Marquette squandered a chance to elevate its NCAA Tournament hopes in its loss to No. 4 Villanova Saturday. Now the 3-4 Golden Eagles’ next two games will be pivotal so as to not thrust themselves into the Big East cellar.
Marquette hosts 5-2 Providence Thursday night and will travel to 2-5 St. John’s Saturday. The Golden Eagles will have to persevere against the Friars, which have won five straight games, and the Red Storm, whose initial slow start has taken a turn for the better.
What to expect: Providence
The Friars are flourishing in the scaled down Big East. No longer do they have to endure blowout losses to the likes of Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Sitting third in the conference, Providence still impresses despite shooting a league-worst 41.8 percent overall.
Where it does significant damage is on the offensive glass; the team averages 13.1 offensive rebounds per game, which is tied for first in the Big East. This game may be most important for Marquette’s post players, who will have to control Kadeem Batts and LaDontae Henton (15.0 rpg combined) in the paint to limit second-chance points.
Bryce Cotton (20.5 ppg) is Providence’s leading scorer and a predicted late second round pick in June’s NBA Draft. With Cotton averaging 39.4 minutes per game and taking nearly 27 percent of the team’s shots, his presence will certainly be felt on the floor. Cotton does a terrific job of handling the ball, evidenced by his impressive 3.02-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.
Marquette fans may find solace despite the Friars’ five-game winning streak, because the team has been uncomfortable on the road. They won at Rhode Island and St. John’s, each by only one, and were beaten at nationally ranked Massachusetts and Villanova.
What to expect: St. John’s
St. John’s shook off its rocky 0-5 start and won two of its last three games. The Red Storm, similar to Marquette, has not lived up to its preseason expectations; the team was predicted to finish fifth and pulled in two first-place votes.
Steve Lavin and Co. may still make noise in the remaining Big East slate, as the Red Storm got a pair of wins against Seton Hall and Butler before falling by just two points at Creighton Tuesday.
What St. John’s prides itself on is its interior defense. The Red Storm leads the Big East in blocked shots, swatting a remarkable 8.2 shots per game. DePaul, in second place, blocks 4.7 per contest. Chris Obekpa leads the team with 3.3 blocks in 19.7 minutes per game.
The Golden Eagles have underperformed from three-point land all season, although guard Todd Mayo has been a savior of sorts lately with his timely triples. Marquette will need to use a fine balance of relying more on jump shots and yet attacking the rim to draw fouls on Obekpa and the other bigs.
Marquette will play two games in about a 40-hour period, including a flight to New York. The Golden Eagles, win or lose against Providence, will need to be well rested for the Red Storm after the quick turnaround.
As of Tuesday night, Marquette’s RPI ranking stands at 81st with a 1-8 record against the top 50. Providence is 43rd and St. John’s is 74th. In order for the Golden Eagles to get back into tournament discussion, now is the crucial time to collect quality wins and avoid poor losses.
