Marquette University Athletics
Marquette-Wisconsin Men's Basketball Game Notes
12/23/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 23, 1999
Today?s Game Data
Site - Madison, Wis. ? Kohl Center (17,142)
Tipoff - 7:07 p.m.
Radio - Marquette Basketball Radio Network (Steve ?The Homer? True and George Thompson).
TV - MSC (Craig Coshun and Steve Yoder).
Officials - Tom O?Neill, Paul Janssen, Ed Hightower.
Probable Marquette Starters
G #10 - Cordell Henry (So., 5-9, 160, Chicago, Ill.)
8.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 76.2 FT%
averaging 4.0 assists in last 5 games, has made 8 straight free throws over 4 games
G #4 - John Cliff (Sr., 6-2, 210, Decatur, Ill.)
14.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 75.0 FT%
has scored in double figures in 7 of 8 games this year and has hit a three-pointer in 13 straight games
F #22 - Brian Wardle (Jr., 6-5, 212, Clarendon Hills, Ill.)
14.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 55.4 FG%
averaging 23.0 points and shooting 57.4% from floor in last 3 games
F #42 - John Polonowski (Sr., 6-8, 235, Rockford, Mich.)
4.9 ppg. 2.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg
has started last 3 games, leads team with 9 rejections
C #35 - John Mueller (Jr., 6-11, 231, Cedarburg, Wis.)
6.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 52.5 FG%
shooting 54.5% from floor and 87.5% from free throw line in last 2 games
About Marquette The Golden Eagles bring a 5-3 record into tonight?s action against the Badgers. Marquette snapped a brief two-game losing skid with a 67-52 victory over Hampton Monday evening in Milwaukee.
Defense has been a key component to Marquette?s success in the early season. The Golden Eagles hold their foes to 59.4 points a game and 36.4% shooting from the floor. Even more impressive is Marquette?s defense against the three-pointer. The Golden Eagles opponents are shooting a mere 23.9% from three-point territory.
Rebounding has been an important factor as well. Marquette wins the battle of the boards by a +6.7 rpg margin. The Golden Eagles have only been outrebounded once (Baylor). Marquette and Minnesota finished the Nov. 23 game tied at 35 rebounds.
Brian Wardle has had the hot hand of late for Marquette. His 25-point performance against Hampton (Dec. 20) vaulted him into the team?s scoring lead with a 14.9 ppg average. Over the last three games he is averaging 23 points and shooting 57.4% from the field. Wardle has eclipsed the 20-point plateau three times this season and is the only player on the squad to score 20 or more points in 1999-2000. The Baylor (29 points) and Hampton (25 points) marked the first time in his career he has scored 20+ points in back-to-back games.
Close behind Wardle on the scoring chart is John Cliff at 14.5 ppg. He has made a team-leading 17 three-pointers and has connected on a trey in 13 consecutive games dating back to last season. Cliff also grabs 4.8 rebounds a game and is second on the team in assists (21) and steals (10). He also shoots 75.0% from the charity stripe.
Cordell Henry chips in 8.6 points and 3.5 assists a game. He shoots 76.2% from the free throw line and has made eight straight free throws over the last four games.
Jon Harris provides a lift off the bench with 6.5 rebounds, best among the active players, a game. He tallied a career-high 15 points against Hampton (Dec. 20). Harris also set career highs in field goals (6), field goals attempted (9), field goal % (66.7%), and free throws attempted (6) in Monday?s win over Hampton.
John Mueller adds 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a game, while shooting 52.5% from the floor.
Brian Barone holds the team lead with 11 steals and is tied with Cliff for second with 21 assists.
Marquette Head Coach Tom Crean 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 5-3/1st season
Tom Crean?s Career Record 5-3/1st season
About Wisconsin The Badgers, 6-4 on the season, have been idle since a 55-51 defeat at Northern Illinois on Dec. 14. UW has lost its last two games and the NIU contest concluded a span of five games in 11 days.
Wisconsin is 4-0 in the Kohl Center, but has not played on its home court since a 55-34 win over UW-Green Bay on Dec. 8.
