Wade Spreading Christmas Cheer

When Dwyane Wade heard the plight of a South Florida woman whose nephew accidentally burned down her home - and ruined all the family's possessions - the Miami Heat star knew he had to do something.

So he replaced the house.

Wade presented Dawn Smith with the ultimate Christmas gift on Wednesday - the keys to a new home, along with some furnishings, clothing and gifts to make sure her family has a joyous holiday, something that didn't seem likely just a few weeks ago.

"That's what I try to teach my kids," said Wade, whose foundation has hosted several charity events this holiday season, mostly for needy children. "It's not about what you're going to receive - it's what you can give to others from what you've received."

Smith couldn't hold back happy sobs when she saw the home for the first time.

"A big time relief," Smith said, clearly overcome by emotion. "Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Oh, God, thank you so much."

The NBA's leading scorer this season had a simple message: "Hopefully, you'll like it."

Wade's other holiday events this year included a party for 350 children on Monday, and hosting 100 kids at Tuesday night's Heat game against the Golden State Warriors. He also donated US$10,000 to each of three children's organizations, but said he was particularly touched by his gift to the Smith family.

"We can help this family have a new beginning," Wade said.

-Associated Press

The Selfless Maturation of a Point Guard

Last night’s winning shot was not a career-defining moment for Dominic James. It was not a dramatized symbol of his time at Marquette. In fact, his clutch winning shot should not have come as a surprise to Golden Eagle fans. For four years in the Blue and Gold-clad uniform, Dominic James has been Mr. Consistent.

Eavesdrop on a conversation consisting of faithful Marquette fanatics. It is a safe bet that you will hear them mercilessly wanting more out of Dominic. MU fans are tireless in being critical of their fearless leader. They expect outstanding statistical performances from James. They demand nights where he should shoot “lights out” to pace all scorers. These demands stem from his outstanding freshman campaign that saw ‘Nic shatter Doc Rivers's 25-year old school record for points scored as a Freshman, with 473. He was named 2005-06 Big East Rookie of the Year and scored in double figures for 25 of Marquette's 31 games.

Fans of this year's team are naturally inclined to look at Dominic’s early career output and question, with the team’s current offensive binge, why James is not putting up career numbers this season. If you have watched any of Marquette’s games in 2008, you have seen an outpouring of offense averaging 81.2 points a game. Wes Matthews matched his career high in points, then broke it--twice. Lazar Hayward set his new career high with an earth-shattering 27 against Western Carolina. And Jerel McNeal is easily averaging the best point per game totals of his career, with 17.8 points per contest. Some are waiting for Dominic to take his share of the offensive success and become the Big East’s leading scorer.

Keep waiting.

Dominic's point production has dropped each season at Marquette. So have his turnovers. James's assist to turnover ratio has risen from 1.92 a game in the 2005-06 campaign to 2.71 in 2007-08. The fact of the matter is that Golden Eagle fans have the true honor of watching a point guard who quickly learned that an offense is a product of his decision-making. He could easily rip 25 shots a night. But James does not. In fact, his highest output of the season came last night in North Carolina, when he attempted 14 shots from the field. He made seven of those. It is hard to argue with a guy who, with regard to the night, said "I was feeling it."

That was a rarity for the now-selective Dominic James. He is shooting less than ten shots a game this season. Yet his team is off to a 10-2 start, and he has more assists at this point in the season than any of his previous years.

Four for years, Marquette fans have had the pleasure of watching a point guard who has been through the highs and lows of four years at one of America's most storied college basketball programs. He left for the NBA draft. Then he came back. Then his coach left. Fans were sure he was gone. He stayed. He now has a chance to lead his team back to the NCAA Tournament for the last time. The ball is in his hands. He knows it. And that is why when Dominic James's career is over, and his number one jersey is raised to the rafters of the Bradley Center, Marquette fans will remember their skilled confident point guard for many things. But it will all come down to the one attribute that the offense around him thrived on.

Consistency.



Brad Galli
MUTV Assistant Sports Director

Brad Galli is a sophomore in the College of Communication, majoring in Broadcast & Electronic Communication. He serves as the Assistant Sports Director of Marquette University Television (MUTV).

Marquette 68 North Carolina St. 65

Dominic James sank a game-winning three with 0.4 seconds to lead Marquette to a 68-65 comeback win over the Wolfpack of NC State.

