Marquette University Athletics
No. 18 Marquette Basketball Squad Hosts East Carolina
2/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2002
Game Date -- Feb. 6, 2002
Site - Milwaukee, Wis. * Al McGuire Court at Bradley Center (19,150)
Tipoff - 7:05 p.m. CST
Radio - Marquette Basketball Radio Network (Steve "The Homer" True, Play-by-Play, George Thompson, Analyst)
Television - None
Probable Marquette Starters (subject to change)
G #4 - Cordell Henry (Sr., 5-10, 160, Chicago, Ill.) 14.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.2 apg -- Double-figure scorer in five of last six games -- 20 pts., 5 assts., vs. Cincinnati
G #3 - Dwyane Wade (So., 6-4, 210, Oaklawn, Ill.) 18.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.7 apg -- Named C-USA Player of the Week (Feb. 3) for 2nd time this year
F #0 - Odartey Blankson (So., 6-7, 225, Hillcrest, Ill.) 9.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg -- Team's No. 2 rebounder in overall and conference games (5.9 rpg)
F #43 - Oluoma Nnamaka (Sr., 6-7, 225, Uppsala, Sweden) 7.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg -- No. 2 on team with 51 offensive rebounds
F #5 - Scott Merritt (So., 6-10, 245, Wauwatosa, Wis.) 6.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg -- 8 points vs. Cincinnati was highest effort since 10 points vs. UAB (1/15)
Probable East Carolina starters (subject to change)
F # 3 - Kenyatta Brown (So., 6-4, 185, 10.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
F #33 - Erroyl Bing (So., 6-6, 250, 14.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg)
C #51 - Gabriel Mikulas (So., 6-8, 220, 13.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
F #32 - Jonathan Moore (So., 6-8, 195, 7.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
G #42 - Travis Holcomb-Faye (Jr., 6-1, 175, 8.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.8 apg)
Series Notes - Wednesday's contest will mark the first time that the Golden Eagles of Marquette and the Pirates of East Carolina have met in basketball.
Did You Know -- That in the last five games, MU opponents have turned the ball over 86 times with the Golden Eagles generating 98 points off those miscues. In the same stretch Marquette has turned it over 69 times with foes registering 55 points.
Statistical Comparison
Marquette East CarolinaScoring Avg. 75.0 ppg 67.7 ppgScoring Def. 59.5 ppg 72.7 ppgScoring Margin +15.5 ppg -5.0Rebounding Avg. 36.5 rpg 36.0 rpgReb. Margin +6.2 -0.8FG% 48.1% 39.2%Opp FG% 39.1% 45.2%3 Pt. FG% 37.2% 30.9%FT% 68.1% 69.3%Game Info
The Marquette basketball team plays the first of two games this week when it welcomes East Carolina to Milwaukee on Wednesday (Feb. 6). Al McGuire Court at the Bradley Center (19,150) will serve as the site of the first-ever meeting between the Golden Eagles and Pirates and tipoff is slated for 7:05 p.m.
Following the ECU contest, Marquette plays at Southern Miss on Saturday (Feb. 9) starting at 7:00 p.m.
The Records
Marquette enters Wednesday's game with an overall record of 19-3, 8-1 in Conference USA action, good for a first-place tie in the American Divsion with Charlotte and Cincinnati. Marquette is ranked No. 18 in this week's Associated Press and holds down the No. 23 slot in this week's USA Today/ESPN Poll. MU's league record is the best nine-game start by the Golden Eagles since joining C-USA in 1995-96, bettering the 7-2 record set in 1996.
The Golden Eagles posted their eighth straight win on Saturday when they defeated No. 4-ranked Cincinnati, 74-60, before an enthusiastic crowd of 18,698 at the Bradley Center, the largest crowd ever to witness a college game in the state of Wisconsin.
Holding a 33-29 lead at intermission, the Golden Eagles received a big second half from sophomore Dwyane Wade who totaled 16 of his game-high 25 points during the final 20 minutes of play. Wade also finished with a game-high eight rebounds. Senior Cordell Henry picked 12 of his 20 points in the second half as Marquette shot 54.2 percent from the floor.
Leading, 51-45, with 10:18 on the clock, a three-point field goal by Travis Diener sparked a determining 9-0 run over a 1:53 span that increased its lead to 60-45. From there, the closest UC could get was 10 points as the Golden Eagles ended a 20-game Bearcat win streak. The win raised Marquette's record to 12-0 in home games this season.
East Carolina comes to town with an overall record 8-13, 2-7 in C-USA play. ECU snapped a four-game losing streak this past Saturday when it topped Saint Louis, 69-63.
Wade Named C-USA Player of Week
Dwyane Wade was named C-USA Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 3. Wade totaled 49 points, shot 69.2 percent (18 of 26) and grabbed 16 rebounds in helping MU to wins over Tulane (68-66) and No. 4 Cincinnati (74-60). For his efforts, Wade was tabbed as National Player of the Week by The Sporting News and FoxSports.com. Wade totaled 24 points, eight boards and five steals against Tulane before turning in a 25-point afternoon against the Bearcats. It was the second time this season that Wade earned the honor.
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 34-10 (32-8 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 49-31/3rd season Tom Crean's Career Record 49-31/3rd season
Marquette Among National Leaders in Stat Categories
Through games played Feb. 3, Marquette found itself among the national leaders in several statistical categories. The Golden Eagles were tied for the No. 8 spot in scoring defense (59.5 ppg) and stood No. 8 in scoring margin (+15.5). In addition, MU was tied for 18th in FG% (.481). Helping MU on the defensive end of the floor is the fact that it has limited opponents to less than 10 field goals in 20 halves and recorded 16 halves of holding opponents to less than 35 percent from the floor. The scoring margin has been bolstered with MU winning 13 of its 19 games by 10 or more points including 10 by 15 or more.
