Know Thy Enemy: Marquette Edition

As the Bulls prepare for a big game against Marquette on the road, I decided to ask Brian Moran from the Biggest Big East Fan Challenge to get a better insight on the Golden Eagles and what the Bulls can expect when they go into this game.  Make sure to check out Brian's website HERE. 

1.      Seeing Darius Johnson-Odom on TV probably doesn't show how talented he really is, explain to the USF fans his game.

DJO, as he is affectionately known to Marquette fans, is our floor General. Just this week, he was named one of the top 25 nominees for the John Wooden Award. He is tenacious on defense, can move the ball up the floor in transition faster than almost anyone in college basketball and he’s explosive on offense. In a nutshell, DJO can scorch a team for 20 points in a half while shutting down the other team’s best player.

2.      The Bulls lost 58 to 59 last year to Marquette.  Toarlyn Fitzpatrick had 16 for USF and Augustus Gilchrist had 11 points, giving the Bulls a lot of scoring inside the paint.  How will the Eagles try to match-up with them in this game?

This poses a problem for Marquette. Our starting Center, 6’11” Chris Otule, is out for the season with a knee injury. That leaves Davante Gardner (6’8”) and Jamil Wilson (6’7”) two sophomore forwards to play center for Marquette. Our quickness and tough defense will hopefully make up for Otule not being in the game.

3.      Junior Cadougan is a dynamic player on offense, really creating looks for everyone.  How will he face our rising freshman guard Anthony Collins?

Marquette isn’t about one player on offense. Our team does an excellent job of passing and moving without the ball. Watch the team cutting into lanes, getting into position to shoot three’s and setting picks. From a conditioning perspective, Marquette has the capacity to run a full 40 minutes on the floor if necessary. Collins, Fitzpatrick, Gilchrist and the rest of the USF team better have their track shoes on if they want to compete.

4.      What will be a key match-up you will be watching during this game?

Marquette benefits by playing USF in Milwaukee (USF is 1-7 on the road) vs. playing them in Tampa (the Bulls are 10-1 at home). The key matchup for Marquette will be having our guards play up tempo and try to score in the 70’s against USF slowing the game down and pounding the ball inside to your big men. If the score is in the 50’s or low 60’s, Marquette could be in trouble. We’re looking to win by double-digits and score in the 70’s.

5.      Final score prediction?

Marquette 71
USF 60


Thanks again to Brian for taking the time to answer these questions and best of luck to his team!