In order to play No. 13 Pitt, though, No. 18 Marquette (23-8, 10-6) must first beat eleventh-seeded St.,”
The men's basketball team put itself on a collision course with Pittsburgh (25-6, 12-4 Big East) when it beat the Panthers for the second time this season Saturday night, securing the No. 6 seed in the Big East tournament.
In order to get to No. 13 Pitt, though, which holds the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament, No. 18 Marquette (23-8, 10-6) must first beat 11th-seeded St. John's on the Red Storm's home floor at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Normally, Marquette would be a favorite to beat St. John's in what will effectively be a road game for the Golden Eagles. But Marquette likely will be without sophomore Jerel McNeal, the squad's second-team All-Big East guard.
McNeal injured his right thumb in practice Friday, causing him to miss Saturday's win over Pitt. Since Saturday, his status has been downgraded from unknown to questionable for the conference tournament, according Mike Broeker, associate athletic director for marketing and communications.
The athletic department canceled a media availability session Monday morning and also declined to comment on the results of McNeal's X-ray.
Should McNeal miss the entire conference tourney and beyond, freshmen David Cubillan and Lazar Hayward will play heavier minutes.
"They're way past freshman year now," Crean said. "When you've played 30-plus games in the high 20s (minutes per game) this way, guys step up."
While Cubillan and Hayward will be important role players, sophomore Wesley Matthews must replicate performances like the one he had Saturday, when he tied Cubillan for a game-high 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, for the team to win at least two games in the Big East tournament. If Matthews stumbles, the Golden Eagles will struggle to score.
After the Pitt game, Matthews talked about how his offensive role will change with McNeal out.
"It picks it up a little more," Matthews said. "Everybody's got to be a little more aggressive because of what Jerel brings with his presence on the court as someone they have to guard and respect. Everybody else has to step their game up. That's just what's going to happen if we want to go far in the Big East tournament and further."
The Red Storm (16-14, 7-9) is facing its own injury problems. Leading scorer Lamont Hamilton hyperextended his left knee when he collided with teammate Anthony Mason Jr. in the first half of the team's 77-64 win over Providence Sunday. Hamilton, who also leads the team in rebounding, is expected to play and was scheduled for a precautionary magnetic resonance imaging Monday, according to The New York Times.
If McNeal is finished for the season, Marquette's postseason prospects will take a severe blow. The conference tournament has NCAA seeding implications for the Golden Eagles, who likely would receive a No. 6 or No. 7 seed if they lose to the Red Storm in the first round.
If Marquette advances to the Big East finals, it could play its way into a No. 4 seed. Without McNeal, though, the Golden Eagles' chances of beating Pitt a second time in five days will be slim without another solid performance from Hayward, Cubillan and the rest of the bench.
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