James and Jerel McNeal stole the show in the second half, combining for 23 points after the break and finishing with 18 and 20 points, respectively, for the game.

NC State caused matchup problems early for the Golden Eagles, taking advantage of their height. Using four starters 6’5” or taller, the Wolfpack recorded 28 of their 65 points in the paint.

“More so than any of the other teams I’ve studied, NC State collectively has the best four post players I have seen,” said Marquette head coach Buzz Williams

Six-foot-nine junior forward Brandon Costner lead the Wolfpack with 24 points and 8 rebounds. Costner started off quickly and stayed hot, scoring NC State’s first 11 points. He shot lights out all game, going 9-of-10 from the floor and 5-of-5 from beyond the arc.

However, the key to the game for the Golden Eagles was their ability to create turnovers and convert them into points. Marquette’s speedy backcourt was too much for NC State, as the Golden Eagles recorded 8 steals, and scored 18 points off Wolfpack turnovers.

After overcoming an early seven-point deficit, Marquette took their first lead at 23-20 with 7:49 remaining in the first half. The two teams would engage in a seesaw battle for the duration of the contest. Marquette went into halftime down 35-32.

The Golden Eagles entered the second half with a better game plan on defense, cutting down on weak side scoring opportunities and giving help in the post on Costner and center Ben McCauley.
After giving up 4 quick points to the Wolfpack to start the second half, Marquette’s senior leaders, James and McNeal, showed poise in mounting a comeback. McNeal shot 5-of-8 from the floor in the second half while accumulating 3 steals. James shot 4-of-5 from the floor in the second half, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while dishing out 4 assists.

After going ahead 53-52 with 8:47 to play, Marquette would remain on top until Costner hit a three-pointer to knot the game at 65 with 1:58 remaining.

Then came time for James’ late-game heroics, but not before he was set up by a huge defensive play from senior Dwight Burke. Burke stripped the ball from McCauley inside as the NC State player attempted to kick the ball back out to avoid a trap. The loose ball was scooped up by James, who dribbled towards the Marquette bench and called timeout with 25 seconds remaining.

After catching the inbound pass, James waited until there were about 5 seconds remaining before he beat a double team off the dribble to his left to get off the game-winning shot.

McCauley hit a Christian Laettner-type turnaround three as time expired, but the officiating crew determined from replay that he did not get the shot off in time.

The win is huge for a Marquette team fighting to get back into the AP Top 25, as the Golden Eagles will need as many non-conference wins as they can get when going up against a Big East Conference that many believe is the best in the country.

Mike Adelman
MUTV Sports, WMUR Sports

Dominic's Shot Heard Across the World

ESPN has it as a lead video highlight!


Brad Galli
MUTV Assistant Sports Director

Marquette-NC State Preview

The Golden Eagles will get out of the friendly confines of the Bradley Center and that rough Milwaukee weather as they travel to the state of North Carolina where they are a dismal three and twenty-eight all time. They will look to get a marquee win on the road tonight as they face the N.C. State Wolfpack. This could be a good road win that Marquette puts on their March Madness tournament resume as it will be tough to get a win on the road with the loaded Big East this year.

N.C. State’s lone loss of the season came from a miraculous performance by Stephen Curry and his Davidson Wildcats as he torched the Wolf pack for forty four points in a 72 67 victory as Lebron James was in attendance. But, the stars aren’t coming out for this game. This should be N.C. State’s toughest test of the season as they have played cupcake city thus far, which should go in favor of the Golden Eagles after playing Wisconsin at home and Tennessee at a neutral court so far this season.

The Wolfpack are sort of led by their own “big three” with the two bags in 6’9” center Ben McCauley averaging 15.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and 6’9” forward Courtney Fells averaging 13 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, also they have some range from the outside in 6’6” senior guard Courtney Fells averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting 53% from the field this year. Even with the size advantage down low, Marquette has their own big three and one of them joined exclusive company at Marquette.

When senior guard Jerel McNeal grabbed his fifth and final rebound in the win over Western Carolina, he became a member of an exclusive group in Marquette’s history. The Chicago, Ill., native is the 21st player in the school’s record book to collect 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. He currently owns 1,485 points (13th all-time) and 500 rebounds in 106 career games. Scott Merritt (2001-04) was the most recent player to accomplish the feat prior to McNeal. He capped his career with 1,049 points (34th) and 687 rebounds (13th). Senior Wesley Matthews is just nine boards short of joining the group.

