Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Basketball Hosts DePaul On Saturday
1/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2003
Game Data
Game Date -Jan. 25, 2003
Site - Milwaukee, Wis. * Bradley Center (19,150)
Tipoff - 1:05 p.m. CST
Radio - Marquette Radio Network (Steve "The Homer" True, Play-by-Play; George Thompson, Analysis) -- website: www.newstalk1130.com
Television - WMLW-TV (Ch. 41) -- Lou Canellis, Play-by-Play; Steven Bardo, Analysis
Probable Marquette Starters (subject to change)
G #34 - Travis Diener (So., 6-1, 165, Fond du Lac, Wis.) 10.5 ppg; 3.2 rpg, 6.13 apg -- No. 2 in C-USA in assists; Career-high 10 rebounds vs. Charlotte
G #3 - Dwyane Wade (Jr., 6-5, 210, Robbins, Ill.) 23.2 ppg; 5.7 rpg; 3.67 apg -- C-USA leading scorer -- has 11 games of 20 or more points this year -- Leads team and is sixth among C-USA players in steals (27, 1.80 spg)
F #5 - Scott Merritt (Jr., 6-10, 245, Wauwatosa, Wis.) 10.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg -- Averaging 9.2 rebounds in last four games; Tied for 13th among C-USA players in rebounding
F #1 - Todd Townsend (So., 6-7, 215, Chicago, Ill.) 6.9 ppg; 3.0 rpg -- No. 2 on squad with 20 treys and has three-point field goals in his last seven outings
F #55 - Robert Jackson (Sr., 6-10, 260, Milwaukee, Wis.) 15.9 ppg; 7.7 rpg -- Double-figure scorer in each of the team's first 15 games -- Shooting team-high 59.9 percent from floor -- Has shot 50% or better from floor in last eight games.
Probable DePaul Starters (subject to change)
F # 4 - Andre Brown (Jr., 6-9, 200, 9.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg)
F # 45 - Quemont Greer (So., 6-7, 220, 9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
C # 25 - Sam Hoskin (Sr., 6-9, 250, 13.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg)
G # 3 - LeVar Seals (So., 6-4, 180, 3.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
G #33 - Drake Diener (So., 6-5, 180, 7.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.87 apg)
Series Notes - Marquette holds a 55-40 margin in the all-time series that saw the first game played during the 1917-18 season. The Golden Eagles have won the last four meetings including 87-68 (at DePaul) and 72-53 (at Milwaukee) decisions last year.
Statistical Comparison
Game Info
Marquette DePaulScoring Avg. 80.4 ppg 68.7 ppgScoring Def. 68.2 ppg 62.1 ppgScoring Margin +12.2 ppg +6.6Rebounding Avg. 37.8 rpg 37.0 rpgReb. Margin +6.5 +6.3FG% 50.2% 44.5%Opp FG% 40.7% 39.7%3 Pt. FG% 36.2% 36.1%FT% 74.6% 71.9%
After playing five of its past six games on the road, the Marquette basketball team returns home for a Saturday (Jan. 25) meeting against the Blue Demons of DePaul. Al McGuire Court at the Bradley Center (19,105) will be the setting for the 96th meeting between the two schools and tipoff is slated for 1:05 p.m. (CST).
The MU-DePaul game is part of the ESPN-Plus Conference USA Game of the Week Package and can be seen locally on WMLW-TV (Ch. 41). Handling the play-by-play will be Lou Canellis while Steven Bardo provides commentary.
Following Saturday's action, the Golden Eagles' next action takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Bradley Center vs. East Carolina (7:00 p.m.).
The Records
Marquette, ranked 19th in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and 20th by the Associated Press, takes a 12-3 overall record (4-1 C-USA) into the DePaul game. In its most recent performance, Marquette came away with a 67-64 win at Charlotte last Saturday, the team's fourth consecutive win.
