In a tough conference match-up against University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh last Thursday, the Marquette Men’s Club Volleyball team fought hard but came up short, winning one game, 25-23, out of four. UWO clinched victory in the first game 15-25 and finished the match with two wins, 17-25 and 15-25, respectively. Fan turnout was significant for the team’s game against UWO, with around 60 people in attendance.

“UWO has grown to be our biggest rival the past few years, so every time we play each other, both teams know it is going to be a slugfest. This one was no exception. We came out a bit flat in the first game and didn’t match their intensity, but then found our step in the second and third game,” said team libero Aaron Brown. “We were disappointed in the outcome, but also took it as a learning experience as we move forward this year as a team. The fan support was great, too. It always helps us when we have a big crowd on hand to support us.”

The Marquette men’s volleyball team is now 2-2 and is looking ahead and working to improve on energy and consistency as the National Championships in Kansas City approach on April 9-11.

“At the end of last semester we sat down as a team and came up with a list of goals we would like to accomplish as a team, some including winning our conference, and placing in the top 10 at Nationals. I think most players would agree that we have gotten off to a slow start this season, but we are growing and learning from our mistakes each day,” Brown said.

Coach Brian Nash said he and the team will continue to work on their focus and energy as they get into their season. “We’re going to keep moving forward, our goal is a top finish in the conference,” Nash said.

Marquette plays in the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference (WVC), a conference that has remained competitive, and produced national champions, for example, Lakeland College in 2008.

“We have arguably the most competitive conference not only in the state or Midwest, but in the nation. Teams such as UWO, Lakeland and UW-Whitewater always present us with a tough challenge when we play, and we know we must come out and play our best. Playing competition like this week in and week out always helps us perform well at Nationals, seeing as we have faced some of the best competition all season long,” Brown said.

The team is traveling to Southern California over spring break to play West Coast teams UCLA, Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount to prepare for Nationals.
“The team hopes this will help us gain an advantage over other Midwest teams having had the experience already of playing a West Coast team,” Brown said.
In April, Marquette hosts the WVC tournament, and the team hopes that along with continued training and hard work, a big fan turnout will cheer them to victory and give them a boost for the national competition, the following weekend.

“Winning in front of our fans would be really exciting and would be a great confidence boost heading into the national tournament the next weekend,” team setter Joe Gacioch said.

The Marquette men’s volleyball team still faces significant challenges from their upcoming opponents, but they are confident in their potential to be a driving force in the WVC. “We have the talent and experience to be a contender in the conference…we still have head-to-head matches against Lakeland and Whitewater that we’re hoping will give us that spark we’re looking for,” outside hitter Jonathon Gasteiner said.

Popularity: 8% [?]

7-0… Really digest that for a moment.Jumpin’ Jesuits… WE’RE 7-0!!!

That’s about the reaction from almost every Marquette fan as they wake up today. If you haven’t checked out the newest Big East standings, you cannot help but smile when you look to the top of the 16 team list. 1. No. 8/8 Marquette 18-2 (7-0).

To put it plainly, this is awesome. But be wary Marquette Basketball fans, because in this conference, being the hunted is something new for this program. The history speaks for itself. The Golden Eagles have had at least two losses through five games in their first three seasons in the conference. Now they sit unblemished on top of an absurdly talented heap of good teams.

For the last three years, this program’s starts were not going to make opposing teams and fans sweat over the upcoming Marquette game on their schedule. A 7-0 start though… A win on the road against a ranked team… I do not care who you did it against, everyone is looking up at you.Everyone. The only problem now is they’ll be gunning for you too.

If Buzz Williams and his players wake up today and notice a strange itch developing on their backs, it might be the big red bullseye that grew overnight. And with every victory that bullseye will get bigger. Monday nights thriller against Notre Dame put the rest of the conference on alert. They have the attention of the so called “big boys” now, and they can certainly expect a rough go against them.This team isn’t sneaking up on anyone for the rest of the year.

