Big East Team Preview: Marquette

The Golden Eagles are buzzin'.

For the first time since head coach Buzz Williams's first season at the helm, Marquette is in the AP preseason top 25. Ranked 21st, the Golden Eagles are coming off their first Sweet 16 appearance since the 2003 Final Four run led by Dwyane Wade.

In the fourth season for Williams, this may be the most talented bunch since Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews were seniors on campus. Here's a look at the Golden Eagles by position for the 2011-12 campaign:

Point guard: Junior Cadougan

The junior (yes, I will have to avoid saying "junior Junior Cadougan" this year) played in 36 games last year after missing most of his freshman season with an Achilles injury. Cadougan showed some promise down the stretch with solid games in the Big East and NCAA Tournaments.



He'll need to step his game up another notch this season as he's taking over as the team's lead point guard, replacing Dwight Buycks. Cadougan guarded against turnovers better than Buycks, who was plagued by boneheaded turnovers in crucial moments (see: Wisconsin game), and once again Cadougan will need to distribute to the scorers and protect against turnovers.

Cadougan's weaknesses are shooting and on the defensive end. As far as shooting goes, he won't be asked to do much of that with plenty of scorers on the team, but on any Marquette team it's important to be able to defend your position. Too many times last season Cadougan was burned at the top of the key leading to scrambling rotations and open shots for the opponent. If Cadougan has improved his defense, expect more minutes for the Canadian.

His play-making is above average, but he'll need to be a consistent facilitator to make the MU offense go. Too often last season the offense was streaky due to shaky guard play and Cadougan needs to be the steadying influence to provide scoring.

Shooting guard: Darius Johnson-Odom

Speaking of providing scoring, there is a reason this senior from Raleigh, N.C., was named a preseason Big East All-Conference first-teamer. This dude can fill it up, and he can throw it down. Just check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hub-wK1GDfw

Or this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtz9dCfiJ6s

DJO, as he is affectionately called by the MU fanbase, will need to be the straw that stirs the drink this season. Johnson-Odom returns as the team's top leading scorer at 15.8 points per game and will need to have that average closer to 20 points per game if the Golden Eagles are going to have success.

DJO suffered through a couple of shooting droughts last season, but the Golden Eagles can't have that this year. Johnson-Odom will need to show more control in the halfcourt offense – namely less turnovers – while still finding open teammates. He'll also take over the reins from Jimmy Butler as the team leader.

In short, this is a big year for DJO.

Small forward: Jamil Wilson

This sophomore transfer from Racine via the University of Oregon might be the most talented player on the team. Standing at 6-feet, 7-inches, Wilson has 3-point range and an ability to finish around the basket.

The knock on him since high school has been that he doesn't get the most out of his talent on a game-by-game basis. He tends to disappear for long stretches and can be frustratingly inconsistent.

But from what Buzz and the coaches have been saying, Wilson embraced his year off during the transfer and that dedication will be important to maintain throughout this season.

If Wilson plays up to his potential this season and becomes a scorer and solid decision-maker, he could vault MU from a top 25 team to a top 15 team.

Power forward: Jae Crowder

Buzz found another junior college gem last season when he brought this 6-6, 235-pound bowling ball into the fold. Crowder entered last season as a mildly-heralded newcomer, but became one of the team leaders, along with Butler, by the end of the season.

Crowder has 3-point range – he hit a huge triple in MU's win over Syracuse to advance to the Sweet 16 – but it's his inside skills and defense that were important to the Golden Eagles last season, and it won't be any different this year.

Crowder's ability to guard bigs while giving up four inches or more at times was key to compensate for MU's lack of size. He'll need to do that again this season, while at the same time staying out of foul trouble – a problem that plagued Crowder at times last year.

Crowder led the team in rebounding last season at 6.8 and is the top returner in steals. Crowder will need to boost his points per game total from 11.8 last year, and will likely get the extra shots to do so.

Center: Chris Otule

The problem that plagued the junior from Richmond, Texas in the past was staying healthy. Well, last season Otule seemed to find the solution, playing in all 37 games and starting in 35.

The new problem for the 6-11 big man was foul trouble. He led the team with 100 personal fouls last year in just 651 minutes played. That's an average of 6.1 fouls per 40 minutes – a ratio that has to go way down if he's going to build on his averages of 17.6 minutes, 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season.

Otule has grown leaps and bounds on the offensive end from his raw days as a freshman, but he won't be called on to put up 15 points per game this year. The spot were Otule can contribute most is on the defensive end with his shot blocking ability (1.5 average last year) and presence in the paint to cut off drives.

