This Day In History

Marquette punched its ticket to the Final Four in 2003 with Dwyane Wade's triple double to beat top-seeded Kentucky. I remember having an indoor football game that afternoon so I watched most of the game at small sports bar outside of Brookfield with my parents.  We don't have to talk about what happened in the Final Four. To this day, my favorite Marquette team.

-Charlie.

The Good, The Bad, and The Rebecca Black

I liked the format that I used for the games yesterday so much, I thought I would use it again. Also since Marquette's first half was the ugliest thing on Friday, I decided to use Rebecca Black's name instead. Hit me with the cyberbullying charges!

The Good

-So far this March Madness had brought us Mr. Onions, Brandon Knight. He is a stone cold assassin in the late game situations. Knight struggled mightily all game, but nailed the shot when it mattered   

-Josh Harrellson has become the centerpiece of the Kentucky Wildcats offense, and my favorite white center since Kevin Pittsnoggle. I also loved that he spiked a ball off Jared Sullinger. 

-The Fightin' Shakas live for another day!  Even though Florida State threw a block party, the Rams were able to survive to face Kansas. David meet Goliath. 

-Tyler Zeller had another great game and played tough defense all game. We all should forget that asshole who said he couldn't play defense, whoops.  

-If you review my predictions, I basically laid out the Kansas game for you.

-The Dwight Buycks Era is over!  (Yes I know he did some nice things, but bad outweighs the good)

-Pumped that Robert Forenza hit a three in his final game of his career. Beyond awesome ending to a great Marquette season.   

The Bad 

-Florida State not getting a shot off in regulation or overtime.  The Noles late game situation troubles made Marquette's look minor.    

-The ref who gave Jae Crowder a T when Marquette is down 26. Don't worry that cushion is big enough for the Heels to win, stripes.  

-Marquette's three point performance was horrendous especially after they fueled the three-point goggles phenomenon this week. Embarrassing. 

- Roy Williams leaving his starters in until the 2 minute mark, I wish Devante Gardner would have leveled that pretty boy Zeller. 

-Dallas Lauderdale bows out in his college career with a five minute performance.  That would be tough to swallow if I were him. 

The Rebecca Black 

-I am very glad I watched the game with my parents because if I watched with my boys, it would have been non-stop jokes. Marquette could not have played more tight.  MU threw up so many breaks in the first half, they could have built an Extreme Home Makeover home. 

-Anyone who scheduled the second round games in Newark. Horrible choice.  

-Darius Johnson-Odom did way too much for my liking. It's okay, he will be great next year.  

-Florida State was 7/18 from the line, which has to bite you in the ass if you are a fan. If I were a Noles fan I would tell myself, 'well at least we got Jenn Sterger.'   

-William Buford missed the final shot and went 2 for 16, yikes. He will be thinking about this one for awhile.  

-Charlie.

Friday Picks (Southwest and East)

Well we went 2 for 4 last night, obviously hoping for better this evening. I'm really not that nervous about the big one, more so excited for it to start. Tacos and Miller Lite are awaiting me after I let the Sno Tap nation in on who I am picking tonight, which is also very exciting.

Southwest


12.) Richmond v. 1.)Kansas: Can someone explain to me why ESPN and others act like this one will be even close? I have seen 1 v. 12 matchups before, and they go a little something like this... the 12 seeded team will give a strong effort for the first 10 minutes playing their asses off and then run out of gas faster than Kristie Alley's treadmill workout. The Spiders do have some good talent in Justin Harper and Kevin Anderson, yet they lack size underneath. The Morris Twins will drain this team, and win in convincing fashion. KU 87-71 

11.) VCU v. 10) Florida State: I guess Shaka Smart needs to stop playing the tapes of all the naysayers because that's long gone. He created the Havoc defense, which I personally love and think most high schools if talented should adopt as their primary system. Florida State has a ton of size, but they fail to score the ball plus they turn the ball over too much. I like the Rams because of their defense and their ability to score. I think they win going away for the third straight game. VCU 71-57 

