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Game Info
Time: 2:30 PM ET/1:30 PM CT
Watch: FOX
Line: Marquette -1.5
Stat Leaders
Points: MARQ Howard 28.2 (1st in BE), HALL Powell 21.3 (2cd)
Rebounds
MARQ Bailey 5.3, HALL Roden 6.7 (6th)
Assists
MARQ McEwen 3.3 HALL McKnight 5.3 (2cd)
Last Five Games
MARQ: W GTWN 93-72, L @ PROV 84-72, L CREI 73-65, L @ VILL 72-71, W BUT 76-57
HALL: W SJU 81-65, W BUT 74-72, L @ PROV 74-71, L CREI 87-82, W @ VILL 70-64
What to Watch For
Seton Hall won the first match-up at home, 69-55. The game was close in the first half, but the Pirates found a weakness in Marquette’s defense to exploit in the second half. On pick-and-rolls with a big, either Theo John or Jayce Johnson would aggressively hedge. Quincy McKnight did a masterful job of passing against the hedge and Seton Hall was able to score with ease. Marquette has often shown an inability to adapt in game against a play that continues to work (see Kamar Baldwin coming off a screen to hit a mid-range jumper over and over again to defeat Marquette). McKnight (who I believe is severely overlooked), not Myles Powell, is who Marquette will have to look to stop to slow down Seton Hall’s offense.
In their earlier match up, Sandro Mamukelashvili sat out nursing an injury. Mamu is back and his play is picking up as he has averaged 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last six games.
When these two teams met last year in the Big East Tournament, the game got out of hand from the referees. After driving in and picking up a foul featuring very little contact from Theo John, Myles Powell charged to fight him (a fight he would easily lose). Players from both teams would rush to defend their teammates. While John was unjustly ejected and Mamu and Sacar Anim were rightfully ejected, Powell was somehow not ejected even after having a flagrant foul and being the one to instigate the hostility (he would also be hostile towards Coach Wojo after the game as well). The game featured nine technical fouls, 49 total fouls, and four players fouled out on top of the three players being ejected. The match up between Hall and Marquette earlier this season didn’t feature much hostility past John receiving lots of boos from the home crowd. Let’s hope the game again lands in the hands of the players and not the referees.