Otule needs to be the anchor at the back of the defense to erase on-the-ball mistakes, but to do that he'll need to avoid cheap fouls to stay on the floor.

Bench

In the rotation:

Vander Blue: The sophomore guard came in highly-regarded as MU's highest-ranked recruit since Doc Rivers. But, the Madison native looked largely overwhelmed in Big East play with out of control drives and no confidence in his jumpshot. He finished with just 5.1 ppg, but finished fifth on the team in total minutes largely because of his on-the-ball defense and hustle to loose balls. Blue still has time to live up to the hype, but he'll need to find a jumpshot and cut down on turnovers.

Davante Gardner: The sophomore center is built like a tank, which was both good and bad for him last year. His size allowed him to carve out space on the offensive end, enabling him to show off his deft post moves and soft touch. Unfortunately, his size also allowed him to pick up cheap fouls on the defensive end and hurt his ability to beat his man to the block, leading to easy buckets for the opponent. If Gardner wants to see more minutes this year, he'll have to cut down on fouls and work harder on defense.

Jamail Jones: The Adonis-like sophomore certainly looks the part, but there's more to basketball than passing the eye test. Jones struggled within the team defense and looked too timid offensively in his spot minutes last year (played in 18 games). But Jones showed an ability to shoot the 3 throughout his high school career. If he can commit to his defense, he'll get more minutes this year.

Newcomers

Juan Anderson: The 6-6 forward with length is the first MU recruit from the Golden State in recent history. He comes to MU with a unique skill set, size to play forward with the ball skills and passing to play guard. He's nursing a foot injury, but could find some minutes if he commits to defense.

Todd Mayo: Yes, he's the brother of O.J., but no, he does not bring the same baggage his brother brought to USC. The 6-3, 190-pounder is known best for scoring and stretching the defense. The freshman could find time backing up the No. 1 or No. 2, but it's unlikely he'll have a big impact this year with DJO and Blue in front of him at his best position.

Jake Thomas: The junior transfer from South Dakota played his high school ball at Racine St. Catherine's. What Thomas lacks in his 6-3, 185-pound frame, he makes up for in his shooting ability. He set a South Dakota record with 10 made 3-pointers in a game for South Dakota last season. He could be called in for short minutes this season when MU needs to stretch the defense.

Derrick Wilson: The 6-1, 215-pound point guard from Alaska might be the most college-ready of the newcomers. The freshman's physical frame and on-the-ball defense could get him in the rotation this season, providing a spell for Cadougan. Wilson is a pass-first guard who has the strength to hang tough in the Big East.

Notable Non-Conference Games

Nov. 18-21, Paradise Jam: The Golden Eagles will participate in a non-conference tournament with the Paradise Jam at the U.S. Virgin Islands. If they beat Winthrop in the first round on Nov. 18, the'll take on either Drake or Ole Miss in the second round No. 19. The final round games are Nov. 21. Drexel, Norfolk State, TCU and Virginia are also in the tournament.

Dec. 3, at Wisconsin: This is likely to be a matchup between a pair of ranked opponents and is always a heated rivalry. Marquette has lost the last two games to Bucky, but the teams are 2-2 in their last four meetings. A win in the Kohl Center will be tough, but not impossible. Since 2007, Wisconsin has lost only two non-conference games at home. One was to Texas in 2008, the other was to Marquette in 2007.

Dec. 6, vs. Washington: The Golden Eagles will be playing under the bright lights in Madison Square Garden as part of the Jimmy V Classic. This is a rematch of an 2010 NCAA Tournament opening round game in which the Huskies won by one point on their final possession. MU will have its work cut out for them against a talented team that is one of the contender for a Pacific 12 Conference title.

Dec. 29, vs. Vanderbilt: MU will host a top 10 team in the Bradley Center as part of a home-and-home series in which the Golden Eagles fell to the Commodores in the final possession last year (seeing a trend here?). Vanderbilt features at least three future NBA draft picks and Marquette will have to play well to pull the upset.

Quick Predictions
Regular Season Record: 21-10
Big East Finish: 11-7, sixth
Post-season: Big East, semifinals; NCAA, Sweet 16
Leading scorer: Johnson-Odom
Leading rebounder: Jae Crowder
Leading assist man: Junior Cadougan

So, that's a comprehensive look at the Golden Eagles player-by-player, as well as some key non-conference games and quick predictions.

Stay tuned for a preview the rest of the Big East with team capsules and in the near future we'll post the Big Ten team capsules. College basketball is right around the corner, and it's about time.