I apologize for missing last week’s rankings post, but in case you missed it Marquette jumped to #15 in both polls after defeating South Florida and Villanova to extend their winning streak to 6. This week, the winning streak would reach 7 after defeating Seton Hall at the Bradley Center. However, all good things must come to an end and the Marquette winning streak was no exception. The loss to Notre Dame on Saturday was the Golden Eagles' first loss since January 7, 2012. Marquette remains tied for second at 8-3 in conference play and has lost its 3 games to the first place team, the other second place team, and the fourth place team in the standings.

The loss dropped Marquette to #18 and #19 in the new AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Polls. Kentucky remained #1 for the 3rd consecutive week followed by Big East conference leader Syracuse Orange. Georgetown and Louisville join Marquette as the only other ranked teams from the Big East.

Full rankings and analysis after the jump!

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Another crazy week in the Big East conference, and college basketball in general, caused a lot of movement in the new AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Polls. Starting at the top, the previously undefeated and near unanimously ranked #1 Syracuse Orange dropped their first game of the year to Notre Dame. Another unbeaten team, the Baylor Bears, also lost their first games of the year to Kansas and Missouri in back to back games. The only remaining unbeaten team in Division 1 is the Murray State Racers who are now ranked at #11 and #9.

For YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles, victories over Louisville and Providence increased their ranking four spots in each poll to #17 and #18. Marquette has now won 4 games in a row and sits in 3^rd place in the Big East conference. The Big East still has 5 teams ranked in this week’s rankings.

Full rankings and analysis after the jump!

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The MLK Day Marquette matinee on Monday has really thrown me off my normal schedule so here is the better late than never review of the new top 25 rankings.

Home victories over St. John’s and Pittsburgh propelled Marquette up to #21 and #22 in the AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll respectively. Marquette joins 4 other Big East teams who show up on this week’s rankings. Full rankings and analysis after the jump!

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Despite road losses to Georgetown and Syracuse, Marquette managed to remain in this week's top 25 rankings falling to #25 and #24 in the AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll respectively.

Marquette joins 5 other Big East teams who are ranked this week:

Syracuse: Remains ranked #1 in both polls

Georgetown: A road loss to West Virginia dropped the Hoyas two spots to #11.

Louisville: A double overtime home loss to Notre Dame on Saturday dropped the Cardinals to #14 and #15 in this week's rankings.

Connecticut: A rough week for the UConn Huskies, losses to Seton Hall and Rutgers, dropped them from #8 to #17 and #16.

Seton Hall: Fueled by their victory over UConn, head coach Kevin Willard has the Seton Hall Pirates ranked for the first time since 2001. Seton Hall checks in at #24 in the AP poll, one spot ahead of Marquette.

Other Notables:

Wisconsin: Losses to Michigan State and Michigan dropped Wisconsin out of both polls.

Indiana: The Hooisers, led by Smarmy Tom Crean, saw their rankings rise to #7 and #8.

Full rankings after the jump!

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The Big East gauntlet continued today for YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles as they traveled to the Carrier Dome to take on the undefeated and No. 1 ranked Syracuse Orange. As one of the more optimistic contributors to this blog, even I had to poke a hole in my usually half full glass prior to this game. In my opinion, the Orange have one of the most complete teams in the NCAA and are bigger, playing better, and deeper than the Golden Eagles. Throw in the fact that Syracuse was out to avenge their second round loss to Marquette in last year's NCAA tournament, this had all the makings of a Marquette blood bath and my expectations were very low.

As painful as Marquette's second half performance versus Georgetown on Wednesday was, the first half of today's game may have been worse. Syracuse dominated the first half of action and lead by as many as 23 points before taking a 37-19 lead into the half. Marquette made things interesting in the second half and cut the lead to 2. However, the 18 point half time lead was too much to overcome and Marquette dropped its second consecutive game and 4th out of the last 6. Marquette now stands at 12-4 overall, 1-2 in the Big East.

