ODARTEY BLANKSON (6-foot-7, 8.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 0.7 apg). Crean was really counting on Blankson this season, and in fact appointed him team captain. But Blankson wasn't satisifed. He surprised Crean with his announcement last spring that he was leaving the team. Blankson eventually transferred to UNLV.

The reason? Blankson, who led Marquette in rebounding two years ago and was second on the team last season, didn't want to be typecast as a power forward. He also wanted to be more of a primary scoring option.

"I feel good about it," Blankson told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "It was a hard decision to leave Marquette. I still have a lot of friends on the team. The fan support was great. I'll miss it."

CORDELL HENRY (5-10, 15.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.2 apg, 32.8 minutes, .457 FG, .376 3PT, .830 FT). Henry will be missed. He was a solid lead guard who led the Golden Eagles in minutes played (1081) and free-throw percentage (.830). Henry was a scoring point who knew how to get his own shot. He finished second on the team in scoring and second in 3-point percentage. He led Marquette and was sixth in C-USA in free-throw percentage.

OLUOMA NNAMAKA (6-7, 7.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 28.2 minutes. .492 FG, .310 3PT, .711 FT). Nnamaka was one of just two Marquette players to start all 33 games last season (Henry was the other). He was a valuable player who did a lot of things well. Nnamaka was second among Golden Eagle regulars in field-goal percentage, fourth in assists, fourth in steals, third in blocked shots and fifth in scoring.

DAVID DIGGS (6-4, 3.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.7 apg, 9.8 minutes, .420 FG, .460 3 PT, .765 FG). Diggs played in 29 games without a start last year and was valuable as a shooter. He led the Golden Eagles in 3-point percentage, though he didn't have enough attempts to qualify for league statistical honors.

JON HARRIS (6-7, 4.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.6 apg, 20.5 minutes, .559 FG, .393 FT). Harris started 12 times and paced Marquette in field goal percentage, but he was woeful from the free-throw line (24-of-61). His place in the rotation will be filled by Terry Sanders.

PG -- TRAVIS DIENER (6-0, 165 lbs., So, #34, 7.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 23.7 minutes, .430 FG, .442 3PT, .761 FT, Goodrich HS/Fond du Lac, Wisc.). Last season Diener, who came to Milwaukee with Parade All-American credentials, was allowed to break in slowly, filling in for Cordell Henry, and he responded with a promising rookie season. His assists-to-turnover ratio was an excellent 3.1-1, a good sign as Diener takes over the position this season. He committed just 27 turnovers all year.

Just to make sure Diener was ready for the starting job he inherits, Crean sent him on a little overseas jaunt during the summer. Diener was part of the People to People All-Star team that played exhibition games in Australia.

Diener split point-guard duties with Fairfield's Tyquawn Goode and averaged 23 points and 10 assists as People to People was 4-2 playing against mostly pro teams.

"We had Travis go overseas because we wanted to put the ball back in his hands as a point guard and get him the feeling of running a team," Crean said. "I think it is going to be crucial for him to emerge in that 'I run the show' point-guard mentality that makes everyone around him better. His leadership, both on and off the floor, will be very important. That is a lot to expect of someone who has played just one year of college basketball, but we feel he has that potential."

Diener has skills that will help him master the point-guard position, not the least of which is shooting–he led C-USA in 3-point percentage and was seventh in league games only (.410).

"Travis is an excellent 3-point shooter and free-throw shooter, which means he's usually on the floor at the end of games," Crean said. "He can really see the floor and he really advances the ball with the pass."

Last season, Deiner played in all 33 games, earning three starts. He was fourth on the team in scoring, third in assists and tops with his 57 3-point field goals. Diener scored in double figures 12 times, including a career-high 15 points against Cincinnati in the C-USA Tournament championship game. Diener drilled a personal-best five 3-pointers against the Bearcats.

Diener's accomplishments were more than enough to earn him a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman team.

Diener considers himself ready to assume Henry's role this season.

"With the success Cordell had here, there is obviously going to be some pressure, but I feel fine," Diener told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "If you play Division I basketball, there is going to be pressure any way you look at it.

"I'm just looking forward to that role. I think I'll be fine."