But, the hottest player on Marquette’s team as of late is Lazar Hayward after he had a career night verse Western Carolina, capping a career high 27 points, 2-3 from beyond arch and a perfect 9-9 from the line to go along with five rebounds in a dominant performance. He will need to keep this play up with a tall front line of the Wolfpack if Marquette looks to pull out its first true road win of the season.

Marquette and NC State have met on just three occasions all-time, but the first meeting couldn’t have come on a bigger stage as it determined the 1974 national champion. The top-ranked Wolfpack claimed the title with a 76-64 win over MU in Greensboro Coliseum, led by the tourney’s most valuable player, David Thompson (21 points, seven rebounds). Former Marquette standout Maurice Lucas led three players in double figures with 21 points, earning a spot on the all-tournament team. MU would earn its own national title in 1977. The two programs also participated in a home-and-home series in 1990-91 and 1991-92, with each team winning on its respective home court.

The Marquette University men’s basketball team wraps up the road portion of its non-conference schedule when the squad travels to NC State for a 6 p.m. CT tip on ESPNU.

The Golden Eagles are making their first trip to Raleigh since the 1990-91 campaign in the team’s first true non-league road matchup of 2008-09. ESPNU will feature MU’s third national television broadcast of the year.

Todd Warner
MUTV Sports

Breann Hill Leaves Women’s Basketball Team

Junior forward Breann Hill has informed the coaching staff one week ago that she will leave the Women’s Basketball team and Marquette University for personal reasons. Head coach Terri Mitchell addressed Breanne’s situation before their 68-56 loss to UW-Green Bay on Saturday.

"Bre has decided to leave Marquette and move on with her collegiate basketball career. We enjoyed her time here at Marquette and wish her the best of luck in her future," said head coach Terri Mitchell.

Hill, a junior college transfer from Kirkwood Community College (Iowa), appeared in eight games for the Golden Eagles this season and averaged 3.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg over 9.4 mpg. She played a season-high 14 minutes against Sacred Heart (Nov. 16) where she scored six points and added five rebounds. She scored a season high eight points at Western Michigan (Nov. 23).

Hill had not appeared in a game since she logged 6 minutes against Northwestern back on December 2. With Jocelyn Mellen suffering a season ending knee injury earlier in the season, the Golden Eagles are now down to twelve healthy players on the roster.

The Women will be back in action on December 28th when they travel to Rochester, Michigan to take on Oakland University. Hear the game live on Marquette Radio (WMUR), with tip off set for 3:00 pm CST.

Marquette 94 Western Carolina 77: A Promising Step

Yes, it was against Western Carolina. Yes, it was against a team with inferior athletes. Yes, it was at home. Yes, they did let up a bit in the second half. But Friday night the Golden Eagles showed their fans, and more importantly themselves, that they were capable of a well rounded effort.

And guess what… they did it with a full roster (yes, celebratory high fives are acceptable).

Marquette dominated the Catamounts of Western Carolina Friday night, 94-77, in front of a crowd of 13,563 at the Bradley Center. MU was paced by the blazing hot hand of junior forward Lazar Hayward. Lazar was 8-13 from the field Friday night, and connected on all none of his free throw attempts. He was a one man wrecking crew. I don’t care how big or small someone is, if you can fill it up like that at this level, you can play. And Hayward is going to get his due if he keeps his torrid pace of scoring and rebounding up.

What was remarkable about this game though, was that the rest of the team did not stand by and watch Lazar put on a show. Jerel McNeal was unconscious from deep, knocking down five of the six threes he attempted, with 19 points and 5 assists. Wes Matthews did not even attempt a shot for the first seven minutes of the game, but he still found a way to finish with 18 points and 5 assists.

It gets better though.

Only one member of the Big 4 reached thirty minutes of playing time (Lazar). This in part was due to the host shooting the Golden Eagles put on the Catamounts, but there were also more bodies available… BIG ONES too. Bodies like 6’10”, 245 pound freshman Chris Otule, and 6’7” Joe Fulce. Both of which were surprisingly active when on the court. By no means were they the saviors off the bench that this team desperately needs, but they provided a glimmer of hope.

