Article Written By: Ryan Ellerbusch (Twitter: @MUWarriorBBall and @RyanEllerbusch5)
Another season has come and gone for the Marquette men’s basketball team as the Golden Eagles’ Sweet 16 appearance and 22-15 overall record (9-9 in Big East) exceeded many preseason expectations.
Not only did Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler earn all-Big East honors along with a new contract for head coach Buzz Williams, but the Marquette student section comprised of nearly 8,000 Fanatics on any given gameday turned in an impressive season-long performance too.
The 2nd oldest active arena in the NBA, The Bradley Center, hosted 18 Marquette home games this past year that brought 280,545 total fans through the turnstiles or an average of 15,586 per contest. In the most hyped rivalry game of the season that saw Marquette fall to the Wisconsin Badgers 69-64 on Saturday December 11th, a sellout crowd of 19,074 fans were in attendance. Despite the early season setback, fans stayed committed through the ups and downs of a rugged Big East conference schedule and on Saturday January 29th, the Golden Eagles captured a quality win at home by a score of 76-70 against Syracuse in front of 19,032 blue and gold supporters on National Marquette Day, marking the second largest home crowd of the season.
Newcomer and former National JUCO Player of the Year Jae Crowder, who averaged 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season for Marquette, had only positive things to say regarding what he likes about playing in The Bradley Center.
“I like that it’s an NBA court,” said Crowder. “It gives you a different atmosphere from a college basketball standpoint. You get a different vibe and feeling as you walk into the Bradley Center.”
Freshman Fanatic Spencer Bonahoom, who on average waits three hours outside of The Bradley Center prior to a game, believes that the Marquette players do feed off the energy and atmosphere of the home crowd on gamedays.
“I think the home games definitely give them a lot more energy,” said Bonahoom. “There’s not a lot of teams that have this many seats for the crowd so playing in this NBA arena definitely helps the noise level go up when we have a sellout. You can tell that the intensity picks up when the stadium starts to get loud and that all starts with the student section.”
Crowder also added, “That is when everything is at your best. You play hard and you feed off the crowd when you’re tired. That’s real college basketball when the crowd gets involved.”
And that one player who Bonahoom believes is the heart and soul of the Marquette team, none other than junior forward Jae Crowder.
“Crowder has been a huge addition,” states Bonahoom. “He always brings the intensity, he seems to get the key rebounds when we really need them, and of course he has been quite the scorer for us.”
Bonahoom, who can often be seen in the front row of the Marquette student section leading the cheers and wearing a gold shirt, gold shorts, wristbands, long socks, and his infamous We Are Marquette bandana, has truly enjoyed his first full season as a Marquette Basketball Fanatic and the unique benefits and entertainment at the games.
“I like a lot of the pregame stuff” admits Bonahoom. “Turning around when they introduce the opposing team, clapping back and forth right before the tip-off, and just all the chants and the yelling. It definitely gives it the great atmosphere that you have here.”
An assortment of giveaways including each a yellow and baby blue Marquette basketball shirt as well as a special Father Wild shirt and bobblehead have surely kept students coming back to games too thanks to a fabulous effort by the Marquette promotions staff.
Buzz Williams, who will enter his fourth season as head coach with the Marquette Golden Eagles next year making in excess of $2 million annually, is also very thankful and appreciative of the encouragement that the student section and fans give to his program. Prior to home games at The Bradley Center this past season, Williams has made it a priority to enter the court through the tunnel near the Marquette student section and either clap or shake the hands of the front row of fans and waving to the remainder as he proceeds towards walking to his team’s bench. In addition, Buzz has periodically bought and hand-delivered donuts and pizza to the crowds of students waiting in line hours before the doors to the arena had even opened.
The dedication of the Marquette University freshman class in particular at the basketball games this winter has been nothing short of spectacular and the passionate Fanatics have even made the extra effort over Christmas break to show their support as they cheered on the Golden Eagles to a 73-65 victory over Rutgers at The RAC in Piscataway, New Jersey back on January 5th. Two Yonkers natives and Marquette freshmen, Joe Naber and Kevin Dolan, both saw the game in-person and had great experiences in doing so.
“Since I’m from New York, I know a lot of kids from the area and one friend was able to get me a ticket there,” said Dolan. “He brought a few of our friends from high school and he wore some of his Rutgers stuff, but I of course went with my trademarked Marquette t-shirt that the Fanatics get. I was actually sitting in their student section with a Marquette shirt on and it was kind of funny because Joe Naber, another fellow Fanatic who is from the same area, was also there and he got a picture of me on the other side and you can see this one little speck of gold sitting in the student section and it was me.
Although the game was not nationally televised, during halftime locally on Time Warner Cable Sports 32, the camera zoomed in on Naber and his autographed Marquette hard-helmet by the entire Golden Eagles’ basketball team that he wears to every game.
“I was sitting exactly across from the student section and their student section is behind the hoop as well,” said Naber. “Their student section was pretty packed. It was during break, but Rutgers is a state school so they had students who do live in the area. It was definitely a fun game to be at.”
When comparing Marquette’s student section to Rutgers, both Naber and Dolan were shocked at how different the gameday experience was.
“I was probably one of maybe 20 or 30 Marquette fans there so I was definitely the minority, but that athletic facility is very nice and it’s really small,” said Naber. “It definitely is a different experience from The Bradley Center and that place did get loud, but it’s still a lot louder here.” Simply put, “their student section is nothing like the Marquette student section,” stated Dolan.
The amount of support that the Marquette basketball players receive from the fans cheering on the team in the stands and off the court by sending encouraging messages via Facebook or Twitter is yet another benefit of being a student-athlete at a unique university in Marquette that is built around the tradition of basketball and the 1977 NCAA Championship won by legendary head coach Al McGuire.
“It’s big” said Crowder. “Marquette really evolves around basketball and you can tell from a player’s standpoint as you play here that everyone notices you, everyone knows you, everyone looks up to you, they speak to you, and they’re behind you, so just being here at Marquette I love it.”
And that support continued all throughout the NCAA Tournament as the team was welcomed back to campus by approximately 25 fans and members of the media at The Al McGuire Center at 2 a.m. following their 66-62 win over Syracuse to advance and clinch a Sweet 16 berth. Numerous team send-offs, viewing parties, and the upcoming postseason banquet on Wednesday, April 13th to honor the success of this past season and the graduating seniors are just a few instances to describe the loyal fan base that Marquette basketball is happy to be apart of.
“I love the team and I love when we win” said Bonahoom. So at the end of the game when you know that we got the game in hand and everyone starts chanting We Are Marquette, nothing beats that feeling. The place is rocking, the We Are Marquette chant is going, and that’s the best feeling there is.”
**Thank you everyone for reading. If you have any suggestions on future stories or players that I should writes articles on, please tweet at me. The Warrior Sports Staff is anxious to hear your feedback and interests.**
Showing posts with label Ryan Ellerbusch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan Ellerbusch. Show all posts
Friday, April 8, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Marquette vs Xavier
Roberto Ruiz-Maki
Xavier is a formidable foe; Marquette has been facing elite teams all year, and this game will be no different. Jimmy Butler and Darius Johnson-Odom have got to be on top of their games to beat Tu Holloway and the Musketeers. Holloway has been the driving force of Xavier, averaging over 20 points and 5 assists per game, while being the veteran influence on the court. The big difference between these two teams is that Marquette has beaten quality opponents on several occasions this year, while Xavier lacks a big time win.
Five Keys:
1. Jimmy Butler over 2.5 steals
This is my biggest key, although it seems kind of inconsequential. Butler has to create turnovers by utilizing his long arms and quickness. Marquette can not win this game by running around Xavier, they must instead outsmart them. Butler has to play well on the offensive side as well, but Marquette's defense will be key and Butler is the main thief on defense.
