Game Preview - December 19 vs. Oakland

On Tuesday night, the 20th ranked Marquette Warriors will play host to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. The Warriors are coming off of an 18 point victory on Saturday against UMBC.

Freshman Lazar Hayward had his coming out party on Saturday, picking up 13 points, most of them coming down low. Dominic James led the way with 17 and had several impressive dunks on the fast break. The Warriors would like to control this game from start to finish just like they did the last, something they have not been able to do for much of the season.

This will be the sixth game of an eight game homestand for the Warriors, and it will be the first with the students on Christmas break. Finals ended Friday, but a decent number of students stayed around for Saturday's game. Starting tonight, there will be very few students in the crowd for the next three home games. They should return in force for the first home conference game of the season against Syracuse.

Prediction: 83-64 Marquette

Rob Stack's Top Ten - December 18

Here's this week's set of rankings. We had number two Pittsburgh knocked off, albeit on the road to Wisconsin, another Top Ten team. Nobody dropped out of the rankings, but Pitt was the only team to lose and no one on the cusp did enough to get in. If you have questions, or more likely, complaints, send them to marqbball@excite.com.

1. UCLA 9-0 LW: 1
Sure, they may have only beaten Oakland this week, but they were good enough for number one last week and they didn't lose this week. They'll stay where they are until they lose.

2. Ohio State 9-1 LW: 7
I had them a bit low last week, then they went out and destroyed Cincinatti by 22. This team has only one loss, and that came to North Carolina on the road without Greg Oden. Big test will come this weekend at Florida, where we'll see just how good they really are.

3. Witchita State 8-0 LW: 3
They may not be a big name from a power conference, but they keep on winning. That's what counts in this Top Ten.

4. North Carolina 8-1 LW: 4
The only team to beat Ohio State so far, even if they didn't have Greg Oden. This team has a lot of talent and Tyler Hansborough may be the best big man in the country.

5. Oklahoma State 11-0 LW: 5
Didn't play a game this week, so I can't really move them up unless someone in front of them drops. Pittsburgh fell, but the Buckeyes leaped forward, evening it out. They play Tennessee and Pitt this week, giving them a great opportunity to move up in these rankings, if they can hold on.

6. Wisconsin 11-1 LW: 9
I really do hate to give the Buckeyes any praise, but this is a real good team. They followed up last week's win over rival Marquette with a win over another rival UW-Milwaukee. Oh yeah, they also beat Pittsburgh by 14. With each win, Warriors fans are feeling slightly less bad about that loss.

7. Pittsburgh 10-1 LW: 2
A five spot drop might be a bit harsh considering they lost at Wisconsin, an impossible place to play. They have a nice chance for redemption against OK State this week. I expect them to take advantage of it.

8 9 and 10. Arizona 8-1 Duke 9-1 and Florida 9-2
None of these teams really did anything to distinguish themselves this week, with Arizona and Florida beating up on weak competition and Duke inactive. That should change this week as each team has a team ranked in the Coaches poll on their schedule for the week.

Close, but not quite:
Alabama, UCONN, Butler, Kansas, and Washington

Game Preview - December 16 vs. UMBC

On Saturday, the No. 22 Marquette Warriors will take on the UMBC Retrievers in their first game since a four point home loss to the Wisconsin Badgers last weekend. Despite the loss, the Warriors are a pretty good 9-2 with a CBE championship.

As always, Dominic James will lead the Warriors into battle. Whenever he has a big game, it usually means a Marquette victory. Look for everyone to at least try to get into it offensively, as some poor shooting against the Badgers was the team's ultimate downfall.

