Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Basketball Hosts Saint Louis Saturday Evening
1/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2002
Game Date -- Jan. 12, 2002
Site - Milwaukee, Wis. * Bradley Center (19,150)
Tipoff - 8:00 p.m. CST
Radio - Marquette Basketball Radio Network (Steve "The Homer" True, Play-by-Play)
Television - WDJT-TV (Ch. 58) in Milwaukee will televise the game -- satellite coordinates -- C Band Telestar 6 Transponder 22 (Pat Hughes, Play-by-Play, George Thompson, Analyst)
Probable Marquette Starters (subject to change)
G #4 - Cordell Henry (Sr., 5-10, 160, Chicago, Ill.) 13.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.8 apg -- 366 career assists -- four shy of moving into MU's all-time top 10
G #3 - Dwyane Wade (So., 6-4, 210, Oaklawn, Ill.) 18.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.0 apg -- Team-high 15 points vs. Louisville, team's top scorer in 10 games
F #0 - Odartey Blankson (So., 6-7, 225, Hillcrest, Ill.) 8.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg -- Career-high 13 rebounds vs. Louisville
F #43 - Oluoma Nnamaka (Sr., 6-7, 225, Uppsala, Sweden) 8.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg -- Season-best seven boards and career-high tying five assists vs. Louisville
F #5 - Scott Merritt (So., 6-10, 245, Wauwatosa, Wis.) 7.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg -- 12 pts. vs. Louisville, averaging 14.0 points in his last three games
Probable Saint Louis Starters (subject to change)
F #33 - Chris Sloan (So., 6-7, 210, 3.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
C #41 - Kenny Brown (Jr., 6-9, 250, 7.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
G # 4 - Josh Fisher (Jr., 6-2, 185, 6.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg)
G # 5 - Marque Perry (Jr., 6-1, 175, 16.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
G #44 - Jason Edwin (So., 6-5, 205, 8.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Series Notes - Marquette holds a 25-21 edge in the all-time series vs. Saint Louis that has its origins in the 1925-26 season. The Golden Eagles have won three of the last four meetings including a pair of wins last season, 73-64 at Saint Louis and 75-69 in Milwaukee. Marquette has won the last three battles at the Bradley Center.
Did You Know - That senior Oluoma Nnamaka became the 36th player in Marquette history to record 500 or more career rebounds when he finished the Louisville game with seven boards. Going into Saturday's game vs. SLU, the 6-foot-7 Nnamaka has 503 caroms, 35th on the school's all-time chart.
Statistical Comparison
Marquette Saint LouisGame Info
Scoring Avg. 76.9 ppg 69.5 ppgScoring Def. 59.5 ppg 64.7 ppgScoring Margin +17.4 ppg +4.8Rebounding Avg. 37.1 rpg 34.7 rpgReb. Margin +7.6 -0.5FG% 48.3% 44.1%Opp FG% 39.1% 43.3%3 Pt. FG% 37.1% 39.3%FT% 68.1% 70.2%
After notching its first C-USA victory on Wednesday, the Marquette basketball teams hopes to bring home another win Saturday evening (Jan. 12) when it hosts Saint Louis. The Bradley Center (19,150) will serve as the site of the 47th meeting between the Golden Eagles and Billikens and tipoff is slated for 8:05 p.m. (CST). Highlighting the game vs. SLU will be the return of Marquette's 1977 national championship team as the school recognizes the 25th anniversary of the national title(. Saturday's game starts a stretch that will see MU play three of its next four contests at the Bradley Center. Following the Saint Louis game, MU entertains UAB on Tuesday (Jan. 15) at the Bradley Center starting at 7:00 p.m.
The Records
Marquette enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 12-3, 1-1 in Conference USA action. Marquette looks to keep the momentum going following an intense 75-751 win at Louisville on Wednesday. In that game, Marquette got off to a roaring start, holding the host Cardinals scoreless over the first 6:13 of the game while claiming a 19-0 lead. Keying the run was eight points by sophomore Scott Merritt. UofL eventually scrapped its way back into the game and trailed by a 35-30 margin after the opening 20 minutes of action. The Golden Eagles got off to another quick start in the second half, posting a 13-5 scoring advantage to give them a 48-35 bulge with 13:11 on the clock. However, the Cardinals regrouped and held a 69-66 lead with just 2:17 remaining. From there, MU held firm and used some key defensive plays down the stretch that included steals from Oluoma Nnamaka and Travis Deiner, along with a five-second count that forced a Cardinal turover, in aiding in a 9-2 spurt over the remainder of the contest. Marquette, which enjoyed a 47-31 edge on the glass, was led in scoring by sophomore Dwyane Wade with 15 points while Diener totaled 13, including a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left that gave MU a 74-69 lead. Sophomores Odartey Blankson and Merritt each totaled 12 points with Blankson recording a career-best 13 rebounds. MU's win was the first UL setback at home this year in 10 decisions. SLU comes to town with an overall slate of 8-7, 2-0 in C-USA action. The Billikens topped DePaul, 92-74, this past Tuesday.