2. Quality Defense
This seems like a given, but this is twice as important against a team like Xavier. The Musketeers have shot 46.3% this season, and if they shoot anywhere near that then this game will be over quickly. Marquette has to overwhelm them with their quickness, and never allow an open shot. Having a hand in the shooters face will be key.
3. Offensive Rebounds
Kenny Frease, Xavier's center, is a 7-foot, 269 pound behemoth, and he will be crashing the boards all night. Team rebounding will be essential to combating with Frease's size, since Chris Otule only plays about 20 minutes a game and is not nearly as muscular. Keep in mind, though, that defensive positioning and boxing out will beat size and strength to every rebound, so if Marquette is playing disciplined basketball then they should be fine.
4. Buzz Williams' Coaching
I like Buzz as much as the next guy, but his coaching style has hardly worked in big games. It is easy to pick apart, especially by a veteran team. Marquette may be one of the best conditioned teams in the tournament, and this would be the perfect time to use that as an advantage. Go ten-deep in the rotation, and keep a full-court press going for most of the game. This will allow Marquette's point guards to flourish, and may even bring Marquette to infinity, and beyond.
5. Run, Run, Run
Anybody who watches Marquette knows that the half-court offense is not their specialty, so Marquette has to push the tempo as much as possible. Vander Blue and Junior Cadougan can run the Musketeers into the ground, so why not let them.
I am going to be honest here, Marquette doesn't stand much of a chance. Xavier has made it to the sweet sixteen each of the last three years, including one trip to the elite eight. Xavier has the been there done that swagger, and that is necessary for this tournament; the shell shocked teams never make it far. This could be Marquette's last stand, but I hope it's not. If it is though, I hope they go down swinging.
Predicted score: Xavier 75 Marquette 69.
Xavier is a formidable foe; Marquette has been facing elite teams all year, and this game will be no different. Jimmy Butler and Darius Johnson-Odom have got to be on top of their games to beat Tu Holloway and the Musketeers. Holloway has been the driving force of Xavier, averaging over 20 points and 5 assists per game, while being the veteran influence on the court. The big difference between these two teams is that Marquette has beaten quality opponents on several occasions this year, while Xavier lacks a big time win.
Five Keys:
1. Jimmy Butler over 2.5 steals
This is my biggest key, although it seems kind of inconsequential. Butler has to create turnovers by utilizing his long arms and quickness. Marquette can not win this game by running around Xavier, they must instead outsmart them. Butler has to play well on the offensive side as well, but Marquette's defense will be key and Butler is the main thief on defense.
2. Quality Defense
This seems like a given, but this is twice as important against a team like Xavier. The Musketeers have shot 46.3% this season, and if they shoot anywhere near that then this game will be over quickly. Marquette has to overwhelm them with their quickness, and never allow an open shot. Having a hand in the shooters face will be key.
3. Offensive Rebounds
Kenny Frease, Xavier's center, is a 7-foot, 269 pound behemoth, and he will be crashing the boards all night. Team rebounding will be essential to combating with Frease's size, since Chris Otule only plays about 20 minutes a game and is not nearly as muscular. Keep in mind, though, that defensive positioning and boxing out will beat size and strength to every rebound, so if Marquette is playing disciplined basketball then they should be fine.
4. Buzz Williams' Coaching
I like Buzz as much as the next guy, but his coaching style has hardly worked in big games. It is easy to pick apart, especially by a veteran team. Marquette may be one of the best conditioned teams in the tournament, and this would be the perfect time to use that as an advantage. Go ten-deep in the rotation, and keep a full-court press going for most of the game. This will allow Marquette's point guards to flourish, and may even bring Marquette to infinity, and beyond.
5. Run, Run, Run
Anybody who watches Marquette knows that the half-court offense is not their specialty, so Marquette has to push the tempo as much as possible. Vander Blue and Junior Cadougan can run the Musketeers into the ground, so why not let them.
I am going to be honest here, Marquette doesn't stand much of a chance. Xavier has made it to the sweet sixteen each of the last three years, including one trip to the elite eight. Xavier has the been there done that swagger, and that is necessary for this tournament; the shell shocked teams never make it far. This could be Marquette's last stand, but I hope it's not. If it is though, I hope they go down swinging.
Predicted score: Xavier 75 Marquette 69.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Marquette Basketball Player Profile: Jamail Jones
Article Written By: Ryan Ellerbusch (Twitter: @MUWarriorBBall)
Perhaps overlooked in Marquette’s 2010 recruiting class, freshman Jamail Jones is confident that his time will eventually come to contribute to the Golden Eagles on a regular basis.
The 6’6” forward from Montverde Academy in Florida was ranked by ESPN as the 53rd top high school basketball prospect in the class of 2010. However, Jones hasn’t seen much meaningful playing time throughout the course of this season and has averaged just two minutes of action in five games during the Big East Conference portion of Marquette’s schedule.
“I always come into every game thinking I am going to play. Not playing is rough, but I just got to wait my turn. We’re in the best conference in America so you can never take a night off. You always have to bring your best game because you never know. Anyone can beat you on any given night.”
Despite averaging just 1.4 points and 0.9 rebounds this season, Jones has remained “Mellow,” a nickname that his teammates call him by because he is very relaxed and likes to chill in his off time and sleep a lot. Rightfully so, the Marquette basketball program under third-year head coach Buzz Williams is one that is very intense and requires a hard-working, tough, and a never give up mentality, which Jones admires.
“(Buzz) is a good coach. Intense, very intense, and just hard-nosed. He doesn’t really take any crap so you always got to be at your best all the time.”
As just a freshman with high expectations and a lot of hype being a four-star recruit, thus far, Jones has been doing his best to stand out by showing coach Williams his talents and not getting caught up in the fact that critics may expect more out of him.
“I played against a lot of highly ranked people coming out of high school so they (the rankings) don’t really mean much. It’s just another game on a different day.”
Jones can often be seen on the court during pregame warm-ups dazzling fans with his slam-dunks that have even received national attention back in high school when Jones played in the ESPN 2010 Rise National Championship Invitational and had two dunks in back-to-back days that made SportsCenter’s countdown of the Top 10 plays.
Marquette fans first caught a glimpse of what Jones might be able to bring to the squad in future years on December 18th vs. Centenary when he recorded a career-high 11 points for the Golden Eagles on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the victory.
“I felt good out there playing with my teammates just being able to do what I do best and not doing too much outside of my box.”
Jones, who dons the number 22 on his jersey in honor of his father who earned three letters playing college basketball (1984-86) at Alaska-Anchorage, has also been an energetic boost on the sidelines where he cheers on his teammates and hopes one day that he can bring energy, defense, scoring, and some wins to Marquette as the Golden Eagles hope to make a national championship run.
Jones strengths are shooting the basketball, particularly from his hotspots near the left and right wings where he can be deadly from 3-point range. In addition, Jones is also learning to put the ball on the floor more and is improving his defense, which will only get better as Jones gains more experience playing collegiate basketball.
Jones knows his role on the team as a young student-athlete and is aware that he must always be ready when given the opportunity to shine by coach Williams either in a game or in practice when Williams shuffles the lineups at a rapid pace as he been accustomed to doing recently.
“It’s kind of a mix because sometimes he (Buzz) splits the team up or he will go starters and then he will pick another five to go against the starters. Just depending on how he is feeling that day.”
In the upcoming years as Jones’ basketball career here at Marquette progresses, Golden Eagles basketball fans should have no problem recognizing and interacting with this “mellow” athlete because Jamail Jones wants Marquette Nation to know one thing about him.
