Thanks to a 2003 college basketball scandal, prevalent in the punch-lines of national sports pundits, the men's basketball team has not been out-rebounded by 10 every game this season.
No, that's too easy. Marcus Jackson could have gone anywhere after he rescinded his scholarship offer at Georgia during the controversy surrounding then-coach Jim Harrick, Sr.
He ended up choosing a school close to home — Jackson is a Peoria, Ill., native — and a program that had advanced to the Final Four the previous season.
But let's return to the scandal, for that is what set the whole thing in motion.
The undersized 6-foot-8-inch senior forward, whose grave countenance suggests a focused aloofness on the court, spent two years at South Plains Junior College in Levelland, Texas. He had expected to accompany his teammate and friend Cassiano Matheus to Georgia.
Harrick, however, resigned as head coach of Georgia in March 2003 amid allegations of academic fraud involving his son, Jim Harrick, Jr.
The assistant coach taught a class in basketball strategy and granted credit hours to three players who failed to attend a single class. The class itself contained a rather dubious final exam that made its rounds among the national sports media.
"I thought (Harrick) was a nice guy, cool and everything," Jackson said. "Once everything happened, I was kinda disappointed, let down because I did want to go with my teammate and go to school together. But I think it worked out for the best."
Matheus, a 6-foot-10-inch Brazilian, redshirted last season at Utah State and is averaging 5.9 points per game off the bench this year.
It was not exactly wine and roses for Jackson, either, in his first season at Marquette. An ankle injury kept him from settling in with the team on the court.
He never played more than 22 minutes or scored more than seven points in a single game, and the Golden Ealges followed the Final Four appearance with an NIT bid.
On a team lacking experienced frontcourt players, Jackson has thrived this season with his post defense and tenacity on the boards.
Entering Wednesday's Conference USA action, Jackson ranked seventh in C-USA in rebounds (8.1 rpg).
Jackson's offensive abilities (3.3 ppg) remain limited, especially at the free-throw line where he shoots 37.5 percent.
"He was a blue-collar player," South Plains head coach Steve Green said. "He always covered the opponent's best player. He was a guy who would win games for us by doing things that didn't show up on the stat sheet."
When senior guard Travis Diener injured his ankle, Jackson assumed some of the ball handling duties. Against the relentless pressure defense of Alabama-Birmingham Feb. 2, Jackson registered seven assists and three turnovers.
"I feel pretty comfortable handling the ball," Jackson said. "I knew Travis wasn't in there. We don't really have a true backup point guard … I just tried to help my team."
Jackson's intimidating appearance during games is inconsistent with his personality off the court, according to Green.
"He's one of the most sincere human beings I've ever met," Green said.
"He was very focused, a campus favorite. Everyone appreciated his diligence."
"People get the wrong impression about a lot of us," Jackson said.
"They think we're just mean dudes. We're just humans, too. We're people. Basketball is just something we do."
Jackson won't do it for much longer, however, because the Golden Eagles close out the regular season Saturday against Saint Louis.
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Mar. 3 2005.