East
11.) Marquette v. 2.) North Carolina:  Whoa nelly, I have been ready for this game since Sunday night. From everything I've read and heard, the Warriors seem pretty loose and ready to play against the Tar Heels. I really hope Darius Johnson-Odom, a Carolina kid doesn't do too much in the beginning of the game. Marquette needs to be strong on the perimeter or else it will be a long day for the Warriors with Carolina's ability to shoot threes. The Tar Heels have great size, and they need to attack right away down low with Tyler Zeller/Gumby Henson.  I got called out last week for being a biased homer, so why ruin tradition?  MU 79-76 

4.) Kentucky v. 1.) Ohio State- I am eagerly excited for this game because I feel the Buckeyes will get exposed if they do not scorch the earth from three.  Ohio State cannot matchup with both Josh Harrelson and Terrence Jones at the 4 and5. I am assuming that Jared Sullinger will take Harrelson leaving Dallas Lauderdale on Jones, which is more of a mismatch than a war between US and Bangladesh. If last night was the Derrick Williams show, tonight could be Jones'. Also I feel Brandon Knight can tire out Aaron Craft very quickly. The only thing I worry about is Ohio State coming out strong, and Kentucky not responding. The Cats win with a Jones' tip-in at the buzzer.  UK 84-83 

-Charlie.

The Lesser of Two Evils

Tonight's Marquette UNC game leaves me with no palatable options for fanhood this evening.

I On one hand you have Marquette.  If they win I will have Charlie in my ear about how great this Elite 8 run was for the next 10 years.  Even though Buzz Williams is probably already out the door and even if they don't make the tournament for the next 3 seasons Charlie will always have 2011. 

On the other hand you have UNC.  I already don't like the Tarheels because they, along with Duke, have the biggest bandwagon following in the world.  For some reason everyone in the country thinks you have to be a fan of one of those two teams and its always pissed me off.  But besides that, I've developed a hatred for John "Gumby" Henson.  Stretch Armstrong has no discernible basketball skills outside of having an 8 foot wingspan. 



Best case scenario (aside from both teams being disqualified) MU beats UNC and then gets handed a 50 point beatdown from the Buckeyes.

The Pride Of A Warrior

(Props to MU Athletics for this great video) 

I could not be more excited for Friday night when the Marquette Golden Eagles take on the North Carolina Tar Heels for a chance to head to the Elite Eight. Granted, my 10 year old self would probably need a therapy session before the game. I loved the Tar Heels back in day before I knew Vince Carter was pansy, I loved him in the Carolina Blue as well as Ed Cota, Joesph Forte, and Antwan Jamison. I am now full MU and still cheer for the Heels when they play Duke. I needed to write something about Marquette, and it ended up being a reflection on the year in general.


Usually when we get towards the end of the season, I like to review things I wrote about the team. Whether it's the Green Bay Packers, the Milwaukee Brewers, or the Marquette Golden Eagles, I always find with MU, I am harsher on them. They are the middle child of my sports relationships. I don't understand why, but it has ended up being that way for the last two years.

 In December, I called Marquette things like 'soft' and a team 'who will stay in the cellar of the Big East.' I talked to my dad countless times about my frustrations with Marquette.  We both started to get the feeling that maybe JUCO guys were not cutting it with things like defense and trying to gel as a unit. Both of us felt like Marquette's defense would never get to the levels of an elite team in the Big East. I began wondering about Buzz Williams too, and what kind coach/recruiter he was. Everyone did not turn out the way I expected in November.

To be fair, I also had higher expectations than one should probably had (by the way, I have already said they are top 10 team next year). But could you blame me? With the talent they had even at a young age, I felt this could be a good year. In addition, everyone told me how much of down year this could be for the Big East. I would not thought in million years, this conference would net 11 bids to the NCAA Tournament. Like people should have done with Ted Thompson in February, I need to apologize to Buzz Williams and the Marquette Warriors.

It became an up and down season with the Warriors that caused me much frustration like blowing leads to Georgetown, in South Bend, and the 200th and 201st time of not getting a shot off  in Vandy/Wisconsin games. It also gave me some great moments like making it rain on Notre Dame, beating Kemba, and taking down the Orange... twice. Even though Marquette saw some struggles throughout the year, this became more of an enjoyable team than recent memory. The reason, the fans watched them grow up before our eyes.  Marquette is not making the same mistakes they did in December, and are tougher than nails.  Also players like Chris Otule and Junior Cadougan progressed in ways that I did not think possible earlier this season. I feel a great sense of pride when watching this team.