“I am a real down to earth guy. I’m a people person so whenever you see me, you can talk to me. Don’t be afraid to talk to me. I will talk back. It’s that simple.”
Perhaps overlooked in Marquette’s 2010 recruiting class, freshman Jamail Jones is confident that his time will eventually come to contribute to the Golden Eagles on a regular basis.
The 6’6” forward from Montverde Academy in Florida was ranked by ESPN as the 53rd top high school basketball prospect in the class of 2010. However, Jones hasn’t seen much meaningful playing time throughout the course of this season and has averaged just two minutes of action in five games during the Big East Conference portion of Marquette’s schedule.
“I always come into every game thinking I am going to play. Not playing is rough, but I just got to wait my turn. We’re in the best conference in America so you can never take a night off. You always have to bring your best game because you never know. Anyone can beat you on any given night.”
Despite averaging just 1.4 points and 0.9 rebounds this season, Jones has remained “Mellow,” a nickname that his teammates call him by because he is very relaxed and likes to chill in his off time and sleep a lot. Rightfully so, the Marquette basketball program under third-year head coach Buzz Williams is one that is very intense and requires a hard-working, tough, and a never give up mentality, which Jones admires.
“(Buzz) is a good coach. Intense, very intense, and just hard-nosed. He doesn’t really take any crap so you always got to be at your best all the time.”
As just a freshman with high expectations and a lot of hype being a four-star recruit, thus far, Jones has been doing his best to stand out by showing coach Williams his talents and not getting caught up in the fact that critics may expect more out of him.
“I played against a lot of highly ranked people coming out of high school so they (the rankings) don’t really mean much. It’s just another game on a different day.”
Jones can often be seen on the court during pregame warm-ups dazzling fans with his slam-dunks that have even received national attention back in high school when Jones played in the ESPN 2010 Rise National Championship Invitational and had two dunks in back-to-back days that made SportsCenter’s countdown of the Top 10 plays.
Marquette fans first caught a glimpse of what Jones might be able to bring to the squad in future years on December 18th vs. Centenary when he recorded a career-high 11 points for the Golden Eagles on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the victory.
“I felt good out there playing with my teammates just being able to do what I do best and not doing too much outside of my box.”
Jones, who dons the number 22 on his jersey in honor of his father who earned three letters playing college basketball (1984-86) at Alaska-Anchorage, has also been an energetic boost on the sidelines where he cheers on his teammates and hopes one day that he can bring energy, defense, scoring, and some wins to Marquette as the Golden Eagles hope to make a national championship run.
Jones strengths are shooting the basketball, particularly from his hotspots near the left and right wings where he can be deadly from 3-point range. In addition, Jones is also learning to put the ball on the floor more and is improving his defense, which will only get better as Jones gains more experience playing collegiate basketball.
Jones knows his role on the team as a young student-athlete and is aware that he must always be ready when given the opportunity to shine by coach Williams either in a game or in practice when Williams shuffles the lineups at a rapid pace as he been accustomed to doing recently.
“It’s kind of a mix because sometimes he (Buzz) splits the team up or he will go starters and then he will pick another five to go against the starters. Just depending on how he is feeling that day.”
In the upcoming years as Jones’ basketball career here at Marquette progresses, Golden Eagles basketball fans should have no problem recognizing and interacting with this “mellow” athlete because Jamail Jones wants Marquette Nation to know one thing about him.
“I am a real down to earth guy. I’m a people person so whenever you see me, you can talk to me. Don’t be afraid to talk to me. I will talk back. It’s that simple.”
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Marquette Golden Eagles Men's & Women's Basketball News Briefs
Ryan Ellerbusch
Men
NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Marquette (15-10, 6-6 BIG EAST) just wrapped up their longest road-trip of the season going 1-2 with their sole win coming over unranked USF in a 59-58 nail-biter. The Golden Eagles losses were to 12th ranked Villanova and 11th ranked Georgetown. Marquette is currently set to play only one more ranked team in Big East play this season against Connecticut on February 24th, but will have key games this week against St. Johns and Seton Hall and will need to grind out victories if the Golden Eagles expect to prove to the NCAA tournament selection committee that they are worthy of a seed. Looking around the nation, the majority of bracketologists are predicting Marquette as a 9 or 10-seed.
Marquette in the NBA: Wesley Matthews (2005-2009) has been selected to play in the NBA Rookie-Sophomore game on NBA All-Star Weekend. Matthews is one of nine players to be chosen and is averaging 16.1 points per game as a second year player on the Portland Trail Blazers. Steve Novak (2002-2006) who started the year on the Dallas Mavericks prior to being released, was picked up by the San Antonio Spurs on a 10-day contract this week and hopes to make in impact with the Spurs coming off a short stint in the NBA’s Developmental League. Rookie Lazar Hayward (2007-2010) of the Minnesota Timberwolves scored a career-high 14 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 116-105 loss to the Indiana Pacers this past weekend.
Golden Eagles Media Spotlight: The Marquette Basketball Hour with Buzz Williams and members of the team take place every Monday night from 6-7 p.m. at Centercourt (1118 North 4th Street) right across from The Bradley Center. The 60-minute program that can also be heard on 540 ESPN Radio is hosted by Steve “The Homer” True and features comments from Marquette's head coach and gives students and fans the opportunity to win prizes, while partaking in the fun and food/drink specials too. Inside Marquette Basketball is a 30-minute television program on TWC Sports 32 with Buzz Williams and 2010 Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year, Dennis Krause. The all-access program debuts every Tuesday during the season at 5 p.m. and replays at 10:30 p.m. as well as at various days and times throughout the week. Lastly, you can follow The Warrior’s basketball Twitter account (@MUWarriorBBall) for courtside tweets live from The Bradley Center on gamedays and throughout the season.
Women
Marquette Impressing Big East: Marquette (19-5, 7-4 BIG EAST) is currently the 21st ranked team in the nation and have been an exciting group of ladies to watch this season. Recently on February 5th, senior guard Tatiyiana McMorris drained a game winning 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds left on the clock to lead her team to a 55-52 win over St. John’s. McMorris’ clutch basket also helped her earn the recognition by being named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the second consecutive week. Marquette’s success and team chemistry has been credited to head coach Terri Mitchell who has used the same starting line-up (Angel Robinson, Tatiyiana McMorris, Saraina Simmons, Paige Fiedorowicz, and Katherine Plouffe) for all 24 games. Senior guard Angel Robinson also was one of seven student-athletes added to the 2010-11 State Farm Wade Watch list by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, which honors one NCAA Division I women’s basketball player who not only excels athletically, but also serves as a positive role model both on and off the court.
Upcoming PINK OUT game: The Marquette women's basketball team will host its sixth annual PINK OUT game in support of breast cancer awareness with a 2 p.m. start time on Saturday, February 19, as the Golden Eagles will take on Rutgers at the Al McGuire Center. The Golden Eagles will be sporting pink uniforms and many more promotion highlights have been announced for this game in order to help raise breast cancer awareness. Over 1,000 schools nationwide will host a similar game with a pink breast cancer theme throughout the week.
Men
NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Marquette (15-10, 6-6 BIG EAST) just wrapped up their longest road-trip of the season going 1-2 with their sole win coming over unranked USF in a 59-58 nail-biter. The Golden Eagles losses were to 12th ranked Villanova and 11th ranked Georgetown. Marquette is currently set to play only one more ranked team in Big East play this season against Connecticut on February 24th, but will have key games this week against St. Johns and Seton Hall and will need to grind out victories if the Golden Eagles expect to prove to the NCAA tournament selection committee that they are worthy of a seed. Looking around the nation, the majority of bracketologists are predicting Marquette as a 9 or 10-seed.
