Miserable Marquette Season Ends with a X

Marquette did not make an appearance on the bubble. Nobody talked about how the Golden Eagles 'needed one or two wins' to make the Big Dance. A team picked to win the Big East had become irrelevant in absolutely no time. Although with Villanova falling earlier in the door, the door was open a touch for Marquette to make a run. It did not happen as Xavier beat Marquette, 68-65, where they took control early on in the second half and Golden Eagles could not get their heads back above water.

This game really became a microcosm of the season. A game where Marquette plays competitively in spots, disappear at different occasions and a Buzz Williams decision that makes your head spin. Golden Eagles really played to their season's worth which is about lower than low. It is like praising an alcoholic for not having a drink in a week or so. Marquette did some nice things, but once again, they could not close out a basketball game

One of the more encouraging things about Marquette's season in October was the massive recruiting class coming in for 2014. Duane Wilson, Deonte Burton and JaJuan Johnson were all hyped up to be the next great players for Marquette. Wilson got hurt, Johnson never really made it off the bench and Burton finally got a chance to start on Thursday. He had a career-high 23 points in an aggressive performance where he showed a will to get to the lane and make shit happen. Marquette did not have enough guys this year that wanted to make shit happen. Burton might not have much of an outside shot yet, but he can entirely fill up the tin. The mind-boggling thing is he stayed on the bench for most of the final seven minutes of the game. Buzz Williams told Andrew Gruman and others, it was due to his defense and then you see this from Paint Touches.

Xavier scored on 11 of its 14 final possessions. Good thing Deonte wasn't in to make it worse.
— Paint Touches (@PaintTouches) March 14, 2014

The fact Williams used his lack of defense as an excuse is a fair one for why Burton did not start all year, but to keep him bench when he is playing the best game of his career is absolutely maddening and disappointing. There are times where you need to sacrifice defense for good offense. Marquette has enough players that can fill it up and if they have to play in the eighties, so be it. It is also a complete and utter joke given Davante Gardner cannot guard a statue, Todd Mayo's closes like a 21-year-old kid at the bar, Jake Thomas is a disaster (He did make a really smart play last night though) and basically, none of these guys really play concrete defense. I know Marquette's numbers show they are better than most, but we see mirages all the time. Burton needed to be out there, and the fact, Williams kept him on the bench is such a timid, feeble move. Change scares Williams, let's just all admit that about the coach. He cannot handle freshman being the leaders of this team especially when he kisses the collective asses of all the seniors.

Heavy criticism of Williams feels completely wrong honestly. Many critics would say 'Look at DePaul, they are praising just winning a Big East conference tournament game, and you have coach that got you three Sweet 16, how ungrateful.' It is not ungrateful, just concerned how Williams handled this roster and what the team will be like moving forward. A great coach like a Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan, Jim Calhoun, Roy Williams, tends to find a way to make things work with a roster and rarely do they get defeated like Marquette's head coach did all season with trying to figure out this roster.

Even though Todd Mayo is about as reckless as anyone in college basketball, but he stayed engaged throughout the game. I did not realize Mayo had 21 points on 8/13 shooting, but he tried his best to keep Marquette in the basketball game. Twice, the Golden Eagles trailed by six points and Mayo nailed a three-point jumper (Worth nothing, Mayo found his three-point shot again at the end of the year). In the last six games, Mayo is averaging 17.1 points and in the last three, he had 20 or more points off the bench. Could a generally troubled player become a leader next year? I have high hopes which might be naive, but I am optimist that Mayo will stay in check knowing he is the man of the 2014-2015 team.

Mayo and Burton give me hope that this could be a one bad year and things might head back to normal. The trio of the two and Luke Fischer midway through the season could be real special. Not to mention, Duane Wilson will get the keys and it could be real special. Even though Williams mishandled this season, I still hold out hope it was an aberration and things will be back to normalcy next season.

The best part of the game yesterday was Jamil Wilson missing two free throws as Marquette down three with under two minutes left. If you wanted a clip to describe Marquette's season and Wilson's career, that would be the perfect one.  Happy, it is over and would not mind making a little noise in the NIT.

Charlie.

Marquette Seniors End on a Sour Note

Marquette Golden Eagles closed the final chapter on their most depressing season in the last decade. A team projected to win the Big East in its inaugural year with its new members did not come anywhere close to its expectations.  If there could be a bright light at the end of the tunnel, Marquette could win their final home game for the seniors against St. John's. but it did not happen as the Golden Eagles lost their second straight game on Saturday. Red Storm swept Marquette beating them in double overtime, 91-90.

Confession time... I work a good amount of Saturdays meaning some Marquette games I watched later in the weekend on the DVR. It was the same this week, but my DVR decided to cut it off after 15 minutes of running (Thanks, Time Warner!) meaning I feel wrong about giving you a recap without watching most of the game. Instead of trying to BS my way through a recap, let's look at all of the seniors and what they meant for the team for their duration of their careers.

Chris Otule - One of the most well-liked players in Buzz Williams' tenure. Otule never really broke through on the offensive end, but he did so many good things for Marquette as their big man. Otule is a complete leader on the team, and he will be absolutely missed in the years to come when it comes to leadership. I will forever and ever be interested to see what happened to Otule if he had one knee injury versus multiple injuries throughout his seven-year career at Marquette.

Davante Gardner - BIG SMOOOOVE.  Gardner went from one of my favorite players to a favorite with a massive deficiency in his senior year. I guess I never realized how bad a defender Gardner was until his senior year, but it showed in a major way this season. Gardner did have a good career with the team without question when people wondered if he would be able to produce with his height and weight. There is a lot to be said for a player that can just throw up the basketball to the rim, and it somehow goes in more times than not. If he actually gave a shit as a defender, he would be a second round draft pick.

Jamil Wilson - Man. I wish this could be a more positive paragraph, but he never reached his potential in his four years. People expected Wilson to make a step this season, and maybe vault himself into the draft yet that did not happen. Continually, he disappeared from basketball games where he would score 10 points quickly then fade away for the next 10 to 15 minutes.  Wilson had a great skill set of power, speed and ability to shoot the basketball. This might be one of the greatest 'What if''s of the Marquette program. Because if Wilson played to his potential, Golden Eagles would have had a greater program at this point.

Jake Thomas - I criticized Thomas for the whole year because of his inconsistent play along with his lack of defense. At the beginning of February,  a friend asked me 'Why does he play so much' and I could not provide a reasonable answer. Now, he finished the year pretty strongly with some big games here and there so that's good for him. He redeemed himself from the earlier part of the season. But if Thomas getting an inordinate amount of playing time leads to a Marquette transfer as Rubie Q of Anonymous Eagle and others have hypothesize, that will be a death knelt to anything Thomas did during his time with the team.

Derrick Wilson - Watching UW-Milwaukee play UW-Green Bay, it became clear the two point guards in the game were better than anything Marquette trotted out a daily basis. Who knows if Jordan Aaron or Kiefer Skyes guard would be better than Wilson, but the fact of the matter that I at least gave it some thought speaks volume about the point guard play for Marquette this season from its senior. You would imagine with a senior point guard, there would be some definite leadership and he could put the team on his shoulders when they needed it the most yet that did not happen at all throughout the duration of the season.

These five seniors will always be looked at differently given what happened this season. They would be seen in a different light if they kept the winning tradition alive instead they will be looked at as the ones whom were privileged from the prior success and thought everything came easy which it did not.

Charlie.

The Providence Knockout

AMC does theme weeks almost every week with their movies. This week, it has been the Rocky saga. If Rocky, I really have no time for you as an individual, but I digress. Marquette-Providence felt a little bit like Rocky II even though Providence is nowhere near an 'Apollo Creed' of college basketball and Marquette is not a 'Rocky' of the sport either instead one is on the rise for the first time in years and the other is a great disappointment.
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The reason it felt like the movie is Marquette took all sorts of punches from Providence throughout the game and battled back to have a lead late in the game. Friars forced overtime and a second one where they were victorious, 81-80, where Marquette had Providence on their heels yet failed to deliver the final knockout punch.  Derrick Wilson turning in one of his worst games of his starting career aided the problems for Marquette as well as Buzz Williams keeping two timeouts in his pocket along with another disappointing effort from Jamil Wilson and how Todd Mayo has become my Marquette little brother.