You know how people say 'you only remember the good things when they are gone.' I am glad it did not happen with Buzz Williams for me.  I always enjoyed Buzz but never realized how lucky I am to have him coach the team I cheer for until this recent run in March. All of the quotes I see from him, and the articles I read like this great one from Drew Olson of ESPN Milwaukee, makes me thankful to have a guy like Buzz coaching my team. But if he decides Oklahoma is a better job, well it's been a fun run Buzz. I am glad I took time to appreciate Buzz as a coach before it was too late.

Anything could happen on Friday and I will remain happy. Sure, I will be disappointed if North Carolina run the Warriors out of the gym.  But I will still feel elated that Marquette got there. I want more, but understand that we as Marquette fans are playing with house money. It's funny I say that because I uttered the same words when talking about the Green Bay Packers this postseason, we all know what happened with that team.

-Charlie.

Why Wisconsin-Marquette Rivalry Isn't There For Me

It's too bad I do not have a tape recorder on me at all times. I told people months ago that this could be the year Bo Ryan finally gets into a Final Four. Weird that a statement such as this would come from my mouth because if you've known me for sometime, I despised the Badger basketball team growing up. The reason had more to do with being a minority at my high school where most people loved the Badgers, and found every reason to make fun of Marquette.

It's also what made it a fun rivalry for me because I knew most days during the college basketball season, one side was going to give the other shit for something that happened the night before. Every loss Marquette had in those four years were painful because I knew the next day, my Badger fan friends would be waiting with snarky comments in the halls of Wauwatosa West. Likewise, it made me happy when the Badgers lost especially those ones to Northwestern. I hated Wisconsin more because of my friends more so than other influences. The other thing that bothered me was the slow, deliberate style the Badgers used for most of my life compared to Marquette's fun, transition style.



Let's fast forward to today. Most of you know I live in Eau Claire, Wisconsin for most of the year, and the rivalry for me is not what it used to be. The simple reason is because I do not go to Marquette or Wisconsin. Those two schools and the people who go/went there have all the right reasons to hate each other. They are contrasting schools in many different ways, and I feel like they do not have much to agree upon. If I went to Marquette, I would hate the Badgers just as much as I did in high school. But since I do not, the hateful feelings are not nearly as strong. In Northwest Wisconsin, a herd of people do not make fun me when MU loses to Seton Hall, nor do I make fun of Wisconsin fans for losing to UNLV. Sure, my roommates tell me 'Marquette sucks', but it's just playful banter. I actually don't give Wisconsin that hard of a time, but felt the need to when they set basketball back about 60 years ago a couple Fridays ago.

Another reason why the rivalry does not have the momentum to outsiders who did not go to either universities is neither team has cost the other a chance to play in the postseason, or ended their season.  Not being in the same conference also hurts the rivalry. If the Badgers had beat Kentucky, then lost to Marquette in 2003, the rivalry would be ten times bigger because that is a stomach punch loss. Every Marquette fan could hold that over Wisconsin fans' heads for a long time. To say something is a rivalry for outsiders for a single game in December is pretty difficult to do.

I wrote in my live blog, I yelled out a 'Let's go Bucky' during the Belmont game, and said 'Now I will run through ongoing traffic' because the 16 year old me would have kicked the living shit out of me for saying something like that. But, I wanted the Badgers win just like I did on Saturday because they are in my Elite Eight. An unbiased view of college basketball would see that the Badgers have a lot intangibles a team needs to succeed in the month of March.  If I can notice that, being a fan of the rival school, I feel most people saw the potential of this Badger team.

Wisconsin and their fans still irk me somewhat, but not as much as they did five years ago. I hope Wisconsin and Florida win on Thursday so I have the chance to cheer against the Badgers for the sake of my bracket, just because it would be fun to bring back those feelings for one night.

-Charlie.

How Sweet It Is!

Like 1977 all over again!  The Warriors are dancing!

This Is How I Feel

No respect at all. None at all. More from me later tonight.

