Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Basketball Gears Up For UAB Contest
2/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2003
Game Data
Site - Milwaukee, Wis. * Bradley Center (19,150)
Tipoff - 8:05 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.) 11.9 ppg; 3.5 rpg, 5.65 apg -- No. 2 in C-USA in assists; Leads team with 46 three-point field goals
G #3 - Dwyane Wade (Jr., 6-5, 210, Robbins, Ill.) 21.5 ppg; 6.2 rpg; 4.00 apg; 2.16 spg -- C-USA leading scorer; Averaging 23.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in his last three games
F #5 - Scott Merritt (Jr., 6-10, 245, Wauwatosa, Wis.) 9.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg -- Has four double-doubles this year; 18 pts. vs. Louisville was a season high
F #1 - Todd Townsend (So., 6-7, 215, Chicago, Ill.) 7.0 ppg; 2.7 rpg -- Seven games of double-figure scoring this year
F #55 - Robert Jackson (Sr., 6-10, 260, Milwaukee, Wis.) 15.4 ppg; 7.2 rpg -- Has scored in double figures 23 times this year; Tied for 10th in C-USA in scoring and is 10th in rebounding
Probable UAB Starters (subject to change)
F # 2 - Gabe Kennedy (Jr., 6-9, 240, 9.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
F # 23 - Demario Eddins (Fr., 6-7, 195, 9.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
F # 32 - Sidney Ball (Jr., 6-6, 220, 4.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
G # 3 - Eric Bush (Sr., 5-10, 180, 7.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
G # 10 - Morris Finley (Jr., 5-11, 174, 17.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Series Notes - Marquette stands 11-5 all-time against UAB in the series that dates from the 1991-92 season. The teams met once last season with MU claiming a 67-59 win in Milwaukee. The Golden Eagles have a 7-2 record vs. UAB in games played in Milwaukee.
Game Info
Looking to add to its three-game win streak, the Marquette basketball team hosts UAB on Saturday (Mar. 1). Al McGuire Court at the Bradley Center (19,150) will serve as the site of the 17th meeting between the two schools and tipoff is slated for 8:05 pm. If Marquette is able to win Saturday's affair, it will clinch at least a share of the Conference USA regular-season title.
Following the UAB contest, Marquette's next game will take place on Saturday, Mar. 8, when it hosts Cincinnati starting at 12:30 pm.
The Records
Marquette, ranked 10th by the Associated Press and 11th by ESPN/USA Today, takes a 21-4 overall record into the UAB game. In C-USA action, the Golden Eagles stand 12-2, good for first place. In its most recent performance, Marquette staged a dramatic 78-73 come-from-behind win at No. 11-ranked Louisville on Thursday (Feb. 27).
In that game, Marquette faced an uphill battle when it trailed by a 42-23 margin with 4:13 left in the first half. The Golden Eagles regrouped before halftime ended and trailed by a 46-35 count heading into the locker room. Though it was outshot by a slim 47.1 vs. 44.4 percent margin and held a 23-16 edge on the boards, MU was hampered by 14 first-half miscues that the Cardinals generated into 16 points.
In the second half, Marquette methodically got back into contention and used a 12-3 run, culminated by a tip-in basket by sophomore Travis Diener, to cut the deficit to one point with 12:14 on the clock. The Golden Eagles eventually took the lead for good with 7:23 remaining when junior Dwyane Wade knocked down a jumper. From there, MU's determined play enabled it to emerge with the win with a pair of free throws by Diener with six seconds left icing the game.
Wade turned in another outstanding performance, picking up a game-high 28 points, 19 in the second half, on nine-of-17 shooting from the floor (2-of-3 from three-point range) and eight-of-11 from the charity stripe. Also in Wade's totals were a team-high tying eight boards and a team-high seven assists. Junior Scott Merritt came through with a season-best 18 points while chipping in seven boards while Diener finished with 16 points, eight boards and four assists.
UAB comes to town with an overall record of 16-8, 8-5 in league games. The Blazers have won their last three contests including a 77-71 triumph at home against DePaul on Wednesday.
Golden Eagles Stage Rally
Marquette's stirring comeback from a 19-point deficit in the 78-73 win at Louisville was the largest deficit overcome in a victory by a Tom Crean-coached Marquette team. The previous largest deficit was 18 points early in the second half against Xavier on Jan. 2, 2000, in Milwaukee. MU trailed in that game, 41-23, before recording a 65-63 win. Later on that year (Feb. 24, 2000), the Golden Eagles faced a 16-point obstacle in the second half before coming away with a 61-60 win at South Florida.
Wade Continues March Up MU Charts
MU's Dwyane Wade's 28 points against Louisville increased his career total to 1,109, good for 27th place on the school's all-time list. Wade is now eyeing Robb Logterman's ('90-94) 26th-place mark of 1,201 points. In addition, Dwyane is tied for ninth in career steals at MU with 133.
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. He is 4-4 all-time vs. Louisville. In games played in Milwaukee, Crean stands 50-11 (48-9 at the Bradley Center, 2-2 at the U.S. Cellular Arena).
Tom Crean's Marquette Record 77-39/4th season Tom Crean's Career Record 77-39/4th season
Jackson Making An Impact
Senior Robert Jackson has made a significant impact for Marquette this season and checks into the UAB affair second on the squad and tied for 10th in C-USA (through Feb. 28) in scoring (15.4 ppg) and first on the team in rebounding (7.2 rpg), good for 10th among league players. The 6-foot-10 Jackson has notched double-figure scoring on 23 occasions. He has pulled down a team-high 83 offensive rebounds and his 3.32 offensive rebounds per-game average is good for fourth place in C-USA (through Feb. 28). Finally, his team-high 55.0 field goal percentage holds down the the No. 2 spot among C-USA players (through Feb. 28).
More Notes From Louisville
MU's 21 free throws marked the 10th time this season it finished a game with 20 successful makes ... The Golden Eagles' 13 offensive rebounds represented the ninth consecutive game where they posted double digits on the offensive glass ... The win boosted MU's record to 47-11 in its last 58 games, 25-5 in league play ... The win at Louisville was the team's seventh straight on the road, the longest overall road winning streak during Crean's tenure as head coach and the program's longest single-season road win streak since 1975-76 when it rattled 10 consecutive triumphs on enemy courts ... MU is 11-0 this year when attempting 25 or more from the foul line ... Louisville's 38.5 field goal percentage marked the 12th time this year an opponent shot less than 40 percent vs. Marquette (MU is 11-1 in those games)
40 A Magic Number On The Glass
Marquette has grabbed 40 or more rebounds in nine games this year and shows a 7-2 won-lost ledger in those affairs, 25-5 during Coach Crean's tenure. Last year, MU posted a 6-0 record when registering 40 or more rebounds.
UAB Head Coach Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson (Tulsa, '82) is in his first season as head coach of UAB. Prior to his appointment, he spent 13 years (1989-2002) as an assistant at Arkansas, helping that program to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, three Final Four berths and a NCAA crown in 1994.
Wade An All-Around Threat
Dwyane Wade, who ranks first among C-USA players and 25th nationally in scoring (21.5 ppg), has three straight and 16 outings of 20 or more points this year. Career-wise, Wade has totaled 1,109 points in 57 games (19.4 ppg) and his 552 career points in C-USA action is good for fourth 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. 28) in assists (4.00 apg), first on the team and second in the league (through Feb. 28) in steals (2.16 spg) and No. 2 on the club and 9th in the loop in field goal shooting (50.7%). Wade has 16 multi-steal games this year and nine of three or more thefts.
Odds and Ends
Dwyane Wade has scored in double figures in 54 of his 57 career games ... Wade has three double doubles this season and five in his career ... Marquette has allowed one opponent this year (Notre Dame) and just two of its last 48 foes to shoot 50 percent or better from the floor ... The Golden Eagles own a 30-4 record during Crean's tenure when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor (9-0 in '02-03, 12-0 in 2001-02) ... In its last five games, MU is shooting 44.6 percent (33-of-74) from three-point range vs. 33.7 percent (35-of-104) for opponents ... MU has held 82 of its last 87 opponents to less than 50 percent from the floor ... MU stands 36-5 during Crean's stint as head coach when registering 15 or more assists (12-2 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 19 of 25 foes over the final 20 minutes this year ... Since last year, MU owns a 33-4 mark when finishing a game with the same or fewer number of turnovers than the opposition ... Marquette has outshot the opposition in 37 of 50 halves (opponents have shot better in one overtime stanza) ... Robert Jackson's 20-point, 12-rebound effort against TCU was his sixth double double at Marquette and 20th of his college career ... In its 21 wins, MU holds a 37.6-30.6 edge in rebounding compared to a 35.8-41.3 disadvantage in its four setbacks ... The Golden Eagles are averaging 36.2 points in the first half of play and 41.8 points during the final 20 minutes of action/overtime ... Opponents are averaging 30.6 points during the opening 20 minutes and 35.9 in the second half/ot ... MU is 12-1 this year when shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, 24-2 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 18 games ... Marquette is No. 1 among C-USA teams and tied for 16th nationally (through Feb. 28) in free throw shooting with a 75.7 percent effort ... The Golden Eagles have shot 75 percent or better from the foul line in 16 of the last 22 games ... Through Feb. 28, Marquette is No. 1 among C-USA in field goal percentage in overall play (.482) ... MU also tops the league in 3pt. FG% in overall (.378) and league (.409) action.
Playing With The Lead
During Crean's stay at Marquette, the Golden Eagles have been tough to beat when leading at halftime. Marquette stands 58-10 when leading at intermission (17-2 in '02-03, 21-1 last year). The only games MU has lost this year when leading at the break have been at East Carolina, Dec. 30 (MU led 35-33 at half), and Louisville, (Feb. 15, MU led 36-35 at half)
Rebound Notes
Tom Crean-coached Marquette teams have always stressed rebounding with the Golden Eagles outrebounding 76 of 116 foes during his tenure. MU shows a 63-13 mark under Crean when outboarding the opposition (17-2 in '02-03, 19-3 during 2001-02). Through Feb. 28, MU stood No. 2 in C-USA in rebound margin (+5.0) in both overall and conference (+5.3) play. 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 46-9 when scoring 70 or more points (15-4 in 2002-03). The 2001-02 campaign saw the Golden Eagles post a 20-1 mark in such games and they show a 43-8 effort since 2000-01.
Inside The Numbers
Marquette has outshot 19 of 25 foes from the field this year and stands 18-1 in those games, 42-2 since the 2001-02 season ... Through 25 games, the Golden Eagles aaverage 12.6 turnovers per game vs. 12.3 for the opposition ... After 25 games, Marquette averages 15.36 trey attempts vs. 20.76 for opponents.
Wade A Candidate For Player of the Year
Dwyane Wade has been recognized for his outstanding 2002-03 season and is one of the Top 20 finalists for the Naismith Award as well as one of the Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 candidates. Wade, the team's and C-USA's leading scorer with a 21.3 points per game average, has also been chosen as one of the 15 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Award, the United States Basketball Writers player of the year award. Named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 11 First Team, the 6-foot-5 Wade has been tabbed as Conference USA's Player of the Week on four occasions this year and was also named the nation's Player of the Week (Dec. 17) by The Sporting News.
Marquette Among National Leaders in Stat Categories
Through games played Feb. 28, Marquette found itself among the national leaders in a couple of statistical categories. The Golden Eagles were tied for 16th in free throw percentage (.757) and stood tied for 18th in scoring margin (+11.4). In addition, the team's 84.0 winning percentage was tied for sixth nationally. In the NCAA statistics released Feb. 24, Marquette held down the No. 17 spot in field goal percentage and 19th in field goal percentage defense.
Home Cookin' Suits Marquette Just Fine
The 75-67 win over Charlotte on Feb. 20 was the programs' 29th win in its last 30 home games. The team had a 28-game win streak snapped on Feb. 15 when it came out on the short end of a 73-70 decision to Louisville. The school's all-time mark in that category is 81 straight wins (tied for fifth longest in NCAA history) set from 1967 through 1973.
So far this year, Marquette has averaged 80.6 points in its 14 home contests compared to 62.7 points for the opposition. In addition, the Golden Eagles have connected on 78.1 percent from the foul line (249-of-319) and 50.3 percent from the floor compared to 38.8 percent for the opposition.
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 12 opponents to less than 40 percent from the floor this year and stands 11-1 in those contests, 24-2 since the 2001-02 campaign ... In the last five games, the Golden Eagles are shooting 45.7 percent from the floor (128-of-280) compared to the opposition's effort of 38.0 percent (117-of-308).
Marquette Attendance Climbs
Marquette has averaged 14,981 fans for its 14 home dates. The school is on pace to set a seasonal attendance record in 2002-03 with the previous mark being 14,347 set during the 1993-94 campaign. Home attendance averages have jumped considerably since Crean has taken over the program. In his first season (1999-2000), home attendance was 9,971 per game before increasing to 11,194 in 2000-01. Last year, Marquette averaged 12,611 over 16 home dates.
Diener is Dishing
Travis Diener has recorded a team-high 141 assists this year and his 5.64 per-game mark is good for the No. 2 spot among C-USA players. Diener, whose 5.36 assists per-game mark in conference outings ranks him No. 3, holds down the No. 3 slot in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (+2.88) in overall play. Diener totaled five assists and no turnovers in 38 minutes vs. TCU (Feb. 22), the fifth time this year that he had no turnovers in 25 or more minutes of action. His 141 assists are fourth on MU's seasonal chart for sophomores.
