Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Faces Road Test At DePaul On Wednesday
2/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2003
Game Data
Site - Chicago * Allstate Arena (17,500)
Tipoff - 8:35 p.m. CST
Radio - Marquette Radio Network (Steve "The Homer" True, Play-by-Play; Mike Thibault, Analysis) -- website: www.newstalk1130.com
Television - FoxSports Net (Pat Hughes, Play-by-Play; George Thompson, Analysis)
Probable Marquette Starters (subject to change)
G #34 - Travis Diener (So., 6-1, 165, Fond du Lac, Wis.) 11.1 ppg; 3.0 rpg, 5.70 apg -- No. 2 in C-USA in assists and assist/turnover ratio (+2.85)
G #3 - Dwyane Wade (Jr., 6-5, 210, Robbins, Ill.) 21.8 ppg; 5.5 rpg; 3.65 apg; 2.20 spg -- C-USA leading scorer (21.8 ppg) -- Scored his 1,000th career point in the Wake Forest game; Leads team and is 3rd among C-USA players in steals
F #5 - Scott Merritt (Jr., 6-10, 245, Wauwatosa, Wis.) 9.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg -- No. 2 on squad in rebounds -- 16 pts. vs. Wake Forest tied second-highest total of the season
F #1 - Todd Townsend (So., 6-7, 215, Chicago, Ill.) 7.3 ppg; 2.6 rpg -- No. 2 on squad with 29 treys
F #55 - Robert Jackson (Sr., 6-10, 260, Milwaukee, Wis.) 15.9 ppg; 7.5 rpg -- No. 2 in C-USA in FG% (.571); 19 pts., 11 rebs. vs. Wake Forest was his fourth double-double of the year.
Probable DePaul Starters (subject to change)
F # 4 - Andre Brown (Jr., 6-9, 230, 8.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg)
F # 5 - Delonte Holland (Jr., 6-7, 210, 12.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
C # 25 - Sam Hoskin (Sr., 6-9, 250, 14.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
G # 3 - LeVar Seals (So., 6-4, 180, 3.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
G # 33 - Drake Diener (So., 6-5, 180, 6.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Series Notes - Marquette holds a 56-40 lead in the all-time series that started during the 1917-18 season. The Golden Eagles have won the last five meetings between the two schools including a 72-51 win in Milwaukee earlier year (Jan. 25). Leading MU's effort in that game was junior Dwyane Wade with 21 points while sophomores Todd Townsend (12 pts.) and Travis Diener (11 pts.) also finished in double digits in scoring.
Statistical Comparison
Game Info
Marquette DePaulScoring Avg. 78.8 ppg 66.6 ppgScoring Def. 66.2 ppg 62.4 ppgScoring Margin +12.6 ppg +4.2Rebounding Avg. 36.5 rpg 36.1 rpgReb. Margin +5.0 +6.3FG% 48.8% 44.5%Opp FG% 40.1% 40.0%3 Pt. FG% 36.1% 35.4%FT% 76.3% 72.3%
The Marquette basketball team, winners of its last nine contests, resumes Conference USA action on Wednesday (Feb. 12) when it plays at DePaul. Allstate Arena (17,500) will serve as the site of the 97th meeting between the two schools and tipoff is slated for 8:35 p.m. (CST).
The MU-DePaul game will be televised by FoxSports Net with Pat Hughes providing the play-by-play and George Thompson the analysis.
The Records
Marquette, ranked 11th in both the ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press rankings, takes a 17-3 overall record (8-1 C-USA) into the DePaul game. In its most recent performance, Marquette came away a well-earned 68-61 win over No. 14-ranked Wake Forest this past Sunday (Feb. 9) at the Bradley Center, the program's 28th straight win on its home court.
In that game, the Golden Eagles enjoyed a 29-26 halftime lead thanks in part to some solid defensive play combined with senior Robert Jackson (8 pts.) and junior Dwyane Wade (7 pts.) who accounted for 15 of the team's points. In the second half, the Golden Eagles were nursing a 45-43 advantage with 10:21 remaining before going on a key 8-0 spurt than increased the margin to 53-43 with 6:47 on the clock. Junior Scott Merritt accounted for six of those points while Wade picked up the other two on a dunk that represented his 1,000th career point. WFU cut the gap to four points with 57 seconds remaining, but Marquette sank eight-of-nine from the foul line down the stretch in holding off the comeback attempt.