Unlike others around college basketball, Derrick Wilson is finishing off his senior season with a complete whimper. The last couple of games have been quite the disappointment for Wilson. This game was no different. The worst came from him in the waning moments of the game. The worst of it being his fifth foul of the game where he reached for a jump ball against Providence's star Bryce Cotton instead of playing defense in the final Friar possession of the game. Cotton made both free throws and won the game. Wilson is known for his defense; that's why Buzz has him out there yet Derrick did not trust him to make a stop against Cotton whom without question was taking the final shot of the game. Such a shame. Let's also not forget he walked the ball up with only 10 seconds left in the first overtime period with no sense of urgency causing a terrible final possession and a bad travel as well. In the end, Wilson put a bun on the dumpster fire sandwich he had on Tuesday night.  

The reason why Cotton got the two free throws were not all Wilson's fault. Marquette had a one-point lead and got the ball back after Providence had a slashing basket. There were 10 seconds left and Williams had two timeouts left. Jake Thomas caught the inbound  pass and instead of trying to dribble or pass to keep the ball away from Providence, he anticipated the foul. With that, Cotton went for the ball and forced a jump ball giving the Friars an extra possession. If Williams gets a timeout there, Marquette at least gets another chance to make a three-point game at the free throw line. I have no idea why no one is thinking about the timeout there. I am sorry, but the ineptitude of this team is mind-blowing. Wilson and Thomas's plays were stuff you would see at the local high school when the freshman team plays, not a high level college basketball team.

The other Wilson on the team was not much better on Tuesday with another game where Jamil Wilson rode the struggle bus in a major way. Jamil's stat line was a sight for sore eyes as he went 4/15 from the field having only eleven points with only getting to the free throw line twice. The senior forward threw up countless mid-range jumpers and nothing was falling for him. The refusal for Wilson to take it to the tin is stunning and amazing. The guy is a beast in size but the mentality of Jamil is that of a soaking wet 140 pound point guard. He could easily be a four with his size on countless teams, but instead, he is a three scared to attack the lane. Everyone will look back on Jamil's career and wonder what if for the next couple of years.

There is such a love/hate relationship right now with Todd Mayo. He did some really dumb things on Tuesday night. He had three turnovers, fouled a guy twice on attempting a three which are bad; Mayo also had 26 points, eleven rebounds and made four threes which are good. While fouling a guy twice on a three is horrible, you cannot say Mayo did not hustle his ass off and attempt to make a play on the ball. Sure it was stupid, but at least he gives a damn. I do not know if I can say about every player on this roster, but I can about Mayo. Let's hope Mayo stays out of trouble in the coming months and has the ability to be a great senior for this team because I believe the future is still bright for him.

For those wondering, Marquette will need a Big East tournament win to be in the tournament. If that happens, they are likely a 12 or a 13 at best so I do not know if you want it.  Marquette has a chance to close out strong and play spoiler against St. John's on Saturday morning in the two Wilsons, Chris Otule, Davante Gardner and Jake Thomas' final game.

Charlie.  

Marquette Shows Its True Colors in Villanova Defeat

The faith in Marquette taking down Villanova on Sunday afternoon was the same faith that one might have in seeing Will Ferrell get an Academy Award... Very little. For the entire year, Marquette failed to step up when the lights shined the brightest and once again, it held true as Golden Eagles fell to eighth-ranked Villanova, 73-56 in a dominating performance. For what seems like the 10th time this year, Marquette could not grab a marquee win. Buzz Williams technical, Jamil Wilson's disappearance, free throw shooting and Derrick Wilson plagued this team on Sunday.

There has been much discussion about the Big East officials in the past couple of weeks probably too much, but Buzz apparently had enough yesterday. He received a technical after Jake Thomas appeared to get a timeout on the sideline yet the officials did not grant him one. Williams could not have picked a worst time for him to get teed up late in the first half. Villanova had an eight to 10 point lead for a majority of the first 20 minutes. Marquette started to gain some steam pulling the lead down to six before Williams drew a technical. Villanova would make the two free throws and Darrun Hillard hits a three to put Nova up eleven as they hit halftime.

Marquette did not get closer than six points for the rest of the game. While it is totally understandable to see Williams' frustration with the call, his technical changed the direction of the game. If he is a first or second year coach, we could excuse the outburst, but not Williams whose been there for awhile. Coaches are not perfect nor should anyone expect them to be, but there needs to be something to just pump the breaks. Marquette might have had the same outcome if Williams did not get the technical, but Golden Eagles needed a perfect game which getting technicals are not a part of it.  

Another thing hindering Marquette from playing perfect was Jamil Wilson pulling a disappearing act. Wilson has been great for almost the entire month of February minus the St. John's performance and then he completely crumbled in a game that should have benefited him. Villanova does not have a player that can play with Wilson on the perimeter with the same size yet he could not take advantage. Wilson's stat line looked like the fourth player off the bench with five points, only made shot on four attempts and only playing 21 minutes. The last part could have been his coach realizing Wilson did not have it on Sunday afternoon. It is hard to believe the senior 'leader' of this team failed to show up in the biggest game. 

While in the grand scheme of things this probably did not make a difference, but Marquette was below or near their average for the fourth straight game. Three of the four featured the Golden Eagles dipping well below their average of 70.8 percent including yesterday's game where Marquette went 64 percent from the field. This is sort of bizarre after the team went 54/61 in two straight games against Seton Hall and Xavier before falling apart on the line. This could likely be blamed on the usual inconsistency of this whole Marquette team throughout the year.  

Derrick Wilson had a great February, but his March looked like November from him. It felt like the game was too big for him which should not happen as he is a senior whose played in big games, but that's what it looked like with Wilson. He played tentative and forced some shots that were not there plus his defensive was subpar to say the least. With seniors you would like to see them close out strong and Wilson did not get off on the right foot of his last month of college basketball.  

My buddy Coach asked me 'What are Marquette's chances of the NCAA Tournament without a Big East Conf. Champ win?'  I said five percent. There are still chances for some craziness, but Marquette looks completely on the outside. Truthfully, the last thing this team deserves is an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Charlie.  

Big East Ref Show Tour Makes a Stop in Milwaukee

College basketball games are supposed to take about two hours roughly to finish. 45 minutes or so for the first half and another 45 minutes for the second with minutes for halftime. Georgetown and Marquette took two hours and 25 minutes to finish on Thursday night. The game featured 51 fouls including two horrid technicals but in the end, we need a winner which was Marquette, 75-73.  Golden Eagles had big games from Davante Gardner, Jake Thomas and Marquette is not dead yet.

But back to the #REFSHOW that took place in Milwaukee on Thursday night. Wonder if the ticket stubs had 'Come see the Refs featuring Georgetown-Marquette!'  Personally if I am a Georgetown fan, I would be more pissed than I am this morning. Not just because the Hoyas fell in a must-win game, but due to the officials fouling out two big men with two others playing with four fouls as Nate Lubick and Moses Ayegba left before the 10 minute mark of the second half. Georgetown received the worst end of the stick when it came to the officials and if I am the Hoyas, I would be livid at the officiating.

Big East needs to send out a memo if this how the officials are going to ref the games moving forward. A must-win game became unwatchable rather quickly and that's a shame. Hopefully, they can find a balance where there are some calls here and there, maybe some questionable ones, but let's have a flow to this game versus every time down a whistle appears. Related, I went three paragraphs without complaining about how Marquette missed eleven free throws that nearly cost them the game shows how bad both ways these officials were for the full 40 minutes.


With the officials fouling the Georgetown big men out, Davante Gardner saw blood in the water like an oversized shark. He ended the game with 26 points and seven rebounds. Bradley Hayes is seven foot, but Gardner made him look like a dwarf out there dominating in the lane. To Marquette's credit, they kept feeding the beast in the second half and did not waver from it minus a couple shots from Todd Mayo that would make Russell Westbrook blush. When Gardner is at his best, we see the wide array of post moves he has to offer plus he draws fouls which he did going to the line 12 times. In the last two games, Gardner is averaging 24 points, hopefully this is a sign of a big late season push from the Marquette big man.

