MARQUETTE RELIES ON FAB FOURSOME AGAINST UCONN

By Zach Smart

UConn hasn't seen a four-guard attack of this type since 2006. That was Villanova, who's four-guard operation took the NCAA by storm.

But Allan Ray, Mike Nardi, Kyle Lowry, and Randy Foye already put their stamp on the Big East.

This time, the Jerome Dyson-less Huskies play a Marquette team with three fabolous guards--who it seems have been playing together for more than four years--and a versatile 6-foot-6 forward parked on the blocks and forced to play out of his nature this year.

Lazar Heyward will have his hands full with towering 7-foot-3 Center Hasheem Thabeet and boardsmith Jeff Adrien, but the junior from Buffalo, N.Y. has given an efficient account of himself this season.

Heyward, quite undersized in the Big East, has shown good life from beyond the arc (38 3PM in 27 games), taken the ball to the tin (he gets to the line early and often and shoots his freebies at an 83 percent clip) and materialized as one of the best catch-and-release players in the NCAA. He's shot the rock at a 46.4 percent clip and led the Golden Eagles in points-per-minute last season. The key for the Huskies is to not let him get open and force him to put the ball on the deck and try to take somone off the dribble. He's an off guard camoflouged as a forward, one who thrives in Buzz Williams' offense.

While UConn may be able to exploit the mismatch, and the presence of Thabeet will likely keep Heyward from going to the rack, Heyward can dial in a timely trey or feathery jumper. He's also a defensive stalwart, with the ability to clamp down on anyone on any given night.

UConn had a veritable lockdown specialist in Dyson, who's been the team's best on-the-ball defender since his freshman season. One way to make up for Dyson's defensive prowess, and against this team they will certainly need it, is to get more aggression out of senior guard Craig Austrie.

Austrie was austere against Notre Dame last month, when he did a commendable job on Kyle McLarney. Austrie threw the sniper into a 3-for-15 nightmare that saw him go 0-for-the century in the second half.

Austrie will also have to step it up offensively. A senior and homegrown product, Austrie has yet to eclipse 10 points against top-notch competition. He hit crucial treys in the win over Syracuse, and needs to put forth a similar effort against Marquette. Conservative play has lowered Austrie's stock throughout his career, and with Dyson's 14.3 points, 3.2 assists, 1.5 treys per game not on hand, there's no tomorrow.

Another area that Dyson's absence effects the Huskies is in the run and gun game. Dyson was a big part of UConn's speedball, hellfire operation with his explosive finishes and ability to facilitate a fast break. Marquette has plenty of guards that can run the floor and finish in the open court.



STAND GUARD:

Jerel Mcneal recently became the school's all-time leading scorer. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard has been smoking this season, shooting the rock at a 43 percent clip from the perimeter and 48 percent from the field. He's averaging a team-high 20 points and averaged a sublime 25.1 points during six straight wins from mid-January to early February.

Dominic James, who's name was littered in NBA draft talk following his freshman season, is explosive, athletic, and scary with his first step. And if you think Dyson has some bounce at 6-foot-3, you should just see this freakish 5-foot-11 cat's springy hops. James' numbers have dwindled since he was Big East Freshman of the Year, but he shoulders a solid assist-to-turnover ratio and is the offensive operator/heart and soul of the team.

Guard play has been an aspect so paramount to success in Big East basketball this season. UConn's A.J. Price, who's become one of the top guards in the conference and the go-to-guy in pressure situations, will have his hands full. Reiterating what I said before, Austrie will need to step his game up. Kemba Walker, a major presence in UConn's running game, needs to look to score more.

The quartet of McNeal, James, Heyward, and Wesley Matthews (18.7 ppg) have all eclipsed 1,000 points in their career. Relative balance in the scorebook pays dividends for the Golden Eagles. If one of these guys isn't feeling it, another guy can step in and pick him up.

BENCH BOYS:

Marquette plays around nine guys per game but doesn't have a great deal of production coming off the knot. Pint-size point guard Maurice Acker showed promise during last year's Big East tournament, but he hasn't seen significant opportunity this season. UConn, on the other hand, has about as much depth as a kid's pool. The season-ending injury to Dyson and 7-foot-1 center Charles Okwandu's academic ineligibility has limited them to a 7-man rotation, with the occasion no.8 thrown in the mix. That man was seldom-used freshman Scottie Haralson Saturday. Donnell Beverly has had his cameos, but the last thing UConn needs is another guard. Gavin Edwards, who averages four points and three boards but can be a solid supplement to Thabeet or Adrien, played just four minutes against South Florida. If anything will hurt UConn in this conference, it's the lack of bench depth. Beverly, Haralson, or whoever it may be must get acclimitized to significant minutes. Marquette clearly has the upper hand on the Huskies in this category, and getting Thabeet in foul trouble can change the game.

-Marquette suffered a wild, 57-56 upset loss to South Florida on Feb.6. They were drubbed by Villanova. Still, the Golden Eagles (like UConn) have just two conference losses to date.
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Calhoun Wont Let Huskies Look Ahead (TheDay.com)
UConn Matches Up Well vs Marquette (Courant)
Match-ups: Connecticut vs. MU (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Stakes are Sky-High for Match-up with Huskies (Journal-Sentinel)
Marquette vs. Connecticut GameNight (CollegeHoopsNet.com)
Calhoun's Focus on Present, Not History (Norwich Bulletin)
Huskies Thabeet a Beast Dow Low (Journal-sentinel)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 70
Marquette 66