Otule is too robotic to be expected to contribute anything on the offensive end, but he is certainly capable of playing 10-12 minutes game. All that will be asked is snaring a few boards, blocking a shot or two, and using his five fouls to his advantage defensively. Fulce looks as if he can be a contributor. For a guy coming off a cracked knee cap, he ran and jumped well. At 15 minutes of playing time per game, Fulce could be the spark this team needs, but more importantly, a reliable body that can give Wes and Lazar a few extra minutes of rest.

It also would not hurt if Maurice Acker and Jimmy Butler gave similar performances to Friday night throughout the year. Maurice finished with 8 points, hitting two open three balls which he must do with consistency. Jimmy received some big minutes for the first time this year, putting up a solid 7 points and 6 rebounds. Those two alone can be a huge difference maker against talented opponents.

Finally, against Western Carolina, in the 11th game of the season, the entire roster stepped on the court and just played basketball. They got a superstar performance from one, consistent scoring outputs from two others, and great role play from the guys off the bench. Call me crazy, but that sounds like a recipe for success.

And the opportunity to test the new ingredients for first year head coach Buzz Williams will come on Monday, when they hot the road again for a date with N.C. State. The Wolfpack’s lone loss comes at the hands of Davidson, and will feature a stating lineup with no one shorter than 6’5”. The Big 4 will be asked to lead the way once again, but the story will be if the supporting cast can push them over the top for a big road win. The stage is set, and Big East play is right around the corner. What better time than now to put together a complete game?

Brian Henry
MUTV Remote Coordinating Producer
Marquette University Radio (WMUR) Sports Director

Marquette-Western Carolina Preview

The Golden Eagles will look to bounce back at the friendly confines of the Bradley Center Friday night when they host the Western Carolina Catamounts. (#23/24) Marquette is coming off their second non-conference loss of the season, when they fell to (#16/19) Tennessee in the Big East/SEC Invitational last Tuesday.

Expect to see MU focus on two critical areas coming off of their loss to the Volunteers. For only the second time all year, Marquette was beaten in the free throws attempted category (the loss to Dayton the other). It was only a difference of one free throw, but considering the Golden Eagles have averaged out-attempting their opponents by 12.25 trips to the charity stripe a game, it was a huge factor. This area will not be the focus on the offensive end however. Coach Buzz Williams and his players have the dilemma of playing undersized and not fouling. It’s a challenge Williams is open about, and knows it is not going away.

"I think we’ll fight an uphill battle, moreso than probably what most people think," said Williams with regard to avoiding foul trouble. "I think we’ve fought an uphill battle thus far in the 10 games we’ve played up to this point. And I don’t know how many left we have scheduled, but I think every game will be an uphill battle.”

Reprive is coming in the way of Western Carolina (5-3), who averages only drawing about 13 fouls per game. However, the Catamounts counter that statistic by taking a page out of Marquette’s playbook, using a high pressure defense that is forcing its opponents to turn the ball over 19 times a game. Junior guard Brigham Waginger has already entered the top ten in WCU history in thefts, and leads the team once again this year. He will handle their point guard duties with an impressive 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio.

The Catamounts are led by 6’8”, 205 pound junior, Jake Robinson, and his 15.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Robinson however, does not do his damage inside. He’ll remind Golden Eagle fans of another lanky sharpshooter that graduated back in 2006, Steve Novak. Although Robinson is not as accurate as the former unanimous All-Big East selection, he has the green light to shoot anywhere. Averaging eight attempts from three per game, he will certainly test Marquette’s perimeter defense.

Junior guard Brandon Giles will also light up the scoreboard for WCU is left open. Shooting an impressive 44.4% from deep, the 6’6” Giles’ 14.1 points per game will give Wes Matthews and Lazar Hayward two difficult defensive match ups when they meet Friday night.

The Golden Eagles will also look to improve their assist total against Western Carolina, as the guards uncharacteristically struggled to set up baskets in Nashville. MU’s season low of 10 assists tied their output against rival Wisconsin, and created quite a bit of one-on-one basketball.

Also, do not be surprised if Buzz Williams and the players on the floor make more of a concerned effort to get Dwight Burke some easy baskets to build confidence. With exception of the sparsely used Blake Gallagher, who only averages 13 minutes of playing time per game, Dwight will have at 25 pounds on whomever attempts to guard him inside. It is a great opportunity to improve his offensive productivity.