If you read this blog, I heavily criticized Jake Thomas throughout the year with wondering why he played and why others guys were not playing. But in the last couple games, Thomas has been great. He had a career-high 22 points making six of nine from 3-point range last night. He hit all shots in rhythm plus Thomas looked confident as ever to nail down these big threes. Nothing better than to see him turn around season. I am more than happy to eat crow with Thomas. While 22 points should not be the expectation, let's hope he starts becoming a 10 to 15 points a game threat in these final games of the season.

There are couple other news and notes from this one. Juan Anderson had four points which is above his average, but he seemed more confident than he has in the past couple of games. Because of Thomas and Gardner's play, we will sort of forget how Jamil Wilson only had three points and Mayo only had six points. Even though he did not score, I liked a lot of what I saw from John Dawson in this one. Finally, 20 assists for Marquette will likely win them ball games. The ball movement was as good as I have seen it from this squad.

Marquette is still not dead for NCAA Tournament talk. They are like a zombie where Marquette keeps wavering around yet no one can seem to kill them. Golden Eagles take on their final marquee game of the season in a road trip against eighth-ranked Villanova. This is a great chance for the Golden Eagles to become more than just a zombie.

Close

The Great Marquette Escape

There are something to be said for coming away from a game no matter what sport where the team you cheer for won a game they should not have or things should have ended differently.  Some of those games are ones where your team trails for most of the game, and somehow found a way to win. The other version is where they blew a lead and really was not the better team heading down the stretch of the game.

The latter was Marquette as they found a way to get out of Chicago with a 96-94 overtime victory over DePaul. Golden Eagles get a big second half effort from Chris Otule plus big games from the bench but concerns have to remain about their defense for the final games of the season.

There are not many games in his long career with Marquette where the team could point Otule's play to be the difference in the game. But he played fantastic in the second half to keep the Golden Eagles in the game as they were on the ropes blowing a 15 point early second half lead. It is hard to fathom praising a center that did not even have a defensive rebound, but Otule pulled down four huge offensive rebounds that were all converted into points for him. If Marquette does not have Otule's offensive rebounds, they probably lose the game in regulation. Otule is probably the most likable guy on the Marquette roster, and it is always nice to see him get a feather in his cap late in his career.

Otule's strong second half play helped Marquette in a major way, but the bench of Davante Gardner and Todd Mayo proved to be equally big. Gardner bounced back from his Creighton game to have 22 points in variety of bursts throughout the game. He was at a standstill with eleven points all in the first half to come on with a strong finish getting another eleven. He got to line 16 times, the second-highest total for Gardner this season as he went 20 times against Southern. Five out of the six games where Gardner went to the line at least 10 times, the team won the game. Gardner is shooting 77 percent from the line and him getting their multiple times is crucial for this team to win basketball games.

Mayo had another great game going for 19 points where all of his points came from inside the 3-point arc or from the free throw line. This is great to see with Mayo. With all the bad shit that happened this season, one of the more encouraging things have been the growth of Mayo as a basketball player. He is not just a three-point shooter off the bench anymore, rather he is a guy that can be either a slasher or a three-point threat. The fact Mayo only shot one three tells me he is confident in his overall game versus not trusting his three right now even though he has not had one three since the game against Butler in early February.

Even with Mayo, Otule and Gardner giving a great offensive effort, Marquette's defensive effort was putrid at best. They pitched a shutout against DePaul for the first seven minutes of the game only to give up 41 points in the next 13. That's hard to believe as they are without their star player Cleveland Melvin. Marquette also let DePaul go 14/29 from three. The continued narrative for Marquette's defense is they cannot stop a good perimeter team. The last two games Marquette given up 26 threes. Golden Eagles need to find a better way to close out, or reconfigure their defense to stop allowing it to happen. If they can recreate their defense against Xavier last Saturday, Marquette will be golden.

Marquette is still desperately hanging on to the bubble. They are not on it as of today, but Golden Eagles still have a chance if they keep winning basketball games. Marquette gets a couple days off before a late night battle against Georgetown on Thursday, a game the Golden Eagles have to win.

Charlie.

Marquette Misses Another Marquee Victory

Marquette Golden Eagles had won three straight games before heading into their battle with eleven-ranked Creighton at home on Wednesday night. If Golden Eagles won the game, bubble discussion could at least start happening even if they were a couple games away from that being legitimate, but instead, Marquette fell to Creighton, 85-70 due to a hot shooting night from the Bluejays, not capitalizing from the free throw line, Jays making Davante Gardner disappear and a ref show of epic proportions.

Creighton is one of the best offenses in the country. They make their living on playing an up-tempo offense and not playing much defense in the process. The latter part did not come to bite them on Wednesday as Creighton used a one-two punch like a great WWE tag-team. In the first half, Ethan Wragge came up big with four three-pointers and in the second half, Doug McDermott, the National Player of the Year, heated up to finish with 25 points including a complete dagger three from the artist known as Dougie McBuckets to put the Jays up eight after Marquette pulled within five.

Marquette could not keep up with Creighton's offense for the entire game. Check out Cracked Sidewalks Twitter feed for more information from an advanced angle. This was Marquette's worst defensive performance of the season. Even though Marquette has been a decent defensive team, they were fully exposed on Wednesday when it came to not closing out on three-point shooters. This plagued Marquette all season and it continued Wednesday night. Wragge was a horrendous matchup for the Golden Eagles as Gardner's defense is about as useful as a canoe with wheels and Chris Otule cannot get out on shooters nor should be expect him to truthfully.

It is hard to say Buzz Williams should have done something differently on Wednesday with the defense. He tried a press for awhile. He tried a zone. I mean Williams seemed to do everything besides emptying the kitchen sink. Just like Villanova struggled twice with Creighton, Marquette does not match up well at all with this squad. The only defense I can think of that would give the Jays some trouble would be a 1-3-1 zone, but Marquette does not have enough athletes to play that defense. While this is the very last thing to complain about, the officials created atmosphere where physical play could not happen making things 10 times more difficult. Additionally, it did not help Marquette let everyone else go off in the first half when McDermott scuffled to begin the game.

In the last two games where Marquette won, Golden Eagles were 54 of 61 from the free throw line that equates out to about 88 percent from the charity stripe. In a game that featured ridiculous officiating, Marquette had a chance to earn points from the line. They went a disgusting 20/36 making only 55 percent of their free throws. What the hell happened?  Well for one, Otule and Derrick Wilson combined missed nine of the 16.  Both of them are some of the worst free throw shooters on the team, but it did not help that Todd Mayo, one of their better free throw shooters, missed four as well. Marquette could have made this a much closer game than it ended up being by the sound of the final buzzer if they made free throws happen.

For as bad of a defensive team Creighton is, it surprises me how good of a book they have on Davante Gardner. Until yesterday, Gardner had scored at least 10 points since January 11th against Seton Hall. But in his two games against Creighton this season, Gardner has a total of 12 points on only five field goal attempts. I do not know if it is the rotating physical big men that give Gardner trouble or their defense does not allow for him to get the open looks. I will say some of the calls Davante usually gets inside were not in the first half, but still that's not excuse for him only getting three field goal attempts when he is averaging nine and a half. Once again, another bad matchup disabling Marquette on Wednesday night.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the putrid officiating that took place at the BMOHBC.  It was horrible both ways. Officials, Mike Stuart, Mike Eades and Jeff Anderson did not know whether they wanted to call a tight game or a loose game in the first half. And then in the second half, officials whistled every little thing disrupting the flow of the game making it extremely hard to watch in person and I would willing to bet worse on television. Hopefully, this is not a trend for the coming month as officials might head back to the November way of calling everything. Let's pray this group was blind drunk with power and thought everyone in attendance was there to see them.

Marquette is basically in the same holding pattern they have been in all year. The inability to win when the spotlight shines the brightest has crippled this unit. They have to travel to the terrordome that is DePaul on Saturday before heading home for a big one with Georgetown next Thursday. Even if their tournament hopes are about as small as a pebble of sand, they need to keep winning basketball games and not quit on the season.

Charlie.

