Ok, I’ll admit it. Going into this weekend I thought Marquette would lose both games. I would have been thrilled with a split. But, they proved me wrong yet again. Along with my double portion of crow, I had to chew on this fact as well; Marquette will be dancing once again. And it is delicious.

There is plenty of credit to be given, and I want to start with this weekend’s unsung hero, The Reaper. Chris Grimm was as responsible as anyone for the two MU victories, as he provided a huge lift off the bench, bringing toughness and great post defense to the court. The job he did on two of the best centers in the BIG EAST was nothing short of phenomenal. Fear the Reaper.

Also a big factor in each victory was the Bradley Center crowd, in particular the Student Section. Not only did the students turn out in big numbers, they brought the noise as well. There is not a doubt in my mind we got in Aaron Gray’s head. The rest of the crowd, especially the 19,007 that came on Saturday, were fantastic. Loud, intense, and into the game. The Bradley Center has become the premier homecourt advantage in the conference, and one of the best in the Nation. I have not seen this kind of energy at MU home games since 2003, and with the bright future ahead of this young team, it wouldn’t surprise me to see another lengthy homecourt winning streak.

This weekend was marked by complete team efforts both nights. Everyone contributed in spurts. Ousmane Barro contributed in his minutes, particularly against Georgetown, Dan Fitzgerald had his own 5-0 run against Pitt that brought the house down, and Joe Chapman and Wesley Matthews each played very solid offensive games. Jerel McNeal played great defense and was able to play much more within himself on the offensive end.

Finally, what more can be said about Dominic James and Steve Novak? Dominic won BIG EAST Rookie of the Week for the fifth time this season, after strong performances against Georgetown and Pitt. James was clutch in each game, running the team masterfully and hitting the big shot against Georgetown. There is nobody in the conference that can stop him one on one. Novak continues to hit the big shots when Marquette needs him, and has become so much more versatile with getting his shot off. The step back three against Pitt with about 2 minutes left was a thing of beauty. There is no better leader for a young team to have than #20.

With three games left, a 20-9 and 10-6 record is attainable, something not even the biggest MU fan could have predicted at the beginning of the year. That is a credit to Tom Crean and his staff, as well as the players, for a job well done.

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