This will be the last game before Christmas break as finals ended yesterday, so the student section will be under represented for the next few games. Expect them to be back in full force for Syracuse on January 7. As always, you can drop questions and comments to marqbball@excite.com

Prediction: 82-65 Marquette

Looking for an Alpha Dog

At 9-2, with a CBE Classic championship under their belts, the Marquette Warriors have had a fairly successful non-conference season. However, in losses to North Dakota State and in-state rival Wisconsin, as well as tough outings against Idaho State and Valparaiso, it has become increasingly apparent that in addition to poor free-throw shooting and the lack of an inside presence, the Warriors have suffered from a lack of leadership. This has been discussed on MUScoop.

Every team needs leaders, someone who has been through it all before and can keep the others in line. On last year's team it was Steve Novak, and there is no doubt that fellow seniors Joe Chapman and Chris Grimm were able to impart some of their wisdom to their young teammates. Freshmen Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews all knew their place on the team and were able to have a lot of success despite occasionally struggling like any other freshman. But those three seniors are gone and in their place are oft-injured center Mike Kinsella and JUCO transfer Jamil Lott, neither of whom has played enough games at a high level to be strong leaders. Also, the team only contains three juniors, one of whom, Lawrence Blackledge, is in his first year at Marquette after playing at the JUCO level. This leaves the team with four sophomores and two freshmen. That means that of the eleven scholarship players eligible this year (Maurice Acker transferred in and is not eligible to play until next season) eight are in their first or second year at Marquette. Additionally, junior Dan Fitzgerald is in his third season here, but his first was his transfer season, so this is only the second season in which he has played.

This youth has been evident in several games this season. With no veteran leader, the Warriors played with little fire for most of a tough overtime win against Idaho State and allowed Valparaiso to come back and take the lead before Dominic James took over and scored Marquette's final 18 points. There also seemed to be a lack of focus and determination in a four point loss to North Dakota State in the Pepsi Blue and Gold Classic. But the game that most showed the leadership problem was Saturday's loss to the Wisconsin Badgers. Marquette waited much too long to make a run before clamping down on defense and finishing on a 16-10 run. Now, there were certainly many factors that went into that loss, such as poor shooting from the three-point and free-throw lines and the inability to contain Alando Tucker. But in a loss as close as this, a strong leader could have been just enough to turn the tide. The young players just seem unable to pull it together until it is a little too late in some cases.

But most teams don't have the luxury of senior leadership from players such as Novak or J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams last year with Duke. Often, teams must make do with younger players who can assert themselves and be vocal and keep everyone in line. The Warriors were able to get to the Final Four in 2003 while being led by sophomore Travis Diener and second year junior Dwyane Wade. This year's group has the big trio of James, McNeal and Matthews. James is a great talent and can take over a game when he wants to, as evidenced by the last several minutes of the Valpo game. But he can also be selfish and cocky, and there have been reports that there is a growing separation between James and his teammates. Coming into the season, most just assumed that after last year's sensational freshman campaign, James, along with Matthews and McNeal, would make this their team. So far that has not happened. In some ways, they seem like it already is their team and they don't have to take it. All season long, Coach Tom Crean has mentioned in his post-game comments that the team is not talking enough, particularly on defense.

What this Warriors team needs is someone who will talk, someone who will lead by example, someone who will keep everyone else in line. This team doesn't just need a leader, they need an alpha dog.

An alpha dog isn't just a vocal leader. An alpha dog is a player that commands respect, so much respect that when he speaks, other players don't just listen, they follow every word as though their lives depend on it. Their mere presence keeps everyone in line. Larry Bird, Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson are all alpha dogs. And then of course there is Michael Jordan, the ultimate alpha dog. Why do you think Chicago is the only place Dennis Rodman ever fit? Here at Marquette, the Warriors had Dwyane Wade and Travis Diener. Steve Novak wasn't an alpha dog, but the freshman respected him so much that he was able to fill the position.

Just think how well an alpha dog would fit onto this team. He would keep DJ in the game for a full 40 minutes instead of waiting until the second half to turn it on. He would get Jerel to move the majority of his shots inside the three-point arc and Danny Fitz to take more shots. He would make sure that everyone worked to improve their free-throw shooting. That team would be one to reckon with deep into March. Too bad there's no alpha dog here.