An Unlikely Duo of Thomas & Wilson Powers Marquette

Marquette basketball season has been one where not much went right. But in the last couple weeks, it seems like the Golden Eagles are finally starting to figure things out. They have now won three straight games after beating Xavier, 81-72 in front of a packed house at the Bradley Center, and the team appears to be rounding into form. Golden Eagles received great effort from Jake Thomas, Derrick Wilson's continued strong play and Marquette once again being able to close out a victory.

If you read this blog or follow me on Twitter, there is no one I am harder on than Jake Thomas. The reason I harbor this anger towards Thomas is I feel he takes up time from other guys whom could be contributing in more ways than what Thomas does for the team. But on Saturday, he served me and the rest of the Marquette fan base a heaping pile of crow. Thomas drilled six three pointers as well as going 5-5 to begin the game and became the difference for Marquette. In their short time of being conference foes, Thomas has a personal ownership over Xavier with eleven threes and scoring 35 points in two games against them.

Let's hope this is not a blip on the radar for Thomas. Maybe this jump starts him a bit for the final part of the season. The expectations are not 15-20 points honestly, rather Thomas making a couple threes for Marquette to add some outside scoring. It becomes frustrating when he does not have even an attempt midway through the second half. Thomas' ability to make threes makes Marquette's offense more open than it is when the threes are not falling for this team. This also means I need to keep quiet on Thomas for at least a couple games unless something terrible happens with him. Thomas showed his worth on Saturday afternoon.

Another player whose been heavily criticized throughout the year, Derrick Wilson, put together one of his better games of his career.  Wilson had nine points, four assists and a career-high six steals. Also not showing up in the box score is how well he defend Xavier star Semaj Christon holding him to 10 points. Chirston was the difference in the first game these two teams played as he had 28 points, and Wilson along with other Marquette guards shut him down.  Wilson's last five games have been a revelation of sorts with him doing enough to fill up the box score in one way or another. For the second straight season, the point guard is justifying his head coach's decision by the end of the year.

A couple things that might get lost in the shuffle with how good Thomas and Wilson were on Saturday was Jamil Wilson having a quiet 16 points which is his third straight game with 15 points or more. Wilson continues to put together a strong February after the St. John's disaster. Additionally, Marquette once again took care of business from the free throw line making 24 of 27 meaning in the last two games, Golden Eagles have shot 61 free throws only missing seven of them. That's how you win basketball games. Another way to win basketball games is a turnover differential ratio of 19 to five. Marquette took care of business in all facets of the game.

Many people want to have NCAA Tournament aspirations after this game, but as Anonymous Eagle points out, it is way too early to have that conversation. Even if they beat Creighton, it seems like it could be too early to start talking that way. I agree with the usual great AE, but what I found interesting is Todd Fuhrman, a Las Vegas sharp, has Marquette in as an eleven seed playing UConn in the first round with Kentucky being the three seed in the bracket. This system is not a typical bracketology rather looking at all of Vegas' numbers.  One thing I have learned through my formative years is Vegas always knows better than all of us.

Instead of worrying about the bubble, why not let's just have fun for the first time this season with Marquette. In a couple weeks if the winning continues, we can get things bubbling.

Charlie.

Jamil Wilson, O-Boards & Free Throws equal a Marquette Victory

Marquette had a week off before heading to New Jersey to play Seton Hall. Golden Eagles had been flip-flopping wins and losses more than a local politician. Somehow, Marquette found themselves in the middle of the Big East which is a current trainwreck, but they could develop some separation from some of the others. Marquette rebounded from 20 bad minutes of basketball to win 77-66 with Jamil Wilson's biggest effort of the season along with Golden Eagles cleaning up on the glass and the free throw line yet concerns are still there about this team.

Other than Jake Thomas, Wilson suffered the most criticism of any Marquette player this season. Reason being is most Marquette fans put him on a pedestal assuming he would make the 'senior leap' as we have seen with Golden Eagles players before. This did not happen with Wilson. He is one of the most athletic players in Buzz Williams' tenure, but at the same time, one of the most frustrating players to watch. Wilson stepped up in a major way on Tuesday night.

Wilson came out firing against the Pirates nailing four straight threes and another basket having 14 quick points. He is only a 32 percent 3-point shooter so it came with much surprise when Wilson made it rain out there like he had unlimited dollar bills. He finished the game with 25 points and 10 rebounds notching his second double-double of the season. Wilson seemed to be involved with the offense more so than other games of remembrance. For the first time this season, it felt like the offense actually ran through him. This could be a very encouraging sign moving forward with Marquette. In the last two games, Wilson is averaging 21 points and eight rebounds a game. Hopefully, this is not just another trick by the magician.

What does not get talked about much is how Marquette really is not a good free throw shooting team. For the second, they rank tied for 202nd by shooting 68 percent from the charity stripe. I do not think there have been many games where Marquette lost the game from the line, yet still, it is an elephant in the room for this squad. They did a great job Tuesday night making 30 of 34 free throws. Sometimes, the difference from a game being a 10 point advantage to a nail-biter finish is free throws. Further, Marquette going to the line 34 times is a great thing. They shot only 14 threes and got to the line 34 times; this should be the prototype for this team.

Marquette had their own issues with giving up offensive rebounds, but last night, they were the time giving it to the opposition. One of the big reasons the Golden Eagles won this game was their ability to clean up around the glass. Chris Otule, Davante Gardner and Wilson all pulled down three or more offensive rebounds providing another offensive opportunity for Marquette which they usually converted on with 14 second-chance points. Additionally, Seton Hall only had three offensive rebounds and only had 19 for the game. I hope the Golden Eagles big men and the whole team watch this tape seeing how well they can rebound game in, game out.

While it was great to see Marquette fight back and get a big win, there were still some noticeable concerns with the Golden Eagles.  Seton Hall shot 53 percent from the field, and at certain points of this game, Pirates were shooting around 60 percent. If it were not for the free throws and offensive rebounds, Marquette could have gotten wiped out. Additionally, Seton Hall made 10 threes including five of them from Brian Oliver, the second-best shooter in the Big East. Oliver found himself open more times than not. Golden Eagles need to find a way to be better perimeter defenders. I do not know if this starts with who plays at guard position or what, but it might be Marquette's biggest defect this season.

Marquette has now won two straight games. They win another game, it will be a winning streak. They have happened before. It will not be easy taking on Xavier. Golden Eagles will be tied for third in the Big East, and the conversation about the bubble can start again. But until then, Marquette is still on the outside looking in but another win continues to give everyone hope.

Charlie.

A Marquette's Victory Sandwich with Heaps of Mayo

Marquette Golden Eagles trailed by 10 points with 15 minutes left in the game to lowly Butler Bulldogs team. This is not your older brother's Butler team as they only holds two Big East wins in conference, and frankly not very good this season. Combined with Marquette's effort against St. John's, their poor play for the first 25 minutes of this game, the feeling became like the Golden Eagles may have packed in the season and gave up completely on their chances to turn around the season essentially accepting mediocrity.

Except when they hit the lowest of lows, they bounced back with a vengeance. Marquette came back to beat Butler, 69-62, in a second half that featured Marquette doubling their point total from the first half along with a coming out party of sorts for Todd Mayo, Golden Eagles most reliable player. They willed this game away from Butler, and once again put themselves at .500 in the Big East chaos in the middle.

Mayo does not have the cleanest record with Marquette or their fanbase. He missed half of his sophomore year to sort things out. He hung out in the offseason with brother O.J., of the then Dallas Mavericks in South Africa missing team activities raising speculation. Mayo also missed the Wisconsin game this year for a violation of team rules. But like teams, sometimes it takes a player a long time to figure their shit out, and who they are as a person. Signs point to Mayo growing into a different player and potentially a star player.

After Marquette escaping Seton Hall, I made a mention about Mayo becoming a star on this team. No one really found me crazy, but no one really agreed with me either. I am not trying to call myself Marqustradamus, but man, something seemed different with Mayo. He played fully engaged and did not worry about making a mistake plus his clutch free throws against Seton Hall and Villanova for that matter is something that cannot be taught. Since then, Mayo sent the Georgetown game to overtime in a comeback victory, nearly won the Villanova game by his damn self scoring the last 10 points and played a great second half versus Butler on Tuesday night.

