Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Men's Basketball Game Notes
11/19/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Today?s Game Data
Site - Bradley Center (19,150 capacity)
Tipoff - 1:07 p.m.
Radio - Marquette Basketball Radio Network (Steve ?The Homer? True and George Thompson)
TV - None
Officials - Dave Bair, Vinny Allen, Larry Ware.
Probable Marquette Starters
G #10 - Cordell Henry (So., 5-9, 160, Chicago, Ill.)
7.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 76.9 FT%*
averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 assists in exhibition games
G #4 - John Cliff (Sr., 6-2, 210, Decatur, Ill.)
9.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 55 3FGs, 76.2 FT%*
averaged 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds and shot 56% from floor in two exhibition games
F #22 - Brian Wardle (Jr., 6-5, 212, Clarendon Hills, Ill.)
12.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 36 3FGs, 83.0 FT%*
averaged 10.5 points and 4.0 assists in exhibition season
F #42 - John Polonowski (Sr., 6-8, 235, Rockford, Mich.)
3.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg*
averaged 7.0 points and shot 46.2% from field in two exhibition wins
C #35 - John Mueller (Jr., 6-11, 231, Cedarburg, Wis.)
1.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg*
averaged 8.0 points and team-high 7.5 rebounds a game in exhibition contests
*1998-99 statistics
About Marquette The Golden Eagles are coming off two exhibition wins heading into this afternoon?s season opener. Marquette defeated the California All-Stars (74-72) on Nov. 8 and topped Nunawading Spectres, a professional team from Australia, (76-54) on Nov. 15.
Marquette averaged 75.0 points and shot 51.9% from the floor in its two exhibition games. The Golden Eagles were just 6-14 from the free throw line. Marquette thoroughly dominated the boards, outrebounding their foes 43.0-26.5.
John Cliff averaged a team-best 16.0 points a game and hit three three-pointers. He also grabbed 7.0 rebounds a game. It appears that Cliff has secured a spot in the starting five. Entering this season, he has made just 19 career starts.
Oluoma Nnamaka ranked second behind Cliff with a 13.0 ppg scoring average. He also grabbed 7.0 rebounds and shot 57.9% from the field.
Brian Wardle rounds out Marquette?s double-figure scorers from the pre-season with a 10.5 ppg average. Wardle also dished out eight assists (4.0 apg), but was 0-7 from three-point range.
John Mueller grabbed a team-high 7.5 rebounds a game and shot 50% (8-16) from the field.
MARQUETTE AVERAGES IN THE EXHIBITION SEASON G FG-FGA (%) 3FG-3FGA (%) FT-FTA (%) A T B S Pts.-Avg. Reb.-Avg.
Cliff 2-2 14-25 (56.0) 3-9 (33.3) 1-2 (50.0) 6 5 0 2 32-16.0 14-7.0
Nnamaka 2-1 11-19 (57.9) 2-3 (66.7) 2-4 (50.0) 5 0 1 0 26-13.0 14-7.0
Wardle 2-1 10-23 (43.5) 0-7 (0) 1-1 (100.0) 8 3 0 1 21-10.5 5-2.5
Mueller 2-2 8-16 (50.0) 0-0 (0) 0-0 (0) 1 5 1 0 16-8.0 15-7.5
Polonowski 2-2 6-13 (46.2) 1-1 (100.0) 1-2 (50.0) 1 4 1 2 14-7.0 7-3.5
Henry 2-2 6-13 (46.2) 1-3 (33.3) 0-0 (0) 5 5 0 3 14-7.0 4-2.0
Barone 2-0 5-6 (83.3) 0-0 (0) 1-1 (100.0) 5 6 0 2 11-5.5 4-2.0
Diggs 2-0 3-7 (42.9) 1-4 (25.0) 0-0 (0) 2 0 0 1 7-3.5 1-0.5
Miller 2-0 3-4 (75.0) 0-0 (0) 0-0 (0) 2 2 0 0 6-3.0 5-2.5
Harris 2-0 2-5 (40.0) 0-0 (0) 0-4 (0) 1 1 0 1 4-2.0 10-5.0
Marquette 2 68-131 (51.9) 8-27 (29.6) 6-14 (42.9) 36 32 3 12 150-75.0 86-43.0
Opponents 2 50-122 (41.0) 13-41 (31.7) 13-20 (65.0) 29 26 4 13 126-63.0 53-26.5
Marquette Head Coach Tom Crean First-year head coach Tom Crean was named Marquette?s head coach on March 30, 1999. He is in his first season as a head coach after serving as an assistant for 10 seasons. His coaching resum? includes stops at Michigan State (1989-90), Western Kentucky (1990-94), Pittsburgh (1994-95) and most recently again at Michigan State (1995-99).
