The Golden Eagles picked up a huge road victory against North Carolina State using tough defense and protecting the basketball. Despite being outshot (51 to 48 percent) and out-rebounded (29-25), Marquette committed just 10 turnovers, compared to NC State’s 18, to help pick up the victory.
Conference Notes
ACC Notebook – Starting the Conference Grind
As we begin to enter the grinding two months of conference play, the ACC appears to be one of the top conferences in the country. The conference has two undefeated teams remaining – and neither one is named Duke or North Carolina.
Horizon Notebook: Brownell Leads Wright State Back Into Race
There are some really good coaches in the Horizon League. Jimmy Collins was really good back when I was on a staff that faced him in the late 90s, and has been to 3 NCAAs and an NIT since. Homer Drew is a legend at Valpo (and could pass for a man twenty years his junior). Brad Stevens at Butler appears to be the best young coach in the country.
Wright State Rides Defense for First Horizon Win
It took their patented defense in the first half and an offensive explosion in the second half, to give Wright State their first league win of the season, at home, over Cleveland State 71-62.
Horizon Notebook: Greatest Week Ever (Ha!), Plus Four Ideas
Let it be first said in this space, loudly and clearly: the eight days stretching from Friday December 19th, 2008 through Friday December 26th, 2008 likely were the greatest single week in the history of the Horizon League. And that would make last night—Tuesday December 23, 2008—the greatest single night.
Big East Notebook – Friars’ Geoff McDermott is Still a Quarterback
During his high school days, Geoff McDermott was known as rifle-toting Geoff McDermott. Then a quick-strike 6-foot-6 quarterback, McDermott helped lead perennial power New Rochelle to back-to-back state championships. After committing to Providence, where there’s no football team, he kissed all gridiron dreams goodbye. Today, McDermott is still whipping passes.
Big East Notebook – Blue Demons and Cardinals Streaking in Opposite Directions
The intracity rivalry between Cincinnati and Xavier had everything one could ask for, including five technical fouls. But in the end, it was Xavier coming away with the victory.
Horizon League Notebook – Scheduling Issues and Cupcakes
If you’re inferring some annoyance on the part of this writer with schools scheduling “cupcakes,” well, you’re inferring correctly. In addition to Detroit’s game this past week with Aquinas, Jimmy Collins’ vaunted UIC team played D-II Lewis College (a school I’d never heard of), and on its upcoming three-game home stand, Cleveland State will play both D-III La Roche College and D-III Notre Dame College (that’s not the Notre Dame we all know and love – the one CSU should be playing). If any of these schools find themselves on the wrong side of the bubble for an at-large NCAA bid (or for an NIT bid), they need look no further than their own schedules to learn why.
Wright State Finally Wins
DAYTON – Wright State finally broke out of their losing streak and even set a new record for the fewest points allowed as they beat Toledo 50-35 at the Nutter Center.
These Seawolves Have Teeth, More Importantly, Heart
Stony Brook has long been dismissed as the dregs of the America East conference: a perennial bottom-feeder with no hope in sight. But after a 71-50 come from behind win against Lehigh, the Seawolves showed that this year’s squad is everything that last year’s was not, as they played as a team, and more importantly, with heart.