The Badgers are once again playing their trademark defense, allowing just 53.2 points a game, the third-lowest mark in the nation. UW?s foes also shoot 38.8% from the field. The one statistical category that Wisconsin?s foes are winning, however, is the battle of the boards. UW is being outrebounded by a slim 31.9 rpg-31.0 rpg margin.
Mark Vershaw is the lone double-figure scoring Badger at 12.5 ppg. He shoots 53.8% from the floor and also grabs 5.0 rebounds a contest. A 6-9 forward, Vershaw sports a team-leading 3.6 assists average.
Jon Bryant chips in 9.1 points a game. He has drilled a team-best 21 three-pointers and shoots 72.7% from the charity stripe. Mike Kelley tops the squad with a 2.6 steals average and shoots 78.9% from the free throw line.
Andy Kowske ranks third with an 8.7 ppg average and has the second-highest rebounding average (5.2 rpg).
Wisconsin Head Coach Dick Bennett A 1965 graduate of Ripon, Dick Bennett has compiled a 75-58 record in six seasons at Wisconsin. His 24-year career record is 262-167.
Bennett has faced Marquette eight times in his career and has a 4-4 mark. While at UW-Green Bay, he registered a 2-2 mark against the Golden Eagles. Bennett is 2-2 versus Marquette during his Wisconsin tenure, including a 1-1 mark in games played in Madison.
The Marquette-Wisconsin Series Tonight?s game is the 106th installment in a series that dates back to the 1917-18 season. Wisconsin is Marquette?s most-frequent opponent and holds a 56-49 advantage in the series.
UW has won 32 of 46 games played in Madison. This is Marquette?s first appearance in the Kohl Center. The Golden Eagles won the last meeting in Madison, a 65-60 victory on Nov. 14, 1997, which snapped a UW?s seven game home winning streak in the series.
This is the first game between the two teams in the Kohl Center, which opened in January, 1998. Tom Crean, however, posted a 2-0 record in the Kohl Center as an assistant at Michigan State.
Last season, the #20 Badgers came to Milwaukee on Dec. 23 and posted a 61-45 victory. Marquette managed to score just 10 first-half points and shoot 31.4% from the floor for the game.
Sean Mason topped Wisconsin with 15 points and Jon Bryant came off the bench to add 11 points.
Brian Wardle led all scorers with 16 points. Jon Harris pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and blocked two shots in his first collegiate start.
The game was played in front of 18,545 fans, the second-largest crowd at the Bradley Center.
Statistical Comparison
Marquette Wisconsin
Scoring 65.1 ppg 58.8 ppg
Scoring Margin +5.7 ppg +5.6 ppg
Rebounding 40.5 rpg 31.0 rpg
Reb. Margin +6.7 rpg -0.9 rpg
FG% 43.3% 44.8%
Opp. FG% 36.4% 38.8%
3FG% 30.4% 33.3%
FT% 57.2% 64.9%
Marquette Career Averages vs. Wisconsin
G FG-FGA (%) 3FG-3FGA (%) FT-FTA (%) A T B S Pts.-Avg. Reb.-Avg.
Clausen 2 2-6 (33.3) 0-0 (0) 1-3 (33.3) 0 3 0 0 5-2.5 5-2.5
Cliff 3 2-14 (14.3) 2-6 (33.3) 0-0 (0) 3 3 1 1 6-2.0 4-1.3
Diggs 1 1-3 (33.3) 1-2 (50.0) 1-2 (50.0) 1 0 0 0 4-4.0 0-0.0
Harris 1 1-3 (33.3) 0-1 (0) 1-4 (25.0) 0 1 2 1 3-3.0 9-9.0
Henry 1 2-10 (20.0) 0-4 (0) 1-1 (100.0) 2 2 0 0 5-5.0 3-3.0
Miller 3 1-1 (100.0) 0-0 (0) 0-1 (0) 1 1 0 0 2-0.7 0-0.0
Mueller 2 0-0 (0) 0-0 (0) 0-0 (0) 0 1 0 0 0-0.0 0-0.0
Nnamaka 1 0-1 (0) 0-0 (0) 0-0 (0) 0 1 0 0 0-0.0 5-5.0
Polonowski 2 4-4 (100.0) 1-1 (100.0) 0-0 (0) 0 0 0 0 9-4.5 2-1.0
Wardle 2 8-20 (40.0) 4-7 (57.1) 5-7 (71.4) 2 5 1 3 25-12.5 7-3.5
Marquette vs. the Big Ten This is the Golden Eagles? second road game against a Big Ten opponent in 1999-2000. Marquette dropped a 66-57 decision at Minnesota on Nov. 23. Marquette?s all-time record against teams from the Big Ten is 125-173.