Marquette in the NBA: Wesley Matthews (2005-2009) has been selected to play in the NBA Rookie-Sophomore game on NBA All-Star Weekend. Matthews is one of nine players to be chosen and is averaging 16.1 points per game as a second year player on the Portland Trail Blazers. Steve Novak (2002-2006) who started the year on the Dallas Mavericks prior to being released, was picked up by the San Antonio Spurs on a 10-day contract this week and hopes to make in impact with the Spurs coming off a short stint in the NBA’s Developmental League. Rookie Lazar Hayward (2007-2010) of the Minnesota Timberwolves scored a career-high 14 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 116-105 loss to the Indiana Pacers this past weekend.
Golden Eagles Media Spotlight: The Marquette Basketball Hour with Buzz Williams and members of the team take place every Monday night from 6-7 p.m. at Centercourt (1118 North 4th Street) right across from The Bradley Center. The 60-minute program that can also be heard on 540 ESPN Radio is hosted by Steve “The Homer” True and features comments from Marquette's head coach and gives students and fans the opportunity to win prizes, while partaking in the fun and food/drink specials too. Inside Marquette Basketball is a 30-minute television program on TWC Sports 32 with Buzz Williams and 2010 Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year, Dennis Krause. The all-access program debuts every Tuesday during the season at 5 p.m. and replays at 10:30 p.m. as well as at various days and times throughout the week. Lastly, you can follow The Warrior’s basketball Twitter account (@MUWarriorBBall) for courtside tweets live from The Bradley Center on gamedays and throughout the season.
Women
Marquette Impressing Big East: Marquette (19-5, 7-4 BIG EAST) is currently the 21st ranked team in the nation and have been an exciting group of ladies to watch this season. Recently on February 5th, senior guard Tatiyiana McMorris drained a game winning 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds left on the clock to lead her team to a 55-52 win over St. John’s. McMorris’ clutch basket also helped her earn the recognition by being named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the second consecutive week. Marquette’s success and team chemistry has been credited to head coach Terri Mitchell who has used the same starting line-up (Angel Robinson, Tatiyiana McMorris, Saraina Simmons, Paige Fiedorowicz, and Katherine Plouffe) for all 24 games. Senior guard Angel Robinson also was one of seven student-athletes added to the 2010-11 State Farm Wade Watch list by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, which honors one NCAA Division I women’s basketball player who not only excels athletically, but also serves as a positive role model both on and off the court.
Upcoming PINK OUT game: The Marquette women's basketball team will host its sixth annual PINK OUT game in support of breast cancer awareness with a 2 p.m. start time on Saturday, February 19, as the Golden Eagles will take on Rutgers at the Al McGuire Center. The Golden Eagles will be sporting pink uniforms and many more promotion highlights have been announced for this game in order to help raise breast cancer awareness. Over 1,000 schools nationwide will host a similar game with a pink breast cancer theme throughout the week.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Marquette Golden Eagles Mid-Season Report Card : PART 4
Ryan Ellerbusch
CENTERS : Grade C+
(Chris Otule and Davante Gardner)
Playing in the Big East, Marquette has struggled at times to matchup with the size of their opponents down in the post. Chris Otule (6’11” 260 lbs) and Davante Gardner (6’8” 290 lbs) are two very young and different centers that have a unique repertoire of skills. Otule has started every game but two at center and leads the Golden Eagles in blocks with 29 and a shooting percentage of 70%, making 42 of 70 shots from the field. Gardner on the other hand, hasn’t seen as many minutes as Otule lately, but had shown potential earlier in the season that he is just as an offensive threat as Otule is, scoring in double-digits in each of his first three collegiate games. Defense is a key aspect of Gardner’s game that needs improvement before he will overtake Otule. Nevertheless, each player will be crucial and will see extended playing time against the taller Big East opponents as the season progresses. Otule and Gardner are average post players for Marquette, but they earn the plus because they are still young, can develop/enhance their game, and are currently doing a serviceable job complementing Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler in the post too.
Thanks for reading and be sure to pick up The Warrior newspaper on campus. Follow http://twitter.com/MUWarriorBBall to find out when issues will be released and for in-game courtside tweets from Marquette Basketball home games at The Bradley Center.
CENTERS : Grade C+
(Chris Otule and Davante Gardner)
Playing in the Big East, Marquette has struggled at times to matchup with the size of their opponents down in the post. Chris Otule (6’11” 260 lbs) and Davante Gardner (6’8” 290 lbs) are two very young and different centers that have a unique repertoire of skills. Otule has started every game but two at center and leads the Golden Eagles in blocks with 29 and a shooting percentage of 70%, making 42 of 70 shots from the field. Gardner on the other hand, hasn’t seen as many minutes as Otule lately, but had shown potential earlier in the season that he is just as an offensive threat as Otule is, scoring in double-digits in each of his first three collegiate games. Defense is a key aspect of Gardner’s game that needs improvement before he will overtake Otule. Nevertheless, each player will be crucial and will see extended playing time against the taller Big East opponents as the season progresses. Otule and Gardner are average post players for Marquette, but they earn the plus because they are still young, can develop/enhance their game, and are currently doing a serviceable job complementing Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler in the post too.
Thanks for reading and be sure to pick up The Warrior newspaper on campus. Follow http://twitter.com/MUWarriorBBall to find out when issues will be released and for in-game courtside tweets from Marquette Basketball home games at The Bradley Center.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Marquette Golden Eagles Mid-Season Report Card : PART 3
Ryan Ellerbusch
FORWARDS : Grade A-
(Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, Joe Fulce, Erik Williams, and Jamail Jones)
What more can be said about the senior leader on this year’s team, Jimmy Butler. Butler has been Mr. Consistent for the Golden Eagles this year and is averaging 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Butler is a prime example of head coach Buzz Williams’ motto “Character Revealed” and has put the team on his back, performing well for the most part in pressure situations. Butler leads the team with his 80% free-throw shooting and it will be only a matter of time before he hits a clutch game-winning shot like he did twice last season. Jimmy Butler is a prime example of what every Marquette men’s basketball player should look up to and is one of the main reasons why the Golden Eagles are an NCAA tournament bound team. Alongside Butler, last year’s junior college player of the year Jae Crowder, in my opinion, has been the biggest surprise and versatile player on the current roster. Crowder is 6’6” and leads Marquette in rebounds with 6.9 per game and has tallied a team-high 31 steals. Possessing a deadly three-point shot from the top of the key and a great inside game, the sky is the limit for Crowder who played the game of his life on New Year’s Day against West Virginia totaling 39 minutes with a career-high 29 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in the victory. Butler and Crowder together are two of the three most vital players alongside Johnson-Odom that Marquette needs playing well if they expect to win games on a nightly basis. Senior Joe Fulce, battled by a knee injury that forced him to miss three games during the season, has recovered nicely and continues to provide stability at the forward position contributing anyway he can when given the opportunity to play. Sophomore Erik Williams hasn’t seen much action in Big East play, but his baseline jumper and rebounding will be crucial to the Golden Eagles success in the near future in addition to freshman Jamail Jones, a three-point specialist anxiously awaiting the chance to show Buzz Williams what he’s capable of.