Marquette-Providence Ramblings

Marquette won 87-66 with Jimmy Butler having a near triple-double. The Golden Eagles got to the lane whenever they wanted to, which was refreshing to see from them.  I am just going to deliver a bunch of quick hitters with no prediction of tonight's game because I am a jinx.

-Butler does not want his senior year to end anytime soon. Jimmy F. is playing like a man possessed in the last couple of weeks.  Butler also seems to be more prone to take the ball to the hoop, he is only shooting from the outside when it's absolutely necessary.



-Darius Johnson-Odom looked very solid after a couple off games. He hit some big threes to start off the game, and attacked the basket very strong last night. I cannot wait until his ball handling skills gets even better for next season.

-Marquette shot 16/27 from the free-throw line last night, which will not get it done the rest of the way through. The Golden Eagles have to be better from the charity stripe.  

-I cannot wait until Davante Gardner loses some weight, and is able to play a full game next year. He had the best post move I have seen from an MU big man in long time. Gardner does some great things in the post in small doses, and is a big space eater for the Golden Eagles.

-Nice to see Jae Crowder have a strong performance. He needed a game like this, and could be a vital asset for MU down the stretch.

- While Marquette started off hot from three (5-5), they ended the game 7-15. I hope that MU doesn't try to do the same thing tonight coming out raining threes. I would rather have them take it to the lane instead of the outside shot.

-A very strong passing performance from everybody around. I never thought once, a player was dribbling too much. They really found the post touches that Buzz Williams wants from his players.

-I wish Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, and Bill Raftery called every game for the Golden Eagles. Such an enjoyable broadcast crew

-The other thing that spoke volumes to me was Marquette dealt with a 5 minute run from Providence where the Friars started to turn it on, and the Golden Eagles could have crumbled like before.  Instead, they kept their composure pushing the lead back out to a comfortable spot.

-According to everyone including the local stray dogs, Marquette is in the tournament. Well, glad to be here, hope it's a long stay.

-Charlie.

The Bubble Nearly Bursting

I really do not want to talk about the drubbing Seton Hall put on Marquette on Saturday night as the Pirates won 85-72 because it is honestly the same conversation I have written about in past MU losses. They didn't look strong defense, couldn't close out on threes, and did not stop penetration. Marquette has now put themselves back on the bubble again where a week ago, it seemed like Marquette had a spot in the tournament, too bad the Golden Eagles hit cruise control.  

Before yesterday's defeat, Marquette stood as a 10th seed according to Joe Lunardi of ESPN.  The Golden Eagles are 5-7 in their last 12 games, their RPI is 67, and a .500 record in the Big East. None of those numbers impressed me very much, but I do believe it helps Villanova and UConn also have .500 Big East records.  The numbers tells me that the Golden Eagles have to beat Providence in the the Big East Tournament at least, and it definitely wouldn't hurt to beat West Virginia either. But with how crazy college basketball has been this year, I am very worried a couple random teams will slide into the tournament stealing a bid from others. Additionally, Marquette has to worry about the other bubble teams making a strong push. 

I wish Marquette would not have lost the last two games of the season. Since they did, I have to walk on pins and needles with every possession in the next couple of games. Marquette would not be even sniffing the tournament in many years, but in a diluted year, they are allowed to be one of the bottom feeders in this year's version. 

What's great about March is you never know what can happened, either for the good or the bad.  

-Charlie

First Taste: Buzz Williams Does Karaoke!

I saw this last night browsing the Twitterverse and it's just great. Buzz is probably only one of two coaches in the Big East who would do this (Steve Lavin is the other one), just a coach having a good time. Buzz really needs a stylist because that shirt is only worn by six people on the entire nation.  Mike Bibby and Texas from me, I have no idea what the others will have on the first day of March.

-Charlie.

Wisconsin Hoops Recap

As the season winds down, I think it's only fair that I give you both a Marquette wrap up and the Wisconsin wrap up because I know we have readers of each team and we don't talk enough Badgers.  I am just going to give you today, a paragraph or two thought on the game.