Numbers To Watch
Senior guard Cordell Henry has 1,046 career points, 30th on MU's all-time list, and is 3 points shy of moving past Chris Crawford (1993-94 through 1996-97) into 27th position ... Oluoma Nnamaka is 12 points shy of reaching the 800-point plateau in his career ... Senior Jon Harris is 24 rebounds shy of reaching the 500 career mark ... Freshman Travis Diener is tied for seventh on the MU seasonal list for three-pointers by a freshman (27) and needs four to move into 4th.
Marquette Head Coach Tom Crean
Tom Crean is in his third season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles' program. Last year, he directed the program to a record of 15-14 including a 9-7 mark in C-USA play, good for third place in the American Division. The nine wins in the conference marked the most wins by a Marquette team in C-USA since 1996-97 when that team posted a 9-5 showing. Included in the team's victory total from a year ago were sweeps of American Division foes Cincinnati, DePaul and Saint Louis, along with a key triumph at Memphis. The sweep against UC marked the first time a C-USA team had come away with a regular-season sweep against the Bearcats, while the wins over SLU marked the first time since 1997 that the Golden Egles had swept that series. 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 30-10 (28-8 at the Bradley Center, 2-2 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 42-31/3rd season Tom Crean's Career Record 42-31/3rd season
Marquette Among National Leaders in Stat Categories
Through games played Jan. 9, Marquette found itself among the national leaders in several statistical categories. The Golden Eagles held down the No. 9 spots in both scoring defense (59.5 ppg) and scoring margin (+17.4). In addition, MU was tied for the No. 25 slot in FG% (.483). Helping MU on the defensive end of the floor is the fact that it has limited opponents to less than 10 field goals in 16 halves and recorded 12 halves of holding opponents to less than 35 percent from the floor. The scoring margin has been bolstered with MU winning nine of its 12 games by 10 or more points including seven by 15 or more.
More On MU's Defense
The Golden Eagles have held opponents to 50 or fewer points on five occasions and own eight outings of holding a foe to 60 or fewer points. MU has won its last 11 games when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points and own a 23-4 record in such games during Tom Crean's tenure as head coach.
Rebound Notes
Through 15 games, Marquette has outrebounded nine opponents and holds a 37.1-29.5 per-game edge in rebounding. Through games played Jan. 9, MU ranks No. 3 among C-USA teams in rebound margin (+7.6). Since Crean has been head coach at Marquette, the Golden Eagles have outrebounded 44 of 73 opponents and show a 35-9 record in those games.
Saint Louis Head Coach Lorenzo Romar
Lorenzo Romar (Washington, '80) is in his third season as head coach of Saint Louis and has a school record of 44-35. In six years as a college head coach, which includes a three-year stint at Pepperdine, Romar has a career mark of 86-79.
Marquette Stingy At Home
There is little doubt that playing at home has been kind to MU with the Golden Eagles averaging 84.0 points compared to just 51.3 points per game for the opposition. In addition, the Golden Eagles have hit on 51.6 percent of their field goal attempts vs. 34.3 percent for opponents.
Marquette Defenders Generating Steals
The Golden Eagles have registered seven contests of 10 or more steals this season and held down the No. 3 spot among C-USA teams in thefts (through Jan. 9) with a 9.40 per-game mark. Last season, the Golden Eagles recorded two games of 10 or more steals.
Tom Crean Radio and Television Show Information
The Tom Crean Radio Show resumed on Monday, Jan. 7, and can be heard on WISN Radio (1130 AM). The show runs from 7:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and is hosted by the voice of Marquette Basketball, Steve "The Homer" True. The Tom Crean Television Show made its season debut on Saturday, Jan. 5, on WDJT-TV (Ch. 58) at 10:30 a.m. The nine-week show will air every Saturday on WDJT-TV. Consult your local listings for more information.
More Tidbits To Ponder
Marquette is averaging 79.5 points and shooting 49.6 percent from the field in its 12 victories compared to a point average of 66.7 and shooting mark of 43 percent in its losses ... Louisville attempted a C-USA record 37 three-point field goal attempts against the Golden Eagles this past Wednesday ... The Golden Eagles are 7-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor this year, 16-4 during Coach Crean's tenure at MU ... Marquette is averaging 34.5 points during the first half of play and 42.4 during the second half ... Opponents are averaging 28.5 points during the first 20 minutes of action and 31.0 in the second half ... Marquette has outscored the opposition in 23 of 30 halves this year ... Marquette is averaging 13.5 offensive rebounds per outing vs. the opposition's mark of 10.8 ... MU's 52 points in the 2nd half of the Wisconsin game, tied the highest point total by a Crean-coached Marquette team ... Marquette has held 41 of its last 44 opponents to less than 50 percent from the floor ... MU is 8-0 when registering 15 or more assists this year, 21-3 Crean's tenure as coach ... In the last five games, Marquette is shooting 46.8 percent from the floor (130-of-278) compared to the opposition's mark of 42.0 percent (108-of- 257) ... Marquette has forced opponents to turn the ball over 20 or more times in nine contests this year ... In the last four games, MU has attempted 79 FTs vs. 94 for opponents.
