Marquette Golden Eagles
Big East (18-12, 8-10)
Marquette has been consistently on the bubble under Coach Steve Wojciechowski. However, the team has failed to win an NCAA Tournament game in their two appearances during the last three years. This may be the best chance to date for Coach Wojciechowski to pick up an NCAA Tournament victory.
Big Wins: 11/29 vs USC (101-79), 1/4 Villanova (71-60), 2/9 Butler (76-57)
Bad Losses: 1/7 Providence (80-81), 3/3 at DePaul (68-69), 3/7 at St. John’s (86-88)
Coach: Steve Wojciechowski
Why They Can Surprise:
When the Golden Eagles need a bucket, they have a clear top option. Markus Howard has had a superb senior season, averaging 27.8 points, 3.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds. Howard will put up a ton of three-pointers and connects on 41.2 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. The impressive three-point shooting does not end with Howard though. Sacar Anim, Koby McEwen, Brendan Bailey, Jamal Cain and Greg Elliott are all capable outside shooters. And all but McEwen hit at least 38 percent of their attempts. This is a very potent offense and Marquette can beat anybody when their shots are falling.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Despite having a very experienced backcourt, Marquette will often lose the turnover battle. That is in large part because this is not a team that attempts to force turnovers, but they will also turn the ball over themselves quite often. The Golden Eagles can make up for some of those lost possessions with their impressive rebounding, but in order to make a deep tournament run, Howard and McEwen must keep the team under control and cherish every possession.
Probable Starters:
Markus Howard, Senior, Guard, 27.8 ppg, 3.3 apg
Koby McEwen, Junior, Guard, 9.5 ppg, 3.2 apg, 5.0 rpg
Sacar Anim, Senior, Guard, 13.1 ppg, 1.4 apg, 4.1 rpg
Brendan Bailey, Sophomore, Forward, 7.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Theo John, Junior, Forward, 5.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Key Role Players:
Jamal Cain, Junior, Forward, 5.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Jayce Johnson, Senior, Center, 3.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Greg Elliott, Sophomore, Guard, 5.1 ppg, 1.3 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 77.8 (29th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 71.6 (283, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.0 (217, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.2 (76, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 10.0 (9, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.2 (12, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.3 (72, 3)
Rebound Margin: 4.9 (42, 1)
Assists Per Game: 13.5 (138, 8)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.9 (232, 8)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2019 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Murray State |
| 2018 | NIT | First Round win over Harvard |
| 2018 | NIT | Second Round win over Oregon |
| 2018 | NIT | Quarterfinal loss to Penn State |
| 2017 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to South Carolina |
| 2013 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Davidson |
| 2013 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Butler |
| 2013 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal win over Miami |
| 2013 | NCAA | Regional Final loss to Syracuse |
| 2012 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over BYU |
| 2012 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Murray State |
| 2012 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to Florida |
| 2011 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Xavier |
| 2011 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Syracuse |
| 2011 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to North Carolina |
| 2010 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Washington |
| 2009 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Utah State |
| 2009 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Missouri |
| 2008 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Kentucky |
| 2008 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Stanford |
| 2007 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Michigan State |
*all team stats through 3/8