Marquette 86 Providence 62- I worried about this game somewhat because there was a potential for a letdown after upsetting UConn. I thought something that is worth noting is the play of Junior Cadougan and Chris Otule. Junior has assumed the role of point guard with his play in the last two weeks and finally felt confident to score on the offensive end. He had 10 points 10 dimes and 6 rebounds. If he starts doing that, Marquette will be really strong in the next month. Otule had 16 and 6 boards patrolling the inside. When Marquette has somewhat of an inside presence, teams have a tough time defending this squad

Wisconsin 78 Northwestern 63- The Badgers got probably one of their best nights out of Jon Leuer in the last month dropping 26 points and 6 rebounds. He played really strong all night, and that's what makes Bucky dangerous. One day it could be Leuer, the other day it could Jordan Taylor, both play at a very high level. It's a nice problem to have in the tournament.  Badgers shot nearly 60 percent getting very high efficient shots, and it basically took away the fact the Wildcats made 11 threes in the game.

-Charlie.

The Big Road Win Marquette Needed

With college basketball, the games are never on at the exact times. As a student without a DVR, I missed most of the Marquette-UConn game because I was filming my weekly television show for TV-10. Of course, I had to rely getting updates every once in awhile....

The First update I received was 34-23 Marquette up at half. Yes! Kemba Walker only with six points, and the Golden Eagles weren't shooting well, just being glass cleaners owning the Huskies on the boards.

Big Cat texts me right before my taping, 'Marquette looking tough'. Of course they were I wasn't watching and every time I watch, it's like inserting needles into my eyes, ears, and nose. 

After I got done filming, I turned on a TV to see Marquette down 49-41. Shit. I had a tough time believing the never-ending story of Marquette's season blowing first half leads kept happening. I cannot believe Marquette stayed in the game by starting the second half shooting 2 of 19 as a team. Chris Bosh did worse as an individual last night to give you some perspective.  I had this distinct feeling that this might have been the final blow to Marquette's season.

But somehow, someway, the light got turned on that I have been waiting for all season.  If you have read my rants from the past games, I have been very critical of Marquette's late game offense. No one had the marbles to take big shots. All of that was true until last night when Darius Johnson-Odom rose to the occasion. DJO had an off night for most of the game, but the last three minutes plus overtime, he found a way to turn it on.

The thing I loved about DJO's takeover was he did not settle for long shots and threes, something DJO did a ton in these situations earlier this season. DJO penetrated the lane like I have never seen him do before. For once, someone took this Marquette team on their shoulders. I hope DJO did the big balls dance when he got to the locker room. He deserved it.

After any big win, I worry about a letdown in the following game especially when Marquette faces a guy like Providence's Marshon Brooks. But I feel Buzz Williams told his boys, the tournament started in Hartford, Connecticut and the attitude is now win or go home.

-Charlie.

The Much Needed Marquette Rant

This is the last time I was this mad at Marquette,
last season against DePaul  

"Could this be an overreaction where I laugh at myself in February?  Maybe, but I doubt at this juncture. The lack of effort, hustle, and defensive tenacity scares me because those are the things you do not see in the box score ,and usually those things are about the character of those student athletes more so than anything else."


I wrote that after the Marquette got beat by Wisconsin where they looked outmatched the entire game. Well it's the middle of February and I am not laughing at myself for thinking this way in December. It became the awkward gorilla in the living room for me because I wanted to believe their close losses would figure themselves out, yet they didn't it. Now, they have 11 losses overall and a ticket to bubble watch.  



The first three minutes of the second half against the St. John's Red Storm was so encouraging. After seeing Marquette lay 500 pound fart against Georgetown to lead off the second half, it seemed like they made a couple great halftime adjustments. Then things took a turn for the worse as the Johnnies kept attacking Marquette and finding easy buckets like Teen Wolf was on the roster.  There is so much blame to throw around at this time, and all of the guilty parties deserve it.  This is by far the ugliest lost of the season.  Let's just set up a laundry list of things to go over. 


1.) Dwight Buycks got exposed:  5'9 Malik Boothe exposed Buycks for being a phony at the point guard position. People feel I beat up on Buycks too much, which I admit was probably true and unneeded in the month of January. But after the last two games, I think it's deserving again.  Boothe ended being the X factor last night and the reason the Red Storm won.  Chris Wright of Georgetown must smell like pure garbage because that's the only way I could explain him being open the entire game... Oh wait, it's just Dwight with a lack of concepts on the defensive side of the basketball.  


