SB Nation - Lazar Hayward

Badgers earn bragging rights in win over Marquette

Jbharris87 — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 03:14:01 -0000

Jason Bohannon blocks a shot from behind during Wisconsin's 72-63 victory over Marquette Saturday at the Kohl Center. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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MADISON, Wis. -- After a stunning overtime loss to UW-Green Bay Wednesday night, the Wisconsin men's basketball team suddenly found itself in danger of dropping two straight games to in-state rivals.

The upset loss three days ago appeared to have no ill effect on the collective psyche of the Badgers, however, as they raced to a 17-point first-half lead and held on to preserve a 72-63 victory over Marquette at the Kohl Center.

Junior forward Jon Leuer said the loss to a smaller system school motivated the team as it prepared for the Golden Eagles.

"That one definitely stung a bit," Leuer said. "We wanted to get that taste out of our mouths. We were just looking forward to getting back on the court."

The Badgers got off to a hot start, shooting 58 percent from the field in the first half. They led by nine at the break and then kept pace with Marquette throughout the second period to win by the same margin.

Golden Eagles head coach Buzz Williams said he believes his team's approach during the first few minutes sealed its fate.

"We didn't handle the excitement in the right way initially," Williams said. "You can't play from behind against a great team."

Wisconsin senior point guard Trevon Hughes said his team's attitude heading into the game was not at all similar to the overconfidence with which it approached Green Bay.

"We had a lot more energy today," Hughes said. "We knew we had to win this game."

Leuer was nothing short of dominant against an undersized Marquette roster. He finished with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, with 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. He only saw the bench for two minutes.

Leuer said using his size advantage was part of the script.

"We definitely knew that we wanted to get the ball inside," Leuer said. "The guards did a great job of getting us the ball down low."

Head coach Bo Ryan credited Leuer's improvement as a player with his increased role in point production.

"He worked hard to get open in the post, he cut hard, and he is stronger this year," Ryan said. "He's getting in position a little better and he gets rewarded because his teammates know that he can do something with [the ball] when he gets it."

As for Leuer's teammates, Wisconsin's guards were again effective, as they have been most of this season. Ryan employed a three-guard lineup at times, which has been a common occurrence this year. Jordan Taylor came off the bench and was on the floor simultaneously with Hughes and Jason Bohannon for several stretches.

The results were positive. Hughes and Taylor scored 13 points apiece and combined for five assists. Hughes continued to drive to the basket and get to the charity stripe, where he attempted 12 free throws.

Ryan was particularly impressed with Taylor, which has been demonstrated by the sophomore's significant playing time in big games this season, and the young guard never turned the ball over Saturday.

"He's as tough-minded as any player I've ever coached," Ryan said. "He doesn't waver. He knows what needs to get done. He's going to take care of the ball."

The performances of Leuer and of the three guards were all part of a solid offensive day for the Badgers, who turned the ball over just seven times. Wisconsin has now scored at least 70 points in each of its last five games. Three of those games were wins over Maryland, Duke and, now, Marquette. That is an encouraging trend, considering many wondered where the Badgers' scoring would come from this season. They have answered their critics thus far, averaging 71.7 points per game.

Forward Lazar Hayward led the scoring for Marquette, with 21 inefficient points on 8-of-21 shooting. Hayward scored 15 of those points in the second half and also led the team with 12 rebounds. He never sat and was one of only two Golden Eagles in double figures.

Wisconsin got Marquette in foul trouble early. Jimmy Butler and Darius Johnson-Odom both fouled out in the waning minutes of the game, while Maurice Acker committed four infractions and three other Golden Eagles played with three fouls each. The Badgers made more free throws (23-of-33) than Marquette attempted (21).

"You can't let a team attempt 33 free throws," Williams said. "I don't know if you can win on the road or at home, regardless of the opponent, doing that."

Hughes said the disparity in foul shooting is something Wisconsin needs to see more of as the season progresses.

"That's Wisconsin basketball, trying to make more free throws than opponents attempt," Hughes said.

The Golden Eagles shot 41 percent from the field and put up 32 points in each half. They were never able to take the lead, much less make any kind of game-changing run, despite cutting into the Badgers' edge several times. It wasn't enough to overcome the early hole they had dug for themselves. The opening minutes featured poor shot selection by Marquette, and the Badgers pulled down 20 defensive rebounds, many of them easy collections of Golden Eagle bricks.

"We got them to take some tough shots," Leuer said. "Any time you're doing that, you give yourself a good chance to be successful."

This was the first of five straight home games for Wisconsin, which hopes to head into Big Ten play on New Year's Eve with ten wins, including top-of-the-resume victories over Arizona, Maryland, Duke and Marquette.

With the way this team has played against top competition in the early going, there is every reason to believe it will dispatch Cal Poly with considerable more ease than the football team did on the gridiron last year, when the Mustangs come to the Kohl Center Wednesday night.

-Jake Harris

Previewing Marquette

Akula Wolf — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:31:06 -0000

More photos » by Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

20 days ago: Michigan's Eso Akunne, left, fouls Marquette's Lazar Hayward, center, as teammate Anthony Wright helps during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Old Spice Classic tournament in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. Marquette won 79-65. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

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2009 Scouting Report / 2009 Game Plan
2009 Stats
2010 Roster
2010 Schedule

Marquette Offense '08-'09

Four Factors	Percent	Nat'l Rank
eFG%	51.2	85
Turnover Rate	16.5	11
Off Reb Rate	34.8	97
FTA/FGA	45.4	12

NC State bested Marquette in three of the four factors in their meeting last season but lost a close game thanks to a -8 turnover margin. This year's Golden Eagles profile about the same--their offense takes good care of the ball, while their defense steals the ball with great frequency--so the first step in avoiding the same outcome is keeping that margin closer to zero.

The second step is finding some way to slow the versatile Lazar Hayward. Marquette figured to take a performance hit after the departures of Jerel McNeal, Dominic James, and Wesley Matthews, three experienced, effiicient, and heavily-involved contributors a year ago. Instead they've hardly missed a beat in the early going, thanks largely (very largely) to Hayward's efforts, who has essentially told Buzz Williams, hey no sweat, I'll still do my thing and I'll replace one of those other guys on top of it.