At the end of the day, these last 2 road losses to Georgetown and Syracuse will not go down as bad losses. However, the final scores of these games don't tell the whole story. In each game, one half of the game was marred by serious defensive lapses and long stretches of offensive struggles, while the other half proved that Marquette has the ability to play with anyone in the country. Marquette hasn't played a complete game since the upset victory over the Badgers in the Kohl Center in Madison and today was no different.

The tale of 2 halves and game awards after the jump.

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Our second player preview is of freshman point guard Derrick Wilson. He and Todd Mayo, who we previewed in yesterday's edition, could become a formidable backcourt combination in the coming years for the Golden Eagles. The 6' 1", 215-pound Wilson comes to Marquette from The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT, but originally hails from Anchorage, Alaska. As a high school senior, he stuffed the stat sheet with averages of 17 points, 6 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 4 steals a game. Wilson committed to Marquette in November 2010, picking MU over UCLA, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, Stanford, DePaul, and West Virginia. A multiple sport athlete, Wilson garnered scholarship attention as a football player before deciding to focus on basketball.

Minimum Expectations: The departure of guard Dwight Buycks means there is playing time available for a point man. However, junior Junior Cadougan elevated his play at the end of the 2010-'11 season and appears to be the favorite to serve as the starting point guard for the next two seasons. As the only other natural point guard on the roster, I would expect to see Wilson provide some minutes off the bench to spell Cadougan. He could see his playing time increase if he's able to handle his point guard duties in the half-court offense by aggressively attacking the opponent, limiting turnovers, and creating for others.

In My Wildest Dream: The recruiting report on Derrick Wilson states that he already boasts a Big East body and has the skill set to be a solid on-ball defender. Since Buzz has already been quoted as saying that Wilson is the best freshman on ball defender he's had at Marquette, he could be called upon early to guard other Big East point guards. If he is able to put to rest any doubts about whether he can be a true point guard, he could challenge Cadougan's starting spot by the time the Big East season rolls around.

In My Worst Nightmare: Assuming he doesn't transfer in December, leaving the team with only one point guard, the nightmare scenario for Marquette would be that Wilson is forced to play extended minutes in his freshman year because of an injury to or the ineffectiveness of Cadougan. Aside from that, I believe Wilson will be able to use his freshman year as a learning opportunity as he strives to become the point guard of the future for the Marquette Golden Eagles.

YOUR Marquette Golden Eagles begin the 2011-2012 season against Mount St. Mary's at the Bradley Center in a little over 2 weeks. In the mean time, we at Anonymous Eagle will provide daily player previews for the members of the 2011-2012 Marquette Golden Eagles to familiarize you with our roster. First up on the list is freshman guard Todd Mayo. Mayo, a 6'3" shooting guard, attended Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, MA where his team won the National Prep Championship and he averaged 22 points and 6 assists per game. Originally from Huntington, WV, Todd is the younger brother of Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo. Mayo committed to Coach Buzz Williams in March 2011 and chose the Golden Eagles over teams like Providence, West Virginia, Memphis, Oklahoma State and Central Florida.

Minimum Expectations: There is little doubt that Mayo has the athletic ability and potential to follow in the footsteps of Wade, McNeal, and Darius Johnson-Odom as a star shooting guard for Marquette. In fact, Mayo's athletic ability was on full display at Marquette Madness as he finished second to DJO in the dunk contest. On a team coming off a deep NCAA tournament run and loaded with talent, athletic ability and potential may not be enough for this freshman to contribute on a regular basis. However, if given opportunities to play in the early part of the season, don't be suprised if he shows flashes of the player we are all expecting him to become.

In My Wildest Dream: He's the second coming of Jerel McNeal. The offensive recruiting report on Mayo sounds very similar to that of Marquette's all-time leading scorer. He's been dubbed a playmaker and has the ability to both shoot the ball from the perimeter and attack the rim which can cause match-up nightmares for opposing teams.

In My Worst Nightmare: In order for Todd Mayo to crack Coach Buzz Williams' rotation he needs to be able to play defense. By all accounts, defense is the area where Mayo needs to most improve. A perceived lack of defensive prowess and the depth at shooting guard on the current roster may result in Mayo having a hard time finding minutes in the regular season rotation as a freshman. The bigger concern would be that he’d have a hard time developing his offensive and defensive skills at the college level and thus never reaching his full potential at Marquette.