2.) Live by the Press, Die by the Press: I will admit, I love when teams press. It's a great thing to use, but not every team is Nolan Richardson's 40 minutes of hell teams where you press the entire game. Coaches have to condition their players in order to effectively play in that style of defense. Marquette didn't prepare the guys in the preseason therefore these players are dead tired by the 10 minute mark because they are pressing the whole game. Why do you think they miss all the late game free throws? They have no knees left to shoot the ball. 


That's why they couldn't mount a comeback against the Hoyas or the Johnnies. Also let's remember Mr. Williams, the last two teams didn't have D3 quality guards playing in their backcourt. The press is good in doses for teams like Marquette, it is not a full time thing. Buzz is Gollum, and his precious is the press. If they want to win, they need to scale it back.  


3.) Soft: Simply put, this team is full of mental midgets. Yes, they have made some great comebacks this season and play with some grit.  But they do not have that one bad ass motha that can take over the game like Jerel, Zar, Wes, and Dom all did during their time at Marquette. I stand by my statement that Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, and Darius Johnson-Odom all have the ability to hit a big shot, no question about that. But none of those guys have the ability to tell the rest of the team that they are getting the damn ball on every possession. This leads to indecision in late game situations. Everyone wants to be man, but they are afraid of what others will think about their outspoken behavior. Someone even Buycks for all I care grab this team by the balls and become a leader.   


Don't think for one second I have given up on the season.  I want to see this team improve and win out until April, but I am pissed. I am mad that this team is playing under its potential and I expect better. I still think they will make the NCAA Tournament because the field is more diluted then the mixed drinks at some bars here in Eau Claire. I am in town this weekend and if I get offered a chance to see them go up against Seton Hall, you bet I am going.


Cheering like a mad man because I know this team can be better.   


-Charlie.  

Marquette Survives A Weird Night In Tampa

When I got home from work to watch Marquette, they were off to a slow start and I thought here we go again. Tampa has never been a kind place to Marquette, and it's never an easy game with the Bulls. They rank up there with the obscure teams that scare me only when they play Marquette.  TCU is number one, and East Carolina is number two in case you were curious.  

One of the ways we could force terrorists to tell us their secrets is by watching MU-USF and UW-Iowa back-to-back. They will give up by the first half of the Wisconsin game to stop the madness. A win is a win  on the road in the Big East, and they are very lucky to get a win in Tampa. The Warriors came back from a 16 point deficit with a great press that the Bulls couldn't break.

 I don't know if any team they play for the remainder of the season will have a worse backcourt than the Bulls, but if they do, Marquette can do some things with their press. Marquette is undersized with guys who have quick hands, and if they rotate if the press is broken, they can succeed. I can't remember more than 3 possessions where the Bulls had more than 20 seconds to set up an offensive play.   

Jae Crowder hit two huge step back threes, which leads me to believe there are three guys I want to have with the ball in the last two minutes. He hit the big shots when MU needed them the most. But I didn't understand Crowder fouling after Darius Johnson-Odom missed two free throws with Marquette up three with a second left. The likelihood that a Bulls player knocks in a half court shot is much more difficult than a tip in with a significantly larger team. The only explanation for it is if they had a guy wide open cherry picking the situation.   

Hopefully, they will get Georgetown in a letdown situation but they have to be better at shooting free throws. Marquette missed seven straight down the stretch and shot a horrific 38 percent from the line. Another thing is I am worried that I need to hit the panic button on Vander Blue.  Blue went 1-9 last night forcing most of the shots he put up, and now I am worried he is trying to shut up the haters int he wrong way. On a positive note, I thought Blue played great in the press, he seemed comfortable doing that on defense. The only thing that keeps me sane with Blue is Wesley Matthews struggled early and kept getting better each year.  

-Charlie.   

Finally, Marquette Gets One

In the second half of the Marquette game, it appeared the Warriors were doing their usual thing.  They didn't look as crisp as they did in the first half, and seemed to be on their way to another swoon. My buddy Mach texted me around 10 minute mark in the second half, "Cuse is winning by 9, calling it now."