He is a 1989 graduate of Central Michigan. Crean is assisted by Tim Buckley, Dwayne Stephens and Darrin Horn.
Tom Crean?s Marquette Record 0-0/1st season
Tom Crean?s Career Record 0-0/1st season
About Chicago State The Cougars return two starters and two additional letterwinners from last year?s team that went 3-24 and 3-11 in the Mid-Continent Conference. The Cougars will be bolstered by the addition of a plethora of newcomers. In two exhibition games, CSU was 2-0, defeating a Brazilian team, 97-72, and a team from the Ukraine, 84-63.
Chicago State averaged 90.5 points and shot 49% from the field in its two exhibition wins. CSU shot 48.7% from three-point range, hitting 19 of 39 long-range shots. The Cougars outrebounded their foes 52.0 rpg-38.5 rpg.
Tim Bryant, a transfer from Northern Illinois, led the Cougars during the exhibition season with an 18.5 ppg average. He shot 64% (16-25) from the field and connected on five three-pointers.
Junior Tony Jones, who is from Mesa Community College, averaged 13.0 points, second on the squad. Pierre Shuttlesworth, who missed the 1998-99 season due to injury, topped the Cougars with an 11.5 rebounding average in the two exhibition games.
Chicago State Head Coach Bo Ellis Bo Ellis needs little or no introduction to followers of the Marquette basketball program. A two-time All-American, he earned four letters from 1974-77 and started in two NCAA Championship games. He was named to the 1977 All-NCAA Tournament Team after scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds in Marquette?s 67-59 in over North Carolina in the title game.
Ellis led Marquette to a 101-18 record during his career and is one of two players in school history to score more than 1,000 points and grab more than 1,000 rebounds and is one of five players who has had his jersey number (#31) retired. He is a member of the M Club Hall of Fame and served as a Marquette assistant for 10 seasons before moving to Chicago State.
Last season was Ellis? first at Chicago State. His career record is 3-24.
The Marquette-Chicago State Series The Golden Eagles hold a 3-0 lead in the all-time series with the Cougars. All three games have been played in the Bradley Center. The most recent meeting came on Jan. 13, 1993, when Marquette registered a 96-47 victory.
Last Time Out Marquette concluded its exhibition season with a 76-54 win over Nunawading Spectres, a professional team from Melbourne, Australia.
The Golden Eagles raced out to a 37-21 halftime lead and Nunawading would not pull within 12 points the rest of the contest. Eleven first-half points from John Cliff and nine rebounds from Jon Harris in the first periods led Marquette.
For the game, Marquette shot 51.4% from the floor and outrebounded Nunawading by a whopping 47-28 margin. The Golden Eagles also limited the Australians to 38.1% shooting.
Brian Wardle and Oluoma Nnamaka tied for Marquette scoring honors with 14 points each. Wardle had a game-high five assists. Harris finished with 10 boards.
Nunawading?s Mike Spears led all scorers with 16 points.
Offense Outburst The Golden Eagles averaged 75 points in their two exhibition games, compared to 62.9 points a game last season.