There are still some flaws in Mayo's game, but he deserves to be playing 30 or more minutes without question. I have no idea if he has a Manu Ginobili quirk with starting, but regardless, Mayo should be a 30+ minute player for the rest of the season. The team is better when he is on the court. The thing that is dangerous about Mayo is he can make a 3-pointer in an opponent's face then take him to the lane on the subsequent possession. He is not just a 3-point shooter nor just a slasher, Mayo is balanced instant offense when he gets started up like he did on Tuesday night against Butler. Hopefully, things have clicked and he is ready for a major February and March.

Along with Mayo, Marquette seemed to really have a rotation that worked for them with a four guard lineup with Chris Otule in the middle. It featured Derrick Wilson, Jake Thomas, Deonte Burton, Mayo and Otule. They played great together, and even with Otule, they played fast and aggressive. This needs to be one of the rotations for Buzz Williams, and find a version of this involving the likes of Jamil Wilson and Davante Gardner. The rotation issue appears to be a Rubix Cube for Williams, and maybe he has at least solved a fourth of it.

Jamil deserves a mention for his play today even though his minutes in the second half became limited with foul trouble. Wilson had 17 points with six rebounds including the only one to have a great first half for Marquette. Everyone put Jamil on a pedestal to start the season. Everyone expected him to be a star, and simply put, he will never be a star rather just a complementary good player. While it is annoying with his fouls and disappearing in the offense, Wilson has scored in double-digits now in seven of Marquette's nine Big East games. So while there is a disappointment about his play this season, it may not be as bad of a season as some want to say it is for Wilson.

Marquette gets a week off meaning they will have ample time to prepare for Seton Hall, a team they beat soundly for 30 minutes and then fell apart late yet held on for victory. Additionally, they head to an arena that has given them all sorts of trouble and both teams are in the mix with six teams within two games of third place in the Big East. Let's see if the Golden Eagles can do the unthinkable and win two straight games. It has happened before.

Charlie.

Marquette's Big Apple Appearance is Spoiled Rotten

Marquette grasped for NCAA Tournament life after beating Providence on Thursday night. It seemed like the table could be set for a February run. Golden Eagles headed to Madison Square Garden in a place where they have yielded inconsistent results. Marquette fell to St. Johns, 74-59, meaning they have flip-flopped in the last 12 games with wins and losses. As Golden Eagles were down by 20 or more in this game, they officially hit rock bottom. Marquette's lackluster effort by seniors, D'Angelo Harrison taking over and the bizzaro world Buzz Williams is living in right now.

Marquette did not play well at all. There is not really one thing we could point to and say 'Hey! Well at least this happened!'  I mean this is a dumpster fire of epic proportions with the Golden Eagles getting dominated by a team whose lost seven of their nine Big East games. Sure, they could be better than their record, but at the same time, that is not an excuse for the effort shown by Marquette throughout the entire game. It felt like a team that had lost six straight games rather than one beating the hottest team in the Big East.

Jamil Wilson is probably one player where the finger points to although most of the Marquette team is at fault for this season as well as this game. Wilson only played 13 minutes, one of his lowest totals of the season, and this had nothing to do with foul trouble. I am hard on Buzz Williams, but I give him credit for sitting Wilson in the second half. He deserved it, and frequently, I do not expect him to respond well to it. I cannot believe I fell for the rouse that Wilson would be the next Marquette player to take a leap as a senior like many of the other players have before him. It is too bad Jamil could never put it together. He might be the greatest 'what if' player with Williams.

Although Wilson is not the only one at fault as Harrison, St. John's star, had a massive game against Marquette. I am not trying to rain on Harrison's parade, but he spent most of the time wide open. Harrison made six three pointers as well as shooting 43 percent from the field. This seems to be a trend of Marquette struggling against a team's number one player. Bryce Cotton is the only one in recent memory where the Golden Eagles found a way to stop him. I shudder to think what Doug McDermott might do when he comes to Milwaukee.

THERE IT IS, Buzz blamed this loss on playing on Thursday. Fun. #mubb
— Anonymous Eagle (@AnonymousEagle) February 1, 2014

I have no idea what Williams is saying here. Can he just admit they lost the game? I do not really like Jim Boeheim, but at least the guy will admit the team got their asses kicked. Jim Calhoun does the same. John Calipari just blames his players, but he does not find excuses. Williams putting a loss on playing two nights before is not something I would expect out of Williams. It is a horseshit response. I would kill for Williams to go on a complete rant that gets a million YouTube hits setting fire to everything and everyone. He loves his players, but I am starting to wonder if he cares too much about them without enough separation.

The season is officially lost. Basically, the only way Marquette gets in is if they win the Big East conference tournament. Other than that, Golden Eagles are probably heading to the NIT or heaven forbid, a CBI bid. Maybe they can put together a few wins, an upset here or there, but all in all, Marquette is just a hopeless wanderer in college basketball.

Charlie.

Lineup Shakeups Lead to Marquette Victory

It is pretty much do or die game for Marquette Golden Eagles as they took on Providence Friars on Thursday night. They are nowhere near the bubble right now for the NCAA Tournament, and if they wanted to make a push, Golden Eagles needed a victory on Thursday night against an emerging Providence team who had won four straight games prior to playing last night. Marquette took down Providence, 61-50 with a big first half including a new way to do lineups even if there is still some ironing out to do plus Buzz Williams needs to stop acting like Marquette's fanbase is filled of soccer moms and dads.

Much of the criticism in the last couple weeks has been the play of Derrick Wilson and Jake Thomas including how many minutes they get in the game, Williams decided to change up the lineup on Thursday and it worked pretty damn well. JaJuan Johnson and Deonte Burton both started their first collegiate game, and the first time two freshman have started for Marquette since February 24th, 2012 against West Virginia. Burton and Johnson had immediate impact contributing with points and rebounds extending Marquette lead early. I have no idea if this starting lineup will continue, but at least both of them showed they were not too big for the moment.   

Golden Eagles never trailed in this game although it feels like there were moments in this game where Marquette seemed to be discombobulated. Williams put these guys in like hockey line shifts, and at times, it did work for this squad. Some of the units were not perfect, but some excelled. Nine players saw 10 or more minutes in the game, and one could wonder if some of these guys never got a feel for things, but most did seem comfortable. What might show through in the tape when Providence made their 16-0 run in the second half was Wilson and Thomas were both in the game at that time for most of the run. Wilson actually did play an above average game with four steals and eight assists yet there are still defects. We really do not need to waste words on Jake Thomas. It is the same thing we have been saying for the last month. 

This really felt like a kitchen sink game for Marquette and Williams. Golden Eagles threw in everything, but the kitchen sink in this one trying to figure out what will work for them moving forward this season.  Will it be this way for the rest of the year? No I do not think so, but I feel like it should be expected for St. John's this Saturday as it did not all work for Marquette tonight. There is nothing wrong with this attitude either from Williams. Throwing shit to a wall and seeing what sticks is not a bad way to go about things, and hopefully Williams will not shy away from it. 

Buzz Williams on hearing MU fans boo in the second half: "Maybe as disappointed as I've been as the head coach since I've been here." #mubb
— Andrew Gruman (@AndrewGruman) January 31, 2014

Someone needs to let Williams know not everything is going to be rainbows and unicorns. Green Bay Packers got booed multiple times this season and made the playoffs. Hell, they were booed IN THE PLAYOFFS. Aaron Rodgers does not condone booing, but he usually realizes the frustration giving fans a pardon.  Booing is a stupid thing honestly, but it is a part of some fans' nature. Williams needs to worry about what's happening on the hardwood versus hearing a couple jerkoffs booing aimlessly. He is the king of the Marquette castle, but at the same time, there needs to be a little humility there. The attitude of 'How dare they boo MY TEAM' is the type of stuff that turns fans off from following the basketball team. 

Marquette heads to New York City for a Super Bowl tripleheader that became a complete dud with the Golden Eagles not having the best season, Georgetown struggling and St. John's also being a disappointing team. The last time these two played in the regular season, this happened....  

The Marquette Guard Problem

If Marquette wanted to make a run at the bubble, it probably meant getting a marquee win against number four ranked Villanova on Saturday afternoon. Marquette had won 20 straight conference games at home, and Bradley Center figured to be rocking following the Golden Eagles big overtime victory on Monday night at Georgetown. After a spirited Marquette comeback to somehow force overtime, Villanova pulled away in the extra period winning the game, 94-85 dealing the Golden Eagles yet another defeat against an upper echelon team.