More On MU's Defense
The Golden Eagles have held opponents to 50 or fewer points on six occasions and own 12 outings of holding a foe to 60 or fewer points. MU has won its last 15 games when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points and own a 27-4 record in such games during Tom Crean's tenure as head coach.
Rebound Notes
Through 22 games, Marquette has outrebounded 14 opponents (13-1) and holds a 36.5-30.4 per-game edge in rebounding. Through games played Feb. 4, MU ranks No. 3 among C-USA teams in rebound margin (+6.1) in overall play. Since Crean has been head coach, MU has out rebounded 49 of 80 foes, showing a 40-9 record in those games.
East Carolina Head Coach Bill Herrion
Bill Herrion (Merrimack College, '81) is in his third season as head coach of East Carolina and has a school record of 32-45. In 11 seasons as a head coach, which includes an eight-year stint at Drexel (1991-92 through 1998-99), Herrion has a career won-lost slate of 199-116.
Playing With the Lead
Marquette has demonstrated the ability to play with a lead this year and posts a 15-0 record when leading at halftime. During Crean's stint as head coach, Marquette stands 35-7 in those contests.
More Notes From Cincinnati
Marquette's 24 free throws against UC marked a season high for a league game while its eight turnovers tied the team's fewest for the campaign (8 vs. Morris Brown) ... Cincinnati's 18.8% effort from three-point range marked the eighth this year an opponents shot 25 percent or less from beyond the arc ... MU's 72.7 percent mark from the foul line was the team's second-best effort in a conference game this year.
Tom Crean Radio and Television Show Information
The Tom Crean Radio Show can be heard Monday evenings 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). 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 76.3 points and shooting 48.9 percent from the field in its 19 victories compared to a point average of 66.7 and shooting mark of 43 percent in its losses ... MU has held its last 11 opponents to less than 50 percent from the field with six of those shooting less than 40 percent ... The Golden Eagles are 10-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor this year, 19-4 during Coach Crean's tenure at MU ... In the last five games, MU has attempted 50 three-point field goals compared to 89 for the opposition ... Marquette is averaging 34.3 points during the first half of play and 40.6 during the second half ... Opponents are averaging 29.1 points during the first 20 minutes of action and 30.4 in the second half ... Marquette has outscored the opposition in 35 of 44 halves this year ... Marquette is averaging 12.9 offensive rebounds per outing vs. the opposition's mark of 11.3 ... Marquette has held 48 of its last 51 opponents to less than 50 percent from the floor ... MU is 10-0 when registering 15 or more assists this year, 23-3 Crean's tenure as coach ... In the last five games, Marquette is shooting 48.2 percent from the floor (133-of-276) compared to the opposition's mark of 40.3 percent (116-of-288) ... MU has forced opponents to turn the ball over 20 or more times in 11 contests this year ... MU's 12-0 record in home games is the longest home win streak since a 23-game skein, Feb. 21, 1995 through Dec. 6, 1996.
Streaks & Last Time It Happened
Consecutive Games - Cordell Henry - 108
Consecutive Starts - Cordell Henry - 79
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games - Dwyane Wade - 4
Consecutive Games with a Three-Pointer - Cordell Henry - 3
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Scored 30+ Points - Dwyane Wade (35) vs. DePaul - Jan. 19, 2002
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Scored 20+ Points - Dwyane Wade (25) vs. Cincinnati - Feb. 2, 2002, Cordell Henry (20) vs. Cincinnati - Feb. 2, 2002
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Rebounds - Dwyane Wade (12) vs. TCU - Jan. 23, 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) - Dwyane Wade (15-12) vs. TCU - Jan. 23, 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 - 21 vs. TCU - Jan. 23, 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 - Jamal Brown (16) - TCU - Jan. 23, 2002, Marlon Dumont (15) - TCU - Jan. 23, 2002
The Last Time an Opponent Had 15+ Rebounds - Jamal Brown (16) - TCU - Jan. 23, 2002, Marlon Dumont (15) - TCU - Jan. 23, 2002
The Last Time an Opponent Had a Double-Double (Points-Rebounds) - Marlon Dumont (13-15) - TCU - Jan. 23, 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 18 of 22 opponents from the floor and has a 18-0 mark in those outings, 41-9 during Crean's tenure at MU ... In MU's nine conference games, the Golden Eagles are shooting 47.5 percent (227-of-478) from the field, good for the No. 2 spot in the league, vs. 39.2 percent (201-of-513) for opponents, No. 3 in FG% defense ... After 22 games, Marquette is averaging 14.9 turnovers per game compared to the opposition's mark of 18.2 ... In its 19 victories, MU enjoys a 37.3-29.9 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 14 contests ... MU saw a 21-game streak of double-digit offensive rebounds come to an end in the Cincinnati game (Feb. 2) when it finished with 8 ... Marquette is averaging 75.0 points through 22 outings compared to 64.5 points at the same juncture last year ... After 22 games last season, MU had 112 steals vs. this year's 22-game total of 203 ... The Golden Eagles have already surpassed last year's 29-game steal total of 144 ... MU has 116 treys to its credit this season compared to 110 after 21 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 ... During Crean's tenure as head coach, Marquette has a 11-2 won-lost slate when shooting 30 or more free throws (1-0 in '99-00, 5-2 in 2000-01 and 5-0 in '01-02) ... Marquette has held 12 opponents to less than 40 percent from the floor and stands 11-1 in those affairs ... The Golden Eagles have shot 40 percent or better from beyond the arc in 10 contests (9- 1).