Hey, you all wanted this. Now it’s time to put up or shut up. Saturday will bring will bring another talented Big East team to the Bradley Center that is desperate for a win. Georgetown cannot afford to lose this game. Expect the kitchen sink and then some on Saturday.

If this group gets to 8-0… 9-0… dare I say even 10-0 in conference play… with only four players scoring the basketball, Buzz Williams should get the Nobel Prize. Talk about getting the most out of your players. You could write a book on the things that this team lacks. And you could write another about overcoming adversity.

Understand this people… UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE DO YOU DOMINATE IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYING NO ONE TALLER THAN 6-FOOT-6. That doesn’t happen. Normally when coaches go to a lineup like that, it’s out of desperation, not confidence. This team plays cool, calm and collected when they’re six or seven inches shorter than the tallest guy on the floor.

I’ve always used one main criterion to determine a great team from a good one: Even when you don’t play well, you are still able to find ways to win games. In the past three seasons, if the Golden Eagles didn’t show up at the start of a game, they were dead in the water. Let the Providence game show that this trend is ending. Let Monday’s Notre Dame game show that this team has a killer instinct to match.

You can’t quite put your finger on it, but something is going on with this team. They just know how to make the extra pass. They just know how to come up with HUGE defensive stops. And the just have this innate quality to score more points than the other team.

They’re termites, all twelve of them. Even our big guys are termites (compared to what our expectation of what a “big guy” should look like). But like termites, they swarm you and they never go away. Just when you think you’ve driven them off, they’re in your face destroying your will to fight back. They demoralize you to the point where you shake your head and ask yourself what the heck happened?

The national media has begun to take notice. The student body is nearly in a frenzy. Alumni are holding their breath. And all the while Buzz Williams keeps his players focused on the next game ahead. Even with some irritated powerhouses looking up at one of the Big East’s newbies, it’s hard for fans to say they’ve never felt more confident.

Yeah, we might be termites, but we play like giants. Who knows, maybe we’re all witness to something special this season. You know, last time a Marquette team rattled off 10 straight wins in the middle of a season, they had a no name head coach, a bunch of players that had never won anything before, and an ability to frustrate teams into madness. They won a conference title and went to the Final Four.
Get on board everyone, because the bandwagon is about to fill up very quickly.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Acrobatics, dance moves, and call-response songs in Portuguese present an unlikely combination for a martial art, but the Brazilian sport of capoeira effortlessly unites all three. The result has convinced more than one Marquette student to join Capoeira Nagô, the student capoeira group on campus.

“I saw a bunch of people dancing really crazy [on the Central Mall],” said Jordan French, a sophomore in Exercise Science. “I actually thought it was a dance class, but then I found out that they fight. It was everything that I always wanted to do combined into one.”

The ginga forms the basic move in capoeira, off of which all the other moves are done. It is a basic step across, step back, step across, step back dance motion that is performed low to the ground to give power for the cartwheels, kicks and flips that form a lot of the other moves along with giving the martial artist the ability to move to the ground out of the way easily in a move called the esquiva, which means escape in Portuguese. Even these basic steps were enough to convince Sam Olukotun, a junior in Electrical and Computer Engineering that capoeira was for him.

“I stood up and I did one of those gingas, I tried doing a cartwheel; I was hooked since then.”
Olukotun has never performed martial arts before capoeira, but even those who have really enjoy it.

“I’ve been a martial artist for a while now, and I’m always interested in learning new techniques and styles. I think what kept me coming back to Capoeira is how much fun it is.  It’s very playful and high energy, which separates it from some of the more “serious” styles I’ve studied,” said Brian Debs, a senior in the College of Communication. Hannah Grade, a freshman in the College of Health Sciences, did tae kwon do for six years before she started capoeira.