Time Warner Sports will produce Friday night’s affair, with it appearing on Channel 32 throughout Milwaukee. The game will also be on ESPN Full Court for the out of market fans who want to catch the action. Tip off is set for 7:34 pm at the Bradley Center.

Brian Henry
MUTV Remote Coordinating Producer
Marquette University Radio (WMUR) Sports Director

Same Old Song and Dance

For those Marquette Basketball fans that feel that they have been living in the twilight zone for the past three and a half years, Tuesday night was another trip down memory lane. The Golden Eagles battled, but in the end came up short to a bigger and stronger basketball team.

If you came to this one looking for an exhibition on how to run the fast break and score quick baskets, you were bitterly disappointed. Marquette and Tennessee combined for 24 turnovers, and also tallied a total of 55 fouls called during the game (31 of which were whistled against MU). Still, the opportunities were there for the Golden Eagles, but there was just not enough gas left in the tank at the end.

Understand that I am not claiming that this team did not give enough effort. I applaud every single one of the eight guys that wore the uniform tonight for leaving it all on the floor. The problem is that it wasn’t nearly enough. Saying this team is limited is like saying the Pope is Catholic. Face facts everyone. You cannot expect the starting five not to get in foul trouble if they are all playing at least thirty-five minutes (by the way, hats off to Dwight for playing 35 minutes).

So what can Buzz Williams do? Go to his bench like most normal coaches do of course. WRONG. The drop off from the starters to the guys coming off the pine is about as steep as the Himalayan Mountains. In order to stay in that game last night, Buzz had to keep his best on the floor as long as they could still breathe.

What did that get them? A two point deficit with 2:20 to play in the game. MU was then outscored 10-0 for the rest game. Wes Matthews pours in a career high 30 points, and single-handedly kept this two alive when it appeared ready to collapse. It’s always disappointing to lose, but there are positives to take away from this. Unfortunately, the lesson learned from it isn’t so positive.

If this teams has serious aspirations of having success in Big East play, and making some noise in the NCAA Tournament, they are going to have to develop a bench, and a way to defend the post. They cannot get by any more. Barro and Fitzgerald gave them that free pass last year with their interior defense and sporadic scoring outbursts. The Big Three are playing as well as anyone could have asked for this year (Dom could have shot better tonight, but we’re talking as a whole). Along with Lazar Hayward, they have carried this team as far as it can go with just those four performing at a high level.

Someone… anyone… MUST step up for this team in order for it to be a legitimate threat. The pressure that is going to fall on Chris Otule and Joe Fulce once they return is going to be unreasonable, but not unwarranted. Jimmy Butler has been nice, but cannot be the spark off the bench; Pat Hazel does not have the talent to do it; David Cuibillan has clearly not fully recovered from shoulder surgery; and at 5’6” Maurice Acker cannot be expected to be a big contributor.

The loss to Tennessee is not devastating on paper and to the tournament committee. Falling short to a ranked team on the road is noting to be distraught over. But the way this team has begun to shape up is cause for concern. When it comes down to it, if Coach Williams honestly feels his best chance to win is playing his starters 35 minutes a piece, then so be it. He’s not going to force something that is not there.

Tuesday night might have felt like the same old song and dance, but come Selection Sunday, Marquette fans might be in uncharted waters when the field of 64 is announced.

Brian Henry
MUTV Remote Coordinating Producer
Marquette University Radio (WMUR) Sports Director

Brian Henry is a senior in the College of Communication, majoring in Broadcast & Electronic Communication. He serves as the Sports Director of Marquette Radio (WMUR), and the Coordinating Producer of MUTV’s live sports remotes.

LIVE Game Blog vs. Tennessee

TEN 80 MU 68 -FINAL-
Look for a final recap later tonight from the MUTV writers.

TEN 76 MU 68 0:29
Timeout MARQUETTE after a travel called on TENNESSEE. Turnover ensues.

TEN 74 MU 68 1:13
Dominic misses a three. Burke fouls out. Burke finishes with 3 points, and not one field goal attempt.

TEN 74 MU 68 1:36
Wayne Chism (TEN) crashes the glass and picks up the board after two missed free throws. He makes one of two.

TEN 73 MU 68 1:38
Josh Tabb (TEN) hit a monster three from the corner.
MU comes down and Lazar misses a three after an offensive rebound.

