My Quick Badgers/Marquette Take

Up front I will say that I am a Badger fan and alum and don't follow Marquette at all. I can name you the big 3 for Marquette and Hayward, who I called Haywood earlier this morning, and that is it.

Amazingly, the road team has won the last 2 games in this series. Do I see that trend continuing? No. I think the Badgers will fall just short due to their lack of experience and limited options after Landry in the post.

Sources tell me that Marquette is lacking in the post again this season. This would be par for the course since the McIlvaine/Key era, with the exception of Robert Jackson's one year of service. Look for Landry to have a huge game inside. Unfortunately after Landry, who is undersized for a 4, the Badgers have little else in post production. Nankivil has shown nothing on offense thus far. If he has a break out game, the Badgers should win, but I just don't see it happening. Krabby usually only mixes it up inside on junk. Luer has been playing a bit stronger in the paint, so that is a plus.

The real problem I see for the Badgers is keeping up with Matthews, McNeal and James. The Badgers do not have the players to play great D this year. As I mentioned earlier this week, they are too slow and don't move their feet and end up doing a lot of reaching. I don't see them being able to keep up with Marquette's motion offense. Hughes not a great defender and the white guys are as slow as me. If I recall, in last years game, Marquette continually drove the lane in the first half. Look for a lot more of that all game.

I see this being a close game, but the Marquette trio will hit some big 3 point bombs down the stretch as the Wisconsin defenders are laying off of them so not to get beaten on the dribble for the 15th time in the game. My call is 78-73 Marquette in a hard fought game.

One other thought, I hope Manny Pacquiao beats the pulp out of De la Hoya on Saturday. Pacquiao puts on some great fights and I would love to see him dismantle De la Hoya. However, De la Hoya is huge compared to Pacquiao, so i don't see it happening. Hopefully Larry Merchant will be involved somehow. He always adds great unintentional comedy to the fights that make HBO fights worth watching.