Part 4 of 4 COMING SOON: Mid-Season Report Card - Marquette Centers
FORWARDS : Grade A-
(Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, Joe Fulce, Erik Williams, and Jamail Jones)
What more can be said about the senior leader on this year’s team, Jimmy Butler. Butler has been Mr. Consistent for the Golden Eagles this year and is averaging 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Butler is a prime example of head coach Buzz Williams’ motto “Character Revealed” and has put the team on his back, performing well for the most part in pressure situations. Butler leads the team with his 80% free-throw shooting and it will be only a matter of time before he hits a clutch game-winning shot like he did twice last season. Jimmy Butler is a prime example of what every Marquette men’s basketball player should look up to and is one of the main reasons why the Golden Eagles are an NCAA tournament bound team. Alongside Butler, last year’s junior college player of the year Jae Crowder, in my opinion, has been the biggest surprise and versatile player on the current roster. Crowder is 6’6” and leads Marquette in rebounds with 6.9 per game and has tallied a team-high 31 steals. Possessing a deadly three-point shot from the top of the key and a great inside game, the sky is the limit for Crowder who played the game of his life on New Year’s Day against West Virginia totaling 39 minutes with a career-high 29 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in the victory. Butler and Crowder together are two of the three most vital players alongside Johnson-Odom that Marquette needs playing well if they expect to win games on a nightly basis. Senior Joe Fulce, battled by a knee injury that forced him to miss three games during the season, has recovered nicely and continues to provide stability at the forward position contributing anyway he can when given the opportunity to play. Sophomore Erik Williams hasn’t seen much action in Big East play, but his baseline jumper and rebounding will be crucial to the Golden Eagles success in the near future in addition to freshman Jamail Jones, a three-point specialist anxiously awaiting the chance to show Buzz Williams what he’s capable of.
Part 4 of 4 COMING SOON: Mid-Season Report Card - Marquette Centers
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Marquette Golden Eagles Mid-Season Report Card : PART 2
This is Part 2 in our 4 part series as Ryan Ellerbusch takes a look back at the Marquette Golden Eagles players thus far and gives each postition a grade:
GUARDS : Grade B+
(Dwight Buycks, Junior Cadougan, Darius Johnson-Odom, Vander Blue, and Rob Frozena)
The importance of having a good backcourt has been a staple throughout the history of the Marquette basketball program and this year’s group of players are contributing by doing the things they know how to do best. Heading into the season, Dwight Buycks did not expect to be the starting point guard for the Golden Eagles, but has stepped into the role nicely and has kept up his scoring too, averaging 10.4 points per game in addition to leading the team in assists with 90. However, Buycks also leads the team in turnovers and that is where sophomore point guard Junior Cadougan has stepped up and excelled in that category this year. Cadougan is slated to be the point guard of the future for the Golden Eagles and has received a great deal of experience and playing time since the departure of freshman Reggie Smith who transferred during the early stages of the season. Cadougan’s progress over the next two years of his college career will definitely be exciting to watch him grow and lead Marquette. Starting the season off very slow shooting the ball, sophomore Darius Johnson-Odom has come on as of late and leads the Golden Eagles in scoring with 16.5 points per game. Johnson-Odom’s athleticism on his slam dunks and drives to the lane has been a big asset to not only the team, but to the Marquette Spirit Shop’s jersey sales too. Johnson-Odom is definitely showing scouts that he could potentially be an NBA caliber player one day and is a talented lefty who has a knack at finishing in the paint through traffic, which complements his great shooting stroke from the outside. Highly touted freshman Vander Blue has quietly made an impact this year not on the offensive end, but rather defensively. Blue has guarded some of the best talent in the Big East and isn’t getting quite the recognition he deserves because his performance game in and game out playing defense doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet. Blue is continually improving on his defense and shot, which down the road, could make him an elite player and all-around threat which is his goal. Lastly, fan-favorite Rob Frozena has tallied 20 minutes and 5 points in his senior campaign and continues to be the energetic cheerleader on the bench that we all have come to love and appreciate over the years
Part 3 of 4 COMING SOON: Mid-Season Report Card - Marquette Forwards
GUARDS : Grade B+
(Dwight Buycks, Junior Cadougan, Darius Johnson-Odom, Vander Blue, and Rob Frozena)
The importance of having a good backcourt has been a staple throughout the history of the Marquette basketball program and this year’s group of players are contributing by doing the things they know how to do best. Heading into the season, Dwight Buycks did not expect to be the starting point guard for the Golden Eagles, but has stepped into the role nicely and has kept up his scoring too, averaging 10.4 points per game in addition to leading the team in assists with 90. However, Buycks also leads the team in turnovers and that is where sophomore point guard Junior Cadougan has stepped up and excelled in that category this year. Cadougan is slated to be the point guard of the future for the Golden Eagles and has received a great deal of experience and playing time since the departure of freshman Reggie Smith who transferred during the early stages of the season. Cadougan’s progress over the next two years of his college career will definitely be exciting to watch him grow and lead Marquette. Starting the season off very slow shooting the ball, sophomore Darius Johnson-Odom has come on as of late and leads the Golden Eagles in scoring with 16.5 points per game. Johnson-Odom’s athleticism on his slam dunks and drives to the lane has been a big asset to not only the team, but to the Marquette Spirit Shop’s jersey sales too. Johnson-Odom is definitely showing scouts that he could potentially be an NBA caliber player one day and is a talented lefty who has a knack at finishing in the paint through traffic, which complements his great shooting stroke from the outside. Highly touted freshman Vander Blue has quietly made an impact this year not on the offensive end, but rather defensively. Blue has guarded some of the best talent in the Big East and isn’t getting quite the recognition he deserves because his performance game in and game out playing defense doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet. Blue is continually improving on his defense and shot, which down the road, could make him an elite player and all-around threat which is his goal. Lastly, fan-favorite Rob Frozena has tallied 20 minutes and 5 points in his senior campaign and continues to be the energetic cheerleader on the bench that we all have come to love and appreciate over the years
Part 3 of 4 COMING SOON: Mid-Season Report Card - Marquette Forwards
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Marquette Golden Eagles Mid-Season Report Card : PART 1
This is Part 1 in our 4 part series as Ryan Ellerbusch takes a look back at the Marquette Golden Eagles season thus far:
The Marquette University men’s basketball team (14-8, 5-4 Big East) has had an up-and-down season much like the rest of the Big East Conference throughout the 2010-11 season. Currently, eight teams in the Big East are ranked in the latest AP Top 25 poll, with Marquette narrowly missing the cut. The Big East is highly regarded as the best conference in college basketball and the Golden Eagles have had their share of close wins and losses in conference play thus far. Come NCAA tournament time in March, the Golden Eagles will have to prove to the NCAA tournament selection committee that their quality wins have outnumbered their close losses to a number of ranked opponents. Marquette’s victories over Notre Dame and Syracuse, both ranked 9th nationally at the time, have provided fans a reason to get excited about the possibility of making an NCAA tournament run. With approximately half of the Big East conference schedule left to play, the Golden Eagles will definitely have numerous opportunities to upset their opponents as they will played ranked foes Villanova, Georgetown, and Connecticut on the road and return home to The Bradley Center to face Cincinnati on Senior Night. Staying competitive and possibly pulling out a win or two out of those four games will put Marquette in great shape as long as they can continue to keep playing at a high level against the lower tier teams in the Big East, which will positively reflect on their resume. Overall, wins don’t come easy in the Big East and the Marquette Golden Eagles tournament chances are definitely within reach as seniors Jimmy Butler, Dwight Buycks, Joe Fulce, and Rob Frozena want nothing more than to end their careers at Marquette University on a high note.