“What attracted me to Capoeira most was the atmosphere of it.  Everyone has fun and learns a lot… We sing, we dance, we play, we laugh and we fight.”
From beginners to experienced players, there is always something to do for everyone at each practice. Practice begins with Brazilian music, a basic warm-up and stretch, after which everyone lines up to do cartwheels and handstands down the length of the room. And if a student cannot do either of these, the instructor, Marc Adesso, a law student at Marquette, shows the student how to do a variation suitable for his or her current level.

All skill levels are encouraged to come. After the warm-up and line exercises, the beginners go off to the side to learn new moves and the more advanced students practice and learn new difficult moves. But no matter at what level the student is, practice is inevitably a good workout.

“It’s a very good place to exercise and learn how to do flips,” said Joseph Flask, a junior in Biomedical Sciences.
Adesso, who has been doing capoeira since 2001, agrees. “I like the high energy and boost it gives me.”

Practice culminates in the roda, a circle that the capoeira players form around two players actually practicing the moves they have learned on each other. All of the players get a chance to enter the roda and practice.

“It’s a dialogue of the moves,” said French.

The players in the circle sing call-response songs in Portuguese, clap and play the classic capoeira instruments: the berimbau, a bow that is strummed with a small stick, and the pandeiro, an instrument similar to a tambourine.

Marquette’s student group is part of greater Milwaukee’s Capoeira Nagô. Adesso teaches the classes in various locations throughout Milwaukee every day of the week, with two classes held on Marquette’s campus. The classes are open to anyone.

“I have had the opportunity to interact with many capoeiristas in Milwaukee, a number of whom don’t attend the university and come from all sorts of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds,” said Stephen Self, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences.

The intense fun of capoeira not only is expressed in the acrobatic fighting moves, but also in the celebration of Brazilian culture and the chance to meet new people.

Popularity: 12% [?]

After shutting down Notre Dame, Marquette is off to its best conference start ever and has just won their tenth game overall. With such a strong start it’s hard not wonder just how much damage they can inflict in the Big East this season. Let’s take a peek at Marquette’s upcoming games and see just how well off Marquette could be, come March.

Georgetown: Georgetown like Notre Dame has a talented team who has lately not lived up to their potential. Georgetown’s season is quickly spiraling out of control and the desperately need a win, but an away game against a team as hot as Marquette does not bode well for a reeling Georgetown. This will likely be a close game but look for Marquette to pull away late in the second half and net a 74-65 victory.

Depaul: It’s hard to look at a game against Depaul and not want to look further down the schedule, and that is exactly what Marquette cannot do. This is still an away game in the Big East; therefore a game that can be lost, with that being said the Golden Eagles should be able to run away with this game winning by at least 15 points.
South Florida: The Bulls are a hardworking but generally overmatched Big East team who have given a scare to a couple of the big boys in the conference and can do so to Marquette if they are not careful. South Florida should still be overwhelmed by the big four of Marquette, and despite a second road game the Golden Eagles should be able to manage a double digit victory in The Sun Dome.

Villanova: The Wildcats are always dangerous with Scottie Reynolds leading the squad and the ‘Cats will be starving for a win after a tough game against Syracuse. This is going to be an extremely tough game for a Marquette team that will be facing its third straight road game. This looks like it could be the first Big East loss for the undefeated Golden Eagles although the game should go down to the wire.

St. John’s and Seton Hall: These two home games against the lower echelon of the Big East will be a welcomed breather for Marquette after an extended road trip and a good tune-up for the marathon performance that will be their last five games. These games will not be sleepers but as of now these two teams combine for a 3-11 Big East record and should not be too much to handle.

Georgetown: Georgetown is as tough as team as any at home and will need every win possible to solidify a decent seed come March. This will be a game that the Hoyas are going to need more than the Golden Eagles, who despite looking to finish first in the Big East, may not have as much to play for as GU. This game has the potential to be the closest game Marquette will have played since their victory against NC State, but look for Georgetown to end up on top in the end with a 72-70 win.
Connecticut: Connecticut is among the elite in all of college basketball and they will be coming into Milwaukee looking to hold a probable Big East lead. Although everyone would love to see Marquette upset the visiting Huskies, Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien look to be too much for the Golden Eagles and will probably hand Marquette their first consecutive loss of the season with a 71-60 victory at the Bradley Center.

