Marquette Prepares For Wisconsin Invasion

Game Data

Site - Milwaukee, Wis. -- Bradley Center (18,582)

Tipoff - 1:07 p.m. CST Radio - Marquette Basketball Radio Network (Steve "The Homer" True, Play-by-Play, George Thompson, Analyst)

Television - Midwest Sports Channel (Craig Coshun, Play-by-Play, Shon Morris, Analyst) -- Game is Blacked Out in Southeast Wisconsin

Probable Marquette Starters (subject to change)

G #4 - Cordell Henry (Jr., 5-10, 160, Chicago, Ill.) 10.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.0 apg -- Season-high 21 points vs. Western Carolina

G #22 - Brian Wardle (Sr., 6-5, 205, Clarendon Hills, Ill.) 17.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg -- Double-figure scorer in seven games

F #43 - Oluoma Nnamaka (Jr., 6-7, 218, Uppsala, Sweden) 7.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg -- Team's No. 1 Rebounder

F #2 - Odartey Blankson (Fr., 6-7, 205, Country Club Hills, Ill.) 6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg -- Season-high 12 points vs. Western Carolina

C #35 - John Mueller (Sr., 6-10, 240, Cedarburg, Wis.) 2.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg -- Has started 39 of the team's last 40 games

Probable Wisconsin Starters

F #15 - Andy Kowske (Sr., 6-8, 230, 8.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg)

F #40 - Charlie Wills (Jr., 6-8, 230, 6.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

G #20 - Kirk Penney (So., 6-5, 205, 11.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg)

G #22 - Mike Kelley (Sr., 6-3, 190, 7.3 ppg, 3.1 apg)

G #32 - Roy Boone (Sr., 6-3, 195, 14.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Series Notes -- Wisconsin holds a 57-49 advantage in the all-time series that started during the 1917-18 season ... UW has won the last two games of the series including an 86-74 decision at Madison last year ... Saturday's game marks the 18th straight season that the two schools have met.

Game Info

After posting a win against Western Carolina on Wednesday, the Marquette basketball team plays its final home game of 2000 Saturday afternoon when it plays host to Big Ten foe Wisconsin. The Bradley Center (18,582) will serve as the site of the 107th meeting between the Golden Eagles and Badgers and tipoff is slated for 1:07 p.m. (CST). Following the game vs. Wisconsin, Marquette's next game takes place on Saturday, Dec. 30, at Dayton.

The Records

The Golden Eagles head into the Wisconsin tilt with a 5-3 record following a 78-66 win over Western Carolina. In that game, the Golden Eagles registered the game's first nine points and led wire-to-wire in securing the club's fifth home win in seven decisions. MU received a balanced scoring attack with four players posting double digits in points, the first time this season that many MU players reached that plateau. Junior guard Cordell Henry's season-high 21 points led the attack. Henry was seven-of-10 from the floor and hit all three of his trey attempts. Senior Brian Wardle chipped in 18 points and doled out a season-high five assists. Freshman Odartey Blankson came up with a season-high 12 points while classmate Scott Merritt chalked up his first career double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. MU's 78 points represented a season high as did the squad's nine three-point field goals. TheGolden Eagles finished the contest with a 41-26 edge on the glass, 17-7 on the offensive end.

After a season-opening loss at Tennessee, Wisconsin has rattled off seven straight wins and owns a 7-1 mark. The Badgers, ranked No. 15 by USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll and 16th by the Associated Press, claimed a 55-47 win against UW-Milwaukee in their last outing on Dec. 16.

Marquette Tough on the Trey

After seeing its first two opponents shoot 39.2 percent (11-of-28) from three-point range, Marquette has held its last six foes to a combined 25.6 percent (30-of-117). MU held Minnesota, which was leading the Big Ten in trey percentage (.437), to 20.8 percent before holding Arkansas-Little Rock, which was leading the nation (48.5%) in trey percentage, to 17.6 percent (3-of-17). Against Xavier, MU limited the Musketeers to 23.8 percent (5-of-21) compared to its 28.7% mark entering the game Through games played Dec. 20, Marquette was No. 1 in C-USA in three-point field goal percentage defense (.265).

Marquette Head Coach Tom Crean

Tom Crean is in his second season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles' program. In his initial year, Crean (Central Michigan, `89) guided Marquette to an overall record of 15-14 that included a berth to the NIT, the school's 13th appearance in that tournament. In C-USA play, Crean led MU to an 8-8 record, good for fourth place in the American Division. In games played in Milwaukee, Crean stands 17-6 (16-4 at the Bradley Center, 1-2 at the Milwaukee Arena). Prior to being named the school's head coach on March 30, 1999, he served 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).