Jackson concluded the game with team highs in both points with 19 and rebounds with 11, his fourth double-double of the campaign. Scott Merritt chipped in 16 points, tying his second-highest total of the year, and pulled down nine rebounds. Wade posted 18 points and contributed a pair of assists along with five steals.
Though it connected on just 36.8 percent from the floor (21-of-57), and was outrebounded by a 48-35 margin, Marquette limited Wake Forest to 33.3 percent from the floor (22-of-66) and came up with 12 steals.
DePaul hosts Marquette with an overall leger of 12-7, 4-4 in C-USA. The Blue Demons are 11-1 in their home games this year and coming off a 72-64 win against Charlotte this past Saturday.
Wade Reaches 1,000 Career Points
Dwyane Wade became the 34th player in Marquette history to reach the 1,000 career-point plateau this past Saturday against Wake Forest. Wade's 18-point afternoon increased his career total to 1,006 points, tying him with Lloyd Walton ('73-76) for 33rd place on the school's all-time list. Wade reached his 1,000 points in his 52nd career game at Marquette making him the second-fastest player in MU history to reach that figure. The school's all-time leading scorer, George Thompson ('66-69), picked up his 1,000th point in his 50th career contest.
A candidate for both the Wooden and Naismith Awards, Wade also ranks No. 8 on the school's all-time list for steals with 123.
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. He stands 6-1 against DePaul.
In games played in Milwaukee, Crean stands 49-10 (47-8 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 73-38/4th season Tom Crean's Career Record 73-38/4th 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 and tied for 10th in C-USA(through Feb. 10) in scoring (15.9 ppg) and first on the team in rebounding (7.4 rpg). The 6-foot-10 Jackson's team-high 19 points vs. Wake Forest marked his 19th game of double-figure scoring this year (team high). He has pulled down a team-high 66 offensive rebounds and his 3.30 offensive rebounds per-game average is good for fourth place in C-USA (through Feb. 10). Finally, his team-high 57.1 field goal percentage holds down the the No. 2 spot among C-USA players (through Feb. 10).
More Notes From Wake Forest
Marquette tied its team season high with 12 steals ... MU's 82.1 percent mark from the foul line represented the ninth and was the fourth time in the last six contests that it surpassed 80 percent ... Wake Forest's 33.3 field goal percentage was the third lowest by a Marquette opponent this year ... WFU's 23 offensive rebounds were the second-highest mark by a Marquette foe this year ... Wake Forest's 21.1 percent mark from beyond the arc represented the sixth time that Marquette held an opponent to 25 or less percent from three-point range this season.
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 Forest Head Coach Dave Leitao
Dave Leitao (Northeastern, '83) is in his first season as head coach of DePaul. Prior to his current post, he was Associate Head Coach at Connecticut, 1996-2002. In three years a sa college head coach, Leitao has a career mark of 34-42.
Wade An All-Around Threat
Dwyane Wade, who ranks first among C-USA players and 19th nationally in scoring (21.8 ppg), has 13 outings of 20 or more points this year. Career-wise, Wade has totaled 1,006 points in 52 games (19.4 ppg) and his 449 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 Feb. 10) in assists (3.65 apg), first on the team and third in the league (through Feb. 10) in steals (2.20 spg) and No. 2 on the club and 7th in the loop in field goal shooting (52.1%). Wade's five steals against Wake Forest represented his 13th multi-steal game of the year and sixth of three or more thefts.
Odds and Ends
Dwyane Wade has scored in double figures in 49 of his 52 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 43 foes to shoot 50 percent or better from the floor ... The Golden Eagles own a 29-4 record during Crean's tenure when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor (8-0 in '02-03, 12-0 in 2001-02) ... During its nine-game win streak MU shows a 34.8-29.3 per-game edge in rebounding and is shooting 46.6 percent from the field vs. 39.3 percent for opponents ... MU has held 77 of its last 82 opponents to less than 50 percent from the floor ... MU stands 34-5 during Crean's stint as head coach when registering 15 or more assists (10-2 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 16 of 20 foes over the final 20 minutes this year ... Since last year, MU owns a 32-4 mark when finishing a game with the same or fewer number of turnovers than the opposition ... Marquette has outshot the opposition in 29 of 40 halves (opponents have shot better in one overtime stanza) ... Robert Jackson's 19-point, 11-rebound effort against Wake Forest was his fourth double double at Marquette and 18th of his college career ... In its 17 wins, MU holds a 36.9-29.5 edge in rebounding compared to a 34.0-42.3 disadvantage in its three setbacks ... The Golden Eagles are averaging 36.6 points in the first half of play and 42.2 points during the final 20 minutes of action/overtime ... Opponents are averaging 30.1 points during the opening 20 minutes and 36.1 in the second half/ot ... MU is 9-0 this year when shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, 21-1 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 14 games ... Marquette is No. 1 among C-USA teams and tied for 12th nationally (through Feb. 10) in free throw shooting with a 76.3 percent effort ... The Golden Eagles have shot 75 percent or better from the foul line in 14 of the last 17 games and the team is hitting at a 80.2 clip (178-of-222) during the nine-game win streak. ... In its last five games, MU has 40 steals vs. 21 for the opposition.