Usually I try to quench Mach's negativity, but my hangover prevented me from coming up with something logical. Not to mention, I couldn't blame him for feeling negative after how many late game collapses we have already witness this season. But Marquette pulled it together with some clutch shooting to ensure the home victory. 

Crowder might have the brightest future on
the Marquette roster.

Jae Crowder deserved the game ball for his play on Saturday afternoon with 25 points 7 rebounds and became a zone breaker for the Warriors sneaking behind the zone for the easy bucket.  Crowder is easily the front runner for Newcomer of the Year in the Big East. Even though he is only 6'6, Crowder is tough inside and can step out for the three making him a real problem for opposing teams.  In my opinion, he is more physical version of Lazar Hayward. I don't think he is a better shooter than Zar, but I do like that he hangs out more around the block then the three-point line like Zar would.

The incredible thing about Marquette's win was Darius Johnson-Odom ran into foul trouble plus they received no help from their bench.  Vander Blue looked horrendous yesterday making consistent ill-advised decisions, and I wonder if his minutes will decrease. I am not looking that much into it because Blue is a freshman therefore you expect some growing pains. At least he isn't the Orange's Fab Melo who is the most overrated freshman in this year's class. Marquette found a way to get points without bench help or DJO, which both speak volumes to me.

Remember last week when I said Marquette needed to rediscover Jimmy Butler in late game situations?  They did exactly that on Saturday. Butler made one of the toughest three-pointers I have seen all season, and hit a back-breaking three in the deep corner.  Each shot I felt good about because I trust Jimmy more than anyone on Marquette.  He knows how to hit big shots, and lives in the moment. Hopefully, this is only the beginning.

-Charlie.

Syracuse Struggling

The Syracuse University Orange basketball team was 18-0 no more than eight days ago and they were looking pretty good. They had gotten off to a good start in Big East play but when you look at it, they hadn't played anyone.

Their marquee victory thus far in Big East play is at home against then #15 Notre Dame. Otherwise, they had beaten the bottom feeders of the conference in Providence, St. John's and Cincy to name a few.

Now the Orange are scuffling after two losses to Pitt and Villanova, two great teams who have every right to beat 'Cuse. Last night however, during a good night across the nation, they suffered probably the biggest upset all year by falling 90-68 ( Hall's 54% from 3 point land isn't an excuse but it certainly doesn't help)  in the Carrier Dome to a Seton Hall team with just nine wins for the campaign.

Coach Boeheim was left questioning the teams effort after the game. "I'll be honest, I'm a little disappointed in some of the effort tonight. And we'll see what we can do about that."  


This outcome really makes me wonder just how good the Orange really are. They did beat Eric's Michigan State Spartans back in early December at a neutral site but MSU also suffer an ugly loss to Penn State is barely clinging to the Top 25.

The Notre Dame victory over Pitt last night helps 'Cuse' RPI, but they were fortunate enough to be granted with the beasts of the Big East gauntlet in the latter half of their schedule this year so it won't get any easier for the Kris Joseph and the boys.

Hopefully the Orange will turn it around and get a victory against Charlie's Marquette team who needs a W themselves. Patrick and I will be in attendance, student section to be exact. Initially my intention was to wear some Syracuse gear but after some sleep, I realize this isn't a good idea if I value my life.

-Mikko

The Big East Gauntlet

At the beginning of the college basketball year, I admitted to my Badger friends that the Big Ten would be the better conference. A plethora of stars came back, and no conference seemed to have that same swagger. But I forget that the Big East is a machine. They never really have a down year, teams just refuel and retool every year. Don't believe me, look at Joe Lunardi's bracketology. 11 teams are in.  I don't care about the sixteen team excuse, that's damn near 70 percent of your league.



For the Marquette Golden Eagles, they head into their toughest stretch of the season.  The next four games are about as scary as seeing Precious naked.  Tonight, it begins with a trip to South Bend to play 16. Notre Dame. After that, two huge home games against 8. UConn and 3. Syracuse. They round it off with a road trip to Philadelphia to play 7. Villanova. Can I just already ask to play in the Wachovia Center instead of that bandbox of a gym? I know my pleads will not work, but a guy can dream.

