Story by Blake Sandlin
Interim Editor-in-Chief
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Before No. 5 Marquette and No. 12 Murray State take to the court on Thursday, March 21, let’s break down how the two teams matchup.
Offensive Balance
Murray State
The Racers, despite what the talking heads on TV may tell you, are more then sophomore guard Ja Morant. While Morant is top-10 in the country in points per game at 24.6 and accounts for 10 assists per contest, Murray State employs a collective effort from its regular rotation to beat opponents.
Three other Racers beyond Morant average double figure scoring, including senior guard Shaq Buchanan (13 ppg), freshman guard Tevin Brown (11.7) and junior forward Darnell Cowart (10.4). The Racers also get a helpful 7.6 ppg from freshman forward KJ Williams. This degree of output explains why Murray State has the 10th-highest scoring offense in the country, as it averages 81.6 ppg.
The secret behind this offensive success? Well, you could attribute it to a number of things. Obviously, Morant’s ability to see the floor opens up lanes for his teammates, explaining why Murray State averages 17.3 apg, which ranks No. 7 in the country. Apart from that, the Racers relish transition opportunities, demonstrated by their high-efficiency offense.
The Racers’ up-tempo style has been on display all year long, and it shows on the stat sheet. The team is fifth in the country in 2-point percentage and 10th in field goals made. Also indicative of this quick pace, Murray State gives up 60.4 field goal attempts per game to opponents, which is among the highest rates in the country, ranking 287th. In other words, if you’re playing the Racers, prepare to run.
Marquette
Few teams in the country know more about running than Marquette. Similar to the Racers, the Golden Eagles boast one of college basketball’s premier guards in junior guard Markus Howard. Howard averaged 25 ppg and 3.5 threes per game, igniting a Marquette offense that lives behind the arc.
Among those that make their living from 3-point territory is junior forward Sam Hauser. Hauser is averaging 14.9 ppg and a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game. His 6 foot 7 inch frame make him a matchup problem for defenders, and he is also adept at getting into the paint offensively.
The Golden Eagles are also getting offensive output from Hauser’s brother, Joey, who averages 9.7 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Junior guard Sacar Anim pitches in 8.6 ppg, while sophomore center Theo John anchors the inside, averaging 5.7 ppg and 4.8 rpg. He also leads the Big East in blocks per game at 2.0, but we’ll get to that.
Marquette’s perimeter prowess is the real deal. The team is ninth in the country in 3-point percentage at 39.3 percent, and convert 9.4 threes per game, which is good for 36th in the country. Also similar to Murray State, Marquette loves to push the ball and dictate pace, which is why they concede 59.5 shots to opponents (251st).
Defensive dominance
Murray State
When the Racers aren’t pushing the ball in transition, they’re putting in the work defensively. The nation’s 76th-best defense holds teams to 67.8 ppg. That number wouldn’t be possible without the ball-hawking skills of OVC Defensive Player of the Year Buchanan or Morant. Buchanan averages 1.83 steals per game, while Morant follows shortly after with 1.80 to lead the Racers’ defensive presence that averages 7.2 steals per game.
Buchanan announced at media day on Wednesday, March 20 that he and Morant would be sharing defensive responsibilities on Marquette’s Howard. The Golden Eagles’ junior guard has been battling a wrist injury, but he announced Wednesday that he’s healthy. How the Racers choose to defend Howard will by critical in Thursday’s game.
The biggest way to do that, as statistics show, is to take away his calling card. Howard excels from the three, but Murray State holds teams to just 28.5 percent from behind the arc (4th in the country) and just 6.1 threes per game.
If history is any indicator, the Racers could stifle Marquette’s biggest strength, although in an early season game against Auburn University – fourth in the country with 11.3 threes per game – the Tigers shot above their average by hitting threes. It bears noting that in the OVC Championship, Murray State held Belmont – ranked 12th in threes per game at 10.5 – to just seven threes on 21.9 percent.
Marquette
As alluded to earlier, it’s the matchup inside the paint that will command the most focus defensively for Murray State. The Racers have demonstrated their ability to guard the three, so it’s likely the Golden Eagles look to their bigs to lead them to a first round win – both offensively and defensively.
In last year’s NCAA Tournament meeting between Murray State and West Virginia, the trio of sophomore forward Jalen Dupree and junior forwards Anthony Smith and Brian Sanchious were held to a combined two points against skilled 6 foot 8 inch, 260 pound big man Sagaba Konate. The big man had three blocks, and helped limit Murray State to just 26 points in the paint.
The Racers could face the same problems in John this postseason. Averaging two blocks per game in just 19.8 minutes of action on average, John is an imposing 6 foot 9 inch, 240 center. His athleticism and frame could pose a large threat to a Murray State team that’s been extremely effective in the paint all year long.
The bright side for Murray State is they presumably won’t face much pressure from Marquette on the perimeter. The Golden Eagles average 4.8 steals per game, which is worst in the Big East. For Morant, who has struggled with turnovers this year, the lack of pressure could pay dividends. For what it’s worth, the Racers are 21-0 when their opponents had fewer than eight steals. Whether or not that total moves to 22-0 remains to be seen, but we’ll find out when Marquette and Murray State battle for postseason survival at 3:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 21, at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