Kudos to whoever at Marquette is responsible for putting together all of the basketball related videos like this.  They are first class all the way and I for one thoroughly enjoy them.  The Marquette Revealed series is phenomenal and MUTV sports has great features and game recaps.  The videos used at the Bradley Center for player intros and at the end of the halftime (like the Pray video from a few years back and this year's Street Ball video) are absolutely awesome.

I think I may have to start watching NBC's Community because the few clips I have seen are really, really funny.  Plus, it doesn't hurt that the show stars Chevy Chase, Alison Brie, and Marquette alum Danny Pudi.

February 19th against Seton Hall is Father Wild Appreciation Night and all fans will receive a Father Wild bobblehead.  Awesome!

Turkey Day is Thursday which means the Thanksgiving college hoops tournaments are getting underway with plenty of great match ups scheduled this week between top 25 teams.  Marquette, now 4-0, will face two top 25 teams in the CBE Classic on Monday and Tuesday before facing off against crosstown "rival" UW-Milwaukee Panthers on Saturday at the Cell.  Without any further ado, here are the Glass Half-Full observations from this past weekend:

(1) In Buzz I Trust! Congratulations are in order for Coach Buzz Williams, who notched his 50th victory as Marquette's head coach over the weekend.  When Smarmy Tom Crean left for Indiana on April 1, 2008, the future success of the Marquette basketball program was in question.   However, with the hiring of a relative unknown in Coach Buzz, Marquette continues to remain very competitive in the Big East.  Prior to becoming head coach, Coach Williams was known as a solid recruiter and has helped land Marquette two highly-ranked recruiting classes.  In addition to his on-court success, Coach Williams places a high priority on his faith and helping develop his players into better young men which fits the ideals of Marquette University.

(2) Post "Presence." Chris Otule had a career high 15 points on Saturday, finally flashing glimpses of the big man Marquette fans have dreamed of since the 2003 Final Four.  Also, freshman Davante Gardner has logged only 38 minutes thus far but has scored 39 points.  Granted: these numbers were against inferior opponents with less size and athleticism than we'll see in the Big East, but Otule and Gardner have the potential to develop into a formidable post presence over the next few years for the Golden Eagles.

(3) Lazar Hayward Jr. A big question mark coming into this year was who was going to fill the shoes of Lazar Hayward.  Jimmy Butler has taken the reins as team leader, but quietly Jae Crowder has become the main spark plug off the bench, averaging 11 points and 8 rebounds per game.  I'm feeling very confident in my Newcomer of the Year Award pre-season prediction for Jae.  He seems to have a nose for the ball and is very active on the boards and has shown a nice shooting touch from long range.  Its a shame we'll only get to see Jae for two seasons as a Golden Eagle.  He joins Jimmy Butler, DJO, Fulce, and Buycks as home run JUCO players that Buzz Williams has brought to MU.  Although JUCOs sometimes get an unfair bad rap, I wouldn't be suprised if JUCOs continue to be a part of future recruiting classes.

(4) Under Pressure. The depth and athleticism of this team as a whole will allow Coach Williams to apply defensive pressure on its opponents in the hopes of forcing turnovers, changing tempos, and swinging momentum.  A clear example of how this can change a game would be the defensive pressure applied in the 24-0 run against  Bucknell.

Seeing as though I've be categorized as one of the Glass Half-Full contributors to this blog, I'll try and channel my inner Rubie/Warrior Brad and provide the Glass Half-Empty Nattering Nabobs of Negativity observations as well:

(1) Cupakes are Great and All... I love cupcakes just as much as the next guy, but it's the meat and potatoes that determine the success of a meal (how's that for an analogy).  Our first serving of meat and potatoes comes in the form of the #1 Duke Blue Devils followed by a game with either Gonzaga or Kansas State.  Obviously these games will provide a good barometer for where we stand.  Once again we'll be the under-dogs, a role we've come to relish over the two plus years under Coach Buzz, and no one is expecting us to win a game in the CBE Classic.  Hopefully we can be competitive and although we may not win either game, a solid performance in both games should help the team's confidence as we play out the remaining non-conference games and head into Big East play. 

