David Cubillan is a spark plug, the type of guy coaches can throw into a game for instant impact and, in his case, high-pressure defense.

He's the type of guy that can be both modest and confident, both celebratory and reserved.

Consider this statement from the sophomore guard before the 2007-'08 season began: "I can play (point guard), I can play (shooting guard), whatever my coach wants me to. I feel comfortable playing either. As a (shooting guard) I get a chance to shoot the ball … but if they need me to play (center), I'll play the five."

Of late, Cubillan's play at the guard positions has been good enough for the Golden Eagles. He has scored in double-digits the past three games, including a season-high 13 points against Pittsburgh Feb. 15.

"He's been a factor ever since he got on this campus, but in the last three games he's been outstanding," said Marquette head coach Tom Crean. "He's playing with a ton of confidence, and his teammates know he's a shotmaker … it's like having four starting guards with him out there."

Last season, Cubillan was known mostly as a perimeter shooter—87.2 percent (48-of-55) of his made field goals came from behind the three-point arc—a trait both Cubillan and Crean said he needed to work on before this year.

"Before I left, coach gave me a list telling me to get better on going to the basket and working on my passing ability," Cubillan said. "Everyone is going to look at me as a shooter, a three-point shooter, so I have to get to the basket. They're going to say 'Oh, you know Cubillan, don't let him shoot."

Cubillan spent the summer playing for the Venezuelan national team. He said he made the first cut, even playing with the team in China, but was one of the last players left off the team's roster for the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas.

"I'm not sure the things he needed to address when he went and played for the (Venezuelan) national team were really addressed the way they needed to be," Crean said. "He had to make sure this 32-year-old got the ball, this 34-year-old got the ball, this 36-year-old got the ball; he had to distribute the ball to the older guys."

But Cubillan has managed to diversify his shooting a little—he has already hit 54 shots this season, 35 of which have been three-point baskets—while maintaining his basic strengths.

"His No. 1 skill, on the offensive end, is catch-and-shoot shooting. His No. 1 skill on the defensive end is his energy on the ball," Crean said.

And whether he's doing a little shimmy after hitting a big three-point shot (as he did against Wisconsin at the Kohl Center) or lifting his head coach over his head during a big run like he did against UW-Milwaukee Nov. 30, there is little doubt as to the 6-foot guard's No. 1 goal.

"I love playing defense; that's what gets me going. I feel like when I'm on the court, it's my job to provide energy for the other people," he said. "I feel like (my teammates) feed off my energy when I play defense."

After Marquette's 92-66 win over Notre Dame Jan. 12, fellow guard Jerel McNeal spoke of the importance of ball pressure to the Marquette defense.

"Ball pressure is one of those things we do night in and night out, get up and pressure the point guard especially," McNeal said.

Perhaps as a result of his defensive effort, Cubillan has averaged 21 minutes per game over the last three contests. During the same stretch, junior Wesley Matthews has seen his playing time drop from 30 minutes against Notre Dame, to just 17 minutes against Pittsburgh.

Asked before the season whether that depth would help the Golden Eagles' chances of playing deep into March, Crean answered with a question.

"Will we have a consistent level of effort, and the ability to execute with depth?" he asked.

David Cubillan is the type of guy the Golden Eagles will need to answer, "Yes."