Conference Chat Tonight?s game is Wisconsin second against a Conference USA member in 1999-2000. USF posted a 66-63 win on Dec. 11 in Tampa.
Last Time Out The Golden Eagles got back on the winning track with a 67-52 win over Hampton on Dec. 20 in the Bradley Center.
Marquette jumped out to a 13-2 lead seven minutes into the contest. John Cliff scored five points in that opening stretch for Marquette. The Golden Eagles enjoyed a 25-19 lead at halftime.
The Pirates used an 8-0 run to pull within one point (32-31) at the 12:42 mark. Marquette answered back with a 12-0 spurt to rebuild the lead to double digits. Brian Wardle hit Marquette?s first three-pointer of the game in that decisive run.
The Golden Eagles shot 48.9% from the floor, their best performance in five outings. Once again Marquette won the rebounding battle, by a 36-33 margin. It wasthe sixth time this season the Golden Eagles outrebounded the opposition. Marquette also limited Hampton to 33.9% from the field, including 16.7% from beyond the arc. The three-point shooting was the lowest by a foe in five games.
Wardle led all scorers with 25 points. He was 8-14 from the field and also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds. It marked the first time in his career that he has scored 20 or more points in consecutive games.
Jon Harris was 6-9 from the field, en route to a career-best 15 points. John Cliff added 14 points and hit three three-pointers.
Marseilles Brown was the only Pirate in double figures with 16 points.
The Polling Place
Dec. 23 College RPI 113th
Dec. 23 The RPI Report 114th
Dec. 22 Sagarin Ratings 128th
Injury Update Oluoma Nnamaka is expected to miss the next three weeks with a stress fracture in the second bone of his left foot. Through the first five games he averaged 9.6 points and 8.0 rebounds.
Junior Greg Clausen underwent surgery on Oct. 29, to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. He missed both exhibition games, but has seen action in the first eight games of the season.
Krunti Hester, the lone freshman on this year?s squad, has been hampered by a right ankle injury. He has not played this season.
Bart Miller returned to action a Baylor (Dec. 11) after missing the previous four games with a sprained left ankle. He suffered the injury on Nov. 25.
Oh Yes They Call It A Streak Marquette has made at least one three-point field goal in 326 consecutive games. The last game without a trey was against Wake Forest on Feb. 2, 1989.
The streak has been in jeopardy in the last four games. The Golden Eagles have not hit a first-half trey in the last four outings
Bench Production Marquette?s bench is averaging 14.8 points and 14.3 rebounds. The reserves shoot 38.7% from the field, 15.0% from three-point range, and 46.7% from the free throw line.
Marquette?s best scoring performance from its bench was in the season opener against Chicago State (Nov. 20) with 29 points. The reserves have pulled down a season-high 19 rebounds on two occasions - versus Chicago State (Nov. 20) and against Western Michigan (Dec. 3).
The Golden Eagle bench scored 17 points, its best outing in four contests, against Hampton (Dec. 20). The Marquette reserves have not made a three-pointer in the last four games.
Is There a Pattern? In Marquette?s three losses, the opponents have shot better than 40% from the field and have each blocked five shots.
Protecting the Lead Marquette is 5-1 when leading at halftime. The Baylor game (Dec. 11) was the first time the Golden Eagles lost after holding the lead at the break.
Around the Block After going two game without blocking a shot (Baylor, Dayton), the Golden Eagles rejected two shots in Monday?s win over Hampton.
For Starters Marquette has used three different starting lineups this season.
The most common group of starters, used in four games, was Cordell Henry, John Cliff, Brian Wardle, Oluoma Nnamaka and John Mueller. John Polonowski moved into the starting lineup, replacing the injured Nnamaka, in each of the last three contests.
