virginia on Friday night.    

Buzz was not only dancing because of his team’s hard fought victory, in which three starters (Darius Johnson-Odom, Vander Blue, and Junior Cadougan) were all suspended for the first half; he was also dancing because his team is really really good. 

The Golden Eagles have won 12 of their last 13 games, with their lone loss coming at Notre Dame; a game in which they struggled defensively as they were still trying to adjust to the loss of Davante Gardner and the Fighting Irish poured in 11 three-pointers. 

Game in and game out, Marquette’s style is to ‘step up and bring it’.  They drive the speed of the game as they are comfortable with an up-tempo pace, constantly keeping pressure on their opponents.  Being that they are aggressive by nature, it is important that they are able to complement that style with lock-down, aggressive defense.  This allows them to make comebacks when they are trailing on the scoreboard.

As fast and aggressive that Marquette is, they are still able to be controlled and comfortable in their offensive sets.  Their offense is filled with a lot of movement and energy, high screens, low screens, ball reversals, making it very difficult on the defenders. For the most part, almost everyone touches the ball before a shot is taken, unless something really good presents itself early in the possession.  This is the exact opposite of how Truck Bryant orchestrates the West Virginia offense; as he will jack the first open look het gets once he crosses half-court. 

Marquette is certainly not the biggest team in the Big East, and obviously the country, but they are extremely talented at playing small and clever.  No one on the court is better at playing like this than Jae Crowder. 

Not only does Crowder have great knowledge of the game, but he has the ‘will’ to get it done at all times.  He plays bigger than he is, defends all positions extremely well, and knows how to play in and out very well – both defensively and offensively.  It doesn’t matter how tired he is or how much his dreads weigh him down, he is always the hardest working player on the court and he complements the effort with great instincts. 

Crowder’s production and presence on the court allows Darius Johnson-Odom, arguably their best player, to play more freely as he knows that he does not have to do it all on his own.  Complement these two with Vander Blue, Jamil Wilson, Junior Cadougan, and Todd Mayo and you got yourself a team that can stay on the floor with anyone.  And once Gardner makes it back, they will have a big guy to matchup with other talented bigs in the NCAA Tournament. 

Marquette is 13-3 in conference play and 24-5 overall, with their only bad loss coming back in December when they lost at LSU.  After the game Crowder said “We're going to handle it like men, go back, look at the things we did wrong and fix it. Hopefully guys step up to the plate and fix the problem."  The Golden Eagles continue to improve and they have numerous guys that can step up, including Crowder and DJO who can single handedly take over games.  A Final Four appearance should not be out of the question for this team. 

@shane_t_mac