Louisville and Pittsburgh: These two road games are going to be without a doubt the hardest two games Marquette will play this season and both are going to take near perfect efforts from every player to pull off any upset. Both Louisville and Pittsburgh are playing amazing basketball and look untouchable in the Big East. Marquette should provide two great games but in the end this road trip does not look good for the Golden Eagles and will put Marquette at four losses in Big East play.

Syracuse: For the first time this season Marquette will be in heavy need of a win as they will be looking to pull out of a four game rut. This game looks to be the single most important game that Marquette will play in the regular season as it will more than likely determine whether Marquette or Syracuse will get the fourth spot in the regular season standings and granted a pass to the quarterfinals in the Big East tournament. Syracuse is a scary team with Eric Devendorf and Johnny Flynn, but as far as guard oriented teams goes, there is none better than McNeal, Matthews, and James working together and their veteran leadership will be the key to victory. If this game were not in the Bradley the result might be different but the final home game for these three seniors will likely be their greatest career victory as Marquette ends up with a convincing 85-72 victory over the Orangemen.

Marquette has a chance to do a lot of damage in the Big East, and as long as they keep playing the caliber ball they are playing right now, they could potentially see as high as a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament. From that point on it’s as good a guess as any where this team could go, but it does not seem to be too unrealistic to see this team possibly reaching the Elite Eight in March. The most important thing that Marquette must do right now is approach each upcoming game one at a time, because once teams start looking ahead in their Big East schedule, that’s when the unexpected losses start showing up.

Popularity: 10% [?]

This year’s Super Bowl is quite a matchup. I will admit, if anybody had told me that the Arizona Cardinals would be playing in this game at the beginning of this season, I would have laughed at them. Make the playoffs, sure; I’ve seen them do it before and they have a stellar offense, but no way the Super Bowl. They haven’t won a playoff game since 1998 before beating the Atlanta Falcons in the first round. They have never played in a Super Bowl, and haven’t won a championship since the Truman administration in 1947, when the team was still in Chicago (the Cardinals left in 1959).

Needless to say when compared to a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have played in six Super Bowls before this one (winning five), the Cardinals have a history of being a punching bag for most NFL teams. This season does prove that any team can reach the Super Bowl any year.

There is a way that these two teams are related however, and it makes sense that the Cardinals can make it to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals’ head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers before he became the Cardinals’ coach. He won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh in 2005. So I guess it does make some sense that the Cardinals are in this game.

This will be the first Super Bowl of the 21st Century to feature two quarterbacks who have already won a Super Bowl; Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner. While Warner has put up more impressive numbers then Big Ben, Roethlisberger is a proven winner. Even so, the Steelers bread and butter is still their defense, which is just as good as their Steel Curtain days in the 70s.

The Steelers defense finished the season ranked at the top, and that stout defense has help lead the team to another Super Bowl bid. While the offense has been productive, it has not been overwhelming in their victories. Troy Polamatu, the Steelers star safety and leader, should be all around the field come game time and like in the AFC Championship game against Baltimore could cause some key turnovers.

The Cardinals have one of the top ranked offenses in the NFL. Lead by Kurt Warner at QB and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at wide receiver, the Cardinals offense has been impressive and one that is eerily familiar to Warner’s old team, the ’99 Rams (aka the greatest show on turf). Coincidently, the Rams were also the punching bag of the NFL before Warner’s arrival. While defense usually wins Super Bowls, Warner’s Rams won it, and the Cardinals have been playing pretty good defense lately.
Even so, the odds makers still have Pittsburgh as a 6.5 point favorite. Throughout the entire season, Pittsburgh has had one of the better, if not the best, defenses, and played consistently throughout the entire season. That cannot be said of the Cardinals.