(2) DJ-Oh No. One of the strengths of the Golden Eagles last year was their three-point shooting, led by newcomer Darius Johnson-Odom who, according to Rubie, was poised to become the best three-point shooter in team history.  The Anonymous Eagle curse is in full effect as DJO is just 2 for 12 (17%) on treys this year after shooting a solid 47% from long range last year.  In fact, he's passing up wide open looks in favor of driving to the hoop.  This strategy has been successful against our opponents thus far but it remains to be seen if he can be as effective against better opponents if he's not hitting his three-point shots.  The team as a whole is only shooting 32.5%, so its not just an issue for DJO.

(3) Did Someone Call a Doctor? The front court depth took a bit of hit as we learned that Joe Fulce was suffering from knee issues and Davante Gardner left the game Saturday with a shoulder problem.  Fulce may miss a few weeks and Gardner is day-to-day.  Granted, both of these players figured to be role players as the season progressed, but their presence may come in handy based on certain match-ups or if foul trouble arises.

(4) Charity? Stripe.  Marquette continues to struggle from the line, shooting only 65% on freebies thus far.  The good news is they are averaging 34 attempts per game so far.  Everyone knows the importance of free throws and it's hard to tell if its mental or mechanics, but I for one hope they figure out their free throw shooting woes before it costs us a close game.

I'm really, really looking forward to Monday's game against Duke.  Yeah, yeah I know we had a game today against the South Dakota Coyotes at the Bradley Center, so I apologize in advance if my game recap contains some bad grammar and a few spelling errors.  Mrs. Soft Pretzel and I took Mini-Pretzel to the game so needless to say my attention wasn't 100% on the game, but this recap will surve its purpose and then we can all get geared up for Monday's game.

Marquette improved their record to 4-0 with a 82-69 win over South Dakota in a sloppy game that had all the signs of a trap game.  Coach Buzz Williams said it best in his opening remarks in the post game press conference when he said we were average at best today.  Marquette had a season high 16 turnovers and only made 1 of their 9 three point attempts.  Despite the less than stellar performance by the Golden Eagles, the game was really never in doubt.  The Coyotes kept themselves from being blown out in the first half by making three pointers, but their three point shooting percentage fell in the second half during their mini-runs off of MU turnovers.  Marquette dominated the boards 46-28 and their aggressiveness lead to a 23-6 free throws made advantage, despite shooting only 67.6% from the line.

Marquette's front court depth took a bit of a hit when it was revealed that Joe Fulce was going to miss the game, and possibly more time, due to recurring knee issues and Davante Gardner left early with a shoulder issue.  The injuries allowed Chris Otule to post a career high 15 points to go along with 8 boards and 2 blocks in 15 minutes of action.  He had several solid post moves including a very nice drop step (no call on the hook with his elbow/shoulder) two-handed slam.  It would have been the play of the game if not for the DJO behind the back pass to Jimmy Butler for the emphatic slam on a fast break in the first half.

Player of the Game:  Jimmy Butler wins today's POTG Award with his 20 point, 9 rebound (6 offensive), 4 assist and 3 steal performance in 26 minutes.  He was 8-10 from the free throw line.

Joe Fulce Undersung Eagle of the Game:  Since Jimmy won the POTG Award, the Undersung Eagle of the Game has to go to Chris Otule.  He appears to be gaining more confidence on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court and for a short period of time today the offense ran thru the post, which hasn't happened since the days of Robert Jackson.

Up next:  As previously mentioned, the Golden Eagles' next game is against the #1 Duke Blue Devils in the semifinals of the CBE Classic in Kansas City.  The game tips off at 6:30 central time and is being shown on ESPN 2.  Obviously this will be Marquette's biggest test to date and they'll need to make a higher percentage of their shots, stay out of foul trouble, and take better care of the ball if they want to stay competitive and possibly beat Duke.