This is a classic game where the Wildcats had an answer for Marquette every time they tried to make it close whether it be a big three or Nova getting a key offensive rebound leading to them finding a way to separate themselves. Marquette tying the game at the end of regulation was the closest it had been since 22-21 favoring Villanova. Simply put, this game is a stellar example of why Marquette is an average basketball team compared to be an above average tournament-worthy team, and how Buzz Williams' mismanagement of this roster cost the team another win.

In the last couple years, Williams did a great job making the most of a marginal roster at times finding the right combinations of players to be great together. This year, Williams deals with injuries to Duane Wilson and others as well as Jameel McKay's transfer right before the season. Williams continues to play Jake Thomas and Derrick Wilson despite the evidence on the court showing these two players are eighth and ninth guys on tournament rosters while on a deep team, they are probably playing garbage time. Rasheed Wallace once said 'Ball don't lie', but apparently, Williams does not buy into that theory. 

Villanova always has a talented array of guards with the likes of Scottie Reynolds, Randy Foye, Allen Ray and others. They are good, but in no way are they good enough to outscore Thomas and Wilson by 64 points as James Bell had 30 points, Ryan Arcidiacono and Darrun Hillard II both had 20 points giving them 70 for the game. If you add Todd Mayo as Marquette's third guard, they still get outscored 70-24. That is completely inexcusable, and hopefully, the wake up call Williams needs to see the Golden Eagles need to do something else because this clearly is not working. Worst part of it all might be Thomas did not have a shot attempt until five minutes left in the game. Think about that for a second given what his role is on this basketball team. 

I would love to hear Williams explain why Jajuan Johnson, Deonte Burton, Mayo (Smaller scale) and John Dawson could do any worse. The more infuriating thing was Dawson played his ass off on Monday and keyed the comeback for Marquette yet he only played eight minutes on Saturday. Johnson did not even sniff the court while Burton's time continued to decrease as he only played five minutes. In the last four games, Burton is averaging 5.25 minutes a game while between December 1st-January 9th, Burton averaged 17.77 minutes a game. Did he pooped in the refrigerator at practice or what? None of this really makes sense. 

There is really no reason why Marquette could not basically just have a 'ride the hot hand' situation at guard. It does not matter who starts honestly, but rather, if a player is feeling it, keep them out there versus relying on Thomas and Wilson to make things happen on their own. Relying on those two is like hoping a seven-year battery will be able to start in a polar vortex... Doubtful.

Marquette faces an emerging Providence team on Thursday night whose guard play is one of the better in the Big East. Maybe it is not the players on the court rather the man whom patrols the sidelines that needs to be figure out a way to make these guards come alive because right now, it is not working.

Charlie.  

CBB Picks: B1G Showdown, Ghost of Michael Snaer

Since college football and basically National Football League is done, we have been making picks for college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

First Tier Games 
21. Michigan at 3. Michigan State 6:00 pm ESPN - Crazy to think the first time ever, two teams are 6-0 facing off each other in the Big Ten against each other. John Beilein deserves to be Coach of the Year thus far, and Nik Stauskas is red hot right now. Michigan seems to be getting a team effort versus two guys like Mitch McGary and Trey Burke carrying the team like they did last night. They faced rival Michigan State, and they are hurting right now. Sparty will be without Branden Dawson as he broke his hand in frustration and Adreian Payne will also be missing in this one. Gary Harris needs to put himself on the map in this one, and I am not sure he is ready for the moment. I am riding the Wolverines' hot streak. MICH 74-68

4. Villanova at Marquette 1:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Hmm. The homer in me wants to believe Marquette will play like they did at the end of the second half led by unsung heroes John Dawson and Steve Taylor Jr. The realist in me says this team has not proven they made the turn just yet, and need to be a team like Villanova, who is probably a little overrated given their ranking. Marquette needs to be better at guarding the perimeter as Villanova has four players shooting over 35 percent from 3-point land. My worry about Marquette in this one is James Bell and Darrun Hillard will go off against Marquette's guards, but I do think they can contain JayVaughn Pinkston. I am taking the Wildcats. I don't want to, but until Marquette can beat a high quality opponent, I cannot pick them. NOVA 69-64

Florida State at 15. Duke 11:00 am ESPN - In recent years, Seminoles have been a throne in Duke's side whether it be at home or in Cameron Indoor. Leonard Hamilton does a great job with this team getting them prepared to deal with the Duke environment. This Florida State team nearly beat Michigan and Florida in the non-conference meaning they can compete with this Duke team. I do think Blue Devils figured it out a bit in the last couple of games especially Jabari Parker as he went for 17 and 15 against Miami. He will need to be a factor in this one. I think Florida State's size keeps them in this game, and Duke escapes with a last-second three. DUKE 73-71

Second Tier Games 
Texas at 24. Baylor 12:30 pm ESPN3 - Texas deserves all the credit in the world this season. Rick Barnes' job is saved because Longhorns' head honchos have to see what he is doing without having any seniors, and no matter the result in this one, Texas deserves to be ranked. I do think Texas is running into a buzzsaw. Baylor lost their last three games plus another one to boot in the Big 12. This is a must-win for them, and I fail to see how Baylor does not capitalize at home in this one. BAY 73-64

9. Wisconsin at Purdue 4:00 pm Big Ten Network - You could look at this game two ways if you are Purdue... One, you are playing a Wisconsin team that cannot play defense, and maybe Purdue's offensive woes can be fixed playing them. Two, you are playing a pissed off Wisconsin team that is ready to break their losing streak. Purdue is not a bad team, but they are not a good team either. I would be shocked if they beat Wisconsin. Badgers score enough points, and the defensive holds strong. UW 74-61

20. Pittsburgh at Maryland 5:00 pm ESPN2 - What's up lookahead game?  This has all the makings of Pittsburgh laying an egg. Terrapins are not a good team, but at the same point, they have talented players like Dez Wells who can win them basketball games. Pittsburgh knows they are welcoming Duke on Monday night in a much anticipated game meaning their head might not be there for this one. I would put some chips on Maryland winning this one at the always tough College Park. MARY 64-57

Third Tier Games 
2. Syracuse at Miami 12:00 pm CBS - An old Big East matchup that is now an ACC matchup. Whenever a team is undefeated this late in the season, a bulls-eye developed on the team. Miami would love nothing more than to end the Orange's unbeaten streak. But at the same time, this Hurricane team likely cannot handle a full 40 minutes of the suffocating 2-3 zone, they need to play a perfect game. It is not happening. CUSE 65-53

Utah at 1. Arizona (Played on Sunday) 7:00 pm FOX Sports 1- Improved year for Utah as they are playing well and beating some good teams in the process yet they have not seen a great team like Arizona. Wildcats will have no issues in this game. ARIZ 77-63

Tennessee at 6. Florida 3:00 pm ESPN - This used to be a high-profile SEC game, and now it is just sort of there. I think people have forgotten about Florida due to the SEC being a mediocre conference besides the Gators and Kentucky. Tennessee does have the size to compete with Florida as Jarnell Stokes and Jerrone Maymon can both be factors if they stay out of foul trouble. It is the guard play I am unsure about, and what probably gets the Gators the win. FLA 72-68

Charlie.

Marquette Goes Pink vs. Villanova

Here's the thing... I LOVE Marquette going all in on Coaches vs. Cancer weekend. I think it is always cool to see a team do that. Therefore I have no issue with them making a statement, but aesthetically, might this be a little too loud? Marquette rocking pink on pink this Saturday in a big game against Villanova to support breast cancer. The idea is fantastic, but the product needs a little work. Why not pink jerseys with white shorts, or bright pink shoes with the blue jerseys? Or a different piping on the sides keeping the pink jerseys/shorts but a more basic prototype. I assume the pink will look fine on the court but the other stuff on the jersey could be distracting. Let's not be crass about this one even if it lacks execution. I do think it is great Marquette is going all out and not really caring what anyone thinks about their outfit.  If we are going all out, I hope Buzz Williams is wearing a hot pink suit coat. (H/T @UniWatch) 

Charlie.