Streaks & Last Time It Happened
Consecutive Games - Scott Merritt - 82
Consecutive Starts - Dwyane Wade - 40
Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games - Robert Jackson - 4
Consecutive Games with a Three-Pointer - Travis Diener - 4
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 - Travis Diener (21) vs. Saint Louis - Feb. 5, 2003
The Last Time a Golden Eagle Had 10+ Rebounds - Robert Jackson (11) vs. Wake Forest - Feb. 9, 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 (19-11) vs. Wake Forest - Feb. 9, 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. DePaul - Jan. 25, 2003
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 - Josh Howard (20) - Wake Forest - Feb. 9, 2003
The Last Time an Opponent Had 10+ Rebounds - Jamaal Levy (12) - Wake Forest - Feb. 9, 2003 Josh Howard (10) - Wake Forest - Feb. 9, 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) - Josh Howard (20-10) - Wake Forest - Feb. 9, 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 - Leonard Stokes (12) - Cincinnati - Feb. 1, 2003
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 55-9 when leading at intermission (14-1 in '02-03, 21-1 last year). The only game MU has lost this year when leading at the break was at East Carolina, Dec. 30 (MU led 35-33 at half).
Rebound Notes
Tom Crean-coached Marquette teams have always stressed rebounding with the Golden Eagles outrebounding 72 of 111 foes during his tenure. MU shows a 60-12 mark under Crean when outboarding the opposition (14-1 in '02-03, 19-3 during 2001-02). Through Feb. 10, MU stood No. 2 in C-USA in rebound margin (+5.0) in overall play and No. 1 in league action (+5.6). 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 42-8 when scoring 70 or more points (11-3 in 2002-03). The 2001-02 campaign saw the Golden Eagles post a 20-1 mark in such games and they show a 39-7 effort since 2000-01.
Inside The Numbers
Marquette has outshot 15 of 20 foes from the field this year and stands 14-1 in those games, 38-2 since the 2001-02 season ... Through 20 games, the Golden Eagles average 12.4 turnovers vs. 12.8 for the opposition ... After 20 games, Marquette averages 15.5 trey attempts vs. 20.8 for opponents ... Through 20 games last season, MU was averaging 75.4 points (78.8 this year) and shooting 48.3% from the floor (48.8% this year).
Marquette Among National Leaders in Stat Categories
Through games played Feb. 10, Marquette found itself among the national leaders in a couple of statistical categories. The Golden Eagles were tied for 12th in free throw percentage (.763) and 16th in scoring margin (+12.6).
Home Cookin' Suits Marquette Just Fine
Following last Sunday's (Feb. 9) win vs. Wake Forest, Marquette has won its last 28 straight home games, the second-longest home streak in school history. The Jan. 25 win over DePaul pushed past the 24 straight games MU won during the entire 1977-78 season when that squad went 17-0 and part of the '78-79 campaign when it won its first seven home games. Of course, the current streak has quite some ways to go to match the school's all-time mark of 81straight home-court triumphs (tied for fifth longest in NCAA history) set from 1967 through 1973.
So far this year, Marquette has averaged 81.9 points in its 12 home contests compared to 61.5 points for the opposition. In addition, the Golden Eagles have connected on 51.5 percent from the floor vs. 38.9 percent for opponents.
Last Call
During Crean's tenure as head coach, Marquette has a 17-2 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 5-0 in 2002-03) ... Marquette has held nine opponents to less than 40 percent from the floor this year and stands 8-1 in those contests, 21-2 since the 2001-02 campaign ... In the last five games, the Golden Eagles are shooting 36.0 percent from three-point range (31-of-86) compared to the opposition's effort of 25.6 percent (21-of-82).
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. The Tom Crean Television Show airs on WDJT-TV (Ch. 58) on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. The host of the show is Pat Hughes.