Part 2 of 4 COMING SOON: Mid-Season Report Card - Marquette Guards
The Marquette University men’s basketball team (14-8, 5-4 Big East) has had an up-and-down season much like the rest of the Big East Conference throughout the 2010-11 season. Currently, eight teams in the Big East are ranked in the latest AP Top 25 poll, with Marquette narrowly missing the cut. The Big East is highly regarded as the best conference in college basketball and the Golden Eagles have had their share of close wins and losses in conference play thus far. Come NCAA tournament time in March, the Golden Eagles will have to prove to the NCAA tournament selection committee that their quality wins have outnumbered their close losses to a number of ranked opponents. Marquette’s victories over Notre Dame and Syracuse, both ranked 9th nationally at the time, have provided fans a reason to get excited about the possibility of making an NCAA tournament run. With approximately half of the Big East conference schedule left to play, the Golden Eagles will definitely have numerous opportunities to upset their opponents as they will played ranked foes Villanova, Georgetown, and Connecticut on the road and return home to The Bradley Center to face Cincinnati on Senior Night. Staying competitive and possibly pulling out a win or two out of those four games will put Marquette in great shape as long as they can continue to keep playing at a high level against the lower tier teams in the Big East, which will positively reflect on their resume. Overall, wins don’t come easy in the Big East and the Marquette Golden Eagles tournament chances are definitely within reach as seniors Jimmy Butler, Dwight Buycks, Joe Fulce, and Rob Frozena want nothing more than to end their careers at Marquette University on a high note.
Part 2 of 4 COMING SOON: Mid-Season Report Card - Marquette Guards
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Recap: Notre Dame 80 – Marquette 75
Ryan Ellerbusch
Looking for another 22-point repeat win over Notre Dame like the one just 12 days ago, Marquette got off a hot start in the first-half before a strong second-half surge propelled the 16th ranked Fighting Irish over the Golden Eagles 80-75.
Darius Johnson-Odom led Marquette with 25 points and the Golden Eagles led by as much as 12 points before Marquette’s 61.5% shooting from the field in the first half cooled off drastically. From that point on, they shot just 30% in the second-half and Notre Dame cracked down defensively therefore slowing down Marquette’s aggressive offensive attack to squeak out the win. Once again, Marquette failed to hold a second-half lead on the road despite a 45-36 advantage at halftime. Notre Dame grabbed the lead for good with 10:28 remaining in the game, their first since the score was 2-0, when Ben Hansbrough drained a timely 3-pointer and finished with a game-high 28 points.
Marquette saw extended playing time from senior forward Joe Fulce who saw 17 minutes of action and tallied 10 points and 5 rebounds in place of Jae Crowder and Chris Otule who both fouled out in the game with four minutes remaining. Jimmy Butler also put together another consistent performance with 12 points and is just one point shy of scoring 1,000 career points in Marquette basketball history.
Marquette will look to slow down Kemba Walker and the 8th ranked UConn Huskies Tuesday Night at 8 p.m. when the Golden Eagles return to The Bradley Center. Marquette will look to feed off the energy from their home court crowd and get back to their winning ways.
Looking for another 22-point repeat win over Notre Dame like the one just 12 days ago, Marquette got off a hot start in the first-half before a strong second-half surge propelled the 16th ranked Fighting Irish over the Golden Eagles 80-75.
Darius Johnson-Odom led Marquette with 25 points and the Golden Eagles led by as much as 12 points before Marquette’s 61.5% shooting from the field in the first half cooled off drastically. From that point on, they shot just 30% in the second-half and Notre Dame cracked down defensively therefore slowing down Marquette’s aggressive offensive attack to squeak out the win. Once again, Marquette failed to hold a second-half lead on the road despite a 45-36 advantage at halftime. Notre Dame grabbed the lead for good with 10:28 remaining in the game, their first since the score was 2-0, when Ben Hansbrough drained a timely 3-pointer and finished with a game-high 28 points.
Marquette saw extended playing time from senior forward Joe Fulce who saw 17 minutes of action and tallied 10 points and 5 rebounds in place of Jae Crowder and Chris Otule who both fouled out in the game with four minutes remaining. Jimmy Butler also put together another consistent performance with 12 points and is just one point shy of scoring 1,000 career points in Marquette basketball history.
Marquette will look to slow down Kemba Walker and the 8th ranked UConn Huskies Tuesday Night at 8 p.m. when the Golden Eagles return to The Bradley Center. Marquette will look to feed off the energy from their home court crowd and get back to their winning ways.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Recap: Marquette 94 - DePaul 64
Ryan Ellerbusch
Last time Marquette faced DePaul, the Blue Demons were about to snap a 24-game losing streak in Big East play by beating the Golden Eagles 51-50. However, on Tuesday night Marquette made sure that debacle didn't happen again and were victorious this time to extend DePaul’s current conference losing streak to 18 games, their most recent conference win was last year’s matchup.
Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler led the way for Marquette in the 30-point blowout win with 20 points apiece as the Golden Eagles combined to shoot 51.5% from the field. Butler and point guard Junior Cadougan also had four steals each, contributing to the 22 forced DePaul turnovers and a 40-10 Marquette advantage in points off turnovers. Jae Crowder had yet another big performance and played an all-around great game, contributing in many aspects on the stat sheets. Crowder tallied 18 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks on the night.
Marquette led 46-29 at halftime due in large part to a pair of 6-0 runs along with a 16-2 run to close out the first half. They later closed out the 94-64 win by converting at the free-throw line, playing strong defense, and cleaning the glass.
It was nice to see Marquette (13-6, 4-2 Big East) get back on track and beat the winless DePaul following their devastating 71-70 loss against Louisville on Saturday, in which they choked the game away in the closing minutes. Marquette on offense has seen their opponents play a 2-3 zone against them in nearly every game as of late and good shooting from the paint and three-point range will be the key in the upcoming games, all against ranked foes.
Notes:
- Washington Wizards rookie point guard, John Wall, was in attendance for the Marquette/DePaul game. He and Darius Johnson-Odom are both Raleigh, North Carolina natives.
- Junior Cadougan had to the leave the game temporarily in the first-half to have a band-aid placed above his left eyebrow where he had a cut. Luckily, he returned shortly thereafter.
- Vander Blue got back on track offensively tonight. Blue finished with 12 points on 5-6 shooting from the field and 2-3 from the charity stripe.
Last time Marquette faced DePaul, the Blue Demons were about to snap a 24-game losing streak in Big East play by beating the Golden Eagles 51-50. However, on Tuesday night Marquette made sure that debacle didn't happen again and were victorious this time to extend DePaul’s current conference losing streak to 18 games, their most recent conference win was last year’s matchup.
Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler led the way for Marquette in the 30-point blowout win with 20 points apiece as the Golden Eagles combined to shoot 51.5% from the field. Butler and point guard Junior Cadougan also had four steals each, contributing to the 22 forced DePaul turnovers and a 40-10 Marquette advantage in points off turnovers. Jae Crowder had yet another big performance and played an all-around great game, contributing in many aspects on the stat sheets. Crowder tallied 18 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks on the night.
Marquette led 46-29 at halftime due in large part to a pair of 6-0 runs along with a 16-2 run to close out the first half. They later closed out the 94-64 win by converting at the free-throw line, playing strong defense, and cleaning the glass.
It was nice to see Marquette (13-6, 4-2 Big East) get back on track and beat the winless DePaul following their devastating 71-70 loss against Louisville on Saturday, in which they choked the game away in the closing minutes. Marquette on offense has seen their opponents play a 2-3 zone against them in nearly every game as of late and good shooting from the paint and three-point range will be the key in the upcoming games, all against ranked foes.
Notes:
- Washington Wizards rookie point guard, John Wall, was in attendance for the Marquette/DePaul game. He and Darius Johnson-Odom are both Raleigh, North Carolina natives.
- Junior Cadougan had to the leave the game temporarily in the first-half to have a band-aid placed above his left eyebrow where he had a cut. Luckily, he returned shortly thereafter.
