Marquette University Athletics
Men's Basketball's Stretch Run Begins With Notre Dame
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2006
MILWAUKEE -
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MILWAUKEE -- Both Marquette and Notre Dame have faced their share of close games. Marquette is 3-0 this year in games decided by three points or less. Notre Dame has seemingly only been in games like that, going 0-6 in BIG EAST games decided by three or less.
One of those games was a 67-65 Marquette win in Milwaukee on January 20.
The Golden Eagles and Fighting Irish meet for the second time this season on Saturday, February 25 in Notre Dame, Ind., at 6 p.m. EST in a game telecast on ESPNU.
Marquette is coming off back-to-back wins over nationally ranked teams.
"We're playing a Marquette team that we had a great battle with in Milwaukee," Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said. "They are hot and are really playing well."
The battle that Brey was speaking of was a back and forth affair that ended in a Marquette win with a jumper by senior Steve Novak with 1.1 seconds left. Even before that dagger-in-the-back shot, Brey was a fan of Novak, the BIG EAST's top three point shooter and top free throw shooter in the nation.
"I think the world of him and his family. He has given them a demeanor to put them in the position they are in," Brey said. "They have talented young guys, obviously, but the confidence really comes from Steve, not only how he's shooting the ball, but as a leader. As far as shooting, I've coached some good ones, but I haven't seen a better one than he. I don't know if there is a better one at a clutch time."
Both teams are familiar with success or failure at the end of games. The Irish are coming off a two-point over time loss at Connecticut on Tuesday in a game they had in hand. Marquette held on to a two point win against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
"I don't think there has been another team that has had so many games come down to the final possessions. They are unbelievably battle tested," head coach Tom Crean said. "Their players really do believe that they can win games, and I know they haven't always done that, but I think they have a lot of confidence in what they are doing. You aren't going to have to play to the final minutes against Notre Dame; you are going to have to play to the final seconds."
Marquette is playing for positioning in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Golden Eagles still have a chance at a first round bye, given to the league's top four teams. Notre Dame is simply playing for a position in the BIG EAST tournament. What makes them dangerous is the fact that they would play their way in to the league tournament with wins in their final three games.
"We come head into the last week of the season controlling our own destiny for New York City," Brey said. "I think if you win 2-of-3 you are sweating with tie breakers. If you get all three, you are in good shape. Our guys know that we do control it with these last three games."
Notre Dame will have to find a way to win games that they have been losing. Brey has used the close losses as a motivational tool for his team. One thing that the tough season has done has made them more battle tested.
"So many things have blown up around us, we're hardened by it," Brey said. "We're not emotional. In reality the Seton Hall/Connecticut swing was important. We had to get one of the two. We were greedy, but we did what we set out to do. Now we go home for the most important week of the season."
Since starting 1-8 in BIG EAST play, Notre Dame has won three of the last four.
Crean is expecting that his team will be in another close game. Nothing less is expected of Notre Dame. Marquette has had its share of close contests, home and road. Despite being a relatively young squad, he is determined to not let the youth be an issue, taking time to turn every experience into a teaching opportunity.
Crean recently had the opportunity to use this season's first two-game losing streak into such an opportunity. After losses at Villanova and Rutgers, Marquette responded with its wins over no. 17 Georgetown and no. 9 Pittsburgh.
"Our freshmen continue to learn. They have a collective intensity and togetherness that has helped them," Crean said. "The one thing they do well is respond well when we lose and continue to learn and grow from that, understanding what we have to get better and and how we have to apply it."
Brey isn't surprised by the play of Marquette's top freshman, Dominic James. James, a five time league Rookie of the Week, is averaging 15.5 points per game and is third in the league in assists at 5.4 per game.
"I'm really impressed with him. He's really had a confident and productive freshman year, but he's a confident, tough individual," Brey said.
Expecting a close game, Crean does have the ace up his sleeve in Novak, who buried the Irish with his shot in the waning seconds last month. While his young players continue to grow and mature, Novak is one player he wants to have the ball with the game on the line.
"I think you are trying to develop guys that want to take that shot at the end of a game," Crean said. "In the past, I don't think we've had a lot of guys who were willing to step up and want to take that shot at the end of a ball game. Steve Novak would come to mind, first and foremost, as a player who wants that shot. He has earned that."
Marquette will be facing one of the best scoring duos in the league in Irish guards Chris Quinn and Colin Falls. The pair combine to score 33.3 of Notre Dame's 76.9 points per game. In fact, four of the five Notre Dame starters score 10 or more per game.
"Notre Dame has the second most efficient offense in college basketball right now," Crean said. "They are averaging 119 points on every 100 possessions. When you have a team like that fighting to get to New York, that's a good league."
Torin Francis makes Notre Dame a good rebounding team. He averaged 9.3 boards per game and grabbed 10 against UConn.
The Notre Dame contest begins a short two-game road trip. After Notre Dame, Marquette visits Louisville on March 1 before hosting Providence in the season finale on March 4 at the Bradley Center.
