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By BRENDAN MCGAIR Sports writer PROVIDENCE – At first blush, the Providence Friars and Marquette Golden Eagles, appear strikingly similar. Like the Friars, the Golden Eagles are senior-laden and rely heavily on their perimeter personnel to navigate through the Big East.
Now the differences: the Marquette troika of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wesley Matthews represent an anomaly in today’s college game. Success greeted them the moment all three set foot on campus. They have sustained the good times over a lengthy stretch, doing so without anyone jumping off to the NBA.
The group represents a major reason why the Golden Eagles have remained perennial fixtures in the top-25 and participated in three NCAA Tournaments since joining the Big East in 2005. Only three schools have earned 10 or more Big East wins since the conference’s expansion, Marquette being amongst the select company along with Pittsburgh and Georgetown.
In some ways, the Friars are trying to follow the legacy the Golden Eagles have already established and strive to strengthen. Marquette enters tonight’s nationally televised matchup (9 o’clock, ESPN2) with the same cast and crew that’s once again up to it’s old tricks. Undefeated in the Big East (4-0) and winners of seven straight, the Golden Eagles are ranked 14th in both polls.
“Just their 40 minutes of effort that they give night-in and night-out, it’s unbelievable,” said PC senior Jeff Xavier. “I think we’re now doing what Marquette has been doing; we now have the toughness that they’ve had for four years.”
It didn’t take long for Keno Davis to become in-tune with what has made Marquette a difficult out the last several seasons. The Golden Eagles are blessed with players who can shoot from outside and can take their man off the dribble, skills molded together result in the Big East’s second-ranked offense (81.1 ppg). They can win regardless if the game’s a rock fight or shootout. West Virginia saw firsthand last weekend when Marquette, trailing 31-29 at halftime, shot 52 percent over the final 20 minutes to win going away, 75-53.
What Marquette has done this season and in year’s past is deviate from the Big East belief that strong and sturdy pivot men are necessities, not luxuries. The Golden Eagles’ top rebounder is 6-6 junior Lazar Hayward (8.5 boards per). They feature just three players taller than 6-foot-7 that fall under the consideration of true low post players.
Being undersized is hardly an issue for the Golden Eagles, which averages 37 rebounds per. Providence can speak firsthand on the subject since Marquette owned the backboards in the last January’s encounter in Milwaukee (37-23).
“They play a lot bigger than their listed heights. They are a bunch of seniors that aren’t going to be intimidated by the crowd,” said Davis, PC’s first-year coach. “Some 6-5 guys play like they’re 6-8, 6-9, and vice-versa. What they’re able to do is what we’re aspiring to be. They’re a top-25 team, which is something we’d like as well. I think we can take a page out of what has made them successful.”
In Davis’ eight-man rotation Randall Hanke and Jonathan Kale are the only true non-guards. Geoff McDermott, though listed at forward, was called to fill in at point guard last season while sophomore sub Marshon Brooks is a swingman.
“We’re playing four guards. Marquette does it and so does Villanova,” said Davis. “You’re going to see some teams play small, which usually makes for an exciting game.”
Knocking off Marquette would mean much more than Providence improving to 4-1. Davis doesn’t want to put added emphasis on one of 18 league contests, but he did stress the importance of defending The Dunk, which PC accomplished in Big East wins over St. John’s and De Paul.
“I think when you look back at the season, this game isn’t going to be any more important as if it was Game 12 or 13 in the conference,” said Davis. “There’s going to be a lot of games that you’re to pick who wins, then the opposite happens. You have take advantage of every opportunity, and when you play at home that’s your best chance to get wins against the top-25.”
The Friar players see tonight as a statement, the kind they’ve been waiting a long time to make, something that is second nature to the Golden Eagles.
“Everybody is counting us out already, a ranked team coming into The Dunk,” said junior Brian McKenzie. “We had our first chance against Georgetown and didn’t pull it out, but that was a learning experience. It’s a good thing we still have so many more chances.”
Added senior Weyinmi Efejuku: “It’s big because we’re coming off a loss and you want to come back strong. I look at it as a big game.”
RIM RATTLERS: PC’s 3-point shooting has been more efficient lately. In the last five games the Friars are hitting at a 40 percent clip with Efejuku (53 percent), McKenzie (47 percent), Sharaud Curry (42 percent) and Xavier (35 percent) finding the range. Providence opened the season at a chilly 28 percent from beyond the arc in its first 11 games. … McDermott stands at 990 career points coming in. … It’s a big day for the PC sports department heading into tonight’s primetime contest. At 3 o’clock on campus is the public unveiling of the Joe Calabria Hallway of Legends (located outside the basketball office). The hallway is a time warp through PC hoops history with videos highlighting different decades and players. At 5:30 at The Dunk is the second annual alumni game featuring Marvin Barnes and Ernie DiGregorio as the coaches. … At halftime the college will honor Rich Gotham (’86), President of the Celtics. The NBA Championship Trophy will be displayed as part of the on-court ceremony.
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