Tom Crean's Marquette Record 20-17/2nd season Tom Crean's Career Record 20-17/2nd season

Marquette Hitting The Boards

Marquette's 41-26 edge in rebounding against Western Carolina represented the sixth time this season that the Golden Eagles had finished a game with more boards. Entering the Wisconsin contest, MU claims four games where it has finished with 10 or more caroms. Through games played, Dec. 20, Marquette claims a 37.8-30.6 per-game edge in rebounding and the team's +7.2 rebounding margin ranks it No. 1 among C-USA squads. Since Tom Crean has been Marquette's head coach, the Golden Eagles have outrebounded 13 opponents by 10 or more caroms and show a 11-2 record in those contests.

Wisconsin Head Coach Brad Soderberg

Brad Soderberg (Wisconsin Stevens Point, `85) took over UW's head coaching duties on Nov. 30 following the retirement of Dick Bennett. Since his appointment, he has led Wisconsin to a 5-0 record. Soderberg, who is in his sixth season with the Wisconsin program, joined the Badgers in April of 1995 following two seasons as head coach at South Dakota State where he led that program to a 36-18 record.

Marquette Frosh Make an Impact

MU freshmen Odartey Blankson and Scott Merritt have played significant roles through eight games for the Golden Eagles. The duo is averaging 14.9 points and 11.5 rebounds per game with both players averaging over 20 minutes per contest. Merritt is No. 3 on the team's scoresheet (8.4 ppg) while Blankson in No. 3 in rebounding (5.6 rpg).

Marquette Faces Formidable Schedule in 2000-01

Marquette faces one of the most challenging schedules in the history of the program in 2000-01, playing a minimum of 12 opponents that participated in postseason play last year including two Final Four Teams (Wisconisn, Dec. 23, and North Carolina, Jan. 13). The Golden Eagles will play at least eight teams that recorded 20 or more wins during 1999-2000. Three MU opponents are in this week's USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll (#15 Wisconsin, #16 North Carolina, and #20 Charlotte) while eight others received votes.

Marquette Bench Answers The Call

After eight games, the Marquette bench owns a 139-91 scoring edge (17.3 ppg vs. 11.3 ppg) against the opposition reserves. The Golden Eagle bench has outscored their counterparts in six games, with Minnesota (16-19) and Xavier (11-16) the only teams to have its subs score more than the MU subs. Against Western Carolina, MU subs posted a 19-4 scoring margin.

Wardle Figures in MU Career Categories

In addition to his career point production, Brian Wardle also figures among the top 10 career performers in a number of categories. Entering theWisconsin game, he is No. 8 in career three-pointers (146), No. 7 in three-point attempts (424) and tied for No 6 in free throw percentage (.799).

Marquette and the Foul Line

A goal of this year's MU team is to get to the foul line more and the Golden Eagles have accomplished that after eight games, recording a total of 200 attempts from the charity stripe (25.0/per game) compared to 160 for the opposition (20.0/per game). MU has attempted 23 more from the foul line in six games including 39 vs. UMASS, the most attempts by a Crean-coached MU squad, and 36 vs. Centenary. During Crean's tenure, the Golden Eagles stand 18-5 in contests when finishing with 15 or more free throw attempts. After eight games last year, MU had attempted 159 free throws (201 for opposition).

MU Tidbits

MU's 78 points in the Western Carolina game was the highest point total of the season and second most by a Crean-coached MU team (79 pts. vs. Southern Miss last season) ... The Golden Eagles finished with a season-high 50 percent mark from three-point range in the WCU game, the second-highest effort by a Crean-coached squad (last year 55% vs. Wisconsin, 11-of-20) ... Marquette turned the ball over a season-low nine time in the Western Carolina game ... In the last three games, the Golden Eagles show a 37.0-28.7 per-game edge in rebounding ... MU has held the opposition to 10 or fewer field goals in seven of 16 halves ... The Golden Eagles have outscored their opposition in the first half in six of eight contests and own a 29.3 -25.9 scoring edge after the opening 20 minutes of play ... MU has allowed just one half of of 50 percent or better from the floor (UMASS, 50% in the 2nd half) ... MU has 27 blocked shots through eight contests -- last year the Golden Eagles didn't register 27 blocks until the 14th game.

Tune In to the Golden Eagles

Steve "The Homer" True and George Thompson are in their 10th 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 1570 (Appleton)

WCLO AM 1230 (Janesville)

WOMT AM 1240 (Manitowac)

WBKV AM 1470 (West Bend)

Marquette in the Bradley Center

The Golden Eagles are in their 13th season in the Bradley Center. Marquette has a 145-55 all-time record (5-1 this year).

Tom Crean Radio Show Dates

The Tom Crean Radio Show can be heard locally on WISN (1130 AM). The show is hosted by the voice of Marquette Basketball, Steve "The Homer" True, and can be heard from 7:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. The following is a list of dates that the show can be heard.