	ORtg	eFG%	%Poss	%Shots
Hayward '09	114.1	53.0	24.0	27.2
Hayward '10	111.7	48.6	35.7	44.7

Remember, the average player uses 20% of his team's possessions and takes 20% of the shots. Hayward is pulling double duty, averaging 26 field goal attempts per 40 minutes, and has somehow managed to handle that efficiently, which is fucking insane. I suspect he is a robot. If he keeps this up in conference play, there's no way he is of this earth.

Anyway, my team of scientists here at BTP world headquarters has concluded that you will want to keep an eye on this dude.

Starters

David Cubillan (6-0, 175) -- After a dreadful year as a reserve in 2009, Cubillan's handling the move into the starting lineup about as well as could be hoped. But he hardly got a shot in edge-wise last season (13% of the shots) and that hasn't changed, so he probably won't be a significant factor.

Darius Johnson-Odom (6-2, 200) -- A juco transfer who played his high school ball at Wakefield in Raleigh. He's the only starter aside from Hayward taking more than 20% of the shots and he's been outstanding from three (15-30).

Dwight Buycks (6-3, 190) -- His value extends well beyond the court, as his last name, pronounced "bikes," allows for such headlines as Marquette Rides Buycks To 76-58 Win Over NC State.

Jimmy Butler (6-6, 215) -- Absurdly efficient with a really light workload a year ago, Butler's upped his involvement in the offense considerably this season and remains absurdly efficient. He does the majority of his shooting inside the arc and does it well, he's an excellent offensive rebounder, and he earns frequent trips to the free throw line.

Lazar Hayward (6-6, 225) -- In addition to all that fancypants scoring, which he likes to do from all over the floor, Hayward rebounds well at both ends of the floor, never turns the ball over, and oh yeah, has doubled his assist rate in '10.

Bench

Maurice Acker (5-8, 165), Jeronne Maymon (6-6, 250), Joseph Fulce (6-7, 205). Acker got heavy minutes as a freshman at Ball State in 2006 but found himself buried behind McNeal and James once he got to Marquette. Shot poorly as a freshman, well as a sophomore, poorly as a junior, and well again to this point in his senior year. Who knows with this guy. You're up, you're down, Maurice! Makes me want to pull my hair out, so I shaved my head.

Maymon and Fulce aren't likely to be too involved with the scoring.

Marquette Defense '08-'09

Four Factors	Percent	Nat'l Rank
eFG%	50.9	252
Turnover Rate	21.1	122
Off Reb Rate	30.7	85
FTA/FGA	30.1	38

The Golden Eagles lost several tall guys after the 2008 season and did not start a player taller than 6-6 in 2009, and not surprisingly their interior D went right out the window. Marquette opponents hit 50.3% of their twos. The Eagles defense held it together by forcing turnovers and limiting both offensive boards and free throw attempts.

Back on the grind

SFBE.NF — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:13:29 -0000

Three things I never expected (or bothered to come to expect) happened to me on this blissful Thanksgiving weekend: I solidified my brand loyalty to United Airlines after receiving two vouchers valued at over $600 for future flights; had brunch next to former Dodger first baseman Steve Garvey (which triggered a recollection of his insanely cheesy yet hilarious televised fishing and ski events featuring 90s d-list celebrities); and sat at the Marriott-LAX bar just two stools away from NBA referees Bill Kennedy, Mark Ayotte, and Rodney Mott as they caught up on NFL highlights while chuckling about "doing" the Lakers game against the dreadful New Jersey Nets.

One thing I didn't do, though, was learn how to prevent a run-on sentence.

Admittedly college basketball was not a real priority over the past seven days, as we had to rely on the tickers and newspapers to stay informed while bronzing, bathing and studying. Currently working to return to homeostasis, and continue to figure out who's chic now that Feast Week has concluded, here are a few bullets that got us thinking:

Is Duke the best team in the ACC? I keep looking for a rule that prevents teams with more than seven white players from being a viable Final Four contender, but so far have not found it. Jon Scheyer may just be capable enough to concurrently score and run the point.
Is Gonzaga the best non-BCS team in the country? Apologizes to Butler, but the Zags have been more impressive (and visible) in the early going here. They win the Maui, which had one of the more interesting fields in recent memory, and have four players averaging double figures. The losses of Austin Daye, Josh Heytvelt and Jeremy Pargo may not be as detrimental as we initially thought. Conversely, Butler lost two games in the 76 Classic (to Minnesota and Clemson) and had to sneak by a UCLA team that just plain isn't fooling anyone this season.
Is Purdue ready to live up to all this hype? They prevailed over Tennessee in what's arguably the best game of the season to this point. The remainder of their non-conference schedule is fairly smooth sailing leading up to Big 10 play.
Am I allowed to anoint Washington State's Klay Thompson as the "Best Player You're Not Watching"? The sophomore leads an undefeated Cougars team and has scored no less than 20 points in all six of their games. And who says we are victim's of that East Coast bias?

Apologizes to Portland, Florida, Alabama, Cincinnati, Northwestern's John Shurna, and Marquette's Lazar Hayward, but I need to go kick this jetlag.

Around the ACC: 11.30

MRickman84 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:53:10 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

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A clean sweep yesterday, huh? Really nice to see FSU pull out a big win and Clemson win a thriller against Butler. Those wins are going to look great for the conference come March. The ACC/Big Ten Challenge starts tonight with Virginia vs. Penn State, so start getting geared up now.

NC State 69, New Orleans 52
State's defense really helped in this game, holding New Orleans to 35% shooting and just 24 points in the second half. The Wolfpack shot 8-16 behind the arc, with CJ Williams and Javi Gonzalez hitting a combined 5-10. Tracy Smith led the way with 20 points and 8 rebounds on 8-12 shooting. The Pack draw Northwestern next in the Challenge.