SG -- DWAYNE WADE (6-4, 210 lbs., JR, #3, 17.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, 29.2 minutes, .487 FG, .346 3PT, .690 FT, Richards HS/Oak Lawn, Ill.). Crean breathed a sigh of relief when Wade chose not to enter his name into the NBA draft, then gave his star guard a laundry list of things to work on in the offseason.

"Dwayne can play at an even higher level," Crean said. "So we broke it down and give him four things he needed to work on: No. 1, perimeter shooting with range. No. 2, tighten up his ball handling. No. 3, offensive rebounding, and No. 4, on-ball defense."

If Wade comes back this season having accomplished all that fine-tuning, he's in for a monster year. He already put together an impressive rookie season a year ago, doing nothing to diminish his reputation, which only grew the season before as he practiced with the Golden Eagles as a partial qualifier. Marquette fans expected a lot from Wade, and he delivered.

Wade seemingly did it all last year: He topped Marquette and was eighth in Conference USA in scoring, led his team and was 19th in the league in rebounding and paced the Golden Eagles and was 14th in the conference in assists. He scored 517 points on the season, tops in Marquette history. His 277 points in C-USA games were the second most in school history. Wade led Marquette in scoring 19 times.

When the season ended, Wade was appropriately decorated. He was a first-team All-C-USA pick and a third-team All-American selection by The Sporting News. ESPN Magazine chose Wade as its Shooting Guard of the Year, and Basketball Times made Wade its Newcomer of the Year.

"There couldn't have been many people with more things going on last year than Dwayne," Crean said. "When you look at how he handled everything, going from someone who had not played the year before to becoming an All-American, I couldn't be prouder. He has done a great job in the classroom and in every area of his life."

Crean's laundry list notwithstanding, Wade possesses about as complete a game as any second-year player could hope to have.

"He's got a great feel for the game," Crean said. "He covers a lot of ground offensively and defensively. He finds cutters and passes out of the post well. And he really understands the game and knows what we want him to do."

You get the feeling Wade can incorporate Crean's suggested improvements into his game, especially the part about defense. He's already an aggressive defender in Marquette's system, which demands that constant pressure be place on the opposition. He can get into passing lanes as well as anyone.

"Last year he averaged about 10 deflections a game, 9.2 to be exact," Crean said. "He had two games in conference play with 17 deflections. He's really active, and like I said, he covers a lot of ground."

Last spring, Wade wisely passed on an opportunity to move to the next level. But if he's improved as Crean hopes, his Marquette career will be short-lived.

SF -- STEVE NOVAK (6-9, 200 lbs., FR, #20, 20.6 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, Brown Deer HS/Brown Deer, Wis.). Crean didn't say in the preseason that Novak would become a starter, but he has the blend of skills Marquette needs at this position, so we'll plug him in and see if he proves us correct.

Novak is exactly the kind of player Crean has to sign in order to maintain his program at a high level. It's imperative that Crean can take his fair share of players, especially those from Wisconsin, away from Big Ten schools. Novak might have been the most heavily recruited player from his home state in 15 years, and was a consensus top 50 pick by recruiting analysts. PrepStar ranked Novak No. 45 among its list of Top 100 players from the 2002 class.

"Steve Novak, over the past few years, has emerged as the premier player in Wisconsin and one of the better players in the nation," Crean said. "He shoots the ball with great confidence from all areas of the floor, but he is far more than a one-dimensional player. I love the fact that he can become a complete player in every aspect of the game at Marquette because of his desire to improve and his desire to win."

Novak figures to play a prominent role from the beginning of his career. With his shooting ability, he'll almost certainly get a chance to contribute heavily, if not start.

"Novak's a legitimate outside shooting presence," Crean said. "Some of our biggest losses last year came when we didn't shoot the ball well enough. Novak can do that for us. He also understands the game and can really pass."

There's a reason Novak is such a heady player. He was coached at Brown Deer by his father, Mike Novak.

PF -- SCOTT MERRITT (6-10, 245 lbs., JR, #5, 5.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 20.1 minutes, 20.1 ppg, .458 FG, .000 3PT, .730 FT, East HS/Wauwatosa, Wisc.). Merritt's role increased as last season progressed, and he'll have to be ready this year to produce even more after starting 20 times in 2001-2002. He's Marquette's most experienced player, having seen action in 62 games in his career.

