2:02 pm | February 9, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
In previous seasons, had Marquette struggled to score consistently, it was game over for the Golden Eagles. They simply weren’t good enough defensively to win games when they weren’t going shot-for-shot with the opponent.
That has changed this season — and Saturday’s win over Villanova is yet another example.
It’s not totally fair to say Marquette couldn’t score against the Wildcats. Markus Howard went for 38 points, and Sacar Anim came up big in the second half — but Sam and Joey Hauser combined for four points on 2-for-10 shooting. Theo John was a non-factor offensively when he was actually on the floor.
But Marquette got stops when it mattered late in the game, ultimately holding Villanova to its least efficient offensive outing since an early January game against Providence. The Wildcats were just 9-for-29 from 3-point range.
This is by far Steve Wojciechowski’s best defensive team since he arrived at Marquette. Since Big East play began, the Golden Eagles are the second-best unit in the league at that end of the floor. They contest shots, especially at the rim, and John is one of the better interior defenders in the league. He consistently battles foul trouble, though, which has limited him at times this season.
With Marquette’s improvement defensively, the Golden Eagles’ ability to shoot from the perimeter and the presence of Howard, Wojciechowski has a team that can win multiple games in March.
1. Tennessee Volunteers (21-1)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: Beat Missouri 72-60 on Tuesday, vs. Florida (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET)
It wasn’t Tennessee’s best performance of the season, but the Volunteers still cruised to victory over Missouri. One noteworthy aspect of the game was Admiral Schofield going 3-for-5 from 3-point range. The powerful forward had been in a slump from the perimeter lately, shooting just 3-for-22 from behind the arc over his past five games. It will be a boost if he can get his shot back.
2. Duke Blue Devils (20-2)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: Beat Boston College 80-55 on Tuesday, at Virginia (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Coming Saturday: Duke vs. Virginia, Round 2. This time around, the Blue Devils will have Tre Jones, who had one of the best individual defensive performances of the season over the weekend against St. John’s guard Shamorie Ponds. Jones shut out Ponds in the first half and limited him to 11 points on 11 shots, along with five turnovers.
3. Virginia Cavaliers (19-1)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: vs. Duke (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET on ESPN)
Tony Bennett’s team now gets a full week to rest before hosting Duke and then traveling to North Carolina two days later. Those games will shape the ACC race. In the first meeting against Duke, the Cavaliers had their second-worst defensive effort of the season and shot just 3-for-17 from 3-point range — their worst shooting performance.
4. Gonzaga Bulldogs (22-2)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: Beat San Francisco 92-62 on Thursday, vs. Saint Mary’s (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET)
San Francisco gave Gonzaga a tough game in the first meeting between the two teams, but it wasn’t quite the same on Thursday. The Bulldogs steamrollered the Dons by 30 — and now Saint Mary’s comes to town. The Gaels aren’t as good as they’ve been in recent years, but they have defeated Gonzaga three times in the past three seasons; can they get another one on Saturday?
5. Michigan Wolverines (22-2)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: Beat Rutgers 77-65 on Tuesday, beat Wisconsin 61-52 on Saturday
Jon Teske was a major catalyst for Michigan on Saturday. He held Ethan Happ to just four points on nine shots in the second half, guarding him one-on-one for long stretches. Teske also finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds of his own, while blocking three shots. Saturday also ended a three-game slump for Teske, a stretch where he totaled just 19 points on 21 shots.
6. Kentucky Wildcats (20-3)
Previous ranking: 7
This week: Beat South Carolina 76-48 on Tuesday, beat Mississippi State 71-67 on Saturday
It took some mental toughness for the Wildcats to pull out the win in Starkville on Saturday after nearly blowing an 18-point second-half lead. It also took another stellar performance from PJ Washington, who finished with 23 points in just 24 minutes before fouling out. Washington is now averaging 20.8 points in his past six games, and has been a handful for opposing defenses.
7. North Carolina Tar Heels (19-4)
Previous ranking: 8
This week: vs. Beat NC State 113-96 on Tuesday, beat Miami 88-85 on Saturday
Coby White continues to perform as one of the best freshmen in the country — despite not getting the attention he would seemingly deserve. He finished with 33 points and six assists on Saturday, including 23 points in the second half. In the final seven minutes of regulation alone, White buried five 3-pointers to single-handedly keep the Tar Heels in the game.