- Vander Blue got back on track offensively tonight. Blue finished with 12 points on 5-6 shooting from the field and 2-3 from the charity stripe.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Recap: Marquette 79 - Notre Dame 57
Ryan Ellerbusch
Whether it was Marquette’s outstanding team performance from three-point range, Notre Dame’s poor shooting from the field, or the courtside presence of Marquette graduate/Minnesota Timberwolves rookie forward Lazar Hayward, the Golden Eagles defeated the 11th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish 79-57 in the 114th meeting throughout this storied rivalry. Marquette has faced Notre Dame more times (117) than any opponent other than Wisconsin.
“Overrated!” was what the Marquette student section was chanting in the closing minutes of their blowout victory over Notre Dame (14-3, 3-2 Big East) on Monday night. Coming into the game, Notre Dame was deemed as one of the Big East teams on the rise, defeating quality opponents in recent weeks such as Georgetown, Connecticut, and St. Johns. Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis, each averaging 16 points a game for Notre Dame, were shut down by Marquette's defense and were held to just 9 and 10 points respectively. Notre Dame’s 57 points scored on ESPN2’s “Big Monday” nationally televised primetime game against Marquette is far off from their average of 78.2 team points per game. They made just 21 of 53 (39.6%) from the field including a woeful 3 of 16 (18.8%) from beyond the arc in the loss.
On the other hand, Marquette was firing from all cylinders under the watchful eye of Lazar Hayward who sat courtside near the Marquette bench cheering on his alma mater. Marquette was 12-17 (70.6%) from three-point range and had four players score in double-digits. Dwight Buycks finished with 21 points and was 5-5 from beyond the arc. Jae Crowder was 4-6 from downtown and had 18 points to go with a team-high 7 rebounds. Jimmy Butler had 15 points and got to the free-throw line 7 times on the evening. Lastly, Darius Johnson-Odom scored 13 points and was 2-2 from three-point range. Marquette led since the opening tip-off with Johnson-Odom knocking down a 3-pointer and later adding a slam dunk following a 3-pointer from Dwight Buycks near the Al McGuire Center court logo to give Marquette a 64-43 lead with 7:39 left to play. Marquette never lost momentum throughout the entire game and now improves to 10-1 at home inside The Bradley Center.
Marquette (12-5, 3-1 Big East) will travel to Louisville (13-2, 2-0 Big East) on Saturday before welcoming Marquette students back to campus for the beginning of second semester on Tuesday, January 18th versus DePaul (6-9, 0-3 Big East).
NEXT GAME:
Saturday, January 15, 2011 @ Louisville Cardinals - 10:00 a.m.
Whether it was Marquette’s outstanding team performance from three-point range, Notre Dame’s poor shooting from the field, or the courtside presence of Marquette graduate/Minnesota Timberwolves rookie forward Lazar Hayward, the Golden Eagles defeated the 11th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish 79-57 in the 114th meeting throughout this storied rivalry. Marquette has faced Notre Dame more times (117) than any opponent other than Wisconsin.
“Overrated!” was what the Marquette student section was chanting in the closing minutes of their blowout victory over Notre Dame (14-3, 3-2 Big East) on Monday night. Coming into the game, Notre Dame was deemed as one of the Big East teams on the rise, defeating quality opponents in recent weeks such as Georgetown, Connecticut, and St. Johns. Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis, each averaging 16 points a game for Notre Dame, were shut down by Marquette's defense and were held to just 9 and 10 points respectively. Notre Dame’s 57 points scored on ESPN2’s “Big Monday” nationally televised primetime game against Marquette is far off from their average of 78.2 team points per game. They made just 21 of 53 (39.6%) from the field including a woeful 3 of 16 (18.8%) from beyond the arc in the loss.
On the other hand, Marquette was firing from all cylinders under the watchful eye of Lazar Hayward who sat courtside near the Marquette bench cheering on his alma mater. Marquette was 12-17 (70.6%) from three-point range and had four players score in double-digits. Dwight Buycks finished with 21 points and was 5-5 from beyond the arc. Jae Crowder was 4-6 from downtown and had 18 points to go with a team-high 7 rebounds. Jimmy Butler had 15 points and got to the free-throw line 7 times on the evening. Lastly, Darius Johnson-Odom scored 13 points and was 2-2 from three-point range. Marquette led since the opening tip-off with Johnson-Odom knocking down a 3-pointer and later adding a slam dunk following a 3-pointer from Dwight Buycks near the Al McGuire Center court logo to give Marquette a 64-43 lead with 7:39 left to play. Marquette never lost momentum throughout the entire game and now improves to 10-1 at home inside The Bradley Center.
Marquette (12-5, 3-1 Big East) will travel to Louisville (13-2, 2-0 Big East) on Saturday before welcoming Marquette students back to campus for the beginning of second semester on Tuesday, January 18th versus DePaul (6-9, 0-3 Big East).
NEXT GAME:
Saturday, January 15, 2011 @ Louisville Cardinals - 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Packers-Eagles Recap & Packers-Falcons Preview
Ryan Ellerbusch
Dom Capers and the Packers defense made a statement Sunday against the Eagles and showed the rest of their potential NFC competitors that they are not to be wreakened with as I believe they are legit Super Bowl contenders behind such a well-coached and aggressive defense.
However, I would like to see Dom Capers be more aggressive on 3rd down situations in particular, and bring more pressure. The Packers ability on defense to hold late game leads and force turnovers in the clutch has solidified wins in the past two weeks against the Bears and Eagles. The Packers will look to get out to an early lead against the Atlanta Falcons next week and rely on their defense to shut the door in order to keep the 2011 playoff winning streak alive.
Aaron Rodgers played an excellent game but only had 18 passing completions, due in the large part to the breakout playoff performance of rookie James Starks, who carried the ball 23 times for 123 yards. I’m finally glad to see Aaron Rodgers earn himself a playoff win as he continues to establish his legacy in addition to impressing his doubters of his ability to come through in the clutch and win playoff games.
Dropped passes have been a common occurrence in recent games as Greg Jennings and James Jones let balls today slip through their fingers in the cold conditions at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Thankfully for the Packers receiving core, next Saturday’s game against the Falcons will be played indoors, where the Packers lost earlier this season in week 12 by a score of 20-17 in Atlanta.
The key to the NFC Divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday January 15th at 7:00 p.m. will be to stop their running game led by Michael Turner who rushed for 110 yards in the two team’s previous meeting. Keeping the duo of quarterback Matt Ryan and wide-receiver Roddy White in check will be another factor of the game that the Packers will need to prevent on defense. If the Packers can keep up their stellar play on defense and establish the running game like they did on Sunday against Philadelphia, then there should be no reason why the Packers shouldn’t win and move onto the NFC Championship game against either the rival Chicago Bears or the Cinderella storied team in the Seattle Seahawks.
Dom Capers and the Packers defense made a statement Sunday against the Eagles and showed the rest of their potential NFC competitors that they are not to be wreakened with as I believe they are legit Super Bowl contenders behind such a well-coached and aggressive defense.
However, I would like to see Dom Capers be more aggressive on 3rd down situations in particular, and bring more pressure. The Packers ability on defense to hold late game leads and force turnovers in the clutch has solidified wins in the past two weeks against the Bears and Eagles. The Packers will look to get out to an early lead against the Atlanta Falcons next week and rely on their defense to shut the door in order to keep the 2011 playoff winning streak alive.
Aaron Rodgers played an excellent game but only had 18 passing completions, due in the large part to the breakout playoff performance of rookie James Starks, who carried the ball 23 times for 123 yards. I’m finally glad to see Aaron Rodgers earn himself a playoff win as he continues to establish his legacy in addition to impressing his doubters of his ability to come through in the clutch and win playoff games.
