Marquette University Athletics
Marquette-Western Michigan Game Notes
12/3/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 3, 1999
Today?s Game Data
Site - Bradley Center (19,150)
Tipoff - 8:08 p.m.
Radio - Marquette Basketball Radio Network (Steve ?The Homer? True and George Thompson)
TV - None
Officials - Ted Hillary, Gerry Pollard, David Maracich.
Probable Marquette Starters
G #10 - Cordell Henry (So., 5-9, 160, Chicago, Ill.)
8.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.7 apg
had 6 assists in win over Wofford (Nov. 27)
G #4 - John Cliff (Sr., 6-2, 210, Decatur, Ill.)
12.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.0 apg
tied career high with 5 assists against Wofford (Nov. 27)
F #22 - Brian Wardle (Jr., 6-5, 212, Clarendon Hills, Ill.)
13.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 62.5 FG%, 60.0 3FG%
scored 21 points, his sixth career game with 20+ points, against Wofford
F #43 - Oluoma Nnamaka (So., 6-7, 213, Uppsala, Sweden)
11.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 60.0 FG%, 3.3 apg, 1.0 bpg
had career-high 19 points versus Wofford
C #35 - John Mueller (Jr., 6-11, 231, Cedarburg, Wis.)
4.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg had 6 points and 5 rebounds in last Saturday?s win over Wofford
About Marquette The Golden Eagles bring a 2-1 record into this weekend?s Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic. Marquette posted a 74-59 victory over Wofford on Nov. 27, its most recent outing.
Marquette averages 64.3 points, compared to 56.0 points for its opponents. Marquette?s scoring defense is ranked 16th in the country. The Golden Eagles are winning the battle of the boards by a whopping 46.3-34.7 margin.
Three Golden Eagles score in double figures, led by Brian Wardle?s 13.0 ppg average. He shoots 62.5% from the field. Wardle scored 21 points, the sixth time in his career he tallied 20 or more points, in last Saturday?s win over Wofford. It was the highest scoring output by a Golden Eagle in five games dating back to last season.
John Cliff ranks second on the squad with a 12.7 ppg average. He has hit a team-high five three-pointers. Cliff also ranks third on the squad with a 7.3 rebounding average.
Oluoma Nnamaka scored a career-best 19 points against Wofford last Saturday and is now averaging 12.7 points a contest. He is the team leader at 7.7 rpg and also averages 3.3 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals, while shooting 60% from the floor.
Jon Harris tops the squad with an 8.0 rebounding average. Half of his rebounds (12 of 24) have come off the offensive glass. Brian Barone is tied with Nnamaka with a team-leading 3.3 assists average.
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 2-1/1st season
Tom Crean?s Career Record 2-1/1st season
About Western Michigan The Broncos recorded their first victory of the season, a 78-71 win over Youngstown State on Monday in Kalamazoo. Western Michigan is now 1-3 on the season.
The Broncos average 72.8 points and 7.0 three-pointers a game. Western Michigan allows its foes to shoot 53.7% from the field.
Tony Barksdale averages 25.5 points a game, which ranks eighth nationally. Barksdale is shooting 28-41 from the free throw line and is averaging 4.3 assists a game. He lit up Youngstown State for 30 points Monday.
Thadus Williams is the only other Bronco who averages double figures at 14.5 points a game.
Robert Watson has the top rebounding average (5.5 rpg) and has grabbed 10 offensive boards. He also shoots a team-high 57.1% from the field.
Western Michigan Head Coach Bob Donewald Now in his 11th season at Western Michigan, Bob Donewald has compiled a 142-140 record. His 22-year career mark is 350-260. Donewald is a 1964 graduate of Hanover.
The Marquette-Western Michigan Series Tonight?s game is the 28th meeting between Marquette and Western Michigan. The Golden Eagles hold a 20-7 lead in the series. The teams last met on Jan. 9, 1989, when the Broncos posted a 68-63 victory. Marquette is 10-4 versus the Broncos in games played in Milwaukee. The 1989 meeting was the only game played in the Bradley Center.
Last Time Out A strong rebounding effort propelled Marquette to a 74-59 victory over Wofford on Nov. 27.
The Golden Eagles won the rebounding battle by a 50-22 margin and held the Terriers? top two scorers ? Ian Chadwick and Starzee Walker ??to a combined 16 points, 17.6 points below their averages entering the contest.
After trailing 5-4 in the first two minutes of action, Marquette went on a 19-8 run to open up a 10-point lead. The Golden Eagles led 30-19 at the break and Wofford never got closer than 11 points in the second period.
Marquette?s perimeter limited the Terriers to 2-15 from three-point range. Despite committing 20 turnovers, the Golden Eagles shot 50.9% from the floor.
