• Marquette to face Kevin O'Neill, USC

    Maui Invitational
    Marquette vs USC

    4:00 pm CT
    ESPN2


    Dubuque, IA -
    After a heartbreaking buzzer beater by Rotnei Clarke in game one of the Maui Classic, Marquette bounced back in a major way to beat Mississippi State 89-62.

    The Golden Eagles took control early and never looked back, playing against a depleted Mississippi State team. No question that the highlight for Marquette in both games was the play of junior wing Vander Blue. Blue started out slow in both games, but seems to get in a rhythm as the game starts to flow.

    The Madison native has been one of the tourney’s top performers through the first two days and is averaging 19.5 points per game, is shooting 53.6 percent from the floor (15-of-28) and 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from behind the 3-point line in Hawaii. Blue put up 21 points against Butler and threw 18 points at Mississippi State. If Vander can keep this up, he may indeed be the go to guy the Golden Eagles are desperately looking for.

    Note: Though it is early in the season, my apologies to Blue as in the first half against Butler I stated that he was a liability on offense. Keep proving me wrong Van!

    Another bright spot in Maui for the Golden Eagles has been the play of Davante Gardner. Big Self is always going to put points on the board as he is like an idiot savant when it comes to scoring in the low post (HT/BA), but what has been impressive is his work on the boards. Against the Bulldogs Gardner pulled in 12 to go with 7 from the Butler game. Averaging 13.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in Hawaii looks impressive, but is even more impressive when you realize he is only averaging 19 minutes per game. No question that a lot of this has to do with the work of strength and conditioning coach Todd Smith, as Gardner has gone through yet another impressive physical change. MU fans have to be happy with the junior, and can't help but adopt the motto: #ibechillindoe

    On the defensive end the more impressive players have been Vander Blue and Derrick Wilson. Their aggressive and feisty play against opposing guards has given them fits, and with Wilson it has earned him his time on the floor, and will be a key down the stretch for the Golden Eagles.

    Up next will be the USC Trojans and Head Coach Kevin O'Neill. O'Neill has earned his place in Marquette basketball history as he brought the Warriors back from the dead when he took the team to the Sweet 16 back in 1994. Also joining O'Neill on the USC bench is Marquette's All-Time Assist Leader Tony Miller, an Assistant Coach with the Trojans.

    There are still more ties between the two teams, as Marquette radio color man Jim McIlvaine played with Miller for O'Neill on that '94 Sweet 16 team. Also, as pointed out by Michael Hunt from the Milwaukee Journal, Buzz Williams, the then pesky and annoyingly persistent coach in the making worked for O'Neill at his summer basketball camp at Marquette.

    The Golden Eagles will be facing a balanced scoring attack from the Trojans as only four points separate their leading scorer from their sixth leading scorer. The Trojans have been playing an uptempo game, but that doesn't show in their point totals, it shows in the number of shots they are jacking up. The leader in that area is J.T. Terrell, their leading scorer. On the season Terrell has only connected on 14 of 48 shots for a success rate of .292.



    Keys to game:



    • Not a great 3 pt shooting team, the Golden Eagles need to pack the lane and force USC to shoot from the outside.



    • When it comes to controlling the glass, Chris Otule and Davante Gardner need to beat on Trojan 7-footer Dewayne Dedmon, who pulls down 8 rebounds per game. If Marquette center duo can control Dedmon in the paint, look for Jamil Wilson and Trent Lockett to lead the rebounding category.



    • Jamil Wilson needs to find himself. While Wilson did put in 11 points to go along with 4 rebounds and four blocks against Mississippi State, he hasn't been the floor leader the Golden Eagles have expected him to be. He has been playing with hesitation, passing up open shots time and time again. Wilson needs to take charge, attack the basket, shoot from his 10-15 range early and often and play with a mean-streak. Does he have it in him? Buzz Williams believes he does, but Wilson needs to establish himself as "THAT GUY".



    If only... Butler took it to UNC hard yesterday, had Rotnei Clark's shot not gone in? Damn!