Marquette spent your complete season within the High 25, used the identical beginning 5 for all 33 video games, and can journey to Cleveland for the primary spherical of the NCAA Match with the identical objective the crew had in October: Finish the season in San Antonio to delay the top of the season so long as attainable.
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 every of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive Participant of the 12 months Award and expects the project of Donovan Dent, the Mountain West Convention Participant of the 12 months. Dent ranks within the prime 15 nationally in scoring (20.6 factors per recreation) and assists (6.4).
“We’ll get down into the nitty-gritty when it comes to this may very well be our final time placing on a Marquette jersey when the sport will get somewhat nearer,” Mitchell stated.
The Golden Eagles are filled with 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 faculty video games underneath his belt.
All three got here to Milwaukee to play for coach Shaka Good and expertise the NCAA Match. They’ve performed six video games in three years and can make their fourth consecutive tourney look this week.
“I gave them a homework project once we acquired again (from the Large East event),” Good stated. “I stated I need 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 Match, I feel each the wins we now have had and likewise the losses we have had — six video games within the final three seasons for our seniors — have taught us quite a lot of classes,” Good stated. “Taught these guys quite a 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 12 months Richard Pitino’s sleeve early within the week may very well 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 Large 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, chill out. I do not want that proper now,” Richard Pitino stated.
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 collection 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 ultimate house recreation earlier this month, an extra time loss to St. John’s.
As a crew, Marquette ranks thirtieth in Division I with a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio. Dent averaged just below three turnovers per recreation but in addition accounted for greater than 30 % of the Lobos’ complete offense with 680 factors and 212 assists this season.
The winner of Friday’s recreation possible may 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 Degree Media