TEN 70 MU 68 2:20
Down to just a 2 point deficit after Lazar hits an all-important 3 ball. Good to see him get going at the perfect time. Defense was keying in on Wes, and Lazar sat at his favorite spot: the top of the arc.

TEN 70 MU 65 2:40
Wes just broke his career high, but more importantly, he looks more driven than a 57 Chevy. Just under 3 minutes remain, but there is plenty of time left for this game to end up a "W" for either team.

TEN 68 MU 62 4:08
Wes Matthews hit a pair of free throws to tie a career-high of 28 points set against Dayton.

TEN 65 MU 57 5:52
Chism popped Tennessee's biggest momentum swing of the game: a 3 pointer while Jerel McNeal fouls for the 5th time, ending his night with 10 points off 4-6 shooting.

TEN 62 MU 57
Wesley puts in all 3 free throws, but Chism comes down to drop in his 20th point of the night. Lazar responds and hits his first three point FG of the night. BIG. But Chism answers back with 2. His inside presence is drawing Burke to help McNeal.

TEN 58 MU 49 7:49
This Tennessee team is too deep for Marquette to handle without Jerel and Dominic. It will be interesting to see when Buzz brings them back in. Burke also sits with 4 fouls. Wes's efforts continue to be admirable.

TEN 54 MU 49 8:46
Jimmy Butler called for an offensive foul. Chism (TEN) continues to surprise. Dominic and Jerel are both on the bench.

TEN 50 MU 48 9:15 Burke scrambles for a loose ball, and gets called for his fourth foul. Dominic's complaining gets him his second personal foul and a technical. Buzz apparently is getting a kick out of it. He is laughing up a storm.

TEN 50 MU 48 9:38 Dominic picks up his first foul, and Wayne Chism hits 2/3 FT. Burke runs down and commits his third personal.

MU 48 TEN 46 10:44
Wesley has 20 points after knocking down a pair of free throws. That is his fourth 20+ point performance this season and his first since the loss against Dayton November 29.

TEN 46 MU 45 11:30
Dominic James knocks down a huge three after hesitating. Down one.

TEN 44 MU 41 12:14
Hopson (TEN) is apparently healthy, as he is back in the action. Jerel is sitting with 4 fouls. Lazar and Wes have 3 each.

TEN 44 MU 41 13:00
Great steal by Dominic, and the finish. Woolrige (TEN) comes right back with a 3 to give the Vols a lead. Only 2/2 on the night, but 6 points total.

TEN 41 MU 39 14:26
A Tennessee possession sees two (2) offensive rebounds, but a fantastic play by Mo Acker results in a jump ball.

TEN 41 MU 39 15:19
Great cut to the hoop by Wes. Fouled, made 2/2. Great effort to create something out of a solid pass.

TEN 41 MU 37
16:19 Wes misses a three, then fouls. MU's got to hit jumpers to win tonight. They cannot afford to have Wes have an off-night.

TEN 41 MU 37
Maze hits the 3-pointer for Tennessee. Marquette struggles to get inside again. Tennessee comes back to take 4 point lead, their largest so far tonight.

MU 37 TEN 36
Marquette going toe to toe with Tennessee at the start of the second half. Gotta comment on the "buzz" from Buzz on the sideline. He's making a great impression on this national primetime stage.

MU 32 TEN 32 HALFTIME
Foul trouble is again the story for Marquette. The Golden Eagles are having a very tough time getting into the paint tonight. Lazar Hayward is jumping out of the gym-and he needs to in order for an MU win. He's collected 4 rebounds to go with 8 points. But Lazar's three point struggles continue, as he is 0-3 through the first half. Wes Matthews, meanwhile, is 3-4 from beyond the arc. Dominic James is impressive tonight, with a balanced stat line of 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and a block. But he is 1-5 from the field (1-3 3PT). The bench has struggled in the first half, making only one free throw and not one field goal. They have also collected a combined 5 fouls. The big play of the half: Dominic James's block. The key to the second half: Jerel McNeal. He has 8 points off 3-5 shooting, but amassed 3 fouls in the first twenty minutes.

Brad Galli
MUTV Assistant Sports Director

Marquette-Tennessee Preview

If you’ve been living under a rock recently and have failed to notice, the (No. 23/24) Marquette Golden Eagles will be down on old Rocky Top tonight when they take on (No. 16/19) Tennessee in Nashville. The game is a part of the Big East/SEC Invitational, and MU and UT is the marquee game of the night.

