This is the first in a 12-part series about Marquette’s non-conference opponents.
As usual, Marquette opens its season with a scrimmage against a weaker opponent. Rockhurst, the only Division II team on this year’s schedule, serves the same role as Valley City State last year — they are simply bodies from another program to help the team tune up for the regular season.
You can get all dressed up and excited for the season to kick off, but don’t expect a close game. The Golden Eagles defeated Valley City State by 41 points in last year’s scrimmage.
2015-’16 record: 12-15
Final Kenpom ranking: N/A
Game time: Nov. 5 at 1 p.m.
Analysis: The Rockhurst Hawks lost their top two scorers from last season, center Dominique Washington and guard Austin LeVan. That means Rockhurst needs to replace 30 points per game on average. The departures pave the way for senior guard Malachi Nix, who was third on the team in scoring in his first year since transferring from Fairleigh Dickinson.
Rockhurst was done in by their three-point shooting in their Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament first-round loss to Southern Indiana. The team shot 20 percent from long-range, representative of the rough offensive outputs the team received last year. The Hawks had the worst scoring offense in the GLVC, averaging 74.1 points per game. They stayed in games due to their strong defensive showings, holding teams to 73.9 points per game.
The Golden Eagles can take advantage of Rockhurst’s lack of size. The Hawks’ only player taller than 6-foot-7 is center Gabe Brown, who checks in at 7-foot. He played in three games his sophomore season, scoring six points total.