In that game, the Golden Eagles trailed by a 28-23 margin at halftime with eight turnovers and 31.3 percent field goal shooting the primary factors in the deficit. Marquette then started the second half in strong fashion with an 11-4 run in the opening 4:23 to give it a 34-32 edge. In what settled down into a hard fought and intense game, another well-timed 11-4 run by the Golden Eagles later on in the second stanza resulted in a 50-45 lead with 6:22 remaining. However, the 49ers reclaimed the lead and held a slim 61-60 advantage with just 1:42 on the clock. MU then rattled off the next six points of the game, four coming from senior Robert Jackson and two from sophomore Travis Diener, in taking a 66-61 lead with nine ticks on the clock. The Golden Eagles proceeded to hold on and came away with their first win in seven attempts in Halton Arena.
In the game, Marquette was outshot from the floor (43.1 vs. 39.1 percent), but a 38-32 edge on the glass along with 85.0 percent shooting from the foul line (17-of-20) played vital roles in the win. Junior Dwyane Wade led the team with 20 points while Jackson chipped in 13. Junior Scott Merrit led all players with 11 rebounds while Diener contributed a career-high 10 boards.
DePaul comes to town with an overall record of 10-5 including a 2-2 won-lost ledger in C-USA action. The Blue Demons are coming off a 71-43 setback at Louisville this past Wednesday (Jan. 22).
Wade Named C-USA Co-Player of the Week
Marquette's Dwyane Wade was selected as C-USA Co-Player of the Week along with Leonard Stokes of Cincinnati for his efforts in helping the Golden Eagles to a pair of road wins last week. In victories at Tulane and Charlotte, Wade averaged 27.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and shot 65.6 percent (21-of-32). Against the Green Wave of Tulane, Wade hit on a career-high tying 13 field goals in 16 attempts en route to a career-high tying 35 points. His point total tied his own mark as the third-highest effort by a Marquette player in a C-USA game. In the Charlotte outing, Wade knocked down eight-of-16 from the floor and all three of his free throw opportunities in a 20-point performance, his 11th effort of 20 or more points this season.
It marked the third time this year and fifth in his career that he had earned C-USA Player of the Week recognition. Through games played Jan. 23, Wade led C-USA in scoring with a 23.2 points per game average.
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). He is 5-1 all-time vs. DePaul.
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 68-38/4th season Tom Crean's Career Record 68-38/4th season
Jackson Making An Impact
Senior Robert Jackson has made a significant impact for Marquette this season and checks into the DePaul affair second on the squad in scoring (15.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (7.7 rpg). The 6-foot-10 Jackson, who has eight or more caroms in 10 of the team's 15 outings, has scored in double figures in all 15 of the Golden Eagles' contests. He has pulled down a team-high 48 offensive rebounds and his 3.20 offensive rebounds per-game average ties him for the No. 5 spot in C-USA (through Jan. 23). Finally, his team-high 59.9 field goal percentage was good for the No. 2 spot among C-USA players (through Jan. 23).
More Notes From Charlotte
Scott Merritt's 11 rebounds combined with Travis Diener's career-best 10 boards marked the third time this year that MU had two players snatch 10 or more caroms in the same game ... The Golden Eagles' 15 offensive rebounds represented the 11th time this year that it finished with double digits on the offensive glass ... MU hit 85.0 percent from the foul line, the team's 11th contest of 70 and sixth of 80 percent or better this year ... MU's win at Charlotte snapped a 21-game losing streak on opponent's home courts in the state of North Carolina dating from 1963 ... The win evened MU's record at 2-2 this year when trailing at the half. The other game Marquette won when trailing this year was Wisconsin (trailed 29-28 at half, won, 63-54).
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.
DePaul Head Coach Dave Leitao
Dave Leitao (Northeastern, '83) is in his first season as head coach of DePaul. Prior to his appointment in April of 2002, Leitao was the associate head coach at Connecticut (1996-2002). In three years as a college head coach, Leitao has a career slate of 32-40.
