I’m a bit surprised that Pitt is a 2.5 point favorite in this game. Must not be as many Marquette fans who like to gamble.
Since this is the rematch game, there is a bit of rekindled discussion regarding the Dominic James shoulder injury and shove/bump incident from the game 3 weeks ago.
Keith Benjamin, at least, seems to be indicating that James and the Golden Eagles will see plenty of physical play.
“You never want to go out there and blatantly do anything intentional,” Pitt guard Keith Benjamin said.
“But this is the Big East, and you have to be physical at all times, or someone else is going to do something to you. When we were physical with him, I think he got a little timid like a freshman would because it was his first time in that type of environment. I think he’ll be better prepared for what we have to offer, but we’re still going to go out there and get the job done.”
It’s not quite up there with threatening a war, but I imagine that quote’s been pinned to the front of James’ locker.
Levon Kendall tried to be a little more diplomatic about it.
“We have to do a better job of stopping their penetration,” junior forward Levon Kendall said.
“They broke us down quite a bit and got some easy things going to the bucket. That will be big in this game.”
The Panthers are targeting James not only because of his size, but because he is a rookie. James is the runaway rookie of the year in the Big East Conference, but Pitt wants to test his mettle and see how he responds to being bumped and bothered.
“Getting guys out of their comfort zone is big,” Kendall said. “Young guys usually don’t respond well to adversity. If we do that from the get-go and be on them, they’ll have a tough time responding to that and to the pressure.”
Not that Marquette isn’t very ready for this game.
Marquette’s players were so ready, so fast at Friday’s basketball practice that coach Tom Crean decided to let them have some fun.
He stood by as the players took part in 3-on-3 games — and also did the coaching.
“We were hungry and focused,” Crean said alluding to tonight’s home game against No. 9 Pittsburgh.
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Tonight’s game will be tough, Crean said. “It was very physical, very intense (the first game),” he said. “We’re going to have to match that toughness.”
Unlike the first game, Marquette’s Steve Novak won’t be hobbled by a bad ankle. That means the senior forward will be more mobile and able to drive as well as take the outside shot and pull-up jumpers.
Novak, a 6-foot-10 senior who already owns the career mark for 3s at Marquette, broke Travis Diener’s season record and now has 92 on the year. He also moved into 13th place all-time in scoring with 1,444 career points.
“He makes more contested shots than anyone I’ve seen in a long time,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. “It’s a gift that he’s worked on, clearly.”
In the last game, Antonio Graves — beyond being in the center of a controversy — had a career game, and Gray grabbed 20 rebounds.
Now I’m not saying the Marquette stories are trying to fan the flames of some controversy or bad blood between Pitt and Marquette. I’l just point out that the next articles include the AP photo of James grabbing his shoulder in pain while Graves is behind him veering off.
Marquette didn’t use its depth in the Georgetown game, but expects to tonight.
Normally using a larger rotation this year, Marquette only played eight men in the 57-51 victory over Georgetown. With a game against a real physical Pittsburgh team just 48 hours later, Marquette might be forced to deepen the bench tomorrow night.
“Tomorrow we might have to play a lot more guys,” said Crean. “Pittsburgh plays ten guys, and they all can play real well.”
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal wants a rivalry and a street fight.
There wasn’t much history between the schools before this season – they had faced each other just four times previously and split the series – and they aren’t located in the same geographic region.
But the teams’ chippy meeting Jan. 28 in Pittsburgh quickly changed the tone.
In it, MU (17-8, 7-5) jumped to an early lead only to falter late and lose a game it could have won, 77-71. Along the way bodies went flying, tempers flared and words were exchanged.
The Golden Eagles get their chance for revenge at 8 tonight at the Bradley Center against the ninth-ranked Panthers (20-3, 9-3).
“I think games where teams come out and battle each other, those can always turn into rivalries,” MU coach Tom Crean said.
An incident involving MU’s Dominic James and Pittsburgh’s Antonio Graves with a little more than 13 minutes left was the source of much consternation for Crean and his Eagles.
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“My opinion didn’t change at all,” Crean said when asked if he still thought Graves’ shove was uncalled for after watching film of the incident. “Certainly nothing’s changed on my part, but that’s over. Our key is that we don’t let Antonio Graves come in and get 19 (points) again.”For his part, James said he wasn’t holding any grudges.
“I don’t think it was a dirty play or anything like that, but I know it’s going to be another physical game back here at home,” he said.
It should be a tough game for both teams.
