Marquette University Athletics
Men's Basketball Set to Visit No. 12/10 Pittsburgh
1/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Golden Eagles will face relentless Pittsburgh squad
Click here for game notes in PDF format.
MILWAUKEE ? Unlike some of its BIG EAST matchups, Marquette's meeting with no. 12/10 Pittsburgh will not be the first between the two schools in recent history. The Golden Eagles and Panthers hooked up on Marquette's way to the Final Four in 2003 in a hotly contested round of 16 contest in Minneapolis.
Marquette head coach Tom Crean remembers Pittsburgh as an aggressive, tough-minded team, something he says carries over to the Panthers' team of today.
"That was one of the most fierce battles of basketball that I've ever been a part of," Crean said referring to the two team's NCAA meeting. "Their system is in place for them to be great defensively and to be highly efficient offensively. When I say the system is in place, its the toughness that never changes."
Crean is referring to the style that Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon has embraced. Dixon's squads tend to be hard nosed, something Dixon has recently learned to welcome.
"It is something we look for in recruiting and once you get to this program, you can make them tougher," Dixon said. "It's something we constantly preach and we try to incorporate toughness into our drills. Now we embrace it and teams talk about us playing like the Steelers. Now we look at it as a good thing and we were proud of it."
Dixon's reference to the Steelers seems to be accurate. Defense has been key to the Steelers' run to Super Bowl XL and it has been key to the Panthers' 16-1 start. Pittsburgh ranks no. 2 in the BIG EAST in points allowed per game at 59.9 and is fourth in field goal percentage defense at 38.9.
"They aren't going to get beat in the defensive battle because they know how to guard. They cover for each other so well," Crean said.
Offensively, Pittsburgh scoring ability is just as good as their ability to guard. The Panthers are led by senior guard Carl Krauser, a 6-2 senior, who averages 16.8 points per game and is coming off a career-high 32-point effort in the Panthers? 80-67 win over Syracuse on Monday.
Krauser is no stranger to Marquette. He is the only returning player that saw action when MU and Pitt last met. Krauser scored four points in that game, but has come a long way since his freshman season.
"He knows that every game in this league is going to be a tough one," Dixon said of his star guard. "He's brought it from the day he was here, bringing a toughness and competitiveness every night."
Marquette will also have to deal with one of the better big men in the league in Aaron Gray. The 7-foot junior is second on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game, but he has dominated around the glass, pulling down 10.4 boards per game. With 11 rebounds against Syracuse, Gray recorded his 11th game with 10 or more rebounds.
"The improvement level that Aaron Gray is at is phenomenal," Crean said. "He is such a great passer. He sees cutters so well. So you have to play him as both a scorer and a passer."
Dixon agreed with Crean's assessment of Gray's growth.
"His improvement has been constant, yet dramatic, Dixon said. "For a lot of people, he's a surprise, but for people inside our program who have seen him and where he's come from, we really expected this all along."
While Marquette has to deal with Krauser on the perimeter, Pittsburgh will have to deal with Marquette's own floor general in freshman Dominic James. The Golden Eagles' point guard is one of the top scorers and assist men in the BIG EAST and is playing beyond the expectations of a freshman.
"He's making everyone better around him. He's reading the game better all the time," Crean said. "He's learning college basketball tempo quickly, which is so hard to learn. He's learning to run, when to pull it out, when to ice the lead and when to push it. The great thing about our freshman is they were well coached coming in. The learning curve isn't as much. The best thing about him is that he has a lot of room for improvement and he accepts that and wants to get better."
Pittsburgh and Marquette are scheduled to meet at noon EST (11 a.m. CST) at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. The game is slated to air locally on WMLW Ch. 41 as part of the ESPN Regional package.
>
