Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Basketball Faces Saturday Test at Charlotte
1/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2003
Site - Charlotte, NC * Halton Arena (9,105)
Game Date - Jan. 18, 2003
Tipoff - 6:05 p.m. CST
Radio - Marquette Radio Network (Steve "The Homer" True, Play-by-Play; George Thompson, Analysis) -- website: www.newstalk1130.com
Television - None
Probable Marquette Starters (subject to change)
G #34 - Travis Diener (So., 6-1, 165, Fond du Lac, Wis.) 10.6 ppg; 2.7 rpg, 6.21 apg -- Double-figure scorer in last six games -- No. 2 in C-USA in assists
G #3 - Dwyane Wade (Jr., 6-5, 210, Robbins, Ill.) 23.4 ppg; 5.8 rpg; 3.86 apg -- C-USA leading scorer -- has 10 games of 20 or more points this year -- Leads team in steals (25)
F #5 - Scott Merritt (Jr., 6-10, 245, Wauwatosa, Wis.) 10.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg -- Averaging 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in last four games
F #1 - Todd Townsend (So., 6-7, 215, Chicago, Ill.) 6.9 ppg; 3.1 rpg -- Shooting 57.5 percent (19-of-33) from field in last six contests -- No. 2 on squad with 19 treys
F #55 - Robert Jackson (Sr., 6-10, 260, Milwaukee, Wis.) 16.3 ppg; 7.9 rpg -- Double-figure scorer in each of the team's first 14 games -- Shooting team-high 59.2 percent from floor -- Has shot 50% or better from floor in last seven games.
Probable Charlotte Starters (subject to change)
F # 3 - Curtis Withers (Fr., 6-8, 230, 9.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
F # 13 - Eddie Basden (So., 6-5, 205, 5.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
F # 55 - Tory Reed (Jr., 6-8, 240, 13.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
G # 1 - Curtis Nash (Sr., 6-6, 195, 7.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
G #11 - Demon Brown (Jr., 6-1, 195, 17.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
Series Notes - Charlotte holds an 11-8 lead in the all-time series that saw the first game played in the 1977 NCAA Tournament semifinals when Marquette captured a 51-49 win. Last year, the teams split a pair of contests with Charlotte recording a 76-68 win at Halton Arena before Marquette posted a 66-52 win in Milwaukee. MU is 0-8 in games played in Charlotte, 0-6 in contests played at Halton Arena.
Statistical Comparison
Marquette CharlotteScoring Avg. 81.4 ppg 73.4 ppgScoring Def. 68.5 ppg 71.2 ppgScoring Margin +12.9 ppg +2.2Rebounding Avg. 37.8 rpg 37.9 rpgReb. Margin +6.5 +0.7FG% 51.0% 41.7%Opp FG% 40.5% 44.7%3 Pt. FG% 37.7% 34.2%FT% 73.9% 64.3%Game Info
After capturing its second straight C-USA road game, the Marquette basketball team closes out a five-of-six on-the-road stretch on Saturday (Jan. 18) when it plays at Charlotte. Halton Arena (9,105) on the Charlotte campus will be the setting for the 20th meeting between the two schools and tipoff is slated for 6:05 p.m. (CST).
The MU-Charlotte game can be heard locally on WISN-AM (1130). Handling the play-by-play will be Steve "The Homer" True while George Thompson provides commentary. Following Saturday's action, the Golden Eagles' next action takes place on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Bradley Center vs. DePaul (1:00 p.m.).
The Records
Marquette, ranked 21st in both this week's Associated Press Poll and ESPN/USA Today Polls, takes a 11-3 overall record (3-1 C-USA) into the Charlotte game. In its most recent performance, Marquette came away with an 85-73 win at Tulane on Tuesday, the team's third consecutive win.
In that game, the Golden Eagles shot an excellent 59.1 percent from the floor (26-of-44) and held a 36-28 edge in rebounding en route to the victory. Holding a 40-35 lead with 17:58 left in the game, the Golden Eagles registered a 12-5 run that increased its lead to 52-40 with 13:59 on the clock. The Green Wave then responded with a 19-9 answer to narrow the gap to two points, 61-59, with 7:11 remaining. Marquette held its composure and rattled off a 13-3 spurt, eight points coming from Robert Jackson, to up its edge to 74-62 with 2:39 left.
Junior guard Dwyane Wade paced the team's scoring attack with a career-high tying 35 points, his third performance of 30 or more points this year. The 6-foot-5 Wade knocked down a career-high tying 13 field goals in 16 attempts and his 81.3 percent mark from the floor also tied a career best. He scored 21 of his 35 points during the second half of action, the third time this year he had come up with 20 or more points in a half. Sophomore Travis Diener notched 16 points, his second-highest career effort, and chipped in five assists while Jackson finished with 13 points along with a game-high 10 rebounds, his third double-double of the year.
Charlotte hosts Milwaukee with a record of 7-7 (2-1 C-USA). The 49ers have captured their last two games including a 78-58 win at UAB this past Tuesday.