Wade An All-Around Threat
Dwyane Wade, who ranks first among C-USA players in scoring (23.2 ppg), came through with a team-best 20 points against Charlotte, his 11th outing of 20 or more points this Career-wise, Wade has totaled 919 points in 47 games (19.6 ppg) and his 380 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. 9 in C-USA (through Jan. 23) in assists (3.67 apg), first on the team and sixth in the league (through Jan. 23) in steals (1.80 spg) and No. 2 on the club and 5th in field goal shooting (55.6%) through Jan. 23
Odds and Ends
Dwyane Wade has scored in double figures in 45 of his 47 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 38 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 four-game win streak MU shows a 37.5-26.3 per-game edge in rebounding and is shooting 49.5 percent from the field vs. 40.5 percent for opponents ... MU has held 72 of its last 77 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 12 of 15 foes over the final 20 minutes this year ... Since last year, MU owns a 28-4 mark when finishing a game with the same or fewer number of turnovers than the opposition ... Marquette has outshot the opposition in 22 of 30 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 12 wins, MU holds a 38.8-28.6 edge in rebounding compared to a 34.0-42.3 disadvantage in its three setbacks ... The Golden Eagles are averaging 37.3 points in the first half of play and 43.1 points during the final 20 minutes of action/overtime ... Opponents are averaging 31.3 points during the opening 20 minutes and 36.8 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 13 games ... Marquette is No. 2 among C-USA teams (through Jan. 23) in free throw shooting with a 74.6 percent effort ... The Golden Eagles have shot 75 percent or better from the foul line in nine of the last 12 games and the team is hitting at a 79.0 clip (79-of-100) during the four-game win streak. ... Wade has 106 career steals and is two thefts shy of moving into the top 10 in MU's all-time list ... In its 12 wins, MU is shooting 39.6% from three-point range while holding foes to 32.1%.
Streaks & Last Time It Happened
Consecutive Games - Scott Merritt - 77
Consecutive Starts - Dwyane Wade - 35
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games - Robert Jackson - 15
Consecutive Games with a Three-Pointer - Todd Townsend - 7
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 (20) vs. Charlotte - Jan. 18, 2003
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Rebounds - Scott Merritt (11) vs. Charlotte - Jan. 18, 2003 Travis Diener (10) vs. Charlotte - Jan. 18, 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 - Demon Brown (23) - Charlotte - Jan. 18, 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
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 intermission (10-1 in '02-03, 21-1 last year). The only game MU has lost this year when leading at the break 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 69 of 106 foes during his tenure. MU shows a 57-12 mark under Crean when outboarding the opposition (11-1 in '02-03, 19-3 during 2001-02). Through Jan. 23, MU stood No. 1 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 (+2.7) play.
70 A Magic Number
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 campaign saw the Golden Eagles post a 20-1 mark in such games and they show a 37-7 effort since 2000-01.
Inside The Numbers
Marquette has outshot 11 of 15 foes from the field this year and stands 10-1 in those games, 34-2 since the 2001-02 season ... Through 15 games, the Golden Eagles are averaging 12.9 turnovers per game vs. 12.3 for the opposition ... After 15 games, Marquette averages 14.9 trey attempts vs. 22.2 for opponents.
Marquette Among National Leaders in Stat Categories
Through games played Jan. 23, Marquette found itself among the national leaders in a couple of statistical categories. The Golden Eagles were tied for No. 18 in scoring offense (80.4 ppg) and tied for No. 23 in free throw percentage (.746). In addition, the Jan. 20 national statistics compiled by the NCAA showed that Marquette stood 11th in field goal percentage (.502). Helping bolster that standing was the fact that MU has recorded seven games of 50 percent or better from the field this year including two of 60-percent plus.
Last Call
During Crean's tenure as head coach, Marquette has a 15-2 won-lost slate when shooting 30 or more free throws (1-0 in '99-00; 5-2 in 2000-01, 6-0 in '01-02 and 3-0 in 2002-03) ... Marquette has held six opponents to less than 40 percent from the floor this year and stands 5-1 in those contests, 18-2 since the 2001-02 campaign.
Coach Crean On The Air
The Tom Crean Radio Show can be heard on Monday evenings, 7:30 - 8:00 pm on WISN Radio (1130 AM). The host of the show is the radio voice of Golden Eagle Basketball, Steve "The Homer" True. On Jan. 27, the Tom Crean Radio Show will originate from the Sports Annex on the Marquette campus located on the corner of 16th and Wells.
The Tom Crean Television Show airs on WDJT-TV (Ch. 58) on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m.