The 76 points against Nunawading Spectres in the Nov. 15 exhibition game surpassed the scoring output in 24 games from the 1998-99 campaign.
Injury Update Junior Greg Clausen underwent surgery on Friday, Oct. 29, to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. He missed both exhibition games, but returned to practice earlier this week. He could see action this afternoon.
Clausen has appeared in 56 consecutive games over the last two seasons. That is the longest active streak on this year?s team. In 1998-99 he averaged 3.4 points and 3.5 rebounds and made 12 starts.
Krunti Hester, the lone freshman on this year?s squad, did not appear in either exhibition contest. He has been hampered by a sore right ankle but is expected to be in uniform this afternoon.
Info on the Opener Marquette?s record in season openers is 68-14. The Golden Eagles have won eight consecutive season openers. The last time MU dropped its first game of the season was on Nov. 14, 1990, with an 87-74 loss at Duke in the first round of the Dodge Preseason NIT.
After opening on the road the last two seasons, the Golden Eagles are playing their opener at home for the first time in three seasons. Marquette posted a 70-49 win at Boston College in the 1998-99 opener.
Marquette?s all-time record in home openers is 77-5. Marquette has never lost a home opener in the Bradley Center (12-0). The last time Marquette dropped a home opener was against St. Norbert (49-47) on Dec. 4, 1957, a span of 41 seasons.
Oh Yes They Call It A Streak Marquette has made at least one three-point field goal in 318 consecutive games. The last game without a trey was against Wake Forest on Feb. 2, 1989.
Marquette in the Bradley Center The Golden Eagles begin their 12th season in the Bradley Center. Marquette has a 128-50 all-time record in the Bradley Center.
Although he has yet to coach a Marquette team in the Bradley Center, first-year head coach Tom Crean was 2-0 with Michigan State in games played in Milwaukee. The Spartans defeated Mount St. Mary?s and Ole Miss in the first and second rounds, respectively, of the 1999 NCAA Tournament that Marquette hosted at the Bradley Center.
Marquette in the Milwaukee Arena In addition to this evening?s exhibition game, the Golden Eagles will play two regular-season contests here at the Milwaukee Arena.
The Arena served as Marquette?s home from 1950-51 to 1987-88. The Golden Eagles have played four games in their former home since then and are 4-0 in those contests.
Climbing the Career Charts John Cliff and Brian Wardle rank among Marquette?s top career three-point shooters. Here?s a look at where they stand on the career statistical lists:
Three-Point Field Goals
7. (tie) John Cliff 102 - 48 shy of sixth
10. Brian Wardle 82 - 4 shy of 9th
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted
7. John Cliff 308 - 82 shy of 6th
9. Brian Wardle 258 - 46 shy of 8th
Cliff Hanger Senior John Cliff paced Marquette with a 16.0 ppg scoring average in the exhibition season. The shooting guard hit a team-high three three-pointers and shot 56% (14-25) from the field. Cliff also averaged 7.0 rebounds a game.
He led Marquette with 55 three-pointers in 1998-99 and scored 37 points, the second-highest point total in a Conference USA game, at Memphis.
Brian?s Song Brian Wardle is Marquette?s top returning scorer (12.3 ppg) from the 1998-99 team. In two exhibition games he scored at a 10.5 ppg clip and averaged a team-best 4.0 assists.
The Man in the Middle With Greg Clausen missing both exhibition games due to a knee injury, John Mueller averaged 26 minutes a game at the center position. He grabbed a team-best 7.5 rebounds a game and shot 50% from the field. An athletic big man who runs the floor well, Mueller also chipped in 8.0 points in the exhibition season.
Dishing the Rock Cordell Henry was the first freshman to start at the point guard position since Tony Miller did so in the 1991-92 season. All Miller did was finish his career as Marquette?s all-time career assists leader with 956.
Henry handed out 93 assists last year, the third-best total by a freshman in Marquette history. He also averaged 7.2 points, fourth best on the squad, and shot 76.9% from the free throw line.