Streaks & Last Time It Happened
Consecutive Games - Cordell Henry - 101
Consecutive Starts - Cordell Henry - 72
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games - Wade - 14
Consecutive Games with a Three-Pointer - Travis Diener - 15
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Scored 30+ Points - Dwyane Wade (30) vs. Tennessee - Nov. 21, 2001
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Scored 20+ Points - Scott Merritt (22) vs. Morris Brown - Jan. 2, 2002
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Rebounds - Odartey Blankson (13) vs. Louisville - Jan. 9, 2002
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 15+ Rebounds - Jarrod Lovette (15) vs. Louisville - Feb. 20, 1997
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had Double-Double (Points-Rebounds) - Odartey Blankson (12-13) vs. Louisville - Jan. 9, 2002
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Assists - Cordell Henry (10) vs. DePaul - Feb. 22, 2001
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Made 15 or More Free Throws - Brian Wardle (16) vs. Charlotte - Feb. 13, 1999
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Made 12 or More Free Throws - Dwyane Wade (13) vs. Tennessee - Nov. 21, 2001
The Last Time a Marquette Team Had Five or Fewer Turnovers - (5) vs. Cincinnati - Mar. 10, 1996
The Last Time Marquette Shot 60% or Better From The Floor - (60.3%, 35-58) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Dec. 19, 2001
The Last Time Marquette Shot 55% or Better From The Floor - (60.3%, 35-58) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Dec. 19, 2001
The Last Time An Opponent Shot 60% or Better From the Floor - Tennessee (60.0%, 27-45) - Nov. 21, 2001
The Last Time An Opponent Shot 55% or Better From the Floor - Wisconsin (58.0%, 29-of-50) - Dec. 22, 2001
The Last Time Marquette Had 25 or more Assists in a Game - 25 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Dec. 19, 2001
The Last Time Marquette Had 20 or more Assists in a Game - 22 vs. Morris Brown - Jan. 2, 2002
The Last Time an Opponent Had 20 or more Assists in a Game - Memphis (20) - Feb. 2, 2001
The Last Time An Opponent Scored 40+ points - Larry Hughes (40) - St. Louis - Jan. 24, 1998
The Last Time an Opponent Scored 30+ Points - Kirk Penney (33) - Wisconsin - Dec. 22, 2001
The Last Time an Opponent Scored 20+ Points - Jobey Thomas (26) - Charlotte - Jan. 5, 2002
The Last Time an Opponent Had 10+ Rebounds - Cam Stephens (13) - Charlotte - Jan. 5, 2002
The Last Time an Opponent Had 15+ Rebounds - Cam Stephens (15) - Charlotte - Jan. 20, 2001
The Last Time an Opponent Had a Double-Double (Points-Rebounds) - Cam Stephens (12-13) - Charlotte - Jan. 5, 2002
The Last Time an Opponent Had 10+ Assists - Edwin Young (10) - Dayton - Nov. 28, 1998
The Last Time an Opponent Made 12 or More Free Throws - Vandarel Jones (12) - Southern Miss - Jan. 30, 2001
The Last Time A Marquette Opponent Had 5 or Fewer Turnovers - S. Florida (5) - Feb. 22, 1998
Inside the Numbers
Marquette has outshot 11 of 15 opponents from the floor and has a 11-0 mark in those outings ... MU's 47 boards against Louisville was the team's was the team's fifth performance of 40 or more boards this year ... In the last three games, MU is shooting 49.4 percent from the floor (83-of-168) range vs. 37.9 percent (58-of-153) for the opposition ... After 15 games, Marquette is averaging 14.6 turnovers per game compared to the opposition's mark of 18.7 ... In its 12 victories, MU enjoys a 38.3-28.4 per-game edge in rebounding ... In its three losses, MU is being outboarded by a 33.7-32.0 margin ... Marquette has turned the ball over less than its opponent in 10 contests ... MU has 10 or more offensive boards in each of the first 15 games ... Marquette is averaging 76.9 points through 15 outings compared to 61.4 points at the same juncture last year ... After 15 games last season, MU had 72 steals vs. this year's 15-game total of 141 ... The Golden Eagles are just 3 thefts shy of tying last year's 29-game total of 144 ... MU has 89 treys to its credit this season compared to 65 after 14 games a year ago ... Marquette's 17 steals in the Texas Southern game were the most by a Crean-coached Marquette team and the most by a Golden Eagle team since Dec. 6, 1996, when they registered 18 thefts against Prairie View A&M ... MU has attempted 30 or more from the charity stripe in four games including 46 vs. Chicago State that was just one shy of the school record at the Bradley Center (47 vs. Northern Illinois in 1991 is the record) and the third highest total in school history (48 vs. South Dakota in 1966 is the record) ... During Crean's tenure as head coach, Marquette has a 10-2 won-lost slate when shooting 30 or more free throws (1-0 in '99-00, 5-2 in 2000-01 and 4-0 in '01-02) ... Marquette has outscored its foes in 18 of the last 21 halves.
