The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

NCAA tournament: Marquette vs. Michigan State preview

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.–Jerel McNeal wants to play.

Wearing a brace over his right hand to protect his injured thumb, the Marquette sophomore guard participated in all the drills during the team's open practice Wednesday at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.

He passed the ball left-handed. He made layups left-handed. He missed three-pointers left-handed. Whatever it took for him to be productive on the court, McNeal was doing just that, even if it meant missing a left-handed dunk at the end of practice.

The eighth-seeded Golden Eagles take on the ninth-seeded Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday evening, and the status of McNeal, who has missed Marquette's last three games after injuring his thumb in practice March 2, has been a crucial talking point this week.

"Right now it's a little bit up in the air," McNeal said in Wednesday's press conference. Head coach Tom Crean is "going to let me dress for the game tomorrow … but it's his decision on whether he's going to put me in or not."

Crean sounded less than optimistic about McNeal's status in an ESPN Radio interview Tuesday, and Wednesday he was trying to balance McNeal's optimism with the harsh reality.

"Jerel thinks he's playing tomorrow night," Crean said. "There's a real part of me that thinks it's a possibility, but he'd have to get clearance from the doctors, and I'm just not sure that's going to happen."

The one certainty looking ahead to Thursday is that the containment of Michigan State guard Drew Neitzel will be a top priority for the Golden Eagles, who likely will be without McNeal, the Big East defensive player of the year.

"You can't put all your focus on (Neitzel), but you can't guard him with one person, either," Crean said. "Would Jerel have been guarding him (if he were healthy)? No question about it."

Neitzel led the Spartans in scoring (18.1 points per game) and had outstanding games against the Big Ten's elite teams. The junior guard scored a combined 53 points in two games against Ohio State and had 28 in an upset of Wisconsin.

"Almost everything they run is put through him," James said. But "we can't get caught up in one guy even though he makes a lot of things happen."

Neitzel's capable teammates include freshman forward Raymar Morgan, who averaged 13.4 points in his last eight games, and sophomore center Goran Suton, who averages 9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

The Marquette-Michigan State winner will face top-seeded North Carolina or No. 16 Eastern Kentucky in the second round Saturday night.

What: No. 8 Marquette vs. No. 9 Michigan State

When: Thursday, 6:20 p.m. CST

Where: Lawrence Joel Coliseum (Winston-Salem, N.C.)

What channel: CBS (Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas will call the game)

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