Offense Putting Up Numbers
Marquette's 85 points in the Tulane game marked the eighth time this year that the Golden Eagles registered 75 or more points in a game. Through games played Jan. 15, the Golden Eagles held down the No. 2 spot in C-USA and No. 18 position nationally (stats as of Jan. 14) in scoring offense with an average of 81.4 points per game.
Helping the Golden Eagles to their scoring average has been excellent shooting from the floor. Through Jan. 15, Marquette holds down the top spot among league teams in field goal shooting with an effort of 51.0 percent. MU has shot 50 percent or better from the floor on seven occasions this year.
Through 14 games last season, Marquette was averaging 77.1 points and shooting 48.1 percent from the floor.
Marquette Head Coach Tom Crean
Tom Crean is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles' program.
Named the 2001-02 C-USA Coach of the Year, the first MU coach to be afforded that honor, Crean guided Marquette to an overall record of 26-7 including a 13-3 ledger in C-USA play, the most wins by a MU team in league action. In addition, Crean was named the District 11 Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the District V Coach of The Year by the USBWA.
In 2000-01, he directed the program to a record of 15-14 including a 9-7 mark in C-USA play. The nine wins in the conference then marked the most wins by a Marquette team in C-USA since 1996-97.
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.
In games played in Milwaukee, Crean stands 45-10 (43-8 at the Bradley Center, 2-2 at the U.S. Cellular 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 again at Michigan State (1995-99).
Tom Crean's Marquette Record 67-38/4th season Tom Crean's Career Record 67-38/4th season
Jackson Making An Impact
Senior Robert Jackson has made a significant impact for Marquette this season and checks into the Charlotte affair second on the squad in scoring (16.1 ppg) and first in rebounding (7.9 rpg). The 6-foot-10 Jackson, who has eight or more caroms in 10 of the team's 14 outings, has scored in double figures in all 14 of the Golden Eagles' contests. He has pulled down a team-high 47 offensive rebounds and his 3.36 offensive rebounds per-game average was good for the No. 3 spot in C-USA (through Jan. 15). Finally, his team-high 59.2 field goal percentage was good for the No. 3 spot among C-USA players (through Jan. 15).
More Notes From Tulane
Marquette's season-high 28 free throws in a season-high 38 attempts tied it for the second-most charity tosses by an MU team in a C-USA game ... The 38 attempts tied the school record for a league outing ... The team's 59.1 field goal percentage showing was the third highest this year ... The Golden Eagles connected on 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from beyond the arc, the third straight outing they had shot 40 percent or better from three-point range ... Wade's 35 points tied his own mark for the third-highest point total by a Marquette player in a C-USA game ... MU hit 73.7 percent from the foul line, the team's 10th contest of 70 percent or better this year.
Charlotte Head Coach Bobby Lutz
Bobby Lutz (UNC Charlotte, '80) is in his fifth season as head coach of Charlotte and brings a school record of 87-57 into Saturday's game. Lutz has guided thre Charlotte squads to NCAA Tournament play. In 14 years as a collegiate head coach, Lutz has compiled a career ledger of 267-146.
Wade An All-Around Threat
Dwyane Wade, who ranks first among C-USA players in scoring (23.4 ppg), came through with a career-high tying 35 points against Tulane, his 10th outing of 20 or more and third of 30 or more points this year. Career-wise, Wade has totaled 899 points in 46 games (19.5 ppg) and his 360 career points in C-USA action is good for sixth place on the school's list. While Wade's scoring exploits are impressive, he is No. 2 on the team and No. 8 in C-USA (through Jan. 15) in assists (3.86 apg), first on the team and seventh in the league (through Jan. 15) in steals (1.79 spg) and No. 2 on the club and 7th in field goal shooting (56.0%) through Jan. 15
Odds and Ends
Dwyane Wade has scored in double figures in 44 of his 46 career games ... Wade has two double doubles this season and four in his career ... Marquette has allowed one opponent this year (Notre Dame) and just two of its last 37 foes to shoot 50 percent or better from the floor ... The Golden Eagles own a 28-4 record during Crean's tenure when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor (7-0 in '02-03, 12-0 in 2001-02) ... During its three-game win streak MU shows a 37.3-24.3 per-game edge in rebounding ... MU has held 71 of its last 76 opponents to less than 50 percent from the floor ... MU stands 32-5 during Crean's stint as head coach when registering 15 or more assists (8-2 in '02-03, 11-0 last year) ... Marquette proved to be a strong second-half team last year, registering scoring advantages in 28 of 33 games, and has outscored 11 of 14 foes over the final 20 minutes this year ... Since last year, MU owns a 27-4 mark when finishing a game with the same or fewer number of turnovers than the opposition ... Marquette has outshot the opposition in 21 of 28 halves (opponents have shot better in one overtime stanza) ... Robert Jackson's 13-point, 10-rebound effort against Tulane was his third double double at Marquette and 17th of his college career ... In its 11 wins, MU holds a 38.8-28.3 edge in rebounding compared to a 34.0-42.3 disadvantage in its three setbacks ... The Golden Eagles are averaging 38.3 points in the first half of play and 43.1 points during the final 20 minutes of action/overtime ... Opponents are averaging 31.5 points during the opening 20 minutes and 36.9 in the second half/ot ... MU is 7-0 this year when shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, 19-1 since last season ... Marquette has scored 50 or more points in a half on six occasions this year compared to four last year ... Opponents have attempted more three-point field goals than MU in 12 games ... Marquette is No. 2 among C-USA teams (through Jan. 15) in free throw shooting with a 73.9 percent effort ... The Golden Eagles have shot 75 percent or better from the foul line in eight of the last 11 games and the team is hitting at a 77.5 clip (62-of-80) during the three-game win streak. ... Wade has 104 career steals and is four thefts shy of moving into the top 10 in MU's all-time list ... In its 11 wins, MU is shooting 39.3% from three-point range while holding foes to 31.5%.