With Kurt Warner being upset that the MVP award went to the Colt’s QB Peyton Manning instead of him and Larry Fitzgerald being a freak of nature, I’m going to pick the Cardinals to not only cover the spread, but win the game, and continue the NFL’s ideology of league parody.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Instead of expressing bitterness over the Ice Age that is a Wisconsin winter, take advantage of what it has to offer. Go ice fishing, jump into Lake Michigan, build an igloo, or better yet, use the weather as an opportunity to ski or snowboard.

Crystal Ridge Ski Area: A ski hill located in the adjacent city of Franklin, Crystal Ridge offers convenience, lodging and 110 total acres of winter activity. The hill, located on the northern slopes of the Root River Valley, contains seven runs. The intermediate and expert runs have two chairlifts, along with a bunny hill equipped with a towrope. The best part is that it’s located only 12 minutes from downtown Milwaukee.

Highlands of Olympia Ski Hill: What this Oconomowoc resort lacks in variety, it makes up for with its elevation. The hill is the highest point between Milwaukee and Madison, with a 205-foot elevation and 2,500-foot run-out. With two chair lifts, one towrope and lighted runs it may serve best for beginners or casual skiers and snowboarders. Just a half-hour drive west of Milwaukee, Olympia is one of the closest hills from downtown.

Fox Hill Ski Area: Another neighboring ski area, Fox Hill is situated in the center of Washington County in the town of West Bend. The hill, operated and owned by members of the Milwaukee Ski club, requires either a membership or a $25 social pass. The ski area provides 226 feet of downhill runs, accessible via the hill’s four towropes. It is located roughly 20 miles northwest of Milwaukee.

Alpine Valley Ski Resort: Although one of the most well-known ski areas to in Southeastern Wisconsin, Alpine Valley fails to encompass as much terrain as others, and also lacks any authentic terrain park or half pipe. The hill is most aptly suited for beginners, but that is not to say that a serious skier/snowboarder would not enjoy themselves. Only 45 minutes from Milwaukee, this makes it a destination point for the casual sportsgoer.

Sunburst Ski Area: If skiing or snowboarding is not your forte, there is always the option of busting out the rubber inner tube and hitting the slopes on your rear. Sunburst, located just under an hour away in the city of Kewaskum, is one of the few hills in the area that allows tubing. The hill has a tubing chalet, a 20 lane tubing hill, 12 straight chutes, eight luge chutes, eight ski/snowboarding lifts and 13 runs, ensuring a busy day.

The Mountain Top: Located at Grand Geneva Resort, the Mountain Top offers 18 total runs ranging from all ability levels, boasts a terrain park for all skiers and snowboarders, and its six lifts ensure a quick ascension to the top. The mountain provides a 211-foot drop, a top elevation of 1,086 feet, and runs in the length of a quarter mile. The Mountain Top is just over an hour’s drive from downtown and is found in Lake Geneva.

Wilmot Mountain: Wilmot, although over an hour’s drive from Milwaukee, provides many amenities that make it as desirable as any place. It is located in the southern region of Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine and was formed as a result of glaciation. It boasts a relative rarity; an open mountainside, meaning less opportunity to run into a tree. The entire hill also offers night skiing. In the city of Twin Lakes, Wilmot Mountain is definitely worth the trip.

It is highly likely that with every snowflake that falls and every degree that drops, a smile is the atypical facial expression. But with so many places to ski, snowboard, and occasionally tube, there is reason to enjoy the cold Wisconsin weather. So, instead of spending the weekends freezing on campus, spend them freezing on the top of a monstrous hill.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Even after a couple impressive early wins for our Marquette Golden Eagles this year, you get the feeling that the team is only looking to improve on their previous performances. They will be able to improve on those performances this Saturday with a cross-town battle against rival University Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The 16th-ranked Golden Eagles looked sharp last week with a win against Houston Baptist, a transitional Division I basketball team. With Matthews getting career high points (27) and assists (8), Marquette looked poised to have a strong non-conference record and a good season during Big East play.