Marquette in the Bradley Center The Golden Eagles are in their 12th season in the Bradley Center. Marquette has a 133-50 all-time record, including a 5-0 mark this season, in the Bradley Center.
Marquette in the Milwaukee Arena The Golden Eagles will play one more regular-season game in the Milwaukee Arena. Marquette hosts Coppin State in its former home on Dec. 29.
The Arena served as Marquette?s home from 1950-51 to 1987-88. The Golden Eagles have played five games in the Arena since then and are 4-1 in those contests. The Dec. 7 loss to Dayton snapped Marquette?s four-game winning streak, which dated back to the 1994-95 season.
Defending the Three-Pointer This season, Marquette?s foes are shooting a mere 23.9% (27-113) from beyond the arc. Baylor hit 6 of 14 long-range shots for 42.9%, the best by a foe this season.
Minnesota was 0-5 from three-point territory on Nov. 23, the first time in 75 games a Marquette opponent failed to connect on the long-range shot.
Inside the Numbers In Marquette?s five wins, the Golden Eagles have held their foes to 54.8 points and 32.3% from the field. In the team?s three losses, Marquette allowed 67.0 points and 44.2% shooting from the floor.
Marquette has not been a kind host to its visitors, allowing just 56.2 points a game in six contests in Milwaukee. Visitors have shot just 33.5% from the floor in games played in Milwaukee.
Checking the Conference USA Stats
through Dec. 20 games
Team
Scoring Offense 12th - 65.1 ppg
Scoring Defense 3rd - 59.4 ppg
Scoring Margin 8th - +5.7 ppg
Field Goal % 10th - 43.3%
Field Goal % Defense 2nd - 36.4%
3-Point Field Goal % 12th - 30.4%
3-Point Field Goal% Def. 1st - 23.9%
Free Throw % 12th - 57.2%
Rebounding 2nd - 40.5 rpg
Rebounding Margin 3rd - +6.7 rpg
Assists 8th - 14.63 apg
Blocked Shots 11th - 2.13 bpg
Steals 10th - 6.75 spg
Individual
Scoring Wardle - 15th - 14.9 ppg, Cliff - 17th - 14.5 ppg
Rebounding Harris - 16th - 6.5 rpg
Field Goal % Wardle - 8th - 55.4%
3-Point Field Goal % Cliff - 10th - 37.8%
Free Throw % none
Assists Henry - 11th - 3.50 apg
Blocked Shots Polonowski - 9th - 1.13 bpg
Steals none
Streaks ?n? Stuff
Consecutive Games Played - Greg Clausen - 64
Consecutive Starts - Brian Wardle - 15
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games - John Cliff - 5
Consecutive Games with a Three-Pointer - John Cliff - 13
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Scored 20+ Points - Brian Wardle (25) vs. Hampton - Dec. 20, 1999
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Rebounds - John Mueller (10) vs. Appalachian State - Dec. 4, 1999
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had a Double-Double (Points-Rebounds) - John Mueller (11-10) vs. Appalachian State - Dec. 4, 1999
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Assists - Marcus West (11) vs. Dayton - Dec. 21, 1997
The Last Time an Opponent Scored 20+ Points - Tony Barksdale (21) - Western Michigan - Dec. 3, 1999
The Last Time an Opponent Had 10+ Rebounds - Ben Echols (13) - Baylor (OT) - Dec. 11, 1999
The Last Time an Opponent Had a Double-Double (Points-Rebounds) - Ben Echols (10-13) - Baylor (OT) - Dec. 11, 1999
The Last Time an Opponent Had 10+ Assists - Edwin Young (10) - Dayton - Nov. 28, 1998
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. John Cliff 119 - 31 shy of 6th (Eford)
9. Brian Wardle 92 - 10 shy of 8th (Bargen)
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted
7. John Cliff 353 - 37 shy of 6th (Eford)
9. Brian Wardle 278 - 25 shy of 8th (Bargen)
Cliff Hanger Senior John Cliff is enjoying the best offensive production of his career. Cliff entered the 1999-2000 campaign with a 5.6 ppg career average. He ranks second on the team with a 14.5 ppg average. Cliff has been the team?s top scorer in four games and has reached double digits seven times. He has drilled 17 three-pointers, most on the team this season. Cliff has connected on a three-pointer in 13 consecutive games dating back to last season.