Rob Stack's Top Ten

Well, we're down to three weeks until the kickoff of Big East play, and you know what that means. That's right, it's time for the first set of Top Ten Rankings of the season! Okay, so maybe you didn't know that, but I'll give you a break since these are the first ever. I'm starting now because I don't like preseason rankings and I like to be in full swing by the time conference play begins. From now on I will update these every Monday in the late morning or early afternoon until the beginning of the NCAA tournament in mid-March. So without further ado, let's start ranking!

1. UCLA 8-0
The Bruins have looked good thus far, winning the Maui Invitational with wins over Kentucky and Georgia Tech. Despite having lost Jordan Farmar to the NBA, most of the Final Four team from a year ago has returned, and right now they are good enough to earn the innagural top spot.

2. Pittsburgh 10-0
They may not have played an overly tough schedule thus far, but they have won all ten of their games and have looked good doing it. True, they've beaten teams they are supposed to beat, but they are beating them easily. If they were having a little trouble with them I might have the Panthers a little lower. They go to Wisconsin on Saturday, and I think they will show just what they are made of.

3. Witchita State 7-0
Maybe this seems a bit high for a team from the Missouri Valley Conference, but they are third in the RPI, have beaten Syracuse, Louisiana State and last year's Final Four darling George Mason on the road, and they are undefeated with the 17th hardest schedule in the nation. Why shouldn't they be this high?

4. North Caroling 7-1
The first team to make this list with a loss, the Tar Heels have played well despite not having an especially easy schedule. Their one loss is to an always difficult Gonzaga team, and they have beaten Kentucky, Tennesee and Ohio State without Greg Oden, which is still pretty good. The Heels are good enough to run away with the ACC crown if Duke's young players don't mature quickly.

5. Oklahoma State 11-0
The Cowboys may not have many flashy wins, but they won at Syracuse and they're undefeated. They get some credit for that.

6. Arizona 7-1
The Wildcats are currently 1st in the RPI and have the toughest schedule in the nation. They lost a little bit by losing their opener at Virginia, but have beaten Illinois at home and Louisville on a neutral court. This team could easily move up - or down - in the coming weeks.

7. Ohio State 8-1
These Buckeyes might not be in the national championship game like their football counterparts quite yet, but it wouldn't be surprising if they are there in April. They went 6-1 without Greg Oden, with their only loss coming at North Carolina. Since coming back, Oden has averaged 15 points and 7 boards, which is impressive for a freshman who still can't completely use his right hand. Is there anyone in Chicago right now who doesn't want the Knicks to lose every game so the Bulls can get the first pick and take Oden?

8. Duke 9-1
Their only loss came on a neutral court to Marquette, a top 15 team in the AP at the time. They also beat Georgetown to avenge their only non-conference loss last season. This team is young, but they have a lot of talent.

9. Wisconsin 9-1
The Badgers are coming off of a road win at Marquette, where they controlled the game more that the four point margin would indicate. Alando Tucker is a prime time player.

10. Florida 8-2
The only two-loss team to make the Top Ten. Their first loss was a tough one by two points against Kansas, a team that looked real strong until their loss at DePaul last week. The Gators are the defending national champs, and I think they are still one of the top teams in the nation.

Close, but not quite there yet:
Alabama, Kansas, UCONN, Butler

GameCap - December 9 vs. Wisconsin

Well, I think that after almost two days I might be over the loss just enough to do this. Maybe.

The Warriors managed to stay within a few points for much of the game, but at the end of the day they just couldn't overcome a 39% shooting effort that included an abysmal 17% from behind the three point arc, and walked away with a 70-66 loss.

Wisconsin's Alando Tucker showed that he was the best player on the court, putting up 28 points and getting key baskets every time Marquette started a run. Wesley Matthews and Lazar Hayward were primarily the two men assigned to guard him, and neither could keep him under control. Tucker made a few difficult shots with defenders all over him, but on many occasions was able to drive to the hoop uncontested.