UNC 80, Nevada 73
Here we go again. The Tar Heels let a team hang around and end up pulling out a victory by under a dozen points. This is going to haunt them if it keeps happening this way. Deon Thompson stepped up again with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Larry Drew II had a solid game as well, getting a career-high 10 assists to go with 12 points. Ed Davis had his most effective game this season too, finishing with 16. UNC went through a 5 minute drought that netted only two FTs and eight missed shots.

Clemson 70, Butler 69
Clemson needed this one. The loss to a solid Texas A&M team actually may have been a blessing in disguise, as it probably loosened the Tigers up. This one came down to the wire as Demontez Stitt (19 points, 3 assists) netted both FTs with 3.3 seconds to put the Tigers up one with 3.3 seconds. Butler went the length of the floor and called time out and got one last chance, but Trevor Booker (12 points, 8 rebounds) blocked the shot and gave Clemson the win.

The stats were in Butler's favor, with the Bulldogs outshooting and outrebounding Clemson, but the Tigers hit 5 more FTs and hit 2 more threes, which was just enough. Gordon Hayward led Butler with 20 points and 12 rebounds. The Bulldogs are going to walk away really hoping that they had taken at least one against Minnesota or Clemson, but will have another chance to prove themselves against Georgetown and Ohio State later on.

Florida State 57, Marquette 56
In another exciting finish, Solomon Alabi came through with about 12 seconds left and FSU's defense held, with Marquette turning it over on their last possession. This was the shocker of the weekend. Marquette looked downright great their last two games against Xavier and Michigan.

Florida State, despite their 6-1 record, has looked shaky at times and got blown out of the gym against Florida. It's great to see them put it together though. Alabi is a beast and Chris Singleton (18 points, 10 rebounds) is looking very good so far. Lazar Hayward led the Golden Eagles with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The 'Noles will take on Ohio State next in another chance to prove what they're made of.

BtB 2009-10 Big East Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:19:46 -0000

The Big East had a BIG season last year, but not quite the monster year many predicted. At the end of the year, the conference only qualified eight teams for the NCAAs, instead the nine or ten many had predicted. Louisville earned the tournament's overall number one seed, while UConn and Pitt joined them on the top line. The Huskies were the only one of this group to make it to Detroit, but the 3 seed in the East region, Villanova, knocked off the Panthers to join Connecticut at Ford Field.

Graduation and the NBA Draft sapped some of the star power from the conference during the offseason, and teams like Pitt and Marquette, look to be in rebuilding mode because of it. Louisville, whose summer included personnel losses and revelations about Rick Pitino's personal life, will be a contender but not quite the power of last year. UConn and Syracuse also lost significant personnel, but have some exciting recruits coming in to fill the voids. Two teams who fell flat last year, Georgetown and Notre Dame could be back, while Cincinnati, St. John's, and Seton Hall may be waking from a long slumber.

But the two teams who appear to be head and shoulders above the rest are the two who lost the least, Villanova and West Virginia. They'll start with the biggest targets on their backs, and they'll take plenty of shots in the early season, particularly in tournament play. Both play in loaded fields this November, the Wildcats in Puerto Rico; the Mountaineers in Anaheim.

More on all 16 teams in the largest league in the land after the jump.

Here's a recap of last year's Big East standings.

Big East Conference Standings

(updated 4.5.2009 at 12:15 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Louisville Cardinals	16	2	31	6
Connecticut Huskies	15	3	31	5
Pittsburgh Panthers	15	3	31	5
Villanova Wildcats	13	5	30	8
Marquette Golden Eagles	12	6	25	10
Syracuse Orange	11	7	28	10
West Virginia Mountaineers	10	8	23	12
Providence Friars	10	8	19	14
Notre Dame Fighting Irish	8	10	21	15
Cincinnati Bearcats	8	10	18	14
Seton Hall Pirates	7	11	17	15
Georgetown Hoyas	7	11	16	15
St. John's Red Storm	6	12	16	18
South Florida Bulls	4	14	9	22
Rutgers Scarlet Knights	2	16	11	21
DePaul Blue Demons	0	18	9	24

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a team name appears in red, click it to go to that schools SBNation site, your source for more in depth analysis.

DePaul (last NCAA: 2004) The Blue Demons defeated a league opponent once only last season, bursting Cincinnati's bubble in the first round of the Big East tournament. The pressure is definitely on Jerry Wainwright at the moment, but this team doesn't look like it will improve much. The foundation is good, even with swingman Dar Tucker's departure for the professional game, as 6-10 Mac Koshwal is a beast inside for Wainwright, as he averaged over 12 points and nearly 10 boards a game last year, and Will Walker averaged nearly 15 points a game in the backcourt. But the rest of the squad lacks scoring punch and experience. Ohio State transfer Eric Wallace, Oregon State transfer Eric Wallace, and returnees Devin Hill (3.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Mario Stula (1.7 ppg) will have to produce more to make up for the loss of Tucker, while Jabari Currie (5.3 ppg, 1.8 apg) and Jeremiah Kelly (4.3 ppg, 2.4 apg) will need to help Walker out more in the backcourt. DePaul will play Northern Iowa in the Paradise Jam, then East Carolina or Tennessee in their second game. They'll also head to Tampa to take on Mississippi State in the Big East/SEC Invitational.

Providence (last NCAA: 2004) The Friars won 10 Big East games in Keno Davis' first season at the helm, but ended up in the NIT. Providence's schedule is a big reason for their failure, as they defeated Cincinnati and Rutgers twice, and were swept by Villanova, making their victory total a bit suspect. Providence should drop significantly this season, as they lost four starters off an already disappointing team. Senior point guard Sharaud Curry (11.7 ppg, 4.2 apg) is the lone returning starter, so at least the offense will be in good hands. Production will have to come from 6-5 wing Marshon Brooks (10.6 ppg) and 6-4 Brian McKenzie (4.6 ppg), along with JC transfer Kyle Wright and freshman Duke Mondy, both of whom lit it up at their previous level of competition. 6-9 JC transfer Russ Permenter and 6-8 freshmen Kadeem Bates and James Still will join two redshirt freshmen, 6-6 Jamine Peterson and 6-8 Bilal Dixon, on an all new frontline. How quickly that group can adjust to the rigors of the Big East will determine how well PC can do this season. The Friars don't participate in a tournament this year, but they travel to Alabama and host former Big East member Boston College.

