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October 16th,
2006
By Joel Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Marquette
Golden Eagles
Overall Rank:
#27
Conference
Rank: #6 Big East
2005-06:
20-11, 10-6, 4th (t)
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 It was supposed
to be a down year for Marquette and Coach Tom Crean, but a
fabulous group of freshmen guards proved that they didn’t need
any time to adjust to play in the Big East. With the trio
becoming sophomores, expectations are quickly rising for the
Golden Eagles. However, it’s not the youth of the backcourt
that is causing concerns, it is the lack of talent up front.
Who’s Out:
Sharpshooter Steve Novak led MU with 17.5 points, 5.9 rebounds
and a 46.7 shooting percentage from long range. That is a lot
of production that cannot be replaced by just one or two
players. Fellow forwards Ryan Amoroso, who transferred to San
Diego State, and Chris Grimm will also leave the frontcourt with
fewer options. Wing Joe Chapman started 16 games and quietly
averaged 6.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists during his
senior campaign.
Who’s In:
Lazar
Hayward will be asked to help replace Novak. The 6-6 forward is
ideally a wing, but if Novak can handle the four, so can
Hayward. Hayward has a nice outside stroke and can put the ball
on the floor and get to the basket, a dimension to the game that
Novak lacked. If he’s not starting in November, he’ll at least
be finishing by March. Junior college
transfer Lawrence Blackledge will add some much needed depth on
the wing. David Cubillan will have to wait a little while
before he replaces Dominic James at the point, but he’ll see
minutes right away off the bench. The Venezuelan shot 51.0
percent from beyond the arc last year at St. Benedict’s in New
Jersey and is a good ballhandler. He will have at least one
year to learn the ropes from James and that’s not a bad guy to
learn from.
Who to Watch:
No
backcourt group will be more fun to watch than James, Jerel
McNeal and Wesley Matthews. James took over the point guard
duties from the day he stepped foot on campus and didn’t
disappoint as a freshman, averaging 15.3 points, 5.4 assists and
4.5 rebounds. McNeal and Matthews will have the opportunity to
take over some of the long range shooting from Novak, and a
little more consistency in that department will help the Golden
Eagles stretch out the opposing defenses this year just like
Novak has done over the last few years.
Final
Projection:
The frontcourt
has a few options with Dan Fitzgerald, Ousmane Barro, Jamil Lott
and Mike Kinsella. Fitzgerald has the ability to be a player a
lot like Novak, with more ball handling skills. The 6-9 St.
Paul, Minnesota native spends most of his time on the perimeter
and can knock down the three’s. Fitzgerald may get the starting
nod at the four just to bring some more size to the lineup, but
he would be a nice match-up problem off the bench on the wings
or the four spot. It is hoped that Barro can be a battler on
the boards and the defensive end at the five spot. After
averaging 4.4 points and 2.8 rebounds as a part-time starter
last year, the 6-10 Senegal product is still a work in
progress. He won’t need to score much, but has work to do in
order to at least make Marquette’s frontcourt dangerous on the
defensive end. Lott earned seven starts as a junior after
spending a couple years at the junior college level and, along
with Kinsella, will provide depth in the paint. The top of the
Big East will be tough as always and a top five finish is an
obtainable goal. Whether the Golden Eagles finish second or
seventh, they’ll end up in the NCAAs.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Dominic James,
Sophomore, Guard, 15.3 points per game
Jerel McNeal,
Sophomore, Guard, 11.1 points per game
Wesley Matthews,
Sophomore, Guard, 9.0 points per game
Dan Fitzgerald,
Junior, Guard, 5.3 points per game
Ousmane Barro,
Junior, Forward, 4.4 points per game
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