Streaks & Last Time It Happened
Consecutive Games - Scott Merritt - 76
Consecutive Starts - Dwyane Wade - 34
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games - Robert Jackson - 14
Consecutive Games with a Three-Pointer - Todd Townsend, Travis Diener - 6
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Scored 30+ Points - Dwyane Wade (35) vs. Tulane - Jan. 14, 2003
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Scored 20+ Points - Dwyane Wade (35) vs. Tulane - Jan. 14, 2003
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Rebounds - Robert Jackson (10) vs. Tulane - Jan. 14, 2003
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 15+ Rebounds - Odartey Blankson (16) vs. Southern Miss - Feb. 9, 2002
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had Double-Double (Points-Rebounds) - Robert Jackson (13-10) vs. Tulane - Jan. 14, 2003
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Assists - Travis Diener (12) vs. South Florida - Jan. 11, 2003
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 65% or Better From the Floor - (65.0%, 39-of-60) vs. Grambling - Dec. 28, 2002
The Last Time Marquette Shot 60% or Better From The Floor - (65.0%, 39-60) vs. Grambling - Dec. 28, 2002
The Last Time Marquette Shot 55% or Better From The Floor - (59.1%, 26-44) vs. Tulane - Jan. 14, 2003
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 - 26 vs. South Florida - Jan. 11, 2003
The Last Time Marquette Had 20 or more Assists in a Game - 26 vs. South Florida - Jan. 11, 2003
The Last Time an Opponent Had 20 or more Assists in a Game - Tulane (21) - Jan. 14, 2003
The Last Time An Opponent Scored 40+ points - Larry Hughes (40) - St. Louis - Jan. 24, 1998
The Last Time an Opponent Scored 30+ Points - Waitari Marsh (30) - Tulane - Jan. 14, 2003
The Last Time an Opponent Scored 20+ Points - Waitari Marsh (30) - Tulane - Jan. 14, 2003
The Last Time an Opponent Had 10+ Rebounds - Brooks Hall (10) - Dayton - Jan. 4, 2003
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) - Brooks Hall (13-12) - Dayton - Jan. 4, 2003
The Last Time an Opponent Had 10+ Assists - Chris Thomas (10) - Notre Dame - Dec. 2, 2002
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
The Last Time Marquette Did Not Make A Three-Point Field Goal - vs. Wisconsin - Dec. 23, 2000
The Last Time An Opponent Did Not Make A Three-Point Field Goal - Minnesota - Nov. 23, 1999
40 A Magic Number On The Glass
Marquette has grabbed 40 or more rebounds in six games this year and shows a 5-1 won-lost ledger in those affairs, 23-4 during Coach Crean's tenure. Last year, MU posted a 6-0 record when registering 40 or more rebounds.
Playing With the Lead
During Crean's stay at Marquette, the Golden Eagles have been tough to beat when leading at halftime. Marquette stands 51-9 when leading at the intermission (10-1 in '02-03, 21-1 last season). The only game MU has lost time season when leading at halftime was at East Carolina (MU led 35-33 at half).
Rebound Notes
Tom Crean-coached Marquette teams have always stressed rebounding with the Golden Eagles outrebounding 68 of 105 opponents during Crean's tenure. MU shows a 56-12 record under Crean when outboarding the opposition, (10-1 in '02-03, 19-3 during the 2001-02 campaign. Through Jan. 15, MU was No. 2 in C-USA in rebound margin (+6.5). Last year, MU stood No. 3 among C-USA teams in rebound margin (+4.5) in overall and league play (+2.7).
70 A Magic Number For Marquette
During Coach Crean's tenure as head coach, Marquette stands 40-8 when scoring 70 or more points (8-3 in 2002-03). The 2001-02 season saw the Golden Eagles post a 20-1 mark in such games and they show a 37-7 mark since 2000-01.
Inside The Numbers
Marquette has outshot 11 of 14 opponents from the field this year and shows a 10-1 record in those games, 34-2 since the 2001-02 season ... Through 14 games, the Golden Eagles are averaging 12.9 turnovers vs. 12.3 their opponents ... After 14 games, MU is averaging 14.6 three-point field goal attempts vs. 22.1 for the opposition.