Al McGuire Court at the Bradley Center was the site for today's exhibition game between the Marquette Golden Eagles and the St. John's "Not that St. John's" Johnnies.  As Rubie said in his game thread, the two goals for today's game were to get some run against another team and not get injured...mission accomplished!

Marquette won 86-56 in a somewhat sloppy game that saw Marquette shooting 46% from the field, 33% from downtown, and 56% from the line.  I wouldn't be overly concerned with those numbers seeing as those today was the first time that the team has set foot in the Bradley Center this school year.  Despite a slow start and a stretch early in the second half when the lead shrunk to 10, Marquette was in control for most of the game.  Marquette outrebounded the undersized Johnnies 48-27 and had 26 assists and 13 steals.  Rather than bore you with a more in-depth analysis of the blowout, I figured I'd provide my quick first impressions of each of your 2010-2011 Golden Eagles.

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Per JSOnline, the new scoreboard at the Bradley Center looks pretty cool.  How many more days 'til college hoops starts?  Answer: 16!

Mother nature finally cooperated at the 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straits as the remaining 78 players on the course at the end of Friday were able to complete their 2nd roundSaturday morning starting at 7 am.  The field was then cut to the low 70 scores plus ties before the start of the 3rd round at 11:45 am.  I decided Saturday morning, after hearing there were no fog delays and a beautiful forecast for the rest of the day, that I was definitely heading to the course to watch the action first hand.  A quick check of Craigslist and I was able to secure a grounds ticket for a dirt cheap $50 from a guy in Germantown who was wearing a tank top and headed to the State Fair (surprise...surprise).

After the jump, my observations from the 3rd round and my prediction for the final round Sunday.

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The big story at the 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, WI was a 3 hour delay to the start the tournament due to foggy conditions over the course along Lake Michigan.  When the fog finally lifted only the morning half of the draw was able to complete their first round.  At the start of the day it seemed birdies were there for the taking, but that soon changed as the winds picked up in the afternoon making the Pete Dye design play much more difficult. 

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A lull in college basketball news and a major championship being contended just up the road provides a perfect opportunity to talk golf.  I know this is a college basketball blog, but being the only SB Nation site from Wisconsin that doesn't have more pressing matters to discuss, the powers that be at AE figured we might as well try to provide some coverage of the 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, WI.

Although Milwaukee lost its annual stop on the PGA Tour, Wisconsin has become a mecca of destination golf and over the next decade will be a regular stop for professional golf major championships.  In addition to this week's PGA Championship, Herb Kohler's Whistling Straits, which has already hosted the 2004 PGA Championship and the 2007 U.S. Senior Open, will play host to the 2015 PGA Championship and the 2020 Ryder Cup, perhaps the most prestigious event in golf.  Herb Kohler's other golf complex, Blackwolf Run, will again play host to the U.S. Women's Open in 2012.  Wisconsin's newest golf jewel, Erin Hills, opened in 2006 and has already undergone two separate renovations; it will play host to the 2011 U.S. Amateur before hosting the 2017 U.S. Open.  Not too bad for a state that only plays golf six months out of the year.

After the jump, I break down the 18 golfers that in my unprofessional opinion have the best shot to win the 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

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This is the third of ten posts revealing the ten Marquette nominees for the SBN Wisconsin Hall of Fame.  These are in no particular order, except for the particular order they're in.

On July 19, 2004, Wesley Matthews, Jr. committed to play for the Marquette Golden Eagles over his hometown University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers despite the fact that his father, nine-year NBA veteran Wes Matthews, Sr., and his mother, Pam Moore, both attended the University of Wisconsin (Wes, Sr. on a basketball scholarship, and Pam on a track and field scholarship).  It was another notch in the belt for then-head coach Tom Crean in the ongoing recruiting battle with the University of Wisconsin for the top in-state talent.

As a high school senior, Matthews averaged 22.5 points per game in leading his Madison Memorial team to a 24-2 record and the Wisconsin WIAA Division 1 state title.  For his effort, Matthews was named the 2005 Mr. Basketball in the State of Wisconsin.

Much more on Wes, after the jump.

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