Know Your Enemy: Marquette Golden Eagles

Record: 22-11, 11-7 in Big East Conference games 

Big Wins: 11/26 vs Xavier (71-61), 1/6 Georgetown (62-59), 3/11 vs Villanova (80-76)

Bad Losses: 12/5 NC State (73-77), 1/20 at DePaul (50-51)

WHAT TO KNOW

Marquette is similar to us in many ways, but they play a much different style of basketball.  While they are a very small team, they play a more deliberate style and don’t really like to push.  They hoist threes all day but are deadly from behind the line  (chucking up 20 a game and making just over40% ).  They don’t turn the ball over very much but aren’t particularly stout defensively themselves.  Their star is Lazar Hayward a 6-6 senior power forward with a goofy name who can hustle and dominate, but sporadically disappear.  OK, so that last one is very similar. 

KEYS TO THE GAME

Most people are going to focus on the matchup between Hayward and Pondexter, and with good reason.  Not only are they similar in size and stats, but Q-Pon and Hayward were teammates at the World University Games last summer.  They know each other and their respective games.  Lazarus is more consistent when it comes to scoring, so he’s likely to get his.  The Dawgs can win even if Q-Pon disappears for a half offensively, but he will need to bring his A-Game to the table on defense to make sure Lazarus doesn’t explode. 

Why can Q-Pon afford to be a non-factor? Well, I hope you are sitting down when I tell you this, but we have the potential to dominate the inside against this Marquette team.  The Golden Eagles run with 4 guards and don’t have a starter taller than 6-6.  Additionally, they don’t bring a lot of depth to the party either (the starters all average at least 29 min/game, only 3 bench players get significant time).  This table is fully set here for MBA to continue his coming out party.  I almost hate to say it, but big man could and should be more than the third option here – he should dominate down low.  If that happens and along the way we can get their starters in foul trouble… we’re going to be in a fantastic position.  

Along the same lines – pounding the ball inside is the way to score on this team because of their size.  Overton has the potential to use his runaway train drives to optimal use.  The Dawgs should avoid the temptation to chuck threes and ride out any hot streak Marquette hits behind the arc (see generally: Oregon State’s 6-6 start from three last week).  We’re not a good three point shooting team and we sure as shit aren’t going to beat these guys in that kind of game.  On the other hand, pushing the tempo whenever possible is most definitely in our best interest.  I have seen a few games where they have been sucked into that style this year, but generally Marquette stays disciplined and runs their style of slow ball.  It will be important for the Dawgs to not get frustrated and take the opportunity to push when it comes.  I’m not hoping we start playing with a sudden, new found discipline… I’m just hoping we don’t play like complete and total retards.  If we do that, exploit the advantages clearly on the table, and continue to focus on what worked last week (a new focus on passing, stingy defense, MBA 2.0) we’re going to be in this game late in the second half, if not in the lead.  From there, we’ll use that good old San Jose home field advantage to carry us to the second round.