This will be a very dangerous game for the Golden Eagles as they will struggle to match-up with the much bigger Volunteer team. No one knows this better than Golden Eagle skipper Buzz Williams who talked about it earlier this week.

"They have 10 high-major players," Williams said. "But they're really long and really athletic, and they just keep bringing 'em at you.” Eight of UT’s ten man rotation stands at 6’6” or taller, and their study Tyler Smith will do the majorit of the damage. Smith’s 17.4 points, 5.9 boards, and 4.6 assists per game make him a real tripple threat that will challenge the Golden Eagles.
To handle the fast pace and multiple bodies being thrown at them, Marquette will need production from its bench that has been entirely innefective this year. Only 5’6” point guard Maurice Acker is averaging more than four points per game.
Expect the load to fall on the Dominic, Wes, Jerel, and Lazar as usual. The only differece that will be needed tonight, is that all four must be spectacular. This means staying out of foul trouble, knocking down tough shots, and rebounding as if they were all four inches taller.
This is not an unwinable game for MU, but they sure are not the favorites. Expect Marquette to battle Tennessee, but in the end the Vols will have too much firepower.

Prediction: Tennessee 84 Marquette 65

Brian Henry
MUTV Remote Coordinating Producer
Marquette University Radio (WMUR) Sports Director

Shymansky New Head Volleyball Coach

Bond Shymansky has been tabbed the new head coach of the Marquette women's volleyball team. Marquette University AD Steve Cottingham announced that Shymansky, who has a plethora of postseason experience and recruiting success at the NCAA Division I level, will be taking over the program.

After former coach Patti Rolf resigned with just a couple weeks left in the 2008 season, Shymansky will surely be welcomed. He was the head coach at Georgia Tech University the last seven seasons. Under Bond, the Yellow Jackets made three NCAA Tournament appearances. Georgia Tech's overall record of 172-64 (.729) included a 96-38 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He finished the 2008 campaign with the highest career winning percentage among active ACC coaches, a mark that also put him in the top-20 in the nation.

In seven seasons, Shymansky led Georgia Tech to the NCAA Sweet 16 (2003), the NCAA Elite 8 (2004), ACC Tournament Championship (2002) and ACC Regular Season Championship (2003 and 2004).

At only 37 years of age, Bond Shymansky will certainly breathe alot of life into a program filled with young stars such as Beccka Gonyo, Amy Deelo, Tia Russell, And Ciara Jones.

Brad Galli
MUTV Assistant Sports Director

Buzz Keepin' It Real

Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams expressed his final thoughts after the win over Wisconsin.

Marquette Radio (WMUR)'s Brian Henry provided the clip, and added, "Take a listen. You come away just liking the guy."


http://www.zshare.net/audio/525001816e786adf/

McNeal Named BIG EAST Player of the Week

The BIG EAST Conference announced Monday that Marquette guard Jerel McNeal is the Player of the week for December 1-7.

The senior led the Golden Eagles to a pair of victories over Central Michigan and #22 Wisconsin. In the two games, McNeal was a combined 15 of 28 from the field, and averaged 20 points (14, 26) per contest. In a surprising statistic, Jerel was second in the team in rebounding for the week, pulling down 4 boards against CMU and 7 against UW, for a total of 11. That was second only to teammate Lazar Hayward's 21 total boards.

This is the second time McNeal has been honored as BIG EAST Player of the Week. The other time came during the 2006 season, after he guided the Golden Eagles to a CBE Classic championsip with wins over Texas Tech and Duke.

Brad Galli
MUTV Assistant Sports Director

Marquette 61 Wisconsin 58

A long-standing rivalry or a case of David and Goliath?

Early in the Marquette-Wisconsin game, it looked as though the Badgers (6-2) were coming in as a Goliath, leading the game for most of the first half. The team’s largest lead over the Golden Eagles (7-1) hit ten points with just under seven minutes left in the half. The Badgers finished out the first twenty minutes with 33 points to Marquette’s 27, led by Keaton Nankivil and Trevon Hughes. The team did not just end the half with the lead in points, they also racked up upwards of 10 team fouls in the first half alone.