The Versatile Mr. Nnamaka Oluoma Nnamaka is perhaps Marquette?s most versatile player on both ends of the floor.
Last year he grabbed 65 offensive rebounds, 52.8% of his season total, and was often assigned to guard the opponents? top offensive threat.
He ranked second on the team with a 13.0 ppg average and a 7.0 rebounding average in the exhibition games.
New to the Nest The Golden Eagles have two new faces on the 1999-2000 roster.
Brian Barone is eligible after transferring from Texas A&M in 1998. In two exhibition games he shot 83.3% (5-6) from the field and averaged 2.5 assists in a back-up role to Cordell Henry.
Krunti Hester, a true freshman, missed both exhibition games due to a right ankle injury.
Tune in to the Golden Eagles Steve ?The Homer? True and George Thompson return for their ninth season on the Marquette Basketball Radio Network.
Milwaukee's WISN AM 1130 is the flagship station of the Marquette Basketball Radio Network. The network includes the following affiliates:
WFAW AM 940 (Fort Atkinson)
WRJQ AM 1050 (Appleton)
WCLO AM 1230 (Janesville)
WOMT AM 1240 (Manitowoc)
WRJN AM 1400 (Racine)
WBWI FM 92.5 (West Bend)
Marquette broadcasts all of its men's basketball games around the world on the Internet in 1999-2000. The games will be broadcast on Broadcast.com, formerly known as AudioNet. All men's games will were broadcast live and at no cost to the listener.
The Tom Crean Show on Radio 1130 WISN Marquette head coach Tom Crean and Steve ?The Homer? True will talk Marquette basketball on Crean?s weekly radio show from 7:30-8 p.m. on Radio 1130 WISN, the flagship station for Marquette basketball broadcasts. Here?s a list of dates for The Tom Crean Show:
Monday, November 29
Tuesday, December 14
Monday, January 10
Monday, January 17
Monday, January 24
Monday, January 31
Monday, February 7
Monday, February 14
Monday, February 21
Monday, February 28
Monday, March 6
Channel Surfing Sixteen Marquette basketball games will be televised this season. Below is a list of Marquette?s televised contests:
Nov. 23 at Minnesota MSC
Nov. 27 Wofford MSC
Dec. 11 at Baylor MSC
Dec. 20 Hampton MSC
Dec. 23 at Wisconsin MSC
Jan. 8 at Cincinnati MSC
Jan. 12 at DePaul MSC
Jan. 23 Cincinnati ESPN2
Jan. 26 at Saint Louis MSC
Jan. 29 at UNC Charlotte ESPN Regional
Feb. 2 at Southern Miss MSC
Feb. 13 at Louisville ESPN2
Feb. 24 at South Florida ESPN
Feb. 26 Memphis ESPN Regional March 1 UAB MSC
March 4 at Tulane MSC
Let?s Go Surfin? Now Up-to-the-minute information on Marquette basketball can be found at: www.gomarquette.com
For current information on Conference USA, check out this website: www.c-usa.org/index2.htm
Conference USA Standings
through Nov. 19
American Overall C-USA
Saint Louis 2-0 0-0
Cincinnati 0-0 0-0
DePaul 0-0 0-0
Louisville 0-0 0-0
MARQUETTE 0-0 0-0
UNC Charlotte 0-0 0-0
National
Houston 1-0 0-0
Tulane 1-0 0-0
UAB 0-0 0-0
Memphis 0-0 0-0
South Florida 0-0 0-0
Southern Miss 0-0 0-0
Friday?s Games
UAB at Auburn
Louisville at Virginia Commonwealth
Old Dominion at UNC Charlotte
Today?s Games
Youngstown State at #1 Cincinnati
Howard at #20 DePaul
Houston vs. California - Fairbanks, Alaska
Next Up for the Golden Eagles Marquette faces Minnesota on Tuesday, Nov. 23 in Minneapolis. Action at Williams Arena gets underway at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on MSC.