However, the Panthers are all too willing to spoil Marquette’s early success, hoping to pull off an early upset of a ranked team.

The Universityof Wisconsin – Milwaukee Panthers have already played in a tournament in this young season and walked away with second place after losing badly to Iowa State. They are not as good as they have been in years past, but the UWM team is always dangerous with coach Rob Jeter calling the shots.

Marquette matches up very well against UWM mainly because the Panthers will not be able to exploit Marquette’s lack of size. Hayward should have a good opportunity to get plenty of boards. Like Marquette, Milwaukee’s tallest player is just 6 feet 8 inches, so Marquette will not be at a disadvantage when going after rebounds, a luxury they will not have once Big East conference play begins.

UWM will be forced to try to deal with a quick Golden Eagles team who is known throughout college basketball as having arguably the best backcourt in the nation.

Marquette will have to play Milwaukee tight on the perimeter as the Panthers have no problems with the longer three point line and will take the shot if they are open.

This is a team that has shown it can knock down shots once the opposing team allows them to get their rhythm. However, if Marquette can press early and make it difficult for Milwaukee to be consistent they should be able to pull away early in this game. If Marquette comes out and plays Milwaukee hard without easing up they should come away with a strong win against a beatable Milwaukee team.

Nonetheless, fans should expect a competitive game between two teams looking for the right to be crowned the best team in Milwaukee.

Popularity: 9% [?]

In all of sports, there may be no rivalry that is bigger than the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. It is the type of game that means just as much as the entire season. As a Packers fan, I would only be able to stomach a losing season as long as my team won both games against the Bears.

Heading into Sunday, this was a season-defining game for the Packers. The convincing 37-3 win propelled them to 5-5 and put them even with the Bears. A loss at this crucial point in the year would have dropped them to 4-6 and place insurmountable pressure on the Packers’ first year starter, Aaron Rodgers.

No doubt, the vicious Packers’ secondary was drooling at the chance to face the battered Bears passing game led by Quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton was coming off an ankle injury, causing him to miss last week’s game. Clearly, Orton, a Purdue alum, was bothered by his ankle as he was rather ineffective throwing for just 138 yards on 13 of 26 passing, with no touchdowns. Rex Grossman relieved Orton late in the fourth quarter.

Leading the offensive surge for Green Bay was the running back tandem of Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson. Grant accumulated 145 yards on the ground on 25 carries, while finding the end zone once. Brandon Jackson, the second year back out of Nebraska, finally proved he belongs, as he had 50 yards on 10 carries and contributed well in the receiving game as a weapon for Rodgers out of the backfield.

In the passing game, Rodgers was 23 of 30 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. His only blemish came on a poor throw intended for Donald Driver that was picked off by Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Greg Jennings and Donald Lee caught the touchdowns for Green Bay. Driver added 60 yards on four receptions.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Pack’s defensive unit played a stellar game despite the absence of middle line backer Nick Barnett. Bears’ rookie running back Matt Forte was held to a modest 64 yards on 16 carries. Packers’ linebackers AJ Hawk and Brandon Chillar led the team with seven tackles apiece, while Charles Woodson had the lone sack, his second of the season.

Adding to the well-rounded performance was the Packer’s special teams unit as kicker Mason Crosby put last week’s crucial miss behind him as he was a perfect 3 for 3.
The victory puts Green Bay in a tie for first place with the Bears and the Vikings, who lost to the Buccaneers on Sunday. With the New Orleans Saints due up next for the Packers, they have to be riding high following a 37 point performance against the Bears.

Sunday’s win for the Packers improves their record to 80-90-6 all time in this rivalry, which has been taking place since 1921.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Change, the ubiquitous political rhetoric that has swept the nation, has apparently resonated with the NBA.