"After undergoing shoulder surgery during the spring, Scott dedicated himself to a great summer and I'm looking forward to his junior year," Crean said. "We need for him to continue to grow into a role on the team that allows him to do whatever is needed.

"His scoring needs to go up, which I think it will, and we need for him to become one of the top rebounders, both on our team and in the league. And we need to utilize his passing skills, because for a 6-foot-10 player, he is excellent in that area."

Merrit has another skill, too, though he didn't prove it last season, missing all three of his 3-point attempts.

"He can really shoot the ball," Crean said. "He went with [former Marquette and current Lamar coach] Mike Deane [on an exhibition tour of Australia] and he made as least one 3-pointer per game from the international line. That shows you his range."

Merritt showed signs of his ability in several games, but his 15-point, 13-rebound effort against Arkansas Pine-Bluff stands out as a highlight. Both those totals were career highs. His 10 point, eight-board effort against Cincinnati and its physical front line might be an even better barometer of Merritt's potential now that he has to start producing similar numbers every game.

Merritt was third on the team in rebounding, and led the Golden Eagles in that department in six games. He also topped the team in blocked shots (27).

C -- ROBERT JACKSON (6-9, 255 lbs., SR, #55, 11.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, .545 FG, .587 FT in 2000-2001, Washington HS/Milwaukee, Wisc. and Mississippi State). Not many coaches are willing to take a transfer who has just one season of eligibility remaining, but not Crean. By the time he leaves, Jackson, who was one of the best low-post scorers in the tough Southeastern Conference, will have benefited his new team for two years. Last season, he was a bruising presence at Marquette practices.

Jackson used the time off to his advantage, fine-tuning his body and improving his conditioning. Crean is counting on him.

"He'll be a real key for us," Crean said. "He'll be a legitimate double-double presence for us who can really help Scott [Merritt]."

At Mississippi State, where his role was eventually reduced by the Bulldogs' recruitment of burly center Mario Austin, Jackson started 47-of-53 games in his last two seasons. In 2000-2001, he started 24 of the 25 games in which he played and led the Bulldogs in rebounding and field goal percentage. He was ninth in the SEC in rebounding and second in offensive boards (3.84 per game). Sanders scored in double figures 17 times and racked up seven double-doubles.

The season before, Jackson averaged 12.3 points and a team-high seven boards and was chosen third-team All-SEC.

G -- KARON BRADLEY (5-11, 180 lbs., FR, #10, 28.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 4.0 apg, 4.3 spg, Cypress Springs HS/Katy, Texas). Creans says he was lucky to get involved with Bradley late in the recruiting process and still be able to sign him, even though Oklahoma, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M, Rhode Island and South Carolina were in hot pursuit.

Bradley can play both guard spots, and though he might be undersized for a shooting guard, he makes up for his lack of height with explosive jumping ability (41-inch vertical leap) and deep range.

"He can really shoot it," Crean said. "He had one game last year where he made 10 threes, and seven games where he made at least six threes."

Bradley scored at least 40 points six times last season as he led Cypress Springs to a 26-6 record and a ranking as high as No. 2 in the state (Class 5A, the largest class in the state). He was chosen to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' second team in Class 5A

As a junior, Bradley averaged 21.5 points and 3.5 steals in helping his team to a 26-9 record.

"He is an explosive athlete who plays at a high level offensively." Crean said. "His ability to play both guard positions will make him a valuable addition to the team. He is an excellent shooter with good range, has fine leaping ability, and is very good around the basket. We are looking forward to his development."

G -- JOE CHAPMAN (6-4, 190 lbs., FR, #32, 20.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, Bloom HS/Sauk Village, Ill.). After last season, when perimter shooting doomed the Golden Eagles in some big games, Crean wanted to make sure he had plenty of shooters on his roster, and Chapman qualifies. He shot 50 percent from 3-point range as a senior when he began to show college recruiters he wasn't just an undersized post player. Chapman, as high school players are often asked to do, played inside in high school.

"Joe personifies toughness, but he is not just an intangible blue-collar type of player," Crean said. "He has played primarily inside as a high school player but has developed into one of the better shooters in the Midwest, especially in the state of Illinois. His ability to make the 3-point shot and his ability to score around the basket will help us."

Chapman was chosen Co-MVP of the North Team in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association AA All-Star game.

