BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Marquette @ Louisville

March 1, 2006


Another game with multiple ramifications on the Big East tournament. Marquette is still in the mix for the 4th and final bye and Louisville desperately needs that 6th conference win which should assure them of a seat at the Madison Square Garden table next week. A loss tonight would mean their only chance, as far as I can tell, would mean having to win at Connecticut this weekend to make the conference tournament, so, tonight it vital to Louisville's chances, and it will not be easy.

Here are the pregame stories and previews linked from the internet:

Marquette Stands Up Well to Big East (Appleton Post-Crescent)
Seniors Dean, Novak in Final Standoff (Herald-Leader)


For our preview and prediction on the game, click below!

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW


Another tough game to call as so much is riding on this one for Louisville. With 19,000+ fans expected to turn out and root for the Cards and send off Taquan Dean, the atmosphere is going to be terrefic for a college basketball game.

Marquette is coming off a very good road win at Notre Dame last weekend. I expected them to split the pair of road games with Notre Dame and Louisville, but now they are in excellent position to sweep the games. Louisville is short-handed once again because of injury, like they have been all season, with David Padgett no longer available and Bryan Harvey leaving the team a week ago. They still have talent, although most of it is young, outside of Dean and junior Brandon Jenkins, the Cardinals rely on freshmen Andre McGee, Terrence Williams, Chad Millard and Brian Johnson as well as sophomores Terrence Farley and Juan Palacios. Louisville hung really tough with West Virginia on the road this weekend and beat DePaul at home since the Padgett injury.

The Golden Eagles are also a young team with freshmen Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews playing major roles in the backcourt, but also receive clutch play from seniors Steve Novak and Joe Chapman. Both teams will use more of a committee approach in the middle, so this game will come down to their backcourt and wing players.

At this point, I see Marquette with the advantage, despite their youth. Dominic James is a guard that nobody has been able to stop from being able to penetrate and the Louisville trapping defense that pushed the tempo plays in James' strengths as he will push and dish out to Novak who should be able to find some openings to launch his 3-pt shot. Louisville also likes to rely on the 3, but this is not the strongest shooting team Rick Pitino has had.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Marquette 74 Louisville 67