This summer, the league took part in several drastic changes: a contentious team relocation, moving the now defunct Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City, the decampment of several players to international competition, the celebration of 12 gold medal winners and a significant makeover by the means of trades and big-name free agents signings.

The Milwaukee Bucks, owned by Democratic Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl, felt the need to partake in some alterations of its own, supplanting old faces with new ones and taking part in the Olympic celebrations, boasting a gold-medalist of its own.

The clearing-house began with the firing of general manager Larry Harris near the end of last season. Harris was succeeded by John Hammond, a former executive with the Detroit Pistons in April. Hammonds did not waste much time, firing first year head coach Larry Krystkowiak less than a week on the job.

Several days later, the team hired former Chicago Bulls head coach Scott Skiles to become the 11th coach in team history. Skiles had previously led the Bulls to three postseason appearances before being let go after only 25 games last season.

The Bucks also made some key trades in the off-season, dealing Chinese national Yi Jianlian, oft-injured forward Bobby Simmons, fan-favorite Desmond Mason and uncharismatic point guard Mo Williams.

In return, the team acquired small forward Richard Jefferson from the Nets and point guard Luke Ridnour from Seattle Sloppy Seconds/Oklahoma Thunder. The trades allowed the team to shore up the small forward position and swap a shoot-first Williams for a pass-first Ridnour.

The Bucks did more shopping over the summer via free agency and the NBA Draft. The team signed veteran forwards Malik Allen and Francisco Elson and recently picked up former Pacers forward Austin Croshere.

But where the team figures to see the biggest dividends both this season and throughout the future, is from the draft. With the eighth pick, they selected West Virginia forward Joe Alexander, a player all too familiar to Marquette fans.

Last season against the Golden Eagles, Alexander scored 19 points as the Mountaineers upset then No. 10 ranked Marquette.

As far as this season goes though, Alexander has not been the biggest rookie contributor to the team. That honor goes to rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, a forward from UCLA picked in the second round. He is averaging just over 9 points and 6 rebounds a game, adding a huge boost to a somewhat destitute frontcourt.

Another novelty the Bucks can add to their laundry list of improvements is a gold-medal winner. Lefty Michael Redd helped Team USA capture the gold medal in August, providing the USA a much-needed threat from beyond the arc.

While many experts do not see the Bucks destined to go very far this season, I will make a bold prediction, prognosticating the team to fill out as the eighth seed in the East.
And now, some more playoff predictions: I’ve got the Celtics and Pistons in the East and the Lakers and Suns in the West. In the Finals, the universal sentiment of change will ultimately come to end when the Celtics repeat as NBA Champions.

Analogous to the politics of today, many teams have felt the need for change, looking for any sign of hope and promise that next year will be better. For some bottom-dwellers like the Bucks, they believe they have found change they can believe in.

Popularity: 9% [?]

MU press release as follows:
For Immediate Release
Head Volleyball Coach Pati Rolf Resigns From Position At MU
Assistant Coach Erica Heisser To Lead Team Remainder Of 2008
Milwaukee – Marquette University head volleyball coach Pati Rolf has resigned her position with the University, Director of Athletics Steve Cottingham announced Thursday.

“We want to obviously thank Pati for all of her efforts over the course of the past seven seasons and wish her the best of luck in the future,” Cottingham said.

Rolf compiled an overall record of 102-98 in nearly seven years at Marquette, including a conference mark of 48-45. The Golden Eagles are 27-27 under Rolf since joining the BIG EAST in 2005. MU owns three winning seasons (2004, 2005 and 2006) overall since Rolf arrived in 2002.

Assistant coach Erica Heisser will serve as interim head coach the remainder of the 2008 campaign. MU has four regular season matches remaining this year, including two in BIG EAST play.

A national search for a new head coach will be conducted.

–MU–

Popularity: 5% [?]