Faith in Marquette Renewed (For Now)

Sports fans need faith. They do not survive without faith. If there is no faith, it is an eternal attitude that everything will go wrong. I lost my faith in Marquette basketball with four minutes left to go in the game against Georgetown. I finally gave up. Butler game made me have one foot out the door, but I needed one more bad outing to convince myself all hope was officially lost with this Golden Eagles team. Marquette somehow found their way back to force overtime despite a couple bad officiating calls and won the game in overtime with unlikely contributors John Dawson and Steve Taylor Jr. delivering big games off the bench leaving Buzz Williams with an inevitable decision to make on Saturday.

Marquette trailed 60-53 with three minutes left to go in the game. This spot felt familiar as Marquette had many games where they fought to the wire, but in the end, they came up just short. It really started to feel like this team was living inside one big Linkin Park music video. Jake Thomas rattled home a 3-pointer which concluded his scoring and his weird day as Thomas had a good game with two mind-boggling three point attempts. It is the same sort of love/hate relationship with him as it was with Junior Cadougan. Thomas cut the lead to four, and things began to get interesting from there.

The teams would trade buckets down the stretch including a big Jamil Wilson dunk, a shot-clock violation that was not called on Georgetown rather reversed in the Hoyas favor and a foul call on Thomas where he clearly forced Markel Starks to travel or at least get a jump ball. Starks had a great night with 28 points, but he missed the most important shot of the night clanking the first free throw with Georgetown up only two opening the door for Marquette. Starks would convert the second free throw giving the Hoyas a three point advantage giving the Golden Eagles one final possession to win the game.

This is sort of an issue because Marquette does not really have that go-to scorer. Jamil brought the ball up and honestly think Jake Thomas might have been the option because Starks recovers quickly leading to Todd Mayo being wide-open for a three. Mayo went cold-blooded on everybody nailing the jumper and sending the game to overtime, the second straight extra period for the Golden Eagles. But in this one, Golden Eagles battled back to force it and rode the wave to victory versus the inverse last Saturday. While it is not saying much, this is the first signature win for Marquette in the 2013-2014. 

The two players opening up the most eyes were John Dawson and Steve Taylor Jr. Dawson, the freshman point guard from New Mexico did not really come in with much hype out of high school. He played nothing like a freshman on Monday night delivering 12 points including a big three in overtime to push Marquette to a seven point lead in the extra period. Dawson also committed his fourth foul with 13 minutes left in the game, and he played the duration meaning even with a tight officiating crew, Dawson ensured he did not pick up his fifth. This is a guy who can lead a team and deserves to be starting over Derrick Wilson. It appears the writing on the wall with Wilson only getting 12 minutes versus Dawson's 31, but you never know with Buzz.  

It has not been the greatest year for Taylor Jr. He dealt with a knee injury, and lost his starting spot after the first two games because of it. He came up big in his first real minutes since November having 14 points and eight rebounds. Taylor Jr. made aggressive moves to the basket. He did not play afraid. Too many times Marquette plays scared, and Taylor Jr did not play that way. He took it right to a big front line of Georgetown and did with success. If he can give Marquette a solid 20 to 25 minutes with this production, this becomes a different team.  

Marquette battled back to win this game. Even at 8:00 pm tonight, if you were to tell me this team would pull off this win in that fashion, I would call bullshit. This was a great win for them and something they can build on. Marquette welcomes number four Villanova to town Saturday afternoon as the Wildcats are coming off a 28-point home loss. They will be ready to make statement. But you know what? For the first time in a long while, the faith I have Marquette will be ready to handle it is strong.  

Charlie. 

Bad Second Half Bites Marquette

It is never a good thing to play a team needing a win. No matter what the sport is, the scariest thing is playing a desperate team on the road. Marquette dealt with this on Saturday playing Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse, a place where they had lost three straight games, something they have not done since 1990. It seemed for awhile Marquette had control of this game, but once again, the second half turned into a complete disaster for a variety of reasons, some of them fall on their head coach Buzz Williams, and I begin to wonder if he is officially lost on this team.

Marquette is the worst scoring offense in the Big East while Butler is the worst scoring defense in the Big East (Granted some of that is overtime-related, but they are not great whatsoever) meaning something had to give in this one. It seemed like Marquette figured it out a bit with a strong first half, and a strong four minutes out of halftime, something this team and other Golden Eagles teams have struggled with in the past. But the ugly side of this team reared its head as Marquette stopped hitting shots all together and Butler started hitting them putting the Bulldogs ahead late in the game. Golden Eagles somehow forced overtime due to missed free throws, poor execution from Butler, but in all, Williams mismanaged his bench leading to this team being dead tired when overtime rolled around.

The clearest example of this is the fact Marquette gave up 20 points in overtime. While they are not a good offensive team, Marquette is not that bad defensively especially against a team like Butler. They were all tired. No reason whatsoever with Marquette's limited depth that Davante Gardner is playing 42 minutes and Jake Thomas is playing 39 especially when this team has a game tonight against Georgetown (Davante getting a double-double is encouraging though, just wish he would try a touch more on defense). I understand this was an important game to win, but at the same time, this is a better team when the minutes are balanced versus relying on a starting five that really is not elite in any shape or form. It is like Williams channeled his inner Tom Thibodeau for this one.

Another real issue I had with Williams was the strategy of the game. Khyle Marshall had a hell of an afternoon for Butler, but he cannot make free throws to save his soul. Marquette trailed 48-45 with two minutes left in the game, and they could have employed a hack-a-Marshall. This is not a popular method to play basketball, but Golden Eagles extend the game a bit giving them more of a chance to win versus relying on a tired defense. Granted it did not matter in the long run as overtime happened, but you never know if Marquette gets a couple extra possessions. I do not know if Williams is resting on his laurels thinking teams of old figured it out so why cannot these guys, or he just does not really have a concept on how to deal with more ineptitude than usual?  

I think it is a little bit of both. Williams is not free of criticism. This is not a good basketball team, but it does not help things when Williams runs this team into the ground combined with relying that things will just turn around for them. Things need to change with the lineup. I mean it is clearly not working for a full game. They have their spurts, and what needs to be figured out if how to put all those spurts together for a complete game. It is pretty clear that this is not a tournament team by any means whatsoever, and there is nothing to really make me think a light can just switch on for this squad.

People will compare it to 2010-2011 when Marquette slid into the tournament as an eleven seed. They were 15-11 at a time and finished with 14 losses yet they played in an amazing Big East that year meaning most of their losses were expected. This is not a good conference right now meaning Marquette's chances are more doubtful. They play another team in Georgetown where it is a team in desparate need of a win, good thing Marquette needs one too.

Charlie.

Five Ways to Improve Marquette Basketball

Seton Hall-Marquette game really summed up the season for this Golden Eagles team. It really did show a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde performance from this team with a great first half to have a putrid second half almost costing this team a home victory against the Pirates. Honestly, if this game went for five more minutes, there is no doubt in my mind that Marquette loses this basketball game. So here is the question that probably cannot be answered, 'How do we get the Marquette from the first half all the time?' I am going to attempt to make five suggestions.

1.) 3-pointers are not friends of Marquette - For the last two years, Marquette cannot shoot from the outside. They had a good night at Xavier where they made six threes on 13 attempts. That is a good night shooting from the outside for Marquette's standards. They really should only shoot about that total give or take for most of the games. Golden Eagles shot 10 threes in the second half and missed them all. Is there any other reason why this team nearly lost the game?  Nope. That is unacceptable for this team. Golden Eagles are their best when they are striking towards the basket and making plays rather standing around the outside trying to make something happen. 

2.) Jake Thomas experiment needs to end - I have no idea what's happening here with Thomas. I cannot explain it. My buddy and biggest Badger homer I know, Doz, asked me at the bar Saturday 'What's up with Jake Thomas getting all these minutes, I do not know if he plays at all on the worst Bo Ryan Badgers team.' When your Wisconsin friends are saying things like that, it probably needs to come to an end. Thomas is providing this team with nothing playing 30 minutes a game. He had open looks from 3-point land where is his quote 'specialty' and Thomas clanked all of them. FOX Sports analyst Kevin O'Neil basically called him useless, but he said it in a more polite manner. Marquette has too much talent on this roster to keep trotting out Thomas for more than 20 minutes a night. Further Thomas' effectiveness might be better out there for a shorter period of time instead because he spends a ton of energy on defense due to his lack of prowess on that end.   