Brian Wardle led all scorers with 21 points on 9-11 shooting from the floor. Oluoma Nnamaka had 19 points, his career high, to go with seven rebounds and five assists. John Cliff had a strong outing with eight points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Mike Lenzly paced Wofford with 13 points and five rebounds.
The Polling Place
Dec. 3 College RPI 82nd
Dec. 3 Sagarin Ratings 78th
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 has seen action in the first three 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 sprained his left ankle in practice on Nov. 25. He did not dress against Wofford and is questionable for this evening?s game.
Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic This year?s Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic is the 38th installment in the nation?s third-longest regular-season tournament. Year-by-year results appear on pages 138-139 of the Marquette Basketball media guide. A complete list of team and individual records appears in the Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic program.
Appalachian State, Toledo and Western Michigan are making their first appearances in the Classic.
Oh Yes They Call It A Streak Marquette has made at least one three-point field goal in 321 consecutive games. The last game without a trey was against Wake Forest on Feb. 2, 1989.
Bench Production Through the first three games of the season Marquette?s bench is averaging 17.3 points and 15.3 rebounds. The reserves shoot 37.3% from the field, 14.3% from three-point range, and 50% 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 also turned in their highest rebound total in that game with 19.
Strange But True Marquette?s opponents have scored first in the first three games of the season.
Marquette in the Bradley Center The Golden Eagles are in their 12th season in the Bradley Center. Marquette has a 130-50 all-time record, including a 2-0 mark this season, in the Bradley Center.
Marquette in the Milwaukee Arena The Golden Eagles will play two regular-season contests (Dec. 7 vs. Dayton, Dec. 29 vs. Coppin State) 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.
Defending the Three-Pointer This season, Marquette?s foes are shooting a mere 13.5% (5-37) from beyond the arc.
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.
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 107 - 43 shy of sixth (Eford)
10. Brian Wardle 85 - 1 shy of 9th (Crawford)
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted
7. John Cliff 324 - 68 shy of 6th (Eford)
9. Brian Wardle 263 - 41 shy of 8th (Bargen)
Cliff Hanger Senior John Cliff is enjoying the best offensive production of his career. Entering the season he had a career scoring average of 5.6 points. Through the first three games he is scoring at a 12.7 ppg clip. He adds 7.3 rebounds a game, compared to 2.1 in his first three seasons.
Brian?s Song Brian Wardle scored 21 points, his best production in seven games, dating back to the 1998-99 campaign. He paces the Golden Eagles with a 13.0 ppg average. Wardle is shooting 62.5% from the floor, best on the team.
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 tied his career high with three field goals versus Wofford. Mueller is averaging 4.7 points and 5.7 rebounds a game.
Oh Henry Cordell Henry dished out six assists against Wofford, one shy of his career high. He also grabbed four defensive rebounds in that win.
On the season he averages 8.0 points and 2.7 assists.
The Versatile Mr. Nnamaka Oluoma Nnamaka is off to a fine start in his sophomore season. He ranks third in scoring (12.7 ppg) and second in rebounding (7.7 rpg). He is tied for the team assist lead (10) and tops the club with three blocks. He shoots 60% from the field and has 11 offensive rebounds, 47.8% of his season total.
Chairman of the Boards Sophomore Jon Harris tops the team with an 8.0 rebounding advantage. He has grabbed 50% (12 of 24) of his rebounds off the offensive glass. He is averaging 21.3 minutes a game, best among the reserves and among Marquette?s big men.
By the Numbers
Games Led in Scoring
Cliff - 2, Wardle - 1.
Games Led in Rebounding
Harris - 2, Cliff - 1.
Double-Figure Scoring Games
Marquette - 7 (Cliff, Henry, Wardle - 2,
Nnamaka- 1).
Opponents - 9.
Twenty-Point Scoring Games
Marquette - 1 (Wardle - 1).
Opponents - 1.
Double-Figure Rebounding Games
Marquette - 1 (Harris - 1).
Opponents - 2.
Double-Figure Scoring-Rebounding Games
Marquette - 0.
Opponents - 1.
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:
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:
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
A Marquette Welcome To
?Bill Dyer, Appalachian sports info director
?Mark Waddell, Appalachian Sports Network
?Paul Helgren, Toledo sports info director
?John Harris, Toledo Blade
?Mark Beier, Toledo Radio
?Jay Lehman, Toledo Radio
?Grant Lewis, Toledo Radio
?Scott Kuykendall, Western Michigan sports info director
?Robin Hook, Western Michigan Radio
?Bob Brink, Western Michigan Radio
Next Up for the Golden Eagles Following the conclusion of the Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic, Marquette hosts Dayton, fresh off an upset of #12 Kentucky, on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at the Milwaukee Arena. Action tips off at 7 p.m.