South Florida (last NCAA: 1992) The Bulls should be better this year, but the question is whether that will show up in the standings. Stan Heath returns three starters from a team that won only four Big East contests a season ago, including guard Dominique Jones (18.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.9 apg) and 6-10 forward Augustus Gilchrist (10.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg). Both of those players will receive significant help in their particular units, as Ohio State transfer Anthony Crater will take some of the playmaking pressure off Jones (as will a bigger role for senior Chris Howard, who averaged over 4 assists a game last year) and 6-11 JC transfer Jarrid Famous will combine with Gilchrist to form one of the more intimidating frontlines in the conference. 6-4 guard Mike Mercer (8.5 ppg, 33.3% from 3) returns to the team for his final season after head coach Stan Heath booted him in January for disciplinary issues. USF's freshmen, heavy on guards and wings, includes Joe Dumars' son, Jordan. The Bulls will play in the Charleston Classic before Thanksgiving, where they'll play Davidson on Day 1. A matchup with either La Salle or South Carolina awaits on Day 2. USF will also face San Diego and San Francisco in Las Vegas before Christmas.

Rutgers (last NCAA: 1991) The Scarlet Knights once again struggled in the Big East, winning only two games in the conference in '08-09. Fred Hill's team should face another tough year despite the return of 6-3 sophomore guard Mike Rosario (16.2 ppg) and an improving frontline featuring imposing shotblocker 6-9 Gregory Echenique (8.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.4 bpg) and 6-11 center Hamady Ndiaye (5.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg). 6-7 Jonathan Mitchell, a transfer from Florida, and 6-6 sophomore Patrick Jackson, a rarely used freshman, are expected to contribute as well. While Rutgers is set at shooting guard thanks to Rosario, JC transfer James Beatty will likely replace Anthony Farmer at the point, though junior Mike Coburn (4 ppg, 2.1 apg), last year's backup, will see plenty of time there as well. The Scarlet Knights will make the short trip to Atlantic City, where they'll face UMass in the semifinals of the Legends Classic. They'll play either Florida or Michigan State on the following evening. A December 28 trip to North Carolina also looms large.

Marquette (last NCAA: 2009) The Golden Eagles appear due for a fall in Buzz Williams' second year at the helm. Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, and Dominic James, Marquette's starting backcourt of a season ago, have all graduated. And while 6-6 F Lazar Hayward (16.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg) is back, that's a lot of production Williams will have to replace. Jimmy Butler (5.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg), another 6-6 forward, should move from the sixth man role to the starting lineup, but he needs to show more offensive consistency. Two-time Wisconsin HS Player of the Year Jeronne Maymon, yet another 6-6 forward, will be expected to contribute immediately, as will 6-7 shot blocking machine Erik Williams. Marquette's all-new backcourt features two JC All-Americans, 6-3 Dwight Buycks and 6-1 Darius Johnson-Odom, and 6-1 Canadian freshman Junior Cadougan, the heir apparent to James. Maurice Acker (2.8 ppg, 1.8 apg), who replaced James when he went out with a broken foot, is also back for the Golden Eagles. Marquette plays in the Old Spice Classic this year, where they open with Xavier. They'll then play either Michigan or Creighton in what has to be called that tournament's Midwestern half of the bracket.

Pittsburgh (last NCAA: 2009) The Panthers will be in full rebuilding mode this season, as Jamie Dixon lost four starters from a season ago. However, the one starter who is back, senior guard Jermaine Dixon (8.4 ppg, 2 apg), is out until November thanks to a broken foot. Reserves Gilbert Brown (5.4 ppg), Brad Wanamaker (5.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg), and Ashton Gibbs (4.3 ppg, 43.9% from 3) will have to take on a greater role, but replacing Levance Fields at the point is the biggest issue for Pitt. Ultimately, Gibbs and Centenary transfer Chase Adams (14.6 ppg, 4.5 apg) will have to shoulder the load. The frontcourt was decimated thanks to the departure of DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, and Tyrell Biggs. 6-10 center Gary McGhee (1.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg in roughly 6 minutes per game) will see a lot more time this season, as will 6-6 swingman Gilbert Brown (5.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg), but 6-9 freshman Dante Taylor, a McDonald's All-American, could become the most exciting frontcourt player for the Panthers this season. Pitt will travel to Kansas City for the CBE Classic, where they'll open against Wichita State. Big 12 power Texas or now-perennially-rebuilding Iowa awaits on the second night.

Seton Hall (last NCAA: 2006) Bobby Gonzalez not only brings back four starters from a season ago, led by offensive force Jeremy Hazell (22.7 ppg), he has several transfers coming in to provide much needed depth. The Pirates' solid backcourt, featuring Hazell, starting point guard Eugene Harvey (12.5 ppg, 4.5 apg), and backup PG Jordan Theodore (5.9 ppg, 2 apg) receives a major reinforcement in the form of Missouri transfer Keon Lawrence (11 ppg, 2.3 apg in '07-08). An emerging frontline, featuring 6-6 Robert Mitchell (14.7 ppg, 8 rpg) and 6-9 John Garcia (8 ppg, 7 rpg), will be even better thanks to the presence of 6-8 New Mexico State transfer Herb Pope, who averaged more than 11 points and almost 7 boards a game in his single season in Las Cruces. Melvyn Oliver, a 6-11 sophomore who weighs in at an immovable 340 pounds and 6-6 Memphis transfer Jeff Robinson will also see some minutes. Seton Hall won't participate in a tournament this year, but they'll still get some time in the sun. They'll travel to Cancun to take on Virginia Tech on the second day of 2010.