8. Nevada Wolf Pack (22-1)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: Beat Colorado State 98-82 on Wednesday, vs. New Mexico (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET on CBSSN)
The Wolf Pack’s win over Colorado State wasn’t as easy as their 40-point win in the first meeting between the two teams, but they never trailed and got the win. Jordan Caroline had 30 points in the first half and finished with yet another double-double. Nevada now has a game it has circled on its calendar since early January: a rematch with New Mexico, which handed the Wolf Pack their lone loss of the season.
9. Houston Cougars (22-1)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: Beat UCF 77-68 on Thursday, vs. Cincinnati (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET on ESPN)
One test down, one to go. Houston began arguably its most difficult week of the season with a nine-point road win at preseason favorite UCF, getting 26 points and five assists from Corey Davis Jr. Next up is a battle for first place with Cincinnati, which has won eight games in a row and is playing some of the best offense we’ve seen under Mick Cronin.
10. Michigan State Spartans (19-5)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: Lost to Illinois 79-74 on Tuesday, beat Minnesota 79-55 on Saturday
The Spartans snapped their three-game losing streak by pummeling Minnesota on Saturday, and we once again saw how vital Nick Ward is to their success. He finished with 22 points and nine rebounds against the Golden Gophers, after totaling 30 points and 10 rebounds over Michigan State’s previous three games. He needs to be a dominant force down low.
11. Louisville Cardinals (17-6)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: Beat Virginia Tech 72-64 on Monday, at Florida State (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET)
Louisville is going to have a heck of a profile on Selection Sunday. The Cardinals now own road wins over North Carolina and Virginia Tech and a home victory over Michigan State. They were excellent offensively Monday against the Hokies, making 13 3-pointers — their third game in a row knocking down double-digit triples — and getting double digits off the bench from Steven Enoch and Ryan McMahon.
12. Kansas Jayhawks (18-6)
Previous ranking: 11
This week: Lost to Kansas State 74-67 on Tuesday, beat Oklahoma State 84-72 on Saturday
The Jayhawks had their best offensive performance of the season on Saturday, scoring 1.34 points per possession. The big key was freshman Ochai Agbaji, who had five 3-pointers en route to 23 points. Remember, Agbaji was expected to redshirt the entire season, but Bill Self had to play him after Udoka Azubuike was lost for the season. He’s now a locked-in starter.
13. Marquette Golden Eagles (20-4)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: Lost to St. John’s 70-69 on Tuesday, beat Villanova 66-65 on Saturday
Getting 38 points from Markus Howard will get all the attention for Marquette — and deservedly so. But don’t overlook Sacar Anim, who went for 18 points on 10 shots. Anim has now scored in double figures in three straight games and six times in Big East play, after hitting that number just two times in Marquette’s first 14 games. He’s given Steve Wojciechowski yet another offensive option.
14. Purdue Boilermakers (15-6)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: vs. Nebraska (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET on BTN)
Purdue needed another comeback Sunday to win, but the Boilermakers have now rattled off seven consecutive victories following a 9-6 start to the season. Freshman Trevion Williams has added a nice dimension down low for Purdue, hitting double figures in four of his past six games after not playing much of a role for the first half of the season. Williams had 16 points and four boards Sunday.
15. Iowa State Cyclones (18-6)
Previous ranking: 16
This week: Beat Oklahoma 75-74 on Monday, lost to TCU 92-83 on Saturday
The Cyclones were on the wrong side of history on Saturday, as TCU’s win was the Horned Frogs’ first road win over a ranked team since 1998 — and only the second in program history. Iowa State shot just 29.2 percent from 3-point range and had its worst defensive performance since an early December loss at Iowa. Steve Prohm’s team had won four in a row before the weekend.
16. Wisconsin Badgers (17-7)
Previous ranking: Unranked
This week: Beat Minnesota 56-51 on Wednesday, lost to Michigan 61-52 on Saturday
Virginia Tech’s loss knocked the Hokies out of the rankings, and we’ll go with Wisconsin over LSU for the final spot for now. The Badgers fell at Michigan on Saturday, as the Wolverines avenged their lone loss of the season. Ethan Happ really struggled in the second half when he was on the floor, and his supporting cast couldn’t make up for it. Michigan State awaits on Tuesday.
Dropped out: Virginia Tech (No. 16)
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