Dropped passes have been a common occurrence in recent games as Greg Jennings and James Jones let balls today slip through their fingers in the cold conditions at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Thankfully for the Packers receiving core, next Saturday’s game against the Falcons will be played indoors, where the Packers lost earlier this season in week 12 by a score of 20-17 in Atlanta.
The key to the NFC Divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday January 15th at 7:00 p.m. will be to stop their running game led by Michael Turner who rushed for 110 yards in the two team’s previous meeting. Keeping the duo of quarterback Matt Ryan and wide-receiver Roddy White in check will be another factor of the game that the Packers will need to prevent on defense. If the Packers can keep up their stellar play on defense and establish the running game like they did on Sunday against Philadelphia, then there should be no reason why the Packers shouldn’t win and move onto the NFC Championship game against either the rival Chicago Bears or the Cinderella storied team in the Seattle Seahawks.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Recap: Pittsburgh 89 - Marquette 81
Ryan Ellerbusch
For Marquette
However, the remainder of Marquette
Approaching halftime, Pittsburgh Marquette 7:54 left in the first half and creating a 48-32 lead with 1:07 left in the first half capping a 24-8 run. Dwight Buycks regained the Golden Eagles’ team spirit and momentum though in the final minute with a long fadeaway three-pointer to end the half, which cut the halftime deficit to 11.
In the second half, Pittsburgh Marquette Marquette Pittsburgh Marquette
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Recap: Marquette 72 – Rutgers 65
Ryan Ellerbusch
Wednesday night marked the beginning of a stretch of three games in six days for the Marquette Golden Eagles, and they were able to take care of business and earn their first Big East road victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 72-65.
Marquette (11-4, 2-0 Big East) relied on three big scoring performances from Darius Johnson-Odom (who tied a career-high with 29 points), Jimmy Butler, and Jae Crowder (who scored 16 and 15 points respectively). Marquette Rutgers stretched their defense and made it difficult for Marquette Marquette West Virginia
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Packers' season in review
Ryan Ellerbusch
Looking back at the regular season and considering all of the injuries that have dampened the Packers’ roster, you have to give credit where credit is due. Tramon Williams, BJ Raji, and AJ Hawk have all turned in solid defensive performances throughout the season and have earned Pro Bowl alternate recognition as a result. Even Matt Flynn’s effort in a close loss to the Patriots (in which they were extremely competitive in), helped the Packers never lose hope as they kept the mindset that anything was possible and that controlling their own destiny could indeed be accomplished. Leadership by the Packers’ veterans also helped the success of the new faces on the team as they not only earned a roster spot, but eventually would play a key role in the latter part of the season.
Ted Thompson deserves to be acknowledged for building the roster and youth mid-season in the midst of numerous unfortunate injuries at what seemed like every position. The emergence of several young athletes, many of whom never were given the chance to play, let alone start, at the NFL level, kept the Packers in playoff contention. Linebacker Erik Walden was one of those players who started at right outside linebacker and recorded 8 tackles and 2 sacks on Sunday, holding the Chicago Bears offense to just 3 points.
As far as Sunday’s outcome is concerned, the Packers 10-3 win over the Chicago Bears will allow them to live to see another opponent next week in the Philadelphia Eagles as they will look to head coach Mike McCarthy for a superb game plan, even though the criticism regarding his play-calling and challenges continues despite a wildcard playoff berth.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Recap: Marquette 79 - West Virginia 74
Ryan Ellerbusch
In Saturday’s New Year’s Day tip-off, which marks Marquette’s sixth year in the Big East Conference, the Golden Eagles defeated West Virginia by a score of 79-74 in front of 15,575 energetic fans at The Bradley Center.
The Golden Eagles had no trouble adjusting to the unusual ten a.m. start time and jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead and didn’t allow the West Virginia Mountaineers to get their first basket until nearly four minutes into the game. During that early stretch, Marquette had a 10-0 fast break advantage thanks to four steals. The Golden Eagles ended the game with eight steals as both teams played very physical and had to earn every basket on each possession.
West Virginia’s physicality and their ability to alter shots on defense kept them in the game and frustrated Marquette as the Golden Eagles were having trouble finishing the ball in the paint which prevented them from extending their lead early. West Virginia also switched to a 2-3 zone midway through the first half and at various other times throughout the game, which helped the Mountaineers crawl their way back into the game. Marquette has seen the 2-3 zone often this season and hopes to improve at breaking it by knocking down jump shots or with quick passing leading to easy baskets.
Leading 37-34 coming out of halftime, West Virginia tied the game at the 17-minute mark and later took a brief four point lead with 11 minutes remaining. It was an afternoon of career highs offensively for both Marquette and West Virginia. Junior guard Darryl Bryant had a career high 25 points, however was uplifted by the performance of last year’s junior college player of the year, Jae Crowder. Crowder continued his scoring rampage as of late and recorded 29 points on Saturday in the winning effort. Crowder nearly did everything for Marquette down the stretch, but Darius Johnson-Odom broke out of his shooting slump and tallied 21 points including a momentum boost that propelled the Golden Eagles to the finish line. Center Chris Otule got his first and only two points in the game via a put-back slam dunk with 1:14 remaining followed by Jae Crowder jumping an arrant pass as well as knocking down free throws in the closing seconds to seal the 79-74 win for Marquette.
NEXT GAME:
January 5, 2011 @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights - 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Recap: Vanderbilt 77 - Marquette 76
Ryan Ellerbusch
With a 9-4 record heading into Big East play on Saturday, the Marquette men’s basketball team fell Wednesday night to the Vanderbilt Commodores 77-76 in their final non-conference matchup of the 2010-11 campaign. Marquette’s nine wins on the season thus far have all come against relatively easy opponents, while their four losses were suffered against nationally ranked opponents including Duke, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, and Vanderbilt, though each game was close with Maquette losing each game by five points or less.
Against Vanderbilt (10-2), the Golden Eagles got off to a slow start as did Vanderbilt’s leading scorer, John Jenkins, who is averaging 18.2 points per game. Jenkins finished the night going 4 for 21 from the field, but the Commodores got a strong performance from their post players who were both active in the paint by scoring and rebounding. Although Vanderbilt’s largest lead of the game was 11 points early in the first half, Marquette battled back to take a 37-34 lead at halftime using a 13-3 run in the closing minutes to gain the advantage and momentum heading into the locker room.
Five Golden Eagles scored in double-digits with Jimmy Butler (15) and Darius-Johnson Odom (14) leading the potent scoring attack as the team shot 56.1% from the field. Marquette led by as much as seven points before each team exchanged runs in the second half as they battled down to the wire inside Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym, which is known for its unusual design where the team benches are positioned on the baseline rather than the standard sideline, which in turn creates a unique home court advantage.
Trailing at this particular point in the second half, Marquette inched closer with three consecutive steals and fast-break layups, courtesy of Vander Blue, converting the final takeaway with a 3-point play with 6 minutes remaining. With just a few minutes left to play, Dwight Buycks also led the Marquette comeback with a long two-pointer from the top of the key to lead briefly by a point. However, Vanderbilt’s Andre Walker made a layup on the ensuing possession over Chris Otule’s outstretched hand with 4.1 seconds left to play to give Vanderbilt the 77-76 lead. Marquette had one last chance after Buzz Williams used his last two timeouts, as Johnson-Odom received the pass and drove the court, but seemed to trip and lost the ball as time expired making Wednesday night’s game yet another disappointing, close defeat. Marquette has already lost three games this season in which they have had the ball with a chance to either tie or win the game, but have failed to do so.
NEXT GAME:
January 1, 2011 vs. West Virginia @ The Bradley Center - 10:00 a.m.
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