St. John's (last NCAA: 2002) Last season, Norm Roberts' Red Storm won 16 games, 6 in the Big East, during a campaign that was plagued by injuries. St. John's hasn't quite been able to shake the injury bug yet, as their best player, 6-7 senior F Anthony Mason, Jr. (14 ppg, 4.3 rpg) will be out until at least late November with a hamstring injury. He only played three games last season thanks to a torn tendon in his right foot. When he returns, he'll join 6-6 junior D.J. Kennedy (13 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and 6-8 junior Sean Evans (10.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg) to form a quality frontcourt. 6-3 junior Paris Horne, who led the Red Storm in scoring a season ago (14.6 ppg), and 5-9 PG Malik Boothe (6.4 ppg, 4.4 apg) will anchor the backcourt, with sophomore Quincy Roberts (5 ppg) and freshman PG Malik Stith, as the supporting cast. St. John's will participate in the Philly Hoop Group Classic over Thanksgiving weekend at the Palestra, where they'll face Siena and Temple.

Notre Dame (last NCAA: 2008) The Fighting Irish have a chance of improving on last year's disappointing 21-win NIT campaign thanks to the return of 6-8 Luke Harangody (23.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg), a player who has numerous school and conference records within reach. In the backcourt, point guard Tory Jackson (10.6 ppg, 4.9 apg) returns, but perimeter sharpshooters Kyle McAlarney (15 ppg) and Ryan Ayers (11.1 ppg) will be sorely missed. Mississippi State transfer Ben Hansbrough, brother of Tyler, will be called on to make up some of that production, though he's just as likely to score inside, as he can really drive to the basket. Unfortunately, another player who would've fit in immediately, 6-8 Purdue transfer Scott Martin, will miss the year with a knee injury. That means 6-8 junior Tyrone Nash (3 ppg, 3.6 rpg) will have to take on a greater role. Ultimately, a lack of depth will keep the Irish from rising too high in the standings, but they should be competitive for an NCAA bid. Notre Dame will participate in the Chicago Invitational Challenge, where they open with Northwestern. The second day the Irish will face either Iowa State or Saint Louis.

Cincinnati (last NCAA: 2005) Thanks to four returning starters and a couple of key newcomers, Mick Cronin's team should be able to improve on last year's 18 wins (8 in the conference), and with the losses other Big East teams suffered, they should get back to the Dance. The Bearcats' strength will be their backcourt, led by all-Big East pick Deonta Vaughn (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg). He'll receive more help than he had last year, as PG Cashmere Wright is back after missing all of last year with a knee injury and Larry Davis (6.8 ppg) also returns from an ankle injury. 6-9 Yancy Gates (10.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), who was one of the league's top freshmen last season anchors the frontcourt, which will also feature 6-11 Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas (8.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) when the fall semester ends. However, the arrival of 6-6 New Yorker Lance Stephenson gives the Bearcats a second legit star. New York State's all-time leading scorer averaged nearly 29 points a contest last year, so he should provide an instant boost to a team that was weak on the offensive end last season. Cincy will play in Maui this November, where they open with Vanderbilt. If they win that, a semifinal with Maryland would likely await.

Georgetown (last NCAA: 2008) The Hoyas were touted as a Final Four team by some last year, but struggled with consistency throughout the season. DaJuan Summers left early for the NBA, which is a major blow, and Jesse Sapp, the senior point guard and defensive specialist who saw a lot more action than anticipated last year, graduated, but John Thompson III has plenty of talent returning to improve on last season's 16-15 mark. Chris Wright (12.5 ppg, 3.8 apg) is back to run the point after showing well in his first league campaign. He missed all of the previous conference season with an ankle injury. At the 2 spot, Austin Freeman (11.4 ppg, 2 apg) will be expected to improve his production in Summers' absence. The frontcourt is anchored by conference Newcomer of the Year Greg Monroe (12.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg), but those expected to start alongside him, sophomore PF Henry Sims and freshman SF Hollis Thompson are relatively inexperienced. That means reserve Julian Vaughn (1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg), who was expected to contribute more in his first year after transferring from Florida State, and occasional starter Nikita Mescheriakov (2.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg) may see quite a bit more time than anticipated. The Hoyas won't participate in a tournament this season, but they will head west to take on Washington in the Wooden Classic (not UCLA, which would make sense) and up to New York to face Butler in the Jimmy V Classic.

Louisville (last NCAA: 2009) Rick Pitino was the center of a lot of unwanted attention this offseason thanks to some well-publicized off the court issues. On the court, the Cards the news was also negative, as the team's two leading scorers and rebounders from last season, Earl Clark and Terrence Williams, are now in the NBA. The cupboard is far from bare for Pitino, however. He has a backcourt led by seniors Edgar Sosa (7.3 ppg, 2.3 apg) and Jerry Smith, a gifted shooter who averaged almost 8 points a game while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. Junior Preston Knowles shot even better from outside, 43 percent, as the sixth man last year. The Cards will need their production, along with that of 6-4 freshman sharpshooter Mike Marra and McDonald's All-American PG Peyton Siva, to replace some of the production that left with Clark and Williams. The frontcourt should be a strength, thanks to the return of 6-9 Samardo Samuels (11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg), though he'll need to be more consistent. Samuels will be challenged by having to do more of the dirty work on the glass, as he was only the third leading rebounder on last year's team. 6-9 sophomore Terrence Jennings should also provide more punch this season, as he averaged 4.2 ppg and 2.9 rpg in only about 12 minutes worth of action as a freshman. Tony Delk, a 6-4 swingman, who averaged less than a bucket a game last year, should also see more time. Besides the traditional game with Kentucky, Louisville will play Arkansas in the Hall of Fame Showcase in St. Louis before they play home games against three mid-major opponents in the same event.