As a fan, I hope Marquette goes 2-2. Currently, the Eagles stand 4-2 in the Big East conference. I am perfectly okay being 6-4 with a couple of quality wins under their belt.  But is it okay for me to feel greedy and believe the Eagles can go 3-1 ?  I am starting to see some positive things from this team. Take away they blew a 18 point lead in 10 minutes, I know that's a pretty damming to think about, but they are playing so smoothly right now.  They don't look like a bunch of individuals anymore, they look like a team who is gelling at the right time. Take Tuesday night against DePaul. Yes I know they have a permanent residence in the cellar of the Big East, but they made all the right passes barely turning the ball over. The other thing is they showed good signs of tough defense.

The key will not be whether their balanced offense will be there, it's how the defense will play against the Big East juggernauts of UConn, Cuse, and Nova. I liked to think the team that gave up nearly 90 points is dead and buried, but you never know.  They still struggle stepping out on three point shooters, and rotating on help defense has been a consistent issue as well. I want to believe that Coach Buzz has inspired these guys to work harder on that end, but there is precedent to not believe that statement.

Just like the Return of the Mac, we
need the Return of the JFB

My final worry is a problem they had last season  might be creeping back. They don't have a number one scorer. Someone needs to take over in late game situations like Jimmy F Butler did last season.  Even though Lazar Hayward was the star of the team, JFB became the guy you wanted to have the ball with under two minutes. In my opinion, you never forget how to be clutch.  It's just something built into your system.  I know these games will be close and JFB needs to get that magic back.

Anyway you break it down, this will decide Marquette season. They lose all four, we will enjoy a healthy spot on the bubble, win all four and they become a force in the Big East with another 'why did we doubt Marquette again,' or just take care of business against two of them earning more quality wins for the resume. Now, let's go sweep the Golden Domers.

                                                                              -Charlie.

Trevor Mbawke Likes to Creep

I am a pretty bitter fan.  When a guy leaves my team whether it's the Packers, Brewers, or Golden Eagles, I tend to laugh about their shortcomings.  For example, the Mets are looking into Dave Bush, which would be a disaster for them and I hope they do it.  Anyways after Marquette polished off Notre Dame 79-57, I saw on the bottom line that Trevor Mbakwe, a former MU prized recruit had got arrested for violating his restraining order.



The reason it makes me laugh more than usual is because I saw Mbawke play in high school and thought very highly of him.  He played against Wauwatosa West, my alma mater in a holiday tournament and dunked right over one of our players in the first five minutes. Mbakwe was easily the most athletic big guy I had seen in high school giving my dad and I much excitement for his arrival at Marquette.  Mbakwe did show some gleams of promise in the couple games he played at Marquette, and then right before the upcoming season, he quits on the team.  Mbakwe showed that he cared about himself, and no one else. Obviously, my respect was lost and wished him nothing but the worst.

The worst happened as Mbakwe had a laundry list of legal issues after his departure with cases of felon battery and a restraining order. The order was filed by his ex-girlfriend who for whatever reason they are not giving her name. I mean I at least want to look if she is worth it, c'mon news media! The order was put to good use as this Facebook message violated the order and landed him in jail... via 1500 ESPN Minnesota  

"I know we haven't talked in forever and trust me I'm not trying to start any drama with nobody in your life or anything. I just wanted to wish u the best with everything and I hope all has been well with you and your family. I am still disappointed how everything played out and I do wish that in the future we could be cool again. Idk how u r going to take this msg hopefully its not bad but I just wanted to wish u a happy new year and send out a congrats for graduating. I've been well I'm finally playin bball again in everything down in miami finally got taken care of thank god. Well idk if u will respond or not but best wishes for 2011."

I have a couple of thoughts here before I end this already too long post.. 1.) Not trying to start any drama, bro you have a restraining order.. 2.) This is a nice post and seems to mean well.  3.) This girl is dumb for turning him in like that, why not just sit on it for a week and if he keeps it up, then tell the police.

I am just happy Marquette got rid of guys like Mbakwe and Jerrone Maymon. Imagine if we had those two personalities on our team instead of Jae Crowder and Jamil Jones. Some might say Marquette would be better, but I doubt they would resemble a team.

-Charlie.