Mon. Feb. 12

Mon. Jan. 8 Mon. Feb. 19

Mon. Jan. 15 Mon. Feb. 26

Mon. Jan. 22 Mon. Mar. 5

Mon. Jan. 29 Mon. Mar. 12

Mon. Feb. 5

Inside the Numbers

In Marquette's five wins, it holds a 39.0-27.0 per-game edge in rebounding (+12.0) ... In the squad's three losses, the Golden Eagles are being outrebounded by a a 35.6-36.6 margin ... Through eight games, Marquette is averaging 14.8 turnovers compared to the opposition's mark of 12.0 ... Over the last four contests, MU has turned the ball over an average of 15.0 times vs. 10.0 for the opposition ... Marquette has outshot five of its eight opponents from the floor and is 4-1 in those games ... In the last three games, the Golden Eagles post a 14.3 -10.0 per-game advantage in offensive rebounds ... In the last three games, MU is shooting 64.2 percent from the foul line (36-of-56) compared to 66.7 percent (32-of-48) for the opposition ... The Golden Eagles have held three of their opponents to less than 20 percent from three-point range ... MU has held opponents to 20 or fewer points in a half on three occasions ... In its five victories, MU enjoys a 65.8-57.8 scoring advantage and has shot 42.3 percent (108-of-255) from the floor while limiting the opposition to 38.1 percent (97-of-254) ... In the three setbacks, MU has been outscored by a 57.3-67.7 margin.

Brian Wardle Notes Brian Wardle's team-high 17.4 points per game average is good for the No. 7 spot in C-USA in games played through Dec. 20 ... In addition, his 82.2 percent mark from the free throw line is also good for the No. 7 position ... Wardle has three games of 20 or more points this year and 19 during his career ... Wardle has scored in double figures in seven of the team's eight games this season ... Wardle, who is averaging a team-leading 35.3 minutes per game, also paces the club in three-point field goals with 14, free throws with 37, free throw attempts (42) and free throw percentage (.822).

MARQUETTE PLAYER NOTES

# 2 Odartey Blankson * Has started the last seven MU contests * No. 3 on team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) -- 32 defensive rebounds are No. 1 on the team * Averaging 7.25 rebounds in last four games * 12 points vs. W.Carolina (12/20) was second double-figure scoring effort of the year * Team's top rebounder in two games * 11 points, team-best nine boards vs. Minnesota (Dec. 7)

# 4 Cordell Henry * Season-high 21 points vs. Western Carolina was his fourth double-figure scoring game of the season * Shooting 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the field in his last two games * Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic All-Tournament Team, averaging 13.0 points and 3.5 assists in two games * No. 1 on team in assists (3.0 apg) * Notched 17 pts. vs. Centenary, 14 in the second half

# 5 Scott Merritt * First double-double of career with 11 points and season-best 13 rebounds vs. Western Carolina * Second on the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg) * 22 offensive rebounds are tops on the team - stood 11th in C-USA in that stat (through 12/20) * Picked up season-high 12 points vs. UALR

# 12 Brian Barone * Averaging 13.3 minutes as a reserve through the first eight games * Has six games of two or more assists * Three points, two assists in 15 minutes vs. W. Carolina * Played season-long 20 minutes vs. UMASS and scored a season-best seven points

# 33 David Diggs * Has played in seven of MU's eight games Hit first trey of the season and finished with three points vs. Western Carolina

# 22 Brian Wardle * 18 points vs. Western Carolina was his seventh double-figure scoring effort of the year * Team-high 21-points vs. Xavier * Has three contests of 20 or more points including 26 vs. UMASS and 23 vs. CS Northridge * Team's top scorer in five of eight contests MVP of Blue & Gold Coca-Cola Classic with 37 points and10 rebounds vs. Centenary and CS Northridge * 82.2% mark from the foul line (37-of-45) is No. 1 on the team and 7th in C-USA.

# 34 Jon Harris * Shooting 62.5 percent from the floor (20-of-32) * Hit 4-of-5 from the field en route to 8 points vs. Western Carolina * Tied with Merritt for team's lead in rebounding vs. UMASS with nine * Six offensive boards vs. Minnesota and finished with eight in that contest * Picked up season-high 10 points vs. Centenary

# 35 John Mueller * Has started all eight games * Has scored in six appearances including a trio of four-point outings * Season-high six rebounds in season opener vs. South Alabama

# 43 Oluoma Nnamaka * Sickness limited him to just seven minutes vs. Western Carolina -- finished with three rebounds No. 1 on the team in rebounding with a 6.1 per-game mark and is 17th among C-USA players through Dec. 20 * 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds vs. Xavier * Has scored in double figures in four games * First double-double of the year (fourth of his career) with 11 points and 11 rebs. vs. UALR * 29 defensive rebounds areNo. 2 on the team * Season-best 14 points vs. CS Northridge

# 55 Greg Clausen * Has seen action in six games * Played nine minutes against Xavier, and grabbed a season-high three rebounds, and vs. W. Carolina