F/C -- CHRIS GRIMM (6-10, 220 lbs., FR, #33, 19.2 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 5.0 bpg, Brighton HS/Brighton, Mich.). Grimm was consistently ranked among the top 20- to 25 high school centers in last year's class. He's still far from a finished product, but will be bulked up and taught the nuances of the college post game by Crean and his staff. As evidenced by his blocked shot total, Grimm has the ability to become an intimidating defensive presence.

"Chris brings a willingness to improve, not only his game, but his body also as judged by the fact that he has improved his strength considerably since his commitment," Crean said. "He is a legitimate 6-foot-10 player who is getting better around the basket, plus he is already a pretty good defensive player.

"I am excited about his potential. He gives us an athletic inside player who has a great opportunity to develop over the next four years."

Grimm was a third-team all-state pick by the Detroit News.

F -- TERRY SANDERS (6-8, 225 lbs., JR, #40, 2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.4 apg Vincent HS/Milwaukee, Wisc. and Hargrave Military Academy/Chatham, Va.). The departure of seniors Oluoma Nnamaka and Jon Harris and the abrupt transfer of Odartey Blankson means that Sanders will play a much more significant role this season than last.

Sanders has the skill to be an excellent utility man. He's not afraid to defend, which endears him to Crean, knows how to score and can make free throws. Crean wants Sanders to become a designated defender and a stronger rebounder.

"Terry may become the jack-of-all-trades on our team this year," Crean said. "I think that in order for him to be successful, he has to be able to guard any position on the floor, one through five, and take the mentality that he is going to be the lock-up defender on our team when he is in the game.

"I saw a lot of improvement with him during the spring, and I think that he has done an outstanding job of building his body and trying to build his skills."

Sanders' handiwork on the People-to-People All-Star team's tour of Australia pleased Crean. Sanders averaged 15 points and 10 boards in six games.

Last season, Sanders played in all 33 games and earned one start.

SF -- TODD TOWNSEND (6-7, 215, lbs., SO, #1, 2.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 10.9 minutes, .509 FG, .250 3PT, .600 FT, New Hampton Prep and New Trier High School/Chicago, Ill.). Townsend played in 19 games with four starts as a rookie, and his role will be expanded this season. With the loss of so many frontcourt players from a year ago, it has to.

Townsend has already proven he is capable of making significant contributions. Last season, he started twice in the Blue and Gold Coca-Cola Classic and responded by averaging 10 points and being selection to the all-tournament team.

Townsend's first career start came against Texas Southern, and he scored a season-high 11 points. The next night against Sam Houston State, he made four-of-five shots from the floor, scored nine points and played a season-high 20 minutes.

Townsend later started against Dayton and Fordham in early December, but his progress was derailed by an ankle injury that forced him to miss two games.

"Todd missed some of last season and some of this offseason due to an injury," Crean said. "We do look at him to emerge in a role where he can come in and shoot the ball well for us and be one of our better defenders. He has a great opportunity on this team, and with one year under his belt, hopefully he'll have a better understanding of what is expected of him."

Tom Crean has Marquette basketball in a good place. Showing he's every bit as good a recruiter as former Marquette coach Kevin O'Neill and that he's learned a thing or two about X's and O's from former bosses Tom Izzo and Ralph Willard, Crean has rebuilt the program to the point where it can compete with the top teams in Conference USA. And if the Golden Eagles can do that, they can compete with any team in the country.

But for all the promise Marquette showed last year in Crean's breakout season, the fourth-year coach cautions that 2002-2003 is a different year, and that he'll have different players at his disposal.

"Frequently in sports, the previous year's success leads to the upcoming year's expectations," said Crean, who was the 2001-2002 Conference-USA Coach of the Year. "Although we have some experience returning, we still have a very young team as judged by the fact that of the 10 scholarship players we have, seven have played one year or less of college basketball. Our long senior, Robert Jackson, has not played a game for us yet."

It seems likely that the Golden Eagles can continue on the path Crean set for them, though they'll be hard-pressed to equal their victory total of a year ago. But with great guards in Wade and Diener, and the addition of a proven all-conference player in Mississippi State transfer Jackson to go along with an improving Merritt in the frontcourt, Marquette seems to have the firepower to win the American Division of C-USA. And if that happens, the NCAA tournament won't be far behind.