On Tuesday night, Marquette nation was left unsure of what to think. It was an eleven point loss…that was probably closer to a 20 point loss. But fans saw some really good moments from the still developing Golden Eagles. #freestevetaylor destroyed the Ohio State zone. The Marquette ‘D’ forced 13 first half turnovers. And perhaps the most surprising of all, Derrick Wilson hit a three pointer. But poor shooting, “freshman” mistakes, and a complete lack of interior d lead to the easy Buckeye victory. Expect Marquette to continue some of the good things and tune up a lot of those weaknesses in their next matchup against Nebraska-Omaha.
Mascot: Mavericks
Conference: Summit
13-14 Record: 17-15 (5-9)
13-14 RPI: 214
13-14 KenPom: 190
14-15 Record: 1-1 (W vs. Central Arkansas, L @ Seattle U)
14-15 KenPom: 249
Coach: Derrin Hansen (10th season)
Departures from 13-14:
Justin Simmons: Starting SF, 10.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 spg, .248 3P%
John Karhoff: Starting C, 13.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.5 bpg, .222 3P%
Matt Hagerbaumer: 1st off bench, 3.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.0 bpg, .000 3P%
Alex Phillips: 3rd of bench, 5.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.3 spg, .392 3P%
Caleb Steffensmeier: 4th off bench, 3.4 pgg, 1.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.8 spg, .352 3P%
Simon Krych: 5th off bench, 1.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.2 bpg, .000 3P%
48% of scoring, 47% of rebounding, 47% of assists, 43% of 3PMs
Arrivals:
Jake White: Transfer PF from Wichita State
Tim Smallwood: Unranked JUCO transfer
Randy Reed Jr: Unranked JUCO transfer
Daniel Meyer: 2013 2 star PF (coming off redshirt)
Rylan Murry: 2013 2 star PF (coming off redshirt)
Devin Newsome: 2 star PG
Tre’Shawn Thurman: 2 star SF
Probable Starters:
PG: Devin Patterson: 5-11 160 JR: 13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.5 spg, .400 3P%
SG: Marcus Tyus: 6-1 175 JR: 4.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.5 spg, .111 3P%
SF: C.J. Carter: 6-1 180 SR: 19.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.5 apg, 0.0 spg, .500 3P%
PF: Mike Rostampour: 6-8 230 RSSR: 9.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.0 spg, .500 3P%
C: Jake White: 6-8 235 RSJR: 9.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 1.0 spg, .000 3P%
Probable Bench:
Tre’Shawn Thurman: 6-7 220 FR SF
Randy Reed Jr: 6-6 200 JR SG
Rylan Murry: 6-7 240 RSFR PF
Tim Smallwood: 6-2 175 JR SG
Devin Newsome: 5-9 165 FR PG
Daniel Meyer: 6-9 240 RSFR PF
Probable Benchwarmers:
Kyler Erickson: 6-0 165 SO PG
Alex Allbery: 6-1 180 SO PG
The Game Plan: The Mavericks are about the shortest team Marquette will face all year. They only feature three players who are taller than #freestevetaylor and one of those is the last person in Hansen’s rotation. To make matters worse for the Mavericks, Jake White, their big transfer from Wichita State, was held out of their last game against Seattle with an injury. It’s unclear whether or not he will play at the Bradley Center on Saturday. 6-foot-7 freshman Tre’Shawn Thomas would start in White’s place if he isn’t available. The Mavericks love to score. They averaged 80 points a game last season and have averaged 87 points a game in their first two this season. Their team defense however, leaves much to be desired. Expect a very high scoring game. UN-O is led by upperclassmen guards C.J. Carter and Devin Patterson. They have combined for 32.5 ppg and 10.5 apg this season and account for over half of their team’s scoring. Both are threats to score from deep and off the dribble, but both have a loose handle. They account for over half of their team’s turnovers. Jajuan Johnson should be ready to feast.
Best Case: Wojo’s Duke inspired ¾ court press causes all sorts of fits for UN-O. They turn it over 18 times…in the first half. Carter and Patterson are so flustered by JjJ’s steals that the few times they do get a clean look, the ball clanks off the rim. Facing less talented, less athletic bigs who are actually his size, Taylor paints an offensive masterpiece, dropping 20 and 9. Burton, blessed with being guarded by a 6-1 guard, responds by leaping over his defender for a #bane slam. Marquette forgets their Ohio State woes by blowing out UN-O by 30+.
Worst Nightmare: The Mavericks can’t miss. UN-O exploits the press and finds ways to get their shooters wide open threes that continually go in. C.J. Carter leads the pack by dropping in 20+ including four treys. Taylor may be more athletic than White and Rostampour, but they are more experienced. They use that to gain some advantages on the boards and pick up some easy buckets. Marquette’s outside shooting remains cold going 3-14 from downtown. Because of their raw talent and speed, Marquette stays at a sizeable lead the whole game. But every time they have a chance to put it away, UN-O hits a big three just to keep Marquette fans on edge. MU ends up with the 12 point victory.
Final Predication: 85-67 Marquette
Paint Touches 