Syracuse (last NCAA: 2009) The Orange lost their three leading scorers--NBA first rounder Jonny Flynn, his Niagara Falls High School teammate Paul Harris, and Eric Devendorf--off a squad that reached the Sweet 16. But don't expect Jim Boeheim's squad to fall too far down the Big East pecking order. Two regular frontcourt starters--6-9 C Arinze Onuaku (10.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg) and 6-9 F Rick Jackson (8.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg)-return, as does part-time starter Andy Rautins (10.5 ppg, 36.6% from 3). The newcomers are even more intriguing. 6-7 F Wesley Johnson, who averaged over 12 points and almost 8 boards as a freshman and 12+ points and 4 boards as a sophomore at Iowa State, will fill Harris' spot in the frontcourt. 6-4 freshman Brandon Triche will replace Flynn at the point. The Orange have some talent on the bench, as 6-1 sophomore guard Scoop Jardine returns after sitting out last year injured, 6-7 sophomore Kris Joseph will provide some depth up front, but he'll have to be more consistent than he was as a freshman. 6-8 freshman James Southerland should see some time off the bench because of his ability to shoot. Syracuse makes the short trip to New York City for the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, where they'll face California in the semifinals, then either Ohio State or North Carolina. They'll travel to Tampa to take on Florida in the Big East/SEC Invitational and host Memphis in the Dome.

Connecticut (last NCAA: 2009) Jim Calhoun lost three starters off a Final Four team, Hasheem Thabeet, A.J. Price, and Jeff Adrien, but don't expect UConn to fall too far. PG Kemba Walker (8.9 ppg, 2.8 apg) got a lot of experience off the bench in '08-09 and will be ready to fill Price's shoes at the 1 spot. Freshman Darius Smith should also see some time at the point and maybe even at the 2 spot, thanks to his scoring ability. Jerome Dyson (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.1 apg) returns from a torn meniscus to provide more toughness to the backcourt. In the frontcourt, SF Stanley Robinson (8.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg) needs to show more consistency, while 6-9 senior Gavin Edwards steps into a starting role for the first time. Calhoun has some impact youngsters on his frontline, including 6-10 Ater Majok and high school teammates Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel. If the younger frontcourt produces as the season goes on, UConn could go on another long March run. Of course, the ongoing investigation surrounding Josh Nochimson could still lead to some distractions during the season. Schedule-wise, the Huskies will host the North regional of the NIT Season Tip-Off. That should result in the first of two trips to MSG for them, as they also face Kentucky in the Big East/SEC Invitational.

West Virginia (last NCAA: 2009) The Mountaineers bring back the bulk of a team that disappointingly lost to Dayton in the first round of last year's NCAAs. Bob Huggins' frontcourt features two players who will challenge for national honors this year, 6-7 senior Da'Sean Butler (17.1 ppg. 5.9 rpg) and 6-9 sophomore Devin Ebanks (10.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg)-a player who really came on in the second half of last season. PF Wellington Smith (5.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg), a 6-7 senior, should up his performance now that he's recovered from a stress fracture in his leg, while 6-8 sophomore Kevin Jones (6.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg) is another solid reserve player for the Mountaineers. The backcourt will be new as JC transfer Casey Mitchell will be the starting shooting guard and Alex Ruoff's replacement at point guard is a real question mark. Darryl Bryant (9.8 ppg, 2.7 apg), Ruoff's heir apparent, was suspended by Huggins over the summer. Joe Mazzulla (5.6 ppg, 3.7 apg), another player who had to deal with off the court issues last year, is another option. His minutes depend on how well he's recovered from the severe shoulder injury he suffered early last season. The Mountaineers will play in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, where they'll open with Long Beach State. A matchup with either Clemson or Texas A&M awaits on the day after Thanksgiving.

Villanova (last NCAA: 2009) Leading scorer Dante Cunningham (16.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and swingman Dwayne Anderson (9 ppg, 6.2 rpg) may be gone from last year's Final Four team, but there's enough quality on the roster to ensure that the Wildcats remain near the top of the league. Sixth man Corey Fisher (10.8 ppg, 2.8 apg) should move over to the point full-time, while senior Scottie Reynolds (15.2 ppg, 3.4 apg) will continue to help with the playmaking, even in a more offensive role. The frontcourt corps of 6-5 Corey Stokes (9.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg), 6-5 Reggie Redding (7.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg), and 6-8 Antonio Pena (5.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) will be joined by several newcomers. 6-11 redshirt Maurice Sutton, 6-6 Duke transfer Taylor King, and 6-7 freshman Isaiah Armwood will see considerable minutes, while 6-10 Mouphtaou Yarou, a high school teammate of Armwood, will give the Wildcats an inside dimension they haven't had in years. Nova will play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off before Thanksgiving. They'll open with George Mason before facing either Dayton or Georgia Tech on the second day.

The Wildcats will hold the Big East's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. There will undoubtedly be a few of their conference brethren joining them.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big East team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big East Team

Player of the Year: Luke Harangody, 6-8 F, Sr. (Notre Dame)

Remainder of the Team
Da'Sean Butler, 6-7 F. Sr. (West Virginia)
Devin Ebanks, 6-9 F, So. (West Virginia)
Greg Monroe, 6-11 F, So. (Georgetown)
Scottie Reynolds, 6-2 G, Sr. (Villanova)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big East this season?

Cincinnati

7 votes

Connecticut

9 votes

DePaul

1 votes

Georgetown

24 votes

Louisville

13 votes

Marquette

0 votes

Notre Dame

1 votes

Pittsburgh

6 votes

Providence

0 votes

Rutgers

2 votes

St. John's

1 votes

Seton Hall

1 votes

South Florida

0 votes

Syracuse

10 votes

Villanova

18 votes

West Virginia

19 votes

112 votes | Poll has closed

Georgetown Picked by Coaches to Finish Fifth in Big East

Hire Esherick — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:43:14 -0000

Results of the Preseason Big East Coaches' Poll were released this morning and not surprisingly, Villanova was picked to top the conference for the 2009-10 season. Full results of the poll are listed below:

Team	Pts.
1. Villanova (10)	218
2. West Virginia (5)	215
3. Connecticut (1)	185
4. Louisville	179
5. Georgetown	161
6. Syracuse	152
7. Cincinnati	135
8. Notre Dame	132
9. Pittsburgh	119
10. Seton Hall	110
11. St. John's	82
12. Marquette	78
13. Providence	52
14. USF	44
15. Rutgers	43
16. DePaul	15

Luke Harangody (Notre Dame) was named Preseason Player of the Year for second straight season. Harangody joins Patrick Ewing as the only other player to receive the honors more than once (Ewing was picked three times).

