It must be the ear-to-ear smile on his face or maybe his cool-sounding name that makes Ousmane Barro so loveable. Maybe fans are just desperate to see him succeed.

"Ooooooooouuuuuuuuuuusssssse," rattles through the gym every time Barro does something well, no matter how minute.

Whatever has made him so popular, it has not been his production. The junior averaged 4.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season. As the team's starting center, he will be expected to produce at a higher level. If he does not, the Golden Eagles might struggle.

But if Barro improves, Marquette feels it can play with anybody. Barro's ability to anchor the defense will be a huge factor in Marquette's success, head coach Tom Crean said.

"At the end of last year he showed us a lot of consistency," Crean said. "We want him to feel like he's one of the guys."

Barro scored a career-high 13 points in two of Marquette's last three games in 2005-'06. But the 6-foot-10 Dakar, Senegal native never has eclipsed six rebounds in 58 career games. He has shown shaky hands, sometimes fumbling passes or rebounds. This year, he knows that must change.

"That's a big goal," he said. "I want to be one of the top rebounders in the Big East."

Barro showed promise down the stretch last season, playing quality defense in games against ranked opponents like Pittsburgh, Villanova and Georgetown. He is not a natural shot blocker but has made huge strides on defense since coming to Marquette.

With sophomores Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews expected to take most of the shots, Barro knows his defense will be more important than his scoring.

"It's getting the mind set," he said. "It's getting consistent about it. I want to be a stopper."

Crean likely will opt to play with just one true post player on the court. Seniors Mike Kinsella and Jamil Lott will compete for valuable minutes off the bench.

"Ouse and I have got to be the main men," Lott said.

If scrimmage performance determines who plays, though, Kinsella has Lott beat.

Kinsella, the team's only 7-footer, was 7-for-7 from the field in an open scrimmage on Oct. 27. Most of his shots were mid-range swishes.

Lott's speed advantage is more conducive to Crean's fast style, but his questionable hands caused him to lose minutes last season. Sophomore Dwight Burke provides another body in case of foul trouble.

No returning frontcourt player on Marquette's roster averaged more than 3.0 rebounds per game in 2005-'06.

Barro carries a heavy responsibility this season, and if he comes through, he will give Marquette fans one more reason to love him.