In one of the more intriguing first-round matchups of the NCAA Tournament, #7 Marquette will face #10 Alabama in San Diego on Thursday afternoon. The Warriors received a challenging first-round assignment in the Crimson Tide, with the winner facing the winner of #2 UCLA and #15 Belmont on Saturday.
Marquette (20-10) is coming off a 62-59 loss to Georgetown in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals last Thursday. Steve Novak had 18 points, and Wesley Matthews scored 14 in a losing effort. Marquette fans are hoping that the pressure of the conference tournament will help this young team respond to the pressure that comes with the NCAA Tournament. This is Marquette???s first trip to the Tournament since 2003, and their magical run to the Final Four. Seniors Steve Novak, Joe Chapman, and Chris Grimm remain from that squad, and MU will need their leadership if the Warriors are to make any noise in the Tournament.
Alabama finished the regular season at 17-12, following a loss to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament. Alabama has an advantage in overall Tournament experience, as they went to the Elite Eight in 2004, and were eliminated last year in the first round by UW-Milwaukee. However, they still rely on freshmen, and are playing without their best player in Chuck Davis, who has missed most of the season due to injury.
Probable Starters:
Marquette-
G- #1 Dominic James- Fr. 5-11 175, 15.1 PPG
G- #22 Jerel McNeal- Fr. 6-3 185, 11.1 PPG
G- #32 Joe Chapman- Sr. 6-4 210, 5.9 PPG
F- #20 Steve Novak- Sr. 6-10 220, 17.5 PPG
C- #41 Ousmane Barro- So. 6-10 235, 4.1 PPG
Alabama-
G- #22 Ronald Steele- So. 6-3 185, 13.8 PPG
G- #4 Brandon Hollinger- Fr. 5-11 170, 2.4 PPG
F- #21 Evan Brock- Sr. 6-9 210, 4.0 PPG
F- #35 Richard Hendrix- Fr. 6-8 265, 9.4 PPG
C- #33 Jermareo Davidson- Jr. 6-10 220, 14.1 PPG
Keys to the Game:
1. Defensive Rebounding: Alabama has the advantage inside with superior athleticism. They use their quickness to beat their opponents to the ball, and that has translated to some very good rebounding numbers this season. Alabama averaged 12.6 offensive rebounds per game, and averaged 37 rebounds per game. On average, they have held the advantage over their opponents on the glass, by 4.3 rebounds per game. Marquette had trouble last week, and all season for that matter, securing the defensive rebound. With Alabama???s lack of depth Marquette will want to push the tempo, and the first step to doing that is getting the defensive board.
2. Defend the Post: Marquette will face the type of players that has given the Warriors fits this season- long, athletic big men. Alabama has a very quick frontcourt, led by freshman and McDonald???s All-American Richard Hendrix. Hendrix is very athletic, but is built like an NBA power forward. He will be too strong for Ousmane Barro or Novak, but too quick for Chris Grimm. Jermareo Davidson is a center that is a finesse player. Tall and lanky, Davidson relies on his quickness down low. Barro will likely draw this assignment. With Alabama???s advantage in quickness, look for Marquette to play a good amount of zone defense.
3. Contain Steele: Alabama has an outstanding point guard in sophomore Ronald Steele. Steele was a first-team All-SEC selection this year, and is a tough matchup. Steele has the quickness to get into the lane and create, but is also a solid three-point shooter at 40.3%. His size at 6-3 also presents problems for most opponents, as he is taller than most point guards. Look for Jerel McNeal to defend Steele, and Dominic James guarding the much smaller Brandon Hollinger. As Steele goes, so goes the Crimson Tide, so if Marquette can contain Steele they will have a good chance.
4. Bench Production: Depth is one area where Marquette has a distinct advantage over Alabama. Alabama only uses two reserves- 6-7 junior Jean Felix, and 6-6 freshman Alonzo Gee. Both average around eight points per game, and are inconsistent shooters. Felix, a lanky and athletic forward, will probably guard Steve Novak in a box and 1 defense. Marquette???s bench can exploit one of Alabama???s weaknesses, defending the perimeter. Wesley Matthews, Joe Chapman, and Dan Fitzgerald could contribute big minutes if they can come in and knock down a couple of threes. Matthews looked like an upperclassmen against Georgetown, attacking the basket while staying under control, and hitting clutch free throws in the second half. Chapman and Fitzgerald have struggled as of late, but Chapman is no stranger to hitting big shots in the NCAA Tournament, and needs to do the same Thursday.
5. Young Guns: Both of these teams rely on freshmen contributors, with both teams starting two freshman and bringing one off the bench. With the exception of Wesley Matthews, Marquette???s freshmen looked their age against Georgetown last week. Dominic James and Jerel McNeal have struggled tremendously on offense since the Louisville game, and will need to play under control for Marquette to have a shot at advancing. Alabama has the capability to block a lot of shots, so James and McNeal will need to utilize ball fakes and pull-up jumpers to avoid a repeat of the Cincinnati game earlier this season. How the freshmen on each team respond to the anxiety of the NCAA Tournament will go a long way in determining who will move on.
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