Wade Tries to Lead Golden Eagles to 4-0 Start

Nov. 25, 2002

From the Associated Press

Dwayne Wade and Marquette look to continue their strong starts Tuesday as they host Eastern Illinois.

Picked as Conference USA's preseason player of the year, Wade took home the league's first player of the week honors after leading the No. 13 Golden Eagles (3-0) to their fourth straight Blue and Gold Classic championship.

In the team's first-round win Friday against Coppin State, he scored 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds and making three steals. Wade was even better in the title game against Texas-San Antonio, finishing with 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in Saturday's 80-68 victory.

"It's always nice when you can get a double-double from him," Marquette coach Tom Crean said, "plus seven assists."

Wade, though, was more concerned with his team's performance, realizing his Golden Eagles will be targeted by supposedly inferior teams. Saturday's game was close throughout the first half and Marquette had trouble pulling away in the second half.

"We have to be prepared for games like that," Wade said. "We're a ranked team now and everybody's going to give us their best shot."

The junior guard is getting decent help from big men Scott Merritt and Robert Jackson, who combined for 25 points and 15 rebounds Saturday. Jackson has been particularly solid thus far, averaging 13.3 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds.

The Golden Eagles could use more help, however, from guard Travis Diener. The conference's top 3-point shooter last season at 44.2 percent, Diener is just 6-of-26 (23.1 percent) from beyond the arc.

Eastern Illinois (1-2) has struggled since its season-opening win over Boise State, getting blown out by No. 8 Florida and losing 91-78 to Illinois-Chicago on Sunday.

The Panthers have shot 37 percent from the field in those losses while allowing their opponents to hit 58 percent.

Senior guard Henry Domecrant leads Eastern Illinois with averages of 21.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.