In a game where Marquette absolutely needed Dominic James to step up and be a go to guy, James failed to deliver. He put up 19 points to lead the Warriors, but committed two turnovers to only one assist and jacked up seven shots from downtown, making only two. There has been a lot of talk about Dominic leaving to go to the NBA after this season, but right now that would be a major mistake. He is a 5'10'' shoot first point guard who has a poor jump shot and struggles enormously at the charity stripe. I can't see many teams in the Association that have a need for that right now.

His fellow members of the Big Three didn't fare so well either. Jerel McNeal threw 16 points into the effort and was able to add 4 assists and 5 boards, but also turned the ball over 4 times and fouled out. Wesley Matthews struggled for the second straight year against his hometown school and continues to struggle offensively. He seemed ready to break out after a big game against Texas Tech a few weeks ago, but hasn't had a big game since. It seemed like this could be his big game, since he grew up in Madison and his father was a star for the Badgers, but even though the intensity was clearly there for him, the results were not.

One thing that definitely bothered me, and clearly some others as shown by posters over at MUScoop, is that about 30% of the Bradley Center crowd was made up of Badger fans. Now, since tickets never went on sale to the general public, this means that they got their tickets from season ticket holders that sold or gave away their seats. Some of them definitely got them by purchasing 5 game plans, but those were all in the upper deck. Everything in the lower deck came from season ticket holders, and there should be some penalty for this. Marquette did, once again, set a record for attendance at a college basketball game in the state of Wisconsin, with 19,020. When they announced the attendance figure, one of my friends turned to me and said that he would rather that the Badger fans just weren't there, even though we wouldn't have set a record. I couldn't agree more. On a related note, the students showed up in force. Many showed up in the early hours of the morning. I showed up at nine and had to settle for an upper deck seat.

Marquette never really seemed to be in this game, despite hanging around in the 6-10 point range for most of it. Wisconsin dictated the tempo for much of the game, never a good thing for the Warriors, and no one could provide an answer for Alando Tucker. There were definitely things to be learned from this game, and Tom Crean and the boys have four cupcakes to figure things out. If they don't, it will be a long season in the Big East.

Game Preview - December 9 vs. Wisconsin

On Saturday afternoon the Marquette Warriors and the Wisconsin Badgers renew their rivalry at the Bradley Center. Both teams come in having started off the season strong, with the Badgers at 8-1 and the Warriors at 9-1. The home-court advantage could prove to be the difference maker in this one, as the home team has won the last five meetings between these two schools.

Students will be lining up outside the BC all day for this one, many - including me - are ignoring the rule stating that no one may begin lining up before 7:00 and will arrive as early as 5:00. Doors open at 11:30 to students, and it should be a packed house. Rumor has it that over 22,000 tickets have been sold, but since the BC only holds 19,000 this is likely an exaggeration as it is unlikely that 3,000 standing room tickets were sold. However, there is a good chance that Marquette will once again set the record for attendance at a college basketball game in the state of Wisconsin. I would just like to say that I expect every last fan to wear gold, not just the students. Buy a cheap gold shirt at the Bradley Center if you have to. And I want you making noise from the opening tip to the final whistle.

Sophomore point guard Dominic James will as always lead the way for the Warriors, but look for Wesley Matthews to explode as well. His father played for the Badgers and he grew up in Madison, so look for him to bring everything he's got. It will also be interesting to see if Dan Fitzgerald can stay hot after he came just a few rebounds shy of a double-double against Delaware State. It was his first start of the season and he made the most of it. If he can do it again it will help to spread the floor and open it up.

This should be a great game, and for those of you unfortunate enough to not have tickets, you can catch it on ESPN at 1:00, and there will be a great as always chat going on at MUScoop.

Prediction: 86-82 Marquette