The senior also grabs 4.8 rebounds, compared to his career average of 2.1 entering the season.
Brian?s Song Brian Wardle is shooting a team-best 55.4% from the field this season. Entering the season, his career shooting percentage stood at 36.8%.
He moved into first place on the Marquette scoring chart following his 25-point effort against Hampton. His average now stands at 14.9 ppg.
Wardle is coming off a 29-point game at Baylor (Dec. 11) and the 25-point performance in the win over Hampton. That marks the first time in his career he has scored 20 or more points in back-to-back games.
Wardle was unstoppable in the second half of the Baylor game (Dec. 11). He scored 16 straight points in the final 8:39 of regulation and hit a three-pointer to open the overtime period. Wardle set or tied career highs in field goals (12), field goals attempted (21), three-pointers (4), and minutes (38) in that game.
Oh Henry Cordell Henry ranks third on the squad with an 8.6 ppg average.
He has dished out four assists in each of the last five contests and has made eight consecutive free throws over the last four games.
Henry was named the MVP of the Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic (Dec. 3-4) after averaging 14.0 points and 4.0 assists in wins over Western Michigan and Appalachian State.
Brian?s Song, The Sequel Brian Barone has a team-high 11 steals to his credit this season. He recorded four, tied for most by a Golden Eagle this season, against Dayton on Dec. 7. He also dishes out 2.6 assists a game.
The Man in the Middle With Greg Clausen still recovering from Oct. 29 knee surgery, John Mueller is getting the bulk of the minutes at the center position.
He notched 10 first-half points at Baylor (Dec. 11) and finished with a career-best 12 before fouling out.
Mueller recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-best 10 rebounds against Appalachian State (Dec. 4). That was the first time in six games that a Golden Eagle had a double-double.
On the season Mueller is shooting 52.5% from the field and averaging 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. In the last four games, he is shooting 59.1% (13-22) from the field.
Chairman of the Boards Sophomore Jon Harris is dominating the glass for the Golden Eagles. He is averaging 6.5 boards a game. That average is best on the team, with the exception of Oluoma Nnamaka, who has missed the last three games due to injury. Harris already has 52 rebounds this season. Last year, he grabbed a total of 66.
He was an offensive spark in the win over Hampton (Dec. 20). He was 6-9 from the field and scored a career-best 15 points. Entering the game, he was just 4-11 from the field on the season.
Taking the ?O? Out of Offense Oluoma Nnamaka, one of Marquette?s most versatile players, will be sidelined for the next three weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot. Through the first five games, he averaged 9.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists a contest.
Nnamaka had shown his ability to grab offensive rebounds once again this season with 21, 52.5% of his total. Last year, 52.8% of his rebounds were off the offensive glass.
He tied his season high with 9 boards against Appalachian State on Dec. 4.
By the Numbers
Games Led in Scoring Cliff - 4, Wardle - 3, Henry - 1.
Games Led in Rebounding Harris - 3, Mueller, Wardle - 2, Clausen, Cliff - 1.
Double-Figure Scoring Games Marquette - 21 (Cliff - 7, Wardle - 5, Henry - 4, Mueller, Nnamaka - 2, Harris - 1).
Opponents - 22.
Twenty-Point Scoring Games Marquette - 3 (Wardle - 3).
Opponents - 2.
Double-Figure Rebounding Games Marquette - 3 (Harris - 2, Mueller - 1).
Opponents - 4.
Double-Figure Scoring-Rebounding Games Marquette - 1 (Mueller - 1).
Opponents - 3.
Tune in to the Golden Eagles Steve ?The Homer? True and George Thompson are in 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. The games will be broadcast on Broadcast.com. All men's games are 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, 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 remaining televised contests:
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
Next Up for the Golden Eagles Marquette returns to Milwaukee to host Coppin State on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Action at the Milwaukee Arena gets underway at 7 p.m.