The tide of the game turned when Marquette came back strong in the second half. The team stepped up their rebounding efforts, moving from only 10 total rebounds in the first half to 31 total by game's end. Led by senior guard Jerel McNeal, whose season-high 26 points were almost half of MU's total points, the Golden Eagles were able to secure a victory over the Badgers, 61-58. Other high scorers for the Golden Eagles were senior guards Dominic James with 10 points and Wesley Matthews with 9, as well as junior forward Lazar Hayward, who also chipped in 9.

When asked what contributed to the Badger’s loss, head coach Bo Ryan simply said, “We didn’t take [advantage of] the opportunities on our end.” The win is Marquette’s 53rd victory over the innerstate rivals, and marks the first back-to-back victories for Marquette in the series since the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons.

Patty Marra
MUTV News Director

Golden Eagles Preparing for Badgers

OFFICIAL MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY PRESS RELEASE:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------The No. 25 Marquette University men’s basketball team continues its homestand with non-conference action against in-state rival No. 22 Wisconsin Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. CT in the Bradley Center. ESPNU will feature Marquette’s first national broadcast of the campaign, with Lou Canellis (play-by-play) and Mike Kelley (analyst) calling the action. Melissa Knowles will serve as the sideline reporter. Saturday’s matchup will be the 115th between the two programs.

Offensive Pace Continues To Lead BIG EAST
Seven games into the 2008-09 campaign, Marquette continues to lead the conference with a scoring average of 87.9 points per game.
That mark, which includes a pair of 100-point efforts in back-to-back games (vs. Chicago State, vs. Milwaukee), currently ranks eighth in the nation through games of Dec. 3. MU’s roster feature four players averaging double figures in points.
Marquette and North Dakota State (4th, 90.5 ppg.) were the only two programs in the nation to feature a trio of 1,000-point scorers when the season began.

Burke’s Career Game Helped MU To Win In Last UW Matchup
Senior forward Dwight Burke helped lead MU to an 81-76 victory at Wisconsin last season in the most recent matchup between the two programs.
The Brooklyn, N.Y., native finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes of action, including some clutch free throws in the game’s closing moments. Burke’s point and rebound totals from that game both marked career highs to that point.
UW’s last trip (Dec. 9, 2006) to the Bradley Center resulted in a 70-66 victory for the Badgers.
Wisconsin leads the all-time series record, 62-52, but the Golden Eagles have a 36-26advantage in Milwaukee.
One of the longest tenured series in Marquette’s record book, the MU-UW series dates back to the 1917-18 season.

Matthews Nearing Dad’s Collegiate Scoring Mark
Senior Wesley Matthews has played a key role in the team’s early success in 2008-09 and is currently producing the best offensive numbers of his career.
He currently owns 1,186 career points and will soon pass the total collected by his father, Wesley Sr., at the University of Wisconsin. The elder Matthews netted 1,251 career points for the Badgers, which ranks 14th on the school’s all-time list.
Selected in the first round of the 1980 NBA Draft, the senior Matthews was able to tally his scoring mark in just three years.
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Marquette 81 Central Michigan 67

Marquette bounced back from their first loss Tuesday night, as they returned home from the Chicago Invitational. Wesley Matthews again led the Golden Eagles with 18 points and led No. 25 Marquette (6-1) to an 81-67 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas (2-4).

MU started off slowly, shooting just 37% (10-27) from the field in the first half. The Chips kept things close throughout, as Marquette's injury-plagued lineup continued to force players to play positions usually unfamiliar to them. Wes Matthews matched up against CMU's power forwards and Lazar Hayward platooned at Center, playing alongside four Marquette guards. Heading into halftime, the Golden Eagles led 36-27.

In what has been a recurring theme in the seven-game Buzz Williams regime, the Blue and Gold-donned men jumped out to a fast start in the second half. They stretched their lead to 18 after a 13-4 run. Coach Williams's bench outscored Central's, 17-6, a positive sign after its struggle against the Dayton Flyers last Friday night.

Foul trouble continues to plague Marquette, as Lazar Hayward fouled out, while Dwight Burke and Wes Matthews both had four fouls. But most of those fouls came late in the second half, when the game was already out of Central Michigan's reach. To Coach Williams's credit, the team's tenacity was controlled and incredibly effective. Nine steals led to 18 points, and the defensive effort is slowly starting to gain its own identity.

Dominic James poured in 15 points and Lazar Hayward scored 14 for Marquette, who faces off at home against the University of Wisconsin, Saturday at 8:30 P.M.

Brad Galli
MUTV Assistant Sports Director