3.) Todd Mayo might becoming a star - Am I getting a little Jon Gruden here?  Yeah I am. Do I trust Mayo will stay the course? Not really, no, I think he is on his final chance with the program and university but then again, I thought that last year around this team. In the last five games, Mayo has been a double-digit scorer for this team with him playing really efficiently and not relying on his 3-point shot which is truly important to Mayo's development. He made nine free throws on Saturday against Seton Hall having 19 points in total meaning he is attacking the lane. Now, Mayo should be starting, but I like to think he is one of those Manu Ginobli type meaning he prefers to come off the bench. If it is not the latter, Mayo should be starting for the rest of the year without question. 

4.) Davante Gardner needs to be a rebounding machine - These last two reasons will be me banging a drum from a couple recaps I have had in the last couple of weeks. Gardner had five rebounds on Saturday against Seton Hall bringing his five game average to a sparkling 3.8 which would be good if he played point guard. But Gardner is a power forward meaning he needs to be around the six to eight rebounds per game. Marquette is not going to be beat some of the better teams in the Big East if Gardner is only pulling down only four rebounds a game. I honestly believe this is complete laziness from his end. The man can put his ass into anyone, and get a rebound or at the very least, get a foul out of the opposing team. It should be easy for Gardner to grab five rebounds, and it should not be too  much to ask for him to get close to 10. 

5.) Jamil Wilson cannot be a magician - The disappearing act from Wilson is something I have only seen from one player in recent memory, Wisconsin's Marcus Landry. In his senior year, Landry had the same sort of expectations that Wilson had when the season began. Wilson had the first half that I think we as Marquette fans expected all season then he disengaged from the offense in the second half leading to Wilson only having 16 points rather than a 20 or 25 point afternoon when he started the game off with 12 points in the first half. Additionally, Wilson had only his second double-double of his career which is stunning to think about given his size and stature. Jamil needs to be more than just a role player. Landry never got past that, and my biggest fear is Wilson will remain status quo.

This Marquette team still has a lot of work, but a win is a win. They now get a week off before heading out for a road trip to Butler and Georgetown in two games in three days. Both games are entirely important to Marquette's dimming tournament hopes. Let's hope Marquette is not okay with 'just winning' this team and staying the course because if they are, this team is doomed.

Charlie. 

X Marks the Marquette Struggles

It is hard to say a game in early January is a must-win for a college basketball team, but for Marquette, it
seemed like this was the case. They yet to have a marquee win on the year, and Golden Eagles could have achieved it on Thursday night by getting a road win against Xavier. This did not happen with Musketeers getting their eighth straight win beating Marquette, 86-79 in a game where Marquette once again struggled in late game situations, continued rebounding issues and Jamil Wilson disappeared again putting Golden Eagles' back entirely up against the wall.

This feels like a broken record at this point, but Marquette showed great fight in a losing effort. They were down double-digits at the early stages of the second half, and Golden Eagles found ways to battle back with hitting 3-pointers as well as playing tough defense in stages. The game was tied with a little under five minutes left to play yet from there but Xavier took any dreams of stealing a win by going on an 8-0 run with two big threes from Semaj Christon. The most frustrating part of this is Christon only shoots 1.5 threes per game and he nails two big balls threes in the biggest moment of the game. He took the top dog spot late when it was needed for Xavier, if only Marquette had that sort of thing.

For the first time in awhile, a team annihilated Marquette on the glass. Xavier did a complete glass cleaning against Marquette by outrebounding them 39-20.  The fact Marquette only grabbed 20 defensive rebounds is absolutely incredible in the sense they still had a chance in this basketball game. It comes from Davante Gardner's inability to rebound the basketball. Despite being the biggest guy on the court usually (Xavier's Matt Stainbrook was a behemoth inside and I would love to see Gardner-Stainbrook-Joshua Smith in a steel cage), Gardner does not really seem to care about rebounding the basketball. In the last five games, Gardner is averaging 3.8 rebounds a game as a power forward. That is entirely unacceptable. There is no reason why he cannot throw his ass into somebody and pull down at least five boards a game, do not let his average fooled you.

Another big problem in Marquette's defeat was Jamil Wilson struggling to be a true threat  to score. He had his worst game of the year. Wilson only had five points only shot five times and fouled out with five minutes left in the game. Looking at Wilson's games this year, he is turning in a very inconsistent season without any defining moments. In some of the marquee games, Wilson seemed to shoot more even if he did not make many (Wisconsin game where he went 7/19) or he just did not become part of the game. He needs to go Keyshawn Johnson at some point and just demand the damn ball. There is nothing wrong with being selfish and taking control of the scoring. It will open up the middle for Gardner, and there is no reason to think Wilson cannot find seams in an opposing defense.

Marquette has seven losses. They are virtually nowhere near close to the NCAA Tournament therefore no real reason to talk about it. Golden Eagles probably need to win all of their games for the rest of the month winning at tough environments like Butler and Georgetown even if both teams are having rough years as well as beat the Big East leader Villanova at home. Additionally, a strong February with no bad losses is probably needed for Marquette to be in the conversation of the tournament come March. It is straight uphill from here and it does not seem like Marquette has enough to climb the mountain.

Charlie.

Gardner Guides Marquette past DePaul

The first 30 minutes of the DePaul-Marquette game felt like rock bottom.  This team has been struggling all season, but not to the level where they would be trailing everyone's little brother DePaul by 10 points in the second half at home. Marquette had not lost to DePaul at home since 2001 when I was in sixth grade. Things honestly looked grim for Marquette, but Davante Gardner took control of the game giving Marquette a bolt of energy it needed. Could this be a turning point in the season, or did Golden Eagles just take care of business against a team they are supposed to beat plus what's up with JaJuan Johnson's minutes?

The thing that stuck with me from this game is Marquette could have easily quit in this game and let DePaul win this basketball game. Basketball is probably the one sport when you can definitely see a team quit and Golden Eagles definitely could have laid down letting DePaul win this basketball game, but they did not allow it to happen. Instead, they started nailing down some 3-point shots which in turn opened up the middle for Gardner whose been struggling as of late. He stepped up in the moment after being called out by his coach, Buzz Williams earlier in the week for his sluggish play. 

The head coach had a right to call out Gardner. There is really no leader on this basketball team which is another story for another blog post, but some player needed to grab this team by the collective balls, possibly that player is Gardner which would be my assumption as to why Williams targeted Gardner. Marquette's big man in the last four games before DePaul, he managed only 32 total points and barely grabbed down any rebounds. He still struggled a bit from the rebounding angle getting only six against the Blue Demons, but that is still an upgrade from what Gardner's output has been in the last couple of games. A leader sometimes is not a player who is yelling and screaming rather a player making the biggest plays in the game. It was 40-30 DePaul with 15 minutes left, and Gardner plus the others ended the game on a 30-16 run which was 30-9 before a late 7-0 DePaul run. Marquette found their stride in the final 15 minutes. 

Out of all the things that happened with the game, maybe the most puzzling thing is the lack of minutes for freshman JaJuan Johnson. There is definitely a feel that Williams is not really keen on playing many freshmen. I have no idea how Johnson at least gets 10-15 minutes a game to give Jake Thomas a breather. Honestly, I have no idea why him or Deonte Burton does not start over him at this point. Even though Thomas had some clutch 3-pointers on Saturday, he is nowhere near a starter in the Big East or any power conference. Against Samford, Johnson gave Marquette 25 minutes and had 14 points yet in the first two conference games, he played a full seven minutes all against Creighton. There seems like a disconnect there. Hopefully whatever issue Williams has with Johnson against high quality teams dissolves sooner rather than later. 

It is hard to tell what to expect from Golden Eagles moving forward even with their win against DePaul. Like this is a team they are supposed to beat meaning this win should not be a rallying cry for a 'saving of the season' at this point. There is a long way to go, and as I mentioned on Friday, expectations should not be very high right now meaning it is okay to take what is given right now. Xavier on the road Thursday will be a true test and Seton Hall at home this next weekend will not be an easy task either. 

Charlie.