Greg Monroe (Georgetown), Lazar Hayward (Marquette), Da'Sean Butler (WVU), Scottie Reynolds (Villanova), and Deonta Vaughn (Cincinnati) join Harangody on the Preseason All Big East Team. Monroe is the only underclassman, the other five are seniors.

Jerome Dyson (UConn), Kemba Walker (UConn), Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall), Dominique Jones (USF), Samardo Samuels (Louisville), and Devin Ebanks (WVU) were named to the All Big East Second Team.

Stanley Robinson (UConn) and Arinze Onuaku (Syracuse) received All Big East Honorable Mention honors.

Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati) was named Preseason Big East Rookie of the Year.

World University Games Preview

Mark Kieffer — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:05:49 -0000

If you have not heard, Craig Brackins is spending part of his summer competing for USA in the World University Games. The competition is being held in Belgrade, Serbia, and it's a great chance for elite college basketball players to compete with some of the world's best at their age group.

Here's a rundown of USA's Roster:

Number	Name	Class.	Position	School
#4	Talor Battle	JR	Guard	Penn State
#5	Corey Fisher	JR	Guard	Villanova
#6	Da'Sean Butler	SR	Forward	West Virginia
#7	Robbie Hummel	JR	Forward	Purdue
#8	Evan Turner	JR	Guard	Ohio State
#9	James Anderson	JR	Guard	Oklahoma State
#10	Quincy Pondexter	SR	Forward	Washington
#11	Lazar Hayward	SR	Forward	Marquette
#12	Craig Brackins	JR	Forward	Iowa State
#13	Trevor Booker	SR	Forward	Clemson
#14	Jarvis Varnado	SR	Forward	Miss. State
#15	Deon Thompson	SR	Forward	North Carolina

The squad is coached by Wisconsin Coach, Bo Ryan.

The team has already arrived in Serbia, and played won an exhibition game against Canada 85-81. Brackins came off the bench, getting 4 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 18 minutes. Brackins went 1-4 from the field, and 2-2 from the charity stripe.

USA will play Serbia on Sunday at 2pm CST, and Russia on Monday at 11:30am CST. All of these, are an exhibition round-robin tournament prior to the World University Game.

The World University Games for the USA will start on July 3rd. The USA will play Finland on July 3rd at 1pm CST and will also play South Korea on July 4th at 1pm CST. Assuming the USA will advance (and that's a pretty safe bet), the 2nd round is July 6th and 7th, quarterfinals July 9th, semifinals July 10th, and the finals on July 11th.

The countries are formed into groups for the first round and do a round-robin in their group. The winner of each group moves into an 8 team tournament. The groups are as follows:

Group A: Serbia, Greece, Australia

Group B: Lithuania, Mexico, Romania, UAE

Group C: Canada, Italy, China

Group D: Japan, Ukraine, Bulgaria

Group E: Turkey, Portugal, Iran

Group F: Russia, Gabon, Israel, Brazil

Group G: Germany, Latvia, South Africa

Group H: USA, Finland, South Korea

It will be interesting, and we will update results as they come. I think this is a good chance for Craig to play against some meaningful competition, instead of the glorified pickup league known as the Capital City League. The USA typically does well in this type of an event, and I hope everyone on that team is enjoying their time there.

A look at Bo Ryan's U.S. Team

Adam Hoge — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:42:10 -0000

The U.S. roster for the World University Games was announced Friday and include three first-team All-Big Ten selections: Talor Battle of Penn State, Evan Turner of Ohio State and Robbie Hummel of Purdue.

The team is of course coached by UW head coach Bo Ryan, so it's no surprise that three Big Ten players made the team, but it should be noted that Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson was among the players who accepted a tryout invitation but is not listed on the final U.S. roster.

Overall the team is stacked. Consider it a college All-Star team. Here's the rest of the 12-man roster:

Deon Thompson - North Carolina
Corey Fisher - Villanova
Robbie Hummel - Purdue
James Anderson - Oklahoma State
Trevor Booker - Clemson
Craig Brackins - Iowa State
Da'Sean Butler - West Virginia
Lazar Hayward - Marquette
Quincy Pondexter - Washington
Jarvis Varnado - Mississippi State

If I had to take a blind pick at who my starting five would be (ignoring the unknown progress these players have made in the off-season) I would probably go with Battle as my point guard, Anderson as my shooting guard, Turner as my small forward, Butler as my power forward and Brackins as my center.

Quite frankly the guards are no brainers. Battle is a skilled point guard who gives you 20 points per game and Anderson has great size at 6-6 and averaged 18.2 ppg last season. The forwards are a little harder to choose, but Turner is probably the most NBA ready player on this team so he has to be your small forward. There are a lot of options at power forward. I would be surprised if Ryan doesn't go with Hummel as a starter because he is Ryan-type player who brings a ton of leadership to the team. But you can't ignore Butler's size and ability to score. He averaged 17.1 ppg last season, while Hummel put up 12.5 while battling a back injury all season. Hummel is one of my favorite Big Ten players, but I'd go with Butler. Meanwhile, Brackins is a no-brainer at center. At 6-10 he's the tallest player on the team and he put up 20.2 ppg last season for the Cyclones.

Surprisingly, Kansas forward Sherron Collins, one of the top players in the country, was left off the roster after accepting a tryout. South Florida's Dominque Jones also failed to make the team.

The tournament will be held July 2-11 in Serbia with 24 teams competing for the gold medal.

Badger Bits: Wrapping up the last few days

Adam Hoge — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:34:06 -0000

We are long overdue for an edition of Badger Bits, so let's jump right in.

I couldn't find the online version of the story, but I read in today's Chicago Tribune (yes, newspapers still exist) that UW-Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter will join Bo Ryan in coaching the USA team in this summer's World University Games, which will take place July 2-12 in Belgrade, Serbia. Jeter, of course, was an assistant under Ryan before taking the head coaching job at UWM. The story also said that Marquette's Lazar Hayward and Purdue's Robbie Hummel are among those who could be on the team.

Other news:

Spoiler Alert! Luke Swan was not cut in last night's episode of 4th and Long, but he was among those who were in danger of being cut.
BadgerBeat.com - Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball: O'Leary makes it official
The All-State guard from Janesville Parker, who originally signed with Loyola (Ill.) but told The Capital Times in April she would change course and come to Wisconsin, has signed a national letter of intent with UW and was introduced by the school Monday.
Wright will visit UW in June - JSOnline
Wright is considered a three-star prospect (out of five) by rivals.com and a two-star prospect by scout.com.
BadgerBeat.com - Wisconsin Badgers football: Brookfield defensive tackle commits
Bryce Gilbert is the third member of UW's 2010 recruiting class.
BadgerBeat.com - Baggot: Football coaches making big mistake with secret ballots
The American Football Coaches Association announced this week coaches’ final ballots will be kept secret starting in 2010.
Notre Dame, Northwestern set for Chicago Invitational Challenge - Chicago Tribune
Illini, Mizzou calling off annual St. Louis game -- chicagotribune.com
Illinois and Missouri's traditional season opener in St. Louis will come to an end after 2010.

Marquette: Know Your Boise Travel Companion

Bill C. — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:00:10 -0000

I'm not going to go down the "I expect Mizzou to win the first round game, so let's look at who they may play in the second round" route. I'm not going to unleash the presumption jinx. But I do think it's safe to preview the other game in Mizzou's Boise pod: 6 Marquette vs 11 Utah State. First up, the 6 seed.

Marquette: 24-9

	Marquette	Opp
Points Per Minute	1.97	1.75
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.13	1.01
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.36	1.23
2-PT FG%	51.1%	50.3%
3-PT FG%	35.2%	35.2%
FT%	71.8%	67.6%
True Shooting %	56.6%	54.2%

	Marquette	Opp
Assists/Gm	15.1	13.9
Steals/Gm	7.9	5.8
Turnovers/Gm	11.3	15.0
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	2.03	1.31

	Marquette	Opp
Expected Offensive Rebounds/Gm	12.0	12.8
Offensive Rebounds/Gm	11.6	10.2
Difference	-0.4	-2.6

Where Marquette's good: Passing, Free Throws, Rebounding, forcing turnovers. And for a guard-oriented offense that only shoots okay from 3-point range, they maintain pretty high FG% levels.
Where Marquette's not as good: FG% defense. If they don't force a turnover, they're probably giving up a pretty good shot.
This is a team that recently lost its senior point guard, Dominic James, to a broken foot. Since James got hurt and junior Maurice Acker took his place in the starting lineup, Marquette has lost five of six games. Bad, right? Well...maybe. Here are the teams to whom they've lost since James' injury: Connecticut, @Louisville (by 4), @Pittsburgh, Syracuse (in OT), and vs Villanova (buzzer beater). With James, they probably beat 'Cuse and maybe 'Nova or Louisville as well, but they still came close and are a streaky, dangerous team.

NCAA Basketball Stats

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
Jerel McNeal (6'3, 200, Sr.)	17.43	0.51	19.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.8 APG
Wesley Matthews (6'5, 220, Sr.)	17.42	0.53	17.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.5 APG
Lazar Hayward (6'6, 225, Jr.)	14.91	0.48	15.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.2 APG
Jimmy Butler (6'6, 215, So.)	7.06	0.37	5.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG
Dwight Burke (6'8, 250, Sr.)	2.75	0.15	2.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG
Maurice Acker (5'8, 165, Jr.)	2.69	0.18	2.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.8 APG
Patrick Hazel (6'7, 220, So.)	2.63	0.22	2.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG
Joseph Fulce (6'7, 205, So.)	1.75	0.36	1.5 PPG, 1.1 RPG
David Cubillan (6'0, 175, Jr.)	0.93	0.10	1.5 PPG
Chris Otule (6'10, 250, Fr.)	0.37	0.05	1.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG
Robert Frozena (6'1, 190, So.)	0.04	0.02	18 minutes

* AdjGS = a take-off of the Game Score metric (definition here) accepted by a lot of basketball stat nerds. It does the same thing my previous measure of choice did (it takes points, assists, rebounds (offensive & defensive), steals, blocks, turnovers and fouls into account to determine an individual's "score" for a given game), only the formula is more used and accepted. The "adjustment" in Adjusted Game Score is simply matching the total game scores to the total points scored in the game, thereby redistributing the game's points scored to those who had the biggest impact on the game itself, instead of just how many balls a player put through a basket.

Naturally this list doesn't include James, who averaged 12.42 AdjGS/Gm and 0.39 AdjGS/Min. Statistically, the drop from James to Maurice Acker was relatively significant, but Acker showed a lot of potential in Marquette's last game, scoring 12 points in 30 minutes (3-for-4 from 3-point range), dishing 2 assists and grabbing 2 rebounds. He isn't James, but he might not be too bad.
With James, this team revolved around four guys; without him, it's down to three. McNeal, Matthews and Hayward will take seemingly every shot for this team, and the small bench specializes mostly in crashing the boards and briefly spelling the starters. But beyond just shots and points, McNeal, Matthews and Hayward dominate just about every non-rebound category. They are three very good player surrounded by non-statistical role players.
KenPom's ratings paint the picture of a Marquette team that is extremely efficient offensively (maybe just above average without James) and a defense that is solid but not amazing. They are short but very experienced (Butler and Hazel are the only underclassmen in the rotation) and rebound well for their size.

We'll see what Utah State has to offer tomorrow, but comparing Marquette to Mizzou, one of the biggest factors could be the bench. Marquette was #292 in the country in depth (measured by bench minutes), and that doesn't not really account for the fact that they are now that much thinner without James. If Mizzou and Marquette play, depth could play a major role in the outcome.

Tomorrow, we'll look at Utah State's roster, the keys to the Eagles-Aggies game, and a prediction.