Marquette looks to make it three straight wins as they take on San Diego State on Sunday. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 76-60 win against George Washington led by Senior, Davante Gardner.
Gardner came into the game early for Marquette, chipping in 20 points and nine rebounds in a career high 35 minutes.
"That was the highest number of minutes Davante has ever played, "Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams said. " I thought he was playing at a really high clip"
Marquette has improved offensively since scoring only 35 points against Ohio State on November 16th. Much of the credit goes to Senior, Jake Thomas, who is now shooting 45 percent from the three-point arc and was only at 26 percent prior to the start of the Wooden Legacy Tournament.
However, the three point shot has been a struggle for the Golden Eagles defensively, allowing 45 percent (10-22) to Arizona State and 42 percent (8-19) to Cal State Fullerton in their two games prior to defeating George Washington. Head Coach Buzz Williams made an adjustment defensively by playing less zone defense and putting an emphasis on contending the three point shot. The approach was successful as the Colonials only shot 21 percent (4-19) from three.
Marquette will have to use the same game plan on Sunday when they face the San Diego State Aztecs for the Wooden Legacy Championship Game. The Aztecs defeated the Golden Eagles future Big East rival, Creighton, on Friday 86-80, making 50 percent (8-16) of their three point attempts.
Marquette
The Golden Eagles are developing into an all around balanced team with a lot of depth. Marquette struggled to score earlier in the season but seems to have found some perimeter ability in the hands of Jamil Wilson, Todd Mayo, Jake Thomas, and Jujuan Johnson to compliment the success in the paint. Look for the Golden Eagles to find their talented and experienced front court first, but also to be efficient on opportunities from the outside.
San Diego State
It didn't take many attempts for the Aztecs to score points in their upset over
#20 Creighton. San Diego State is almost 50 percent from the field this season. Marquette has dominated rebounds in all of their games. In order for the Aztecs to win they need to keep their shooting percentage high and limit turnovers since they will most likely struggle with the boards.
This game is on a neutral court, but the San Diego State fans really made it feel like a home court advantage against Creighton. This may be a slight advantage, however Marquette is led by seven upperclassmen that are used to playing on the road.
Bottom Line
Marquette defense vs San Diego State offense
The Aztecs are not afraid to shoot, nor are they afraid to drive to the basket. San Diego State made 26 out of 31 free throw attempts against Creighton. Marquette has to play smart defense, limit fouls and force turnovers to win this game.
Prediction
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