Marquette spent all the season within the Prime 25, used the identical beginning 5 for all 33 video games, and can journey to Cleveland for the primary spherical of the NCAA Event with the identical objective the crew had in October: Finish the season in San Antonio to extend the top of the season so long as potential.
The Golden Eagles (23-10) are the No. 7 seed within the South Area and can open Friday evening towards No. 10 seed New Mexico (26-7) in a showdown with star energy.
Marquette guard Stevie Mitchell is one in all 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive Participant of the Yr Award and expects the task of Donovan Dent, the Mountain West Convention Participant of the Yr. Dent ranks within the high 15 nationally in scoring (20.6 factors per sport) and assists (6.4).
“We’ll get down into the nitty-gritty when it comes to this might be our final time placing on a Marquette jersey when the sport will get just a little nearer,” Mitchell mentioned.
The Golden Eagles are full of expertise, led by their very own offensive star in Kam Jones. He’ll take the court docket for the 137th time and averaged 19.3 factors, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and earned second-team All-American honors.
And David Joplin, who completes Marquette’s “Guardians,” is the opposite senior with greater than 134 school video games below his belt.
All three got here to Milwaukee to play for coach Shaka Good and expertise the NCAA Event. They’ve performed six video games in three years and can make their fourth consecutive tourney look this week.
“I gave them a homework task once we obtained again (from the Massive East event),” Good mentioned. “I mentioned I would like you to find out the chance of a participant or a crew going to 4 straight NCAA Tournaments.”
“Having been by the twists and turns of the NCAA Event, I feel each the wins we’ve had and in addition the losses we have had — six video games within the final three seasons for our seniors — have taught us a whole lot of classes,” Good mentioned. “Taught these guys a whole lot of classes.”
Marquette values protection and possessions, whereas the Lobos wish to pull the pin and let it fly. The ace up Mountain West Coach of the Yr Richard Pitino’s sleeve early within the week might be his father, Rick Pitino, the lively wins chief in males’s basketball with 884. The St. John’s head coach eradicated Marquette from the Massive East event final weekend and performed the Golden Eagles thrice this season.
“He texted me proper when it occurred (on Choice Sunday), the scouting report. I am like, calm down. I do not want that proper now,” Richard Pitino mentioned.
Generally dad and mom know greatest. On this case, dad was 3-0 towards Marquette this season with wins by six, two and 16.
Richard Pitino is aware of from watching every installment of the Marquette-St. John’s sequence this season the Golden Eagles do not flip the ball over. Jones, a sturdy 6-foot-5 guard with vary, is among the many greatest within the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Jones had 32 factors in his remaining residence sport earlier this month, an time beyond regulation loss to St. John’s.
As a crew, Marquette ranks thirtieth in Division I with a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio. Dent averaged slightly below three turnovers per sport but in addition accounted for greater than 30 p.c of the Lobos’ complete offense with 680 factors and 212 assists this season.
The winner of Friday’s sport seemingly can have a date with coach Tom Izzo and No. 2 seed Michigan State on Sunday within the second spherical.
In 2023, the then-seventh-seeded Spartans eradicated No. 2 Marquette within the second spherical, 69-60.
–Discipline Stage Media