Marquette University Athletics
Men's Basketball Meets Connecticut to Open BIG EAST Play
1/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Golden Eagles host no. 2 ranked team in the country
Click here for game notes in PDF format.
MILWAUKEE ? For head coach Tom Crean, Tuesday's game with no. 2 Connecticut is the biggest game of the season.
It's not the biggest game of the season because it's nationally-ranked Connecticut. It's not the biggest game of the season because it's the first ever BIG EAST game in program history. It's not the biggest game of the season for any other reason that it is the next game on the schedule.
In a year full of big games, Crean has made it a season of biggest games, with the next always being the biggest.
"We've tried to approach every game like it's our biggest game because it's our next," Crean said. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for UConn, but we've tried to make sure that each game we get better and we move forward, and I think we've done a good job of that so far."
Despite being prepared for each game like it's the toughest team on the schedule, the reality is that this just might very well be that.
Connecticut is off to an 11-0 start. Dating back to March 2003, Connecticut has been ranked in the national polls. The Huskies enter their contest with Marquette ranked no. 2 in the nation in both major polls.
Sophomore Rudy Gay is averaging a team-best 16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds this season. He has reached the 20-point mark three times on the year is also averaging 2.6 steals, 2.0 blocks and 2.6 assists per game. He missed the Quinnipiac game with a sprained left ankle.
Senior Rashad Anderson had a career-best 33 points in the win over Morehead State, including 7-of-7 shooting from three-point range. Anderson is averaging 14.6 points per game this season and is shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 50.9 percent from three-point range.
Junior Josh Boone is averaging 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in starting eight of 10 games at the power forward spot. Boone is the reigning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous choice to the All-BIG EAST Preseason First Team. Boone, along with Gay, is a candidate for National Player of the Year honors on the Wooden, Naismith and Rupp Award lists.
It's hard to look at all those numbers and say that it's just another one of the "biggest games of the season."
"There's a real respect level to how good they are," Crean said.
Part of how good they are is that they play a very good team game. Everyone on the floor is skilled and works well within Calhoun's system.
"There are so many things on offense that make them a good team. The way they pass the ball in the interior has always been a strength of Jim Calhoun's teams. It's unlike anything else we've seen this year," Crean said. "When there are five guys on the floor that can pass the ball, that really creates issues for your defense."
Connecticut is also one of the deepest teams Marquette will see. The Huskies can throw a number of different players out on the floor without any change in ability level.
"We have to understand that we have to tighten up in a lot of areas because of their depth and because their fast and because they make it so difficult to score and they can execute," Crean said.
Depth is one area that plagues Marquette right now, due to the loss of starting guard Wesley Matthews indefinitely to a stress fracture in his right foot. A number of different players will be asked to pick up parts of Matthew's near 10 points, five rebounds and nine deflections per game.
"I feel bad for him right now because of the way he was progressing," Crean said of Matthews' injury. "He's our backup point guard, he's a tremendous offensive rebounder, he's a tough defender, so now we have to have people step up and fill those roles while he's out."
While depth recently became an issue, Marquette has been improving on so many areas during its 10-3 non-conference schedule.
"We're getting better defensively. I think our spacing is improving. It's not anywhere near what UConn's is yet, but it is improving," Crean said. "Our rebounding is getting better, but it's not where it needs to be yet. With such a young team, we're really making a lot of progress."
The game against Connecticut marks the fifth in a six game home stand. The game also marks the 19th time that Marquette has played a no. 1 or no. 2 ranked team in the Associated Press poll. Marquette has two wins against top two teams, both against Kentucky. MU knocked off top ranked Kentucky on March 29, 2003, 83-69, to advance to the Final Four. On March 11, 1955, MU defeated no. 2 Kentucky, 79-71, in the NCAA Tournament. All time, Marquette is 1-6 against no. 1 teams and 1-10 against no. 2 teams.
Connecticut is the highest ranked team to visit the Bradley Center since no. 2 Louisville in February of 2003. At home, Marquette is 1-9 against no. 1 or no. 2 at home, going 1-7 against no. 2 teams.
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