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Marquette Golden Eagles (2001: 15-14)

The following team preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at this and all Division I teams, be sure to order the 2001-02 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.

Program overview

Marquette's first two seasons under Tom Crean have followed a similar pattern.

First, there is early success, followed by some gritty, hard-luck losses to solid non-conference foes. Then comes an opening, surprising burst into Conference USA that establishes the Golden Eagles as title contenders. Next is a late-season fade that usually includes an agonizing close defeat.

In Crean's first season, Marquette opened Conference USA play 4-1 but lost six of its final eight games. Last season, Marquette jumped to the front of C-USA with a 5-1 start, but, again, caught the late-season blahs, losing four of its final five games.

That inability to finish has prevented the program from making an extraordinary leap forward in Crean's first two seasons. As it stands, Marquette has earned respect and stayed in the mix in C-USA while rebuilding itself in a more athletic, more dynamic image.

In his third season at Marquette, Crean has a mix of players he believes will elevate Marquette's level of play. The paradox is that, even though the talent may be better, the Eagles could struggle more this season than in the past.

There are eight freshmen or sophomores on the roster, and most of them will be counted on for contributions. Oh, and Marquette must find someone to replace shooting guard Brian Wardle, who quite literally carried the Eagles at times the last two seasons (he scored 29 percent of Marquette's points last season).

Backcourt

Fortunately for Crean, his most experienced player is the guy who runs the show -- senior point guard Cordell Henry (12.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.4 apg), a whirling 5-10 dervish from Chicago.

Henry has started all three seasons at Marquette, and he blossomed into one of the league's best point guards last season, averaging 14.5 points and 5.1 assists in league play. His emergence gave Marquette a reliable weapon apart from Wardle, and he enters this season as the lead dog.

Defensively, Henry must become more effective, especially against bigger, more physical opponents. Crean needs Henry to improve his post passing, and his scoring efficiency outside the three-point line (.316 overall, .276 in C-USA play) must come closer to his efficiency inside the three-point line (.495 overall, .531 in league play).

Crean believes Henry will benefit from the arrival of 6-0 freshman point guard Travis Diener (21.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 7.5 apg) from Fond du Lac, Wis.

Diener, a Parade All-American last season, is a better outside shooter than Henry and he has great floor vision, an attribute Crean believes will help the Eagles better in the open court. He sees Diener and Henry playing together for stretches; at the least, Diener will provide much needed relief for Henry, who averaged nearly 37 minutes per game in C-USA play.

Crean also likes Diener's competitive nature: He was the MVP of three different summer events before his senior season, he won a state title and was even an all-state player in baseball.

Marquette fans are eagerly awaiting the first game of Dwayne Wade's Eagles' career after hearing about his exploits in practice last season as a partial qualifier. A 6-4, 210-pound guard from Oak Lawn, Ill., Crean gives Wade, who averaged 27.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a senior at Richards High School, some credit for Wardle's fabulous senior year. He believes Wade's play this season will have something to do with his daily practice battles against Wardle.

Wade should play the two, but can swing to the three if needed. He has the potential to be Marquette's best player and one of the best freshmen in Conference USA.

David Diggs (0.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg) rarely played last season but Crean hopes the 6-4 senior shooting guard can improve his defense and shooting enough to be a factor.

Ron Howard (17.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg in high school), a rangy 6-5 freshman from Chicago Whitney Young, may be the best athlete on Marquette's roster. Until he gains more strength, his playing time may be limited, but Crean loves his potential.

Frontcourt

Oluoma Nnamaka (10.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg), a 6-7, 225-pound senior forward from Sweden, is the player who could make the biggest difference for Marquette. Nnamaka is more comfortable as a power forward, but has skills and certainly the body and athleticism of a small forward.

Nnamaka has added some strength, and Crean is anxious to see if Nnamaka's ball handling and shooting have improved enough to allow him to play more at small forward.

Last season's biggest surprise, Odartey Blankson (6.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) created expectations he must fulfill as a sophomore. Blankson was solid in every category (.449 from the field in C-USA, .356 from three-point range overall) except rebounding -- where he was exceptional (3.8 offensive boards per game) -- and free-throw shooting, where he was awful (.556).

At 6-7, 215, Blankson mixes athleticism, toughness and tenacity. He and Crean are a perfect fit for one another.

Scott Merritt (6.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg), the 6-10, 245-pound sophomore center from nearby Wauwatosa, Wis., played last season with a hurting back that limited his impact. A highly regarded recruit, Merritt could easily double his averages this season.

Merritt should benefit from practicing against big 6-8 Robert Jackson, a transfer from Mississippi State who must sit out this season. He added strength in the offseason, and Crean expects him to be a more reliable true center: scoring in the post, blocking shots and owning the lane, keying the rebounding effort.

The production of 6-7, 225-pound senior Jon Harris (4.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg) fell last season, especially on the boards. Marquette needs him to get back to the six or seven boards a game he is capable of. If he can become a relentless, eight or nine rebound per game kind of guy, then good luck playing Marquette; that would be a very difficult team to pull away from.

Because of injuries and illness, 6-8, 220-pound sophomore Terry Sanders (2.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg) saw a promising freshman season derailed quickly. He was developing as rapidly as Blankson when he contracted mononucleosis early in the season.

Crean's challenge in terms of creating roles, distributing playing time and finding his best rotation can be seen in two final freshmen -- 6-7, 215-pound Todd Townsend from Chicago (via a New Hampshire prep school) and 6-6, 210-pound Kevin Menard from Frankfort, Ill. Both could fight for playing time and earn significant minutes.

Bottom line

Marquette will look to run more than in the past and utilize the athletic talent Crean has targeted with his recruiting. Still, expect to find a complicated system of sets and an ultra-prepared squad nearly every game. Marquette may be more up-tempo than in the past, but it still will not likely be a team that beats itself, especially with a four-year starter (Henry) running the point.

With apologies to Rodney White and Charlotte, no team has a bigger void to fill than Marquette does now that Wardle is gone. Wade has the talent to become a star in his own right, but he will probably need at least half the season to adjust and to shake off the rust of not playing for a season. He and Diener are the perfect blocks on which Crean can build a program to compete with the ever-more powerful Memphis, Louisville and Cincinnati.

Replacing Wardle, however, is probably more of the frontcourt's responsibility. It was Wardle who bailed out the inconsistent frontcourt so often the last two seasons; now, guys like Nnamaka and Blankson and Merritt must expand their games by at least 25 percent to give the Eagles any kind of chance at contending for the C-USA title.

Crean has pushed Marquette into the title race in surprising fashion both seasons as coach, but he had Wardle helping him out. There are too many unanswered questions with this squad to take a chance on a bold prediction. Let's just say the Eagles appear to be capable of a 9-7 league record, and could compete for an NIT bid.

Crean has to find a way to prevent the late-season slides of the first two seasons, whether it means backing off earlier in the season or making sure the squad builds to a peak after late January/early February.

Marquette will stun a team or two this season. Whether the young talent can stay consistent enough to become C-USA's most stunning team is